Ah, to go back in time. I’m sure each and every one of us
at one time or another remembers someone or something from there past
and wishes they could go back to that time frame and just freeze it.
Unfortunately, there is no Michael J Fox or Time Machine to get us back
to whatever period in time of our past that we would refer to as the
good old days. For a lot of who have been involved in modified racing,
that “Golden Era” would be the 70’s and early 80’s, when
drivers like Richie Evans, Bugs Stevens, Jimmy Spencer, Roger Treichler,
Greg Sacks, Fred Harbach, Gil Hearne and any other driver at there
weekly race track. To see those drivers, be it at Shangri-La, Stafford,
Lancaster, Islip or Wall Stadium, coming from the back of the pack and
win a feature event, with no caution laps counting, was a sight to
behold. With the formation of the NASCAR Modified Tour in 1985 and the
closing of many weekly tracks, those type of races gradually disappeared
in NASCAR’s oldest division. Long distance races with caution laps
counting became the norm, for better or worse.
While there might not be a Time Machine to go back to that era, Don
Hoenig and the management team at Thompson Speedway attempted to bring
back “the good old days” by running a 75 lap Tour race in which only
green laps would count this past Thursday Night. To be honest, it
sounded like a great idea and concept going in. However, like most
concepts, it never quite turns out like you envisioned it would, for
whatever reason. Circumstances beyond your control usually come into
play, which is kind of what happened during the 75 lap feature. I’m sure
going in, most were hoping for a good, clean, exciting race, with
minimal cautions. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as The Stubbs
Meter counted 12 cautions for a total of 46 laps. Yes, I was counting
the laps, just for curiosity sake. And according to my calculations,
that would have led to a 121 lap race, four laps less than a typical 125
lap Tour race. So, the questions then become, was it a success, or
better yet, what really was the difference? The easier question to
answer might be the latter one. While caution laps are caution laps,
whether you count them or not, there is still a different type of
strategy that goes into racing this type of race versus your typical
Tour race, which Mike Stefanik, who wound up third, pointed out
afterward. “It’s really ridiculous that we only have one scoring loop.
Modified's were always founded on pitting and racing. When the green
comes out you go. I’ve never passed so many cars for nothing. I’m just
aggravated with the system. One scoring loop just doesn’t cut it instead
of having three and four. At least have two scoring loops. I don’t
really care much for a 75 lap race. I love to pit and I love to include
the crew. I like to not feel that when you start the race, you have no
real means of adjustments. I’m true blue old school and love races where
you have to pit. I think the fans love them as well, where you have to
pit and blast your way from the back to the front. It seemed tonight
that there was a lot of follow the leader for the first 25 to 30 laps,
with everybody being conservative. I just don’t like it. Modifieds are
all about standing on the gas and going. You know you’re going to burn
the tires off but so what? You’ll get three more tires in 50 or 75 laps
and that’s always been my mind set. This time you had to be a little
more cautious with your tires and it’s not fun. Modified racing is
supposed to be about fun and racing hard and it wasn’t tonight.”
As far as the format being a success or not, it’s all in your point of
view. Rowan Pennink, who has only been racing the Tour for two years,
might have had the most insightful comment of all. Said Pennink of the
75 lap format, “It’s not really a problem to run 75 green laps. It’s
basically the same as running 125 laps but I guess people get it in
there heads that it’s 75 laps and they have to run as hard as they can
in the beginning, which caused many of the cautions. It’s just a mind
thing because it really is more than a 75 lap race, whether you count
the cautions or not.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself and with
that, maybe instead of blame being put on the race format, maybe, just
maybe, it should be put on the drivers themselves and some of there
aggressive driving methods. Remember, anyway you look at it, a caution
is a caution, whether it counts on the lap counter or not. It still
slows the pace and rhythm of the race, which cannot please the paying
customer, track promoter or grouchy media member like myself. It’s kind
of ironic then, that the new NASCAR Tour regime, headed by Chad Little,
found reason to penalize three drivers for what it called aggressive or
stupid driving. I don’t think there was that many penalties handed out
in the ten previous years on the Tour, let alone three in one night.
Maybe this type of officiating will help lead to better racing. Time
will only tell.
You have to hand it to Ronnie Silk. He and the Hill Racing team had more
than enough chances to get by leader Ted Christopher on restarts, there
were that many of them. Each time, though, Christopher managed to hold
off the upcoming driver. That changed, however, on the lap 53 restart in
which Silk was able to shoot by Christopher. Once out front, Silk was
able to keep Christopher at bay in winning his second career Tour race.
