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PREECE
RETURNS TO WINNING FORM
Edges Coby For NASCAR Whelen Modified Victory At Stafford |
 Returning
to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time this
year, Ryan Preece was itching to get back into
Victory Lane.
He accomplished that goal Sunday in the 46th running
of the NAPA Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor
Speedway.
He took the lead from race leader Doug Coby with 13
laps to go and drove away with his first career
Spring Sizzler victory behind the wheel of his No. 6
TS Haulers Chevrolet.
The win was his first since August of 2015 at
Bristol Motor Speedway and his first of the newly
unified Whelen Modified Tour. Preece, who previously
had won 15 times on the Whelen Modified Tour and
three times on the Whelen Southern Modified Tour,
spent last year driving full-time on the NASCAR
XFINITY Series and made just 10 starts between the
two tours.
More importantly for Preece, his sixth victory at
the Stafford half-mile came in the track's
prestigious spring race.
"This means more to me than my first tour win, it
was so much hard work," said an emotional Preece in
the press box after the win. "My grandfather has won
this race. There are just so many things that come
to my head right now. I started racing a modified
when I was 12 or 13 years old."
Preece led 55 laps. Doug Coby, who set the track
record en route to his sixth straight Coors Light
Pole at the track Saturday, led a race-high 142. But
a late caution helped set up Preece's pass for the
lead. While Coby snagged the lead back on the Lap
192 restart, Preece quickly powered back to the
front.
Chase Dowling finished third. The 18-year-old won
the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 40-lap SK
Modified division feature earlier in the day.
Eric Goodale led three laps and finished fourth, and
Ted Christopher was fifth.
Rowan Pennink, Craig Lutz, Ron Silk, Justin
Bonsignore and David Sapienza rounded out the top
10.
Pennink took the championship points lead by one
over Timmy Solomito. Bonsignore is third, 16 behind
Pennink and leading a pack of six drivers --
including Preece in fifth -- separated by just eight
points.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track
at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia, on May 13
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NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour-NAPA Spring Sizzler "200"
Results
Sunday At Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford Springs,
CT
Lap length: 0.5 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (4) Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn., Chevrolet, 200 laps,
67.302 mph.
2. (1) Doug Coby, Milford, Conn., Chevrolet, 200.
3. (6) Chase Dowling, Roxbury, Conn., Chevrolet, 200.
4. (3) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 200.
5. (9) Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Chevrolet, 200.
6. (8) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Chevrolet, 200.
7. (13) Craig Lutz, Miller Place, N.Y., Chevrolet, 200.
8. (7) Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT, Chevrolet, 200.
9. (5) Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, NY, Chevrolet, 200.
10. (16) Dave Sapienza, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet,
200.
11. (12) Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y., Ford, 200.
12. (17) Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn., Chevrolet,
200.
13. (15) Rob Summers, Manchester, CT, Chevrolet,
200.
14. (19) Matt Swanson, Acton, Mass., Ford, 199.
15. (22) Gary Putnam, Vernon, Conn., Chevrolet, 198.
16. (21) Kyle Ellwood, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet,
198.
17. (24) Wade Cole, Hartland, Conn., Ford, 197.
18. (26) Walter Sutcliffe Jr., East Haven, Conn.,
Chevrolet, 193, mechanical.
19. (10) Shawn Solomito, Islip, N.Y., Chevrolet,
189.
20. (18) George Brunnhoelzl III, West Babylon, N.Y.,
Chevrolet, 186.
21. (14) Max Zachem, Preston, Conn., Chevrolet, 175,
accident.
22. (11) Donny Lia, Jericho, NY, Chevrolet, 169,
accident.
23. (2) Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn.,
Chevrolet, 148, brakes.
24. (27) Melissa Fifield, Wakefield, N.H.,
Chevrolet, 83, mechanical.
25. (23) Calvin Carroll, Newton, N.J., Chevrolet,
79, overheating.
26. (20) Andrew Krause, Holmdel, N.J., Chevrolet,
64, mechanical.
27. (28) Anthony Nocella, Woburn, Mass., Chevrolet,
50, mechanical.
28. (25) Gary Byington, Unionville, Conn.,
Chevrolet, 5, accident.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 1 hour 29 minutes 9 seconds
Margin of Victory: 0.220 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: D. Coby (100.581 mph,
17.896 seconds)
Caution Flags: 9 for 46 laps.
Lead Changes: 7 among 3 drivers.
Lap Leaders: D. Coby 1-44; R. Preece 45-86;
D. Coby 87-162; E. Goodale 163-165; D. Coby 166-186;
R. Preece 187-191; D. Coby 192; R. Preece 193-200.
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Standings: 1. R.
Pennink, 124; 2. T. Solomito, 123; 3. J. Bonsignore,
108; 4. E. Goodale, 106; 5. R. Preece, 104;
6. W. Pitkat, 104; 7. M. Zachem, 103; 8. M. Swanson,
100; 9. R. Silk, 96; 10. R. Summers, 92.
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Source:
Jason Christley / NASCAR
Posted:
April 30, 2017 |
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