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RYAN PREECE
HOPING FOR REPEAT OF 2013 PERFORMANCE
IN TSI HARLEY-DAVIDSON 125 |
Over
the past 5 seasons, the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 has
become a championship predictor for the NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour. Since 2010, every winner of
the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 has gone on to win the
championship that season. Ryan Preece accomplished
the feat in 2013 and he hopes that he can repeat
that 2013 performance this Friday to build on the
momentum of his victory last week, his first of the
season with his new Ed Partridge owned #6 T.S.
Haulers team.
“It’s definitely a good start to the summer,” said
Preece. “Tommy [Grasso] has been working real hard
and we’ve been trying to figure out our new Troyer
car. We agreed when we tested [at Waterford] our old
car would be better on the longer runs and to go out
and win that race and give all the guys a win was
pretty cool. We’ll have our new car for the Stafford
and Thompson races and I think we’re going to have a
strong car this Friday at Stafford. We had a really
good car at the Sizzler and I feel like the car is
going to be good again. I just want to keep the
strong runs we’ve had going and keep on doing what
we’ve been doing.”
As Preece chases his second career NWMT
championship, he and Woody Pitkat are the only two
drivers this season to have recorded top-5 finishes
in each of the first three races of the 2015 season.
With the top-3 drivers of Preece, Doug Coby, and
Pitkat separated by only 2 points heading into the
TSI Harley-Davidson 125, Preece knows the key to the
race for the championship is all about being
consistent.
“This season is going to be about the guys who can
stay consistent and win races,” said Preece. “Both
Woody and I have overcome some adversity this season
already with him getting a flat tire at Waterford
and I hit the wall at Thompson. We both made our way
back into the top-5 and we were able to get good
finishes. I think the guys we’re going to be
battling this Friday are Woody and Bobby Santos.
They’ve been really strong and I think they’ll be
strong again this Friday night.”
The last time out at Stafford for the NAPA Spring
Sizzler, Preece won the pole position with a near
track record lap and he led the most laps before
finishing third. While the Sizzler is 200 laps long,
the TSI Harley-Davidson race is 75 laps shorter, but
Preece says that the lap difference isn’t the
biggest difference between the two races.
“I think it’s not really the laps but it’s more the
racetrack,” said Preece. “As the year goes on, the
track starts to lose grip and you start to struggle
with the car getting loose getting in the corners.
Usually whoever gets that figured out first usually
is the dominant car through the NAPA Fall final.
Stafford is a tricky track to get a hold of.”
Along with his duties behind the wheel of the #6 T.S.
Haulers / East/West Marine car, Preece will join Ted
Christopher, Justin Bonsignore, Woody Pitkat, and
Rowan Pennink as drivers who will be pulling double
duty this Friday between the Whelen Mod Tour and the
SK Modifieds®. Preece enters Friday night with three
consecutive podium finishes and he thinks that he
and his #6 J.G. Poulin Drywall / Sullivan and Sons
team are on the verge of breaking down the door to
NAPA Victory Lane.
“We’ve been real consistent this year and we’re
working on getting it better,” said Preece. “It
seems like a lot of guys will have their cars good
one week and then they’re struggling the next week
on older tires where my car is just as good on old
tires but we aren’t any better on stickers. We’re
trying something different every week and we’re
getting closer and closer. I’m excited for the rest
of the season and I’m sure Mike Paquette will get us
dialed in. We’re making gains and progress with the
car and that’s what I’m most happy about.”
Tickets for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 are
available and on sale now at the Speedway Box
Office. Tickets are priced at $33.00 for adult
general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages
6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted
free of charge when accompanied by an adult.
Reserved seating is priced at $35.00 for all ages.
All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.
Stafford Motor Speedway offers plenty of free
parking along with overnight parking in self
contained Recreational Vehicles.
For more information on the TSI Harley-Davidson 125,
or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor
Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on
the web at
www.staffordspeedway.com.
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Source:
Scott Running /
Stafford Motor
Speedway
Posted:
June 6, 2015 |
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