When asked how he managed to get by Christopher on that particular
restart, versus the other failed attempts, Silk said, “I actually had
some race track to work with that time around rather than marbles. Ted’s
car just wasn’t good for a few laps and then it would get going. I’d say
we were about the same but when I got stuck behind him on the restarts,
I’d be side by side with Chuck (Hossfeld) for a while which would enable
Ted to get quite a few car length lead. I knew if I got him on one of
those restarts, I’d have a chance which we managed on that restart.”
For Christopher, it wasn’t the finish he was looking for,
considering he led for the majority of the race. “There was just too
many cautions. When I got the lead, I pulled away and get in a good
groove and then the caution would come out. Then, when your chasing,
which we were doing at the end, we just used too much up,” said
Christopher.
When Chuck Hossfeld first hooked up with car owner Bob Garbarino and the
Mystic Missile team a few years ago, there were a lot of ups and downs.
After going separate ways, Hossfeld wound up hooking up with Hill
Enterprises before eventually parting ways with them and was without a
ride. Garbarino, on the other hand, finally got his long coveted
Championship last season with driver Donny Lia. After Lia left to pursue
his career in the Craftsmen Truck Series, there was much speculation
that Garbarino would ride off into the sunset. However, there was
Garbarino and the Mystic team bringing back Hossfeld to compete on the
Tour in 2008. And it’s been smooth sailing since, with Hossfeld leading
the points chase going into Thursday’s race. As Hossfeld, who wound up
fourth, admitted, “I’m so happy to be here. I feel like I’m home. I
honestly feel we have the best team going. We have old guys, young guys,
a couple of girls. Maybe I’ve matured a little bit, I don’t know what it
is. We think we had success the last time too. I guess the best way to
put it is that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. All I
can say now to someone else is that I’m happy to be back, I’ll tell you
that much.”
THOMPSON NOTES: Semi retirement and marriage must
have done Tony Ferrante wonders. Since announcing his retirement a few
seasons back, Ferrante finds himself still racing, but only in selected
races and tracks. Thompson is one such track (Riverhead is the other)
and once again Ferrante found himself in contention for the win. “We had
a good day. I like coming here and that’s why we come here,” said
Ferrante. “We should have won the Icebreaker earlier this year but I
pitted before the rain came. We just seem to have the right set up
here.” Despite being on the Tour for less than two years, Rowan Pennink
was sitting fifth in points heading into Thompson. However, a hesitation
in the motor before and after time trials sent Pennink and his team
scrambling to fix the problem. After changing the carburetor, the
hesitation continued. The problem wound up being water in the fuel cell.
After putting in a new fuel cell, the hesitation came back during the
feature, causing Pennink to switch to the backup ignition. With the
problem resolved, Pennink was looking to make a move to the front before
he and Renee Dupuis came in contact. Then, attempting to make his way
back into the top ten, Pennink wound up in a multi car wreck on lap 53.
As Pennink remarked afterward, “I never would have expected us to be in
the top five in points in only racing the Tour for less than two years.
All of the credit goes to my crew, who have given me a great car,
especially
tonight
after all the problems early on. We’ll just move on from here.” Great to
see former Modified Champion Jeff Fuller at Thompson. Fuller was honored
as one of the past Tour Champions, a great idea created by NASCAR, which
plans on honoring a host of champions at numerous tracks this year.
Jeff’s brother Rick, also a former champ, is to be honored later on this
year at Thompson. Jeff is still quick with the wit and humor, which was
put to good use as a guest commentator. As Fuller said, “It’s great to
be back watching these cars. I loved every minute racing these cars.”
Whelen presented Fuller with a nice photo, taken at last year’s banquet
of all the former champions as well as a jacket… Reggie Ruggiero was on
hand in the Barney machine but a motor problem in afternoon practice
sent Ruggiero home early. Being all nostalgic, I was wondering how much
Richie Evans or Jimmy Spencer would get in tow money today, considering
what gas prices are? And while we're at it, whatever happened to Stan
Greger? All views and news can reach me at 2 Constitution Court, Unit
501 Hoboken, N.J. 07030. And This Week’s Quote of the Week comes from
fellow writer and Thompson liaison Dale Wolbrink, on the whereabouts of
a certain writer/website head who was not at Thompson. “The limo we sent
to pick him up must have gotten lost.”
THE END
Source: Walter
Stubbs / TheChromeHorn.com Posted:
June 20, 2008
and early 80’s, when
drivers like Richie Evans, Bugs Stevens, Jimmy Spencer, Roger Treichler,
Greg Sacks, Fred Harbach, Gil Hearne and any other driver at there
weekly race track. To see those drivers, be it at Shangri-La, Stafford,
Lancaster, Islip or Wall Stadium, coming from the back of the pack and
win a feature event, with no caution laps counting, was a sight to
behold. With the formation of the NASCAR Modified Tour in 1985 and the
closing of many weekly tracks, those type of races gradually disappeared
in NASCAR’s oldest division. Long distance races with caution laps
counting became the norm, for better or worse. 
