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04/15/2011 |
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RYAN PREECE
HOPES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS
IN CARQUEST TECH-NET SPRING SIZZLER WITH NEW TEAM |
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 Fresh
off of a fourth place effort in the opening race of
the 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, Ryan
Preece comes to Stafford with momentum on his side.
Preece has driven the #3 Boehler Racing Enterprises
car for the past three WMT seasons, but the 2011
season finds him behind the wheel of the #11 John
Lukosavage owned #11 machine. Preece has made three
career starts in the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler, and he has enjoyed an equal amount of
success and hard luck in his brief Sizzler career.
His first start in 2008 saw him set fast time in
both practice and time trials and he was comfortably
in the lead when his engine expired just before the
halfway point of the race. His 2009 Sizzler was his
best Sizzler finish of third, and last year Preece’s
race ended early in the wall and he finished 23rd.
Preece looks to build on his team’s finish in the
first race and continue his good fortunes at
Stafford for this year’s 40th edition of the
CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.
“Stafford is one of my favorite tracks,” said
Preece. “I’ve been coming there to watch races since
I was a kid. Teddy [Christopher] has kind of had
victory lane all to himself the last couple of
Sizzlers, so I’d like to be the one who is in
victory lane this year. We had a great finish at
Thompson, we didn’t luck into anything, our car is
definitely fast.”
One factor Preece has in his favor is that although
he is working with a new team and car, they really
aren’t all that new to Preece at all. “It was a
little weird after being with the same team and
working with the same guys for the last three
years,” said Preece. “I’ve worked with these guys
last year on our SK car at Stafford and the car is
the same CD chassis that we ran at Stafford last
year in the SK division, so we have some notes to
work with. We have the power and the car to win
races and I think it will be a matter of when and
not if we win this year. I’m excited about the rest
of the season.”
As always, the Whelen Modified Tour teams will face
the unusual challenge of going around Stafford for
200 laps when most of the races on the schedule are
150 laps. Under Modified Tour rules, a car cannot
change tires and add fuel during the same pit stop,
so teams will have to figure out a strategy that
they hope will help propel them into victory lane.
Last year’s Sizzler saw Ted Christopher not pit for
fuel, which helped him gain track position and win
the race.
“I think you’ll see everyone kind of do their own
deal when it comes to the strategy,” said Preece.
“If you have a good car, it’s a good car. If the car
is off, then the car is going to be out to lunch. We
know what we need to make the car go fast, we just
have to figure out what we want to do with the fuel
situation. Hopefully we can have a long green flag
run because we really didn’t have one at Thompson
until after our pit stop and we can see how the car
is. We can make some adjustments during our pit stop
and then go try to win the race.”
In addition to the Spring Sizzler, Preece has his
sights set on winning the championship.
“I’m really hoping we can win a couple of times this
year and win the championship,” said Preece. “I was
so close a couple of years ago, it really makes you
want to win it that much more. I’d really like to be
able to have a championship on my resume.”
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. Action continues on Saturday, April 30 with
Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the Whelen Modified
Tour cars, along with heat and consolation races for
Stafford’s weekly divisions. Saturday will wrap up
with feature events for the SK Light, Limited Late
Model, and DARE Stock divisions. The Sizzler
continues on Sunday, May 1 with the CARQUEST Belts &
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: April
15, 2011 |
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