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 NASCARs 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 70s. 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 Hossfelds 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
Williamsons Jan Leatys 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 |