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10/26/2009
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THOMPSON
INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:
Xtra Mart World Series 150
by
Polly Reid |
It’s a wrap. The 2009 racing season for the NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour is in the record books and Donny Lia of Jericho, New York with his
fourth place finish in the number four Mystic Missile was a high enough
finish for Lia to collect the championship title in the Bob Garbarino owned Dodge.
Meanwhile, Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT capped off an eventful
season the way he started it with a trip to victory lane taking the
checkered flag at Thompson International Speedway in the World Series of
Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart. Christopher, taking the lead for the
final time with 18 circuits remaining of 150, pulled from the pack to cruise
across the finish line collecting his 34th career win, his ninth at
Thompson, his third win this year.
 “I have to commend my crew that was an awesome car today,
Thompson’s been pretty good to me,” said Christopher about his Al-Lee
Installations Chevrolet. “We fell a little short on the championship, we had
some bad luck but I love to win and I drove that thing like I stole it. It’s
always great to win at the end of the season for going into next year, it‘s
always nice to have that win. I liked it last year when we won the race and
then won the championship but it’s still nice to win the race.”
The point leader for nearly the entire season, Christopher
encountered a couple of circumstances out of his control that took him out
of the running for the title in the last event. “This game, it’s a game of
luck and we’ve had some bad luck through the middle section of the series.
That’s what happens, it’s not like we haven’t run fast. Almost every time we
go somewhere we’re fast in practice. It started at Riverhead when we got
that flat running second. The motor breaking at Martinsville was probably
the killer of the whole thing. You just have to have luck in this game.”
The season finale was not without a bit of drama. Title contenders
Lia and Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT rolled off the starting grid in the one,
two spots after qualifying was rained out. A half a dozen circuits in, Lia
leading, Preece in second, suddenly contact from behind put Preece into a
spin, the incident sending the Davidson Co/Reynold’s Auto Wrecking Chevrolet
onto to pit row. Preece then began the task of working his way back through
the entire field and with the addition of some pit strategy, pulled off a
strong second. While second was not enough to win the title this year, it
was once again enough to show that this team will be a contender next year.
“Rubbing is racing I guess, it got me fired up,” said Preece about the early
race incident. “We had a great car, I can’t thank the guys enough that thing
was a rocket ship,” continued Preece who celebrated his 19th birthday Sunday
at Thompson. “Congratulations to them,” Preece nodded to the 4 car. “I’m
happy we had such a great season.”
 For Lia the 2007 and now 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion,
it was an emotional scene in victory lane as he took a few minutes to
collect himself. “I have a lot of people to thank and for all these guys who
believed in me,” said Lia. “I just wanted to get to the end and bring it
home for these guys they work so hard.” Later, talking in the press box, Lia
touched on some other things that were running through his mind that
heightened the emotional factor. “When I got out of the car and I saw
everyone’s faces, I just got hit with a little bit of emotion,” said Lia. “I
was thinking about a few guys like Tommy Baldwin, John Blewett III, you know
they’re always on your mind. I got to thinking about those guys and I got
emotional.” Pausing, Lia continued. “I can’t thank Bob and Joan enough. They
gave me a chance again to come back and drive their car, they believed in me
and that means more to me than I can ever say. It was a real team effort. We
worked hard and out raced everybody this year and out smarted them too
because there are a few guys that had just as a good position to be standing
here. To be blunt, I made some stupid moves (this season) but we were able
to stay cool and be as smart as I could be in the car. The guys did a great
job on the race car, you put it all together and here we are.”
Champion car owner Bob Garbarino echoed many of Lia‘s words. “For me it is
gratifying for the guys,” said Garbarino about winning this title. “They
work very, very hard. I don’t think people realize how much it takes to do
these things. They think you just show up at the race track and if you run
good you run good.” Garbarino credit’s the likes of Jimmy Savage and also
Richard “Who have been with me forever.” As well as Skip, Bob and as
Garbarino says, “The real key, the guy that nobody sees, is Greg Schroeder.”
Garbarino explaining that Schroeder works exclusively in shop and does not
attend the races. “There is a chemistry there that obliviously works,“ said
Gabardino about the team, the driver. “I can’t explain it except that it
works. Everybody is on the same wave length and you get results.”
With the dust settled, the season statistics to be rolled into the
2010 Media Guide, Lia was asked about this title versus the first one in
2007. “It feels completely different than the first time we won the
championship,” said Lia. “Totally different, I just can’t explain it. It
feels good to do it. “
No one is going to deny that a championship, no matter what, will always
“feel good to do it.”
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Source: Polly Reid
/ TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: October
26, 2009 |
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