As far as the format being a success or not, it’s all in your point of
view. Rowan Pennink, who has only been racing the Tour for two years,
might have had the most insightful comment of all. Said Pennink of the
75 lap format, “It’s not really a problem to run 75 green laps. It’s
basically the same as running 125 laps but I guess people get it in
there heads that it’s 75 laps and they have to run as hard as they can
in the beginning, which caused many of the cautions. It’s just a mind
thing because it really is more than a 75 lap race, whether you count
the cautions or not.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself and with
that, maybe instead of blame being put on the race format, maybe, just
maybe, it should be put on the drivers themselves and some of there
aggressive driving methods. Remember, anyway you look at it, a caution
is a caution, whether it counts on the lap counter or not. It still
slows the pace and rhythm of the race, which cannot please the paying
customer, track promoter or grouchy media member like myself. It’s kind
of ironic then, that the new NASCAR Tour regime, headed by Chad Little,
found reason to penalize three drivers for what it called aggressive or
stupid driving. I don’t think there was that many penalties handed out
in the ten previous years on the Tour, let alone three in one night.
Maybe this type of officiating will help lead to better racing. Time
will only tell. 
You have to hand it to Ronnie Silk. He and the Hill Racing team had more
than enough chances to get by leader Ted Christopher on restarts, there
were that many of them. Each time, though, Christopher managed to hold
off the upcoming driver. That changed, however, on the lap 53 restart in
which Silk was able to shoot by Christopher. Once out front, Silk was
able to keep Christopher at bay in winning his second career Tour race.
When asked how he managed to get by Christopher on that particular
restart, versus the other failed attempts, Silk said, “I actually had
some race track to work with that time around rather than marbles. Ted’s
car just wasn’t good for a few laps and then it would get going. I’d say
we were about the same but when I got stuck behind him on the restarts,
I’d be side by side with Chuck (Hossfeld) for a while which would enable
Ted to get quite a few car length lead. I knew if I got him on one of
those restarts, I’d have a chance which we managed on that restart.” 
When Chuck Hossfeld first hooked up with car owner Bob Garbarino and the
Mystic Missile team a few years ago, there were a lot of ups and downs.
After going separate ways, Hossfeld wound up hooking up with Hill
Enterprises before eventually parting ways with them and was without a
ride. Garbarino, on the other hand, finally got his long coveted
Championship last season with driver Donny Lia. After Lia left to pursue
his career in the Craftsmen Truck Series, there was much speculation
that Garbarino would ride off into the sunset. However, there was
Garbarino and the Mystic team bringing back Hossfeld to compete on the
Tour in 2008. And it’s been smooth sailing since, with Hossfeld leading
the points chase going into Thursday’s race. As Hossfeld, who wound up
fourth, admitted, “I’m so happy to be here. I feel like I’m home. I
honestly feel we have the best team going. We have old guys, young guys,
a couple of girls. Maybe I’ve matured a little bit, I don’t know what it
is. We think we had success the last time too. I guess the best way to
put it is that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. All I
can say now to someone else is that I’m happy to be back, I’ll tell you
that much.” 
tonight
after all the problems early on. We’ll just move on from here.” Great to
see former Modified Champion Jeff Fuller at Thompson. Fuller was honored
as one of the past Tour Champions, a great idea created by NASCAR, which
plans on honoring a host of champions at numerous tracks this year.
Jeff’s brother Rick, also a former champ, is to be honored later on this
year at Thompson. Jeff is still quick with the wit and humor, which was
put to good use as a guest commentator. As Fuller said, “It’s great to
be back watching these cars. I loved every minute racing these cars.”
Whelen presented Fuller with a nice photo, taken at last year’s banquet
of all the former champions as well as a jacket… Reggie Ruggiero was on
hand in the Barney machine but a motor problem in afternoon practice
sent Ruggiero home early. Being all nostalgic, I was wondering how much
Richie Evans or Jimmy Spencer would get in tow money today, considering
what gas prices are? And while we're at it, whatever happened to Stan
Greger? All views and news can reach me at 2 Constitution Court, Unit
501 Hoboken, N.J. 07030. And This Week’s Quote of the Week comes from
fellow writer and Thompson liaison Dale Wolbrink, on the whereabouts of
a certain writer/website head who was not at Thompson. “The limo we sent
to pick him up must have gotten lost.”