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6/29/2007
WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR
NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
by Dave Meredith
Friday June 29, 2007
Ted Christopher in the #36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet,
will start the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour New England 100 on the front
row after setting fastest time in Bud Pole qualifying. Christopher’s
speed was 126.812 mph. Christopher in will be joined on the front row by
Donny Lia in the #4 Mystic Missile Dodge. The Jericho , NY , driver is
currently leading the Whelen Modified Tour point’s standings. Lia has
three wins in the five races this season. Lia’s qualifying speed was
126.795 mph.
Jimmy Blewett in the #12 TS Haulers/United Crane Rentals was
third quickest with a speed of 126.601 mph. The Howell, NJ, driver is
currently third in the point standings. Matt Hirschman of Northampton,
PA, in the # 59 Furnace and Duct Dodge was fourth on the chart with a
speed of 126.446 mph. Ed Flemke Jr. in the #10 Red Line Oil/Ron Bouchard
Auto Sales Chevrolet was fifth fastest with a speed of 126.307 mph. The
Southington , CT , driver will be an early contender on Saturday.
Tony Hirschman of Northampton , PA , was sixth fastest in the
#48 Kamco Supply Chevrolet with a speed of 126.249 mph. Hirschman
replaced a clutch before qualifying yesterday and Tom Kehley wanted to
make sure the all the bolts were tight. The #48 trailer was blocked by a
car which prevented the modified from getting out of the trailer. The
car was marked with an official’s sticker on the windshield.
Charlie Pasteryak in the #5 Dawley Auto Parts Chevrolet was
seventh fastest. The Lisbon , CT , driver’s speed was 126.240. Bobby
Grigas in the #09 was eighth fastest. Apparently he utilized his
practice here in earlier this spring. It paid off for the Marshfield,
MA, driver as he went for a trip around the “Magic Mile” at 126.232 mph.
Ronnie Silk in the #19 Major Motion Silk Plumbing Chevrolet circled the
track ninth, with a speed of 126.048 mph. The Norwalk , CT , driver is
currently sixth in the standings.
Ron Yuhas of Groton , CT , secured a top ten starting
position with a speed of 125.986 mph. Yuhas pilots the #6 AP Marquadt
Trucking/VP Racing Fuels Chevrolet. Zach Sylvester in the #77 Race
Against Cancer Pontiac was 11th, while Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield, CT,
was 12th quickest in the #2 Wisk/Snuggle Ford. Bobby Santos III in the
BRE #3 Chevrolet was 13th fastest. The Franklin , MA , driver has a busy
schedule as of late. He finished third in the WMT Charter Communications
150, had a second in the NEMA event at the Waterford Speedbowl and
captured the win in the USAC Silver Crown Car at Indianapolis Raceway
Park .
Nevin George in the #63 Bruce George Paving Pontiac, was 14th
quickest. The Kunkletown, PA, driver will start just his second race of
the season. Danny Sammons in the #0 was fifteenth quickest. The Trenton
, NJ , driver is having good runs in the Area Auto Racing
Publication/Trans-Clean Corp. Chevrolet – his time trial speed was
125.595.
Unfortunately, there was trouble for Eric Beers as the #94
had to replace an engine. He felt a vibration during qualifying
yesterday and they decided to replace it last night. Beers was
vigorously involved with the engine swap. He related that he wasn’t
comfortable with the way the car was feeling. Beers, along with the car
owner of the Newtown Exxon Chevrolet agreed on the change. The Whelen
Modified Tour will have a half hour of practice on the track Saturday
morning. “We should be OK; the car felt well yesterday except for the
vibration.”
Beers is currently 11th in the point standings and usually runs well
here at New Hampshire International Speedway, “I really enjoy running
here. I enjoy racing here and the Bahres treat us well. I look forward
to racing here. I would really like to win though, it would be like my
Daytona 500.”
I also spoke to spoke with Glen Tyler in the #8. Tyler from
Hampton Bays , NY , was here for the WMT practice in May; he said the he
was glad to be in the race. The Sypher Construction Chevrolet driver
said, “The car is good and with any luck we’ll be right there in the
end. We spent a little money to come practice, but it has already been
worth the time and money. My crew is really excited about racing here.”
I caught up with James Civali earlier, who qualified the #28
Ramar Hall/Liberty Limousine to sixteenth starting place for Saturday’s
race. Last year Civali was second in the Merriam-Graves Lincoln Welding
track championship here at NHIS. He was declared the winner of the New
Hampshire 100 when the caution came out on the final lap, but John
Blewett III had just gotten ahead of Civali according to the scoring
loops and video replay.
Civali says he hopes to get a win tomorrow to go with his
second
 and
third place finishes here last season. “Since Don (King) and I have
joined forces, we have gotten better almost every race.” Civali is
currently third in the WMT standings, just one point behind Jimmy
Blewett. Civali has one win so far this season, at the Thompson
Icebreaker.
While not WMT related, I spoke with Busch East Series young
star, Joey Logano of Middletown , CT. While I was waiting for Logano to
finish a conversation with fellow BES driver Matt Kobyluck, I spoke with
Dr. Dick Berggren, Fox commentator and editor of “Speedway Illustrated.”
I asked him if he was waiting for the new star on the BES and he said
no, he was waiting for Matt Kobyluck. Berggren asked me if I thought the
youngster Logano had the talent for Nextel Cup. I replied, “do you think
he does?” Berggren replied, “Oh, I think he will be there before you
know it.” Logano, who is only 17, has wait till he is 18 years old to
compete in the Nextel Cup. Logano is under contract to Joe Gibbs Racing.
I would not disagree with Berggren after Logano took the
Busch Pole Award yesterday over the other young star on the Series, Sean
Caisse. Caisse of Pelham , NH , qualified second in the #44 Casella
Waste Systems Chevrolet for Andy Santerre Motorsports.
Source: Dave
Meredith/Independent Writer
Posted:
June 29, 2007 |
