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03/26/2011 |
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5-TIME SK
MODIFIED® CHAMPION BOB POTTER RECALLS INAUGURAL
CARQUEST TECH-NET SPRING SIZZLER AT STAFFORD SPEEDWAY |
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 When
the green flag falls on the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler on May 1st this year, it will mark the start
of the 40th edition of “The Greatest Race In The
History of Spring.” The CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler is the longest continuous running event on
the Whelen Modified Tour calendar and the Sizzler
has had some of the biggest and best names in
modified racing find their way to CARQUEST Victory
Lane.
The Spring Sizzler was born in 1972 with Dr. Dick
Berggren, Lew Boyd, and Bruce Cohen putting the race
together at a time when all the prestigious events
were held in the fall. Their new idea for a major
race in the springtime was an overwhelming success
with over 100 cars in the paddock area and an
overflow crowd of 11,500 packing the Stafford
grandstands. Jack Arute purchased the rights to the
race from Berggren, Boyd, and Cohen after that
inaugural Sizzler and it has been the showcase event
of the Stafford schedule every year since.
As part of the celebration of 40 years of the
CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, Stafford Speedway
is inviting drivers who took part in the Inaugural
Spring Sizzler to take part in a special pre-race.
One of those drivers is Bob Potter, who after
placing ninth in that inaugural Sizzler, would go on
to record 5 Stafford SK Modified® track
championships, a record that stood until 2007 when
Ted Christopher recorded his sixth Stafford track
championship. Driving for Roger Bonville in the #110
Coupe, Potter recalls the grand spectacle that was
and continues to be the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler.
“The Spring Sizzler was one sensational race, I can
tell you that,” said Potter. “I had never seen so
many cars in the pits as there was for that race, it
was like a Race of Champions event. It was a short
race and the purse money was out of sight. There
were cars from all up and down the east coast, so
you were going up against the best of the best. That
first race was run what you brought, so there were
dirt cars, asphalt cars, fuel injected cars, there
were a lot of different cars. The crowd was also
huge for that race, there were so many people there,
I remember people sitting on the banks and I think
they eventually had to start turning people away at
the gate.”
With so many cars on hand, there was an extra
premium placed on qualifying through one of the four
heat races. If a driver couldn’t get qualified
through their heat race, there were two last chance
consi races to get into the field.
“Qualifying was very tough,” said Potter. “With the
cars and the drivers that were on hand, you really
had to have everything going right for you to get
qualified. We had been pretty good at Waterford and
between Waterford and Stafford there wasn’t much
that we had to change on the car, so we felt like we
were pretty prepared when we showed up at the track.
We had a big block and a small block engine, and we
decided that we needed all the power we could get,
so we came with our big block to Stafford. It was a
huge accomplishment for us to make the show.”
Potter finished the race in 9th place, just behind
Bob Santos in the #09 Coupe, which earned him $450
of the then record $15,000 purse that was offered
for the race.
“I remember it was a short race and there weren’t a
lot of cautions,” said Potter. “I think I followed
Bobby Santos around the track for half of the race.
It was an all out race with no pit stops to change
tires or anything like that. Those guys really stuck
their necks out with the purse they offered to us.
And it wasn’t just the money, there was a ton of
contingency. I don’t think that there was anyone who
went home without something. There were rocker arms,
camshafts, intakes, clutches, carburetors, shocks,
springs, and other parts that were part of the
contingency. I remember we got a set of rocker arms
along with our purse. There weren’t any unhappy
owners or drivers that day, everyone went home with
something.”
The race was 80 laps long and the race was completed
in just under 30 minutes with Fred DeSarro coming
home as the winner in the Len Boehler owned “Ole
Blue” #3. Ed Flemke had dominated the race, taking
the lead from pole winner Bobby on lap-7 and he held
the lead until lap-71 when his water pump failed and
dropped him out of the race after it looked like he
had victory well within his grasp. DeSarro led the
final 9 laps to take the checkered flag and a
winner’s check of $2,250. Flemke made up for his
Sizzler disappointment one year later as he took the
Bob Judkins #2x to victory with DeSarro right behind
him. The Boehler owned car would not return to
CARQUEST Victory Lane in the CARQUEST Tech-Net
Spring Sizzler until 2004 with Jerry Marquis as the
driver.
Further tracing the pedigree of CARQUEST Tech-Net
Spring Sizzler champions, there have been 22
different winners in 39 races with 8 drivers winning
the race multiple times. Of the 22 CARQUEST Tech-Net
Spring Sizzler winners, 9 have won a Whelen Modified
Tour championship. Ted Christopher leads all drivers
with 6 career Sizzler wins, Mike Stefanik has won
the Sizzler 4 times, while Maynard Troyer, Richie
Evans, and Rick Fuller each have 3 wins, and Greg
Sacks, Reggie Ruggiero, and Mike Ewanitsko have each
won twice.
Those who have won the Sizzler once include: Fred
DeSarro, Ed Flemke, Bugsy Stevens, Geoff Bodine, Bob
Polverari, Jimmy Spencer, Brian Ross, Jeff Fuller,
Jan Leaty, John Blewett, III, Jerry Marquis, Tony
Hirschman, Doug Coby, and Donny Lia. Christopher
will try to add to his hefty Sizzler win total and
break a tie he currently holds with Troyer as the
only drivers to win the Sizzler three years in a
row.
The 40th Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
gets underway Friday, April 29 with a practice
session for Stafford’s weekly divisions. The
practice session will be open to the public at no
charge. The run for the Coors Light Pole position
gets underway on Saturday, April 30 with time trials
for the Whelen Modified Tour cars, along with heat
and consolation races for Stafford’s weekly
divisions. In the 31 Spring Sizzler events run since
1980, the fast qualifier has gone on to win the race
7 times. Saturday will conclude with feature events
for the SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock
divisions. The Sizzler concludes on Sunday, May 1
with the CARQUEST Belts and Hose 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 40th 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: March
26, 2011 |
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