3/29/2009
499 AND
COUNTING...
Tomaino on verge of historic
500th Tour start |
When the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour begins the 2009 season at Thompson
(Conn.) International Speedway on Sunday, April 5, more than just the
series’ Silver Anniversary will be celebrated. For one of its stalwarts,
taking the green flag will be a historical accomplishment.
When the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour held its first race at
Thompson on March 31, 1985, Jamie Tomaino started in the third row right
behind the legendary Richie Evans. When the series held its first
superspeedway event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1990, Tomaino
finished third to strengthen his title bid. When the NASCAR Modifieds ran a
road course for the first time in 1996 at Watkins Glen International,
Tomaino qualified 19th. And when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour celebrated
its 500th race at Martinsville Speedway last September, Tomaino turned in a
top 10.
In the first 24 years and 503 races that comprise the history of the NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour, about the only thing as predictable as the actual
waving of the green flag to start a race, is that Tomaino would be cruising
down the frontstretch, ready to put the pedal to the metal.
Of those 503 races, the Howell, N.J., driver has not started in
only four. His total of 499 starts is 60 more than any other NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour driver. When he takes the green flag at the Icebreaker next
Sunday, Tomaino will officially become the first driver in any of NASCAR’s
current touring series to reach the 500-start milestone. In fact, no driver
has compiled that many starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series or NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series either.
Perhaps just as interesting as the 499 races that he has made in
the last 24 years, however, are the four that he did not. It is worth noting
that while his start percentage is 99.2, his race attendance is 100-percent,
and that doesn’t even take into account all the times he’s been at the track
when a rainout has occurred. Here is a recap of the four starts Tomaino
didn’t make, in his own words:
April 14, 1985 – Stafford (Conn.) Motor
Speedway
“I didn’t qualify on time as they only took 10 cars. As far as I
remember, I might have qualified 11th. Then in the heat race, which I had to
run, I was winning and got a flat tire. You couldn’t pit because the pits
were on the outside at that time. Then in the consi they took two cars, and
as far as I can remember, I finished third. The funny part about that deal
is, I was leading in points going into that race because we had two races
before the Spring Sizzler, but I didn’t even get into the race because there
was no such thing as provisionals.”
Tomaino then made 243 consecutive starts before he missed the cut
twice in 1995.
June 24, 1995 – Riverhead (N.Y.)
Raceway / July 19, 1995 – Riverside Park Speedway, Agawam, Mass.
“The second time I didn’t make a race was at Riverhead and there
were no provisionals at all. The third time, that same year at Riverside
Park, they had provisionals, but no champion provisionals, and this was
after I had won the championship [in 1990]. So after that race, NASCAR says
they have to have championship provisionals for something like that. NASCAR
did that, but believe it or not, that backfired one more time on us.”
After missing the starting lineup by one position at Riverside Park
in 1995, Tomaino made 199 starts in a row before the situation he alluded to
occurred a decade later.
August 6, 2005 - Riverhead
“They gave the past champion’s provisional to a guy that had raced
no races all year: Wayne Anderson [1994 champion]. So after they realized
that was a mess-up, there was a new rule that the champion’s provisional
went to the champion that had the highest ranking in the current points
standings.”
Tomaino now carries a streak of 56 straight starts into the 2009
season.
DRIVER SERIES STARTS
Richard Petty
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
(1948-) 1185#
Jamie Tomaino
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
(1985-) 499*
Jason Keller
NASCAR Nationwide Series
(1982-) 457*
Kelly Moore
NASCAR Camping World Series East
(1987-) 331
Jack Sprague/Rick Crawford
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
(1997-) 300*
Bill Schmitt
NASCAR Camping World Series West
(modern era, 1971-) 237
Tim Brown/Frank Fleming/Jason Myers
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
(2005-) 48*
Multiple drivers
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
(2007-) 25*
*Active
#Multiple drivers with 500+ starts in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
While the 1990 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship is
undoubtedly the highlight of Tomaino’s career, the fact that he has been at
the track in every race in the series’ history, and participated in all but
four, also serves as a source of pride for the 53-year-old racer.
“I would have to say it is,” Tomaino said. “I’m fortunate because
I’m healthy, and to be able to attend every race is something that’s very
hard to do. I’ve been through some crazy aspects in my life as far as
crashes on the highway and on the track, but we’ve made it.”
One of those events that nearly kept Tomaino from the racetrack was
a potentially horrific crash that took place as he headed to the now-defunct
Shangri-La Speedway for an open show in 1992. While refueling at a gas
station, his truck and trailer was rear-ended, causing it to be pushed up
onto the gas pumps, which consequently exploded. Fortunately Tomaino, his
son Trey and two crew members were able to escape unharmed other than a few
stitches for Trey.
“Thank God nobody got hurt, but by the same token, I lost
everything I owned: the truck, trailer, race car and all the contents of the
trailer,” Tomaino said. “The following week was a [NASCAR Whelen Modified]
Tour show, and with the help of Tim Arre and a couple other people from Wall
Stadium, I borrowed a truck and trailer and Arre’s race car so I could be at
the next race.”
Another close call took place in 1996. Tomaino had a bad wreck
while competing in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Jennerstown (Pa.)
Speedway that sent him to the hospital that day and had him laid up for the
majority of the next week at home. Once again without a usable race car,
Tomaino received a helping hand from fellow competitor Doug French, who
loaned him a car to go compete the next week at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.
“I was beat-up pretty bad,” Tomaino said. “Once I got in the car it
was very hard to get out because I had so many bumps and bruises, but I
raced the race and had a top-10 finish, and by the following week I was
almost 100-percent again.”
As the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to Thompson for the
Icebreaker, things will have come full circle for Tomaino. He has teamed up
with car owner Howard Harvey for 2009 season, a reunion three decades in the
making.
“I drove my first Modified race ever for Howard Harvey in 1976 at
Trenton (N.J.) Speedway in the Race of Champions,” Tomaino said. “I’ve never
got to drive a (NASCAR Whelen Modified) Tour race with him. I’ve won a
Martinsville race with him and I’ve won Turkey Derby with him, but I’ve
never ran a Tour race with Howard Harvey. So it’s neat that this year I’ll
be making my 500th start with Howard Harvey.”
Tomaino will be honored during Thompson’s opening ceremonies this
Sunday for his milestone and dedication to the series. The NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour’s 150-lap race, the final event of the 2009 Icebreaker, is set
to start at approximately 3:15 p.m. For ticket information, please visit
Thompson’s
official Web site.
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Source: Jason Cunningham
/ NASCAR PR
Posted: March
29, 2009 |
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