The stars and cars of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour return to Stafford on Friday, May 23rd for the 18th Annual TSI Harley-Davidson 150. Last season, Donny Lia won the Spring Sizzler and then returned to Stafford and won the TSI Harley-Davidson 150, which accounted for two of his season high 6 wins that helped propel him to the 2007 championship. Ted Christopher will look to do the exact same thing this season for the Whelen Modified Tour’s second visit to the Connecticut half-mile.
    “I’m looking forward to coming back to Stafford,” said Christopher. “I think we’ll have a real good car again. It will really help us to get a full practice. At the Sizzler, we only got three laps of practice and we lost the rear end. We still time-trialed fifth and we won the race, so I think with a few minor adjustments to the car we should be really good when we come back. The car was tight at the start of the Sizzler, and I think if we had the car as good as it should have been, we would have been up front all day long. The best part of winning the Sizzler is getting that first win of the season out of the way early. It really gives the whole team a confidence boost. We should have won a lot of races last year, but circumstances led to us not winning. We thought that’s how our season was getting started this year with the rain at Thompson right after we came to pit road and then at the Sizzler with the rear end. No one can say we lucked into that win, we passed a lot of cars to win that race.” Christopher is also no stranger to the championship chase on the Whelen Modified Tour. He has finished in the top-5 of the Tour points standings every year since 2000 with the exception of the 2001 season where he finished 6th. Although one might think that Christopher would want to follow the path that Lia used last season, Christopher says the championship is the furthest thing from his mind.
    “I’m not thinking about the championship at all, been there and done that,” says Christopher. “A couple years ago, we had the dominant car, we won the most races, led the most laps, had the most top-5 and top-10 finishes and we didn’t win it. Right now I’m all about one race to the next. The Sizzler is behind us and we’re focused on winning the next race. I don’t look that far ahead any more, I just look at the next race I’m running.” Christopher could also reach a Stafford milestone during the 18th Annual TSI Harley Davidson 150 program. After winning the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, Christopher currently sits at 98 career wins at Stafford, two wins away from 100. “At this point in time you just try to break records,” said Christopher. "So now I got to 98 and couple more to go to get 100. I guess it doesn’t matter that I’m 50.”
    Tickets for the 18th Annual TSI Harley-Davidson 150 are now on sale at the Stafford Motor Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $30.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, $32.00 for reserved seats, and free for children ages 5 & under. As part of Youth Organization Month at Stafford, any child age 14 and under wearing a youth organization team shirt or uniform (Little League, Scouts, etc.) will receive free admission when accompanied by an adult.
    For more information on the 18th Annual TSI Harley-Davidson 150, 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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