The Chrome Horn News

7/3/2008

NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR TO VISIT
SPENCER ON SATURDAY, JULY 12

   For many New York based race fans, they have been out of touch with the Whelen Modified Tour, which started officially in 1983. This series based in New England would only visited upstate New York once or twice a summer. The Modifieds are NASCAR’s oldest division, dating back to 1948 sanctioning. The driver with the most points from Tour races won the NASCAR national modified title.
   The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour started as a replacement to a list of NASCAR Modified Championship Events, a practice which started in the late 70’s. Drivers would earn points towards the national title by competing at any races on the list.
   This list of Championship events replaced the even older, and more demanding process of racing at any NASCAR Modified track and picking up NASCAR Modified points. The driver with the most points won the title, but they may have had to race five nights a week, all over the Northeast United States .
   Spencer Speedway was one of those New York based tracks that participated in the Whelen Tour the first few years. Holland Speedway was the other upstate track on the tour, both speedways were NASCAR sanctioned.
   By 1987, Spencer Speedway had shifted its primary weekly class to the Late Models and Modifieds seemed lost to the track. The last yearly Whelen race came that same year, 1987.
   In 1994 Spencer Speedway experimented with the Tour again, running a 100-lap Tour race. The expected results seemed to fall short for the promoter and that race stood by itself in the record books for many years.
   It has not been until this year that the Tour was even thought to return to Spencer, under the guidance of promoter John White . White booked Whelen Tour races at Spencer Speedway on Saturday, July 12 and at his other track, Chemung Speedway on Saturday, October 4.
   “By scheduling these tour races for Saturdays it allows us a Sunday rain date,” commented White. “Many of our race fans have indicated to us that these races are ‘Must See’ events.”
   The following lists of information might be helpful to bring New York race fans up to speed on the Whelen Tour.

2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule
Date / Track / Winner
04/06/2008 Thompson International Speedway Thompson , CT Ed Flemke, Jr.
04/27/2008 Stafford Motor Speedway Stafford Springs , CT Ted Christopher
05/23/2008 Stafford Motor Speedway Stafford Springs , CT Chuck Hossfeld
06/19/2008 Thompson International Speedway Thompson , CT Ronnie Silk
06/28/2008 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon , NH Chuck Hossfeld
07/12/2008 Spencer Speedway Williamson , NY
08/02/2008 Riverhead Raceway Riverhead, NY
08/08/2008 Stafford Motor Speedway Stafford Springs , CT
08/14/2008 Thompson International Speedway Thompson , CT
08/23/2008 Mansfield ( Ohio ) Motorsports Speedway Mansfield , OH
09/07/2008 Thompson International Speedway Thompson , CT
09/13/2008 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon , NH
09/20/2008 Martinsville Speedway Martinsville , VA
09/28/2008 Stafford Motor Speedway Stafford Springs , CT
10/04/2008 Chemung Speedrome Chemung , NY
10/18/2008 Thompson International Speedway Thompson , CT

Past NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champions
2007…….Donnie Lia, Jericho , NY
2006…… Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
2005…….Tony Hirschman Jr., Northampton , PA
2004…… Tony Hirschman Jr., Northampton , PA
2003…….Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield , CT
2002…… Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
2001…….Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
2000…….Jerry Marquis, Broad Brook , CT
1999…… Tony Hirshman Jr., Northampton , PA
1998…… Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
1997…… Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
1996…… Tony Hirschman Jr., Northampton , PA
1995…… Tony Hirschman Jr., Northampton , PA
1994…….Wayne Anderson , Yaphank , NY
1993……..Rick Fuller, Auburn , MA
1992……..Jeff Fuller, Auburn , MA
1991……. Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
1990……. Jamie Tomaino, Howell , NJ
1989……. Mike Stefanik, Coventry , RI
1988……. Mike McLaughlin, Waterloo , NY
1987……..Jimmy Spencer, Berwick , PA
1986……. Jimmy Spencer, Berwick , PA
1985……. Richie Evans, Rome , NY
1984……. Richie Evans, Rome , NY
1983……. Richie Evans, Rome , NY

Past Whelen Modified Tour Races at Williamson, NY
7/4/83 200 Richie Evans Chevrolet Cavalier
7/29/84 75 Richie Evans Chevrolet Cavalier
7/29/84 75 George Kent Pontiac Sunbird
7/4/85 100 George Kent Pontiac Sunbird
7/3/86 100 Jeff Fuller Chevrolet Cavalier
7/3/87 100 Mike McLaughlin Pontiac Sunbird
9/3/94 100 Mike Ewanitsko Chevrolet Cavalier
7/12/08 100

Current Whelen Tour Points going into Spencer 7/12/08
Points / Starts / Wins / Top 5 / Top 10 / Money to Date
1 Chuck Hossfeld 855 5 2 5 5 $31,000
2 Ted Christopher 819 5 1 4 5 $27,275
3 Todd Szegedy 750 5 0 1 5 $13,025
4 Eric Beers 685 5 0 3 3 $15,935
5 Ed Flemke, Jr. 662 5 1 2 3 $21,300
6 Matt Hirschman 643 5 0 0 2 $9,379
7 Rowan Pennink 639 5 0 0 2 $9,450
8 Mike Stefanik 634 5 0 3 3 $12,300
9 Ryan Preece 604 5 0 0 3 $10,150
10 James Civali 602 5 0 1 3 $10,675
11 Kevin Goodale 583 5 0 0 1 $8,015
12 Ronnie Silk 581 5 1 1 2 $12,350
13 Ken Heagy 542 5 0 0 0 $6,965
14 Glenn Tyler 531 5 0 0 1 $7,755
15 Bobby Grigas, III 511 5 0 1 1 $9,325
16 Joe Hartmann 509 5 0 1 1 $8,575
17 Richard Savary 501 5 0 0 1 $8,830
18 Billy Pauch, Jr. 500 5 0 0 0 $7,493
19 Wade Cole 500 5 0 0 0 $6,968
20 Tom Abele, Jr. * 492 4 0 1 1 $7,250
21 Jimmy Blewett 491 5 0 0 0 $8,085
22 Anthony Sesely 485 5 0 0 0 $6,850
23 Jamie Tomaino 473 5 0 0 1 $8,825
24 Glen Reen * 461 5 0 0 0 $6,795
25 Renee Dupuis 452 4 0 0 0 $5,705

Current Point Leader, Chuck Hossfeld’s Whelen Tour Wins
9/14/02 100 Loudon, NH
4/13/03 150 Thompson, CT
7/18/03 103 Loudon, NH
8/30/03 150 Waterford , CT
7/31/04 150 Seekonk, MA
5/23/08 200 Stafford , CT
6/28/08 100 New Hampshire

Williamson’s Jan Leaty’s Whelen Tour Record
6/28/87 150 Jennerstown, PA
5/11/91 150 Nazareth National, PA
9/1/93 150 Thompson, CT
10/16/94 125 Thompson, CT
4/21/96 200 Stafford , CT
5/19/96 100 Nazareth National, PA
10/6/96 200 Flemington, NJ
8/17/97 126 Loudon, NH
7/19/02 100 Loudon, NH

THE END

Source:  Gary M. Spaid / Spencer Speedway PR
Posted:  July 3, 2008

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