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4/14/2010 |
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TODD SZEGEDY SEEKING VICTORY IN 39th ANNUAL TECH-NET SPRING
SIZZLER AT STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY |
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it comes to Whelen Modified Tour racing at Stafford Motor Speedway, familiar
names such as Christopher and Stefanik come to the forefront when discussing
the favorites to win. One driver who has quietly performed very well when
the Tour visits the famed Connecticut half-mile facility is Todd Szegedy.
Over the past three seasons, Szeged has posted 7 top-5 and 9 top-10 finishes
in 12 starts. In 9 career Tech-Net Spring Sizzler starts, Szegedy has 5
top-5 and 6 top-10 finishes, including three second place finishes. Szegedy
is looking to rid himself of the second place monkey on his back and break
his way into CARQUEST Victory Lane at this year’s 39th Annual edition of
“The Greatest Race in the History of Spring.”
“It would be a big deal to win the Sizzler for sure,” said Szegedy. “It’s
always nice to be able to win the big races and the Sizzler is the biggest
race of the year for us. Finishing second is frustrating, no matter what
track you’re racing at. You’re the first loser and normally when you get out
of the car you’re asking yourself what you could have done differently in
the car in order to be one position higher. All that being said, a second
place finish is a great finish to have, especially at a race like the Spring
Sizzler.”
Szegedy points to two factors when looking at his Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
successes while racing on the Whelen Modified Tour. Szegedy is a former
weekly SK Modified® competitor at Stafford, giving him the benefit of
logging seat time in an open wheel modified, and the race distance of 200
laps plays right into Szegedy’s hands.
“I love the longer races, I wish all of our races were 200 laps or longer,”
said Szegedy. “I remember when we used to have the 300, that was one of my
favorite races to run. There is an element of strategy that comes into play
with the longer races that you just don’t get with the 150 lap races. Lots
of times now, you can do a 150-lap race without pitting and win the race.
With the distance of 200 laps, you could probably go the distance without a
pit stop, but you’re not going to have a winning car. We have a good setup
on our car for when we come to Stafford, and I feel like my SK experience is
a big help because I have a good feel for the track. I think that Stafford
is one of the toughest tracks that we race at, when someone comes to
Stafford for the first time, they find out real fast how tough the track
really is.”
With three second place finishes on his Sizzler resume to go along with 3
victories, Szegedy knows what it takes to win a Whelen Modified Tour event
at Stafford.
“You have to qualify well, run in the top-10 all day long, and be there in
the top-3 with 20 laps to go,” said Szegedy. “I think all the usual suspects
are going to be fast and run well at Stafford again this year. Also, every
year there seems to be a surprise car that no one expected to run well that
ends up having a great race at the Sizzler. We’re looking forward to the
Sizzler and hopefully we have a winning car this year.”
The 2010 Tech-Net Spring Sizzler gets underway Friday, April 23 with a
practice session for Stafford’s weekly divisions. The practice session will
be open to the public at no charge. Action continues on Saturday, April 24
with Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the Whelen Modified Tour cars, along
with heat and consolation races for Stafford’s weekly divisions. Saturday
will conclude with feature events for the SK Light, Limited Late Model, and
DARE Stock divisions. The Sizzler continues on Sunday, April 25 with the
Tech-Net Pit Party followed by Stafford’s SK Modifieds® and Late Models
joining the Whelen Modified Tour in feature action.
Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at
the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $35.00 for adult general
admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and
under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved
seating is priced at $38.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway
offers free parking with overnight parking available.
For more information on the 39th annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler®,
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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Source: Scott Running / Stafford Motor Speedway
Posted: April
14, 2010 |
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