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08/14/2011 |
NEW HAMPSHIRE
MOTOR SPEEDWAY
GRANITE STATE CLASSIC
by
Polly Reid |
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The
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Granite State Classic at
New Hampshire Motor Speedway went into double
overtime needing two attempts at a green white
checker finish to get it done extending the event an
extra ten circuits beyond it’s 95 advertised
distance. Holding off challenges from Eric Beers,
Todd Szegedy and then Woody Pitkat, it was a
determined seven-time NWMT Champion Mike Stefanik
from Coventry, RI in the Eric Sanderson owned,
Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises sponsored
modified who crossed the line for the win, his first
of 2011. Pitkat claimed second at the line, Szegedy
third with Justin Bonsignore and Beers the top five.
“It’s been a long time coming,” admitted Stefanik
about his 71st career victory, his 7th at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway. “The team gave me a great
car. I’m so happy for the team, more so than for
myself. Nobody wants to win more than I do. Sly and
the team gave us that opportunity today.”
A day that was dominated early on by Coors Light
pole winner Bobby Santos III, Stefanik took the
green 12th, cracking the top ten before a half a
dozen circuits had been displayed on the new NHMS
scoring tower.
When the fourth caution flew on lap 32 for Teddy
Christopher who was suddenly off the pace and unable
to get to pit row under his own power, the call was
made to bring Stefanik, now running third, down pit
row for tires. Santos leading with Erik Rudolph
second stayed out as over half the field came in
including Beers and Szegedy.
“Sly called me in around lap 35,” said Stefanik.
“The tires are going to stay under the car, they
don’t really wear out here if you have a good car,
you’re going to stay good. He made a great call to
bring it in when we did, he gave me a great car. I
could go where I wanted to go, it felt good.”
“We planned on pitting about half way and when the
caution came close to that we decided to come in,”
explained Stefanik’s crew chief Stan ‘Sly’ Szaban.
“It would also give us enough time to get back to
the front. We didn’t make any changes, the first set
of tires Mike was happy with the car so we wanted to
match the second set with the first.”
First off pit row, Stefanik lined up 12th for the
restart while Santos continued to lead the way into
what would be the longest green flag run of the day,
the Franklin, MA driver swapping the front spot back
and forth with Bonsignore. Santos back on top when
the next caution waved on lap 58 herald most of the
remaining field to the pits including Santos and
Bonsignore.
Pitkat in the Ramar-Hall Chevrolet who had not
pitted at all, inherited the lead with Stefanik
lining up second on the lap 65 restart, James Civali
third, Beers and Szegedy the top five.
Pitkat and Stefanik picked up where Santos,
Bonsignore and Erik Rudolph left off, swapping the
lead several times around the Magic Mile. Stefanik
leading, Szegedy had taken possession of second from
Ptikat and just as the Ridgefield, CT driver made
his move on Stefanik, it was another caution in the
books, now only 13 to go. Stefanik, Szegedy, Beers,
James Civali, Pitkat and Ryan Preece your top three
rows in the double file restart didn’t get far when
a melee on the front stretch pulled the field back
in, the multi-car tangle bringing out the red flag
for an extensive clean up on lap 86.
Stefanik and Szegedy heated up the restart with a
side by side battle when all was cut short with two
to go as the ninth caution was recorded for a three
car tangle in turns three and four setting up the
first green, white checker attempt.
Stefanik leading the way with Szegedy, Beers, Pitkat
and Bonsignore the top five would do it all over
again as the tenth and final caution waved on lap
100. Another shot at a green white checker, Stefanik
kept the Sanderson machine out front while Pitkat
battled side by side with Szegedy edging past the
Wisk/A & J Romano Construction Ford to claim a
career high second for the Stafford, CT driver.
The double green white checker finish extended the
Granite State Classic from the expected end of 95
laps to 105. “I tried to come up with a plan, I knew
if I could be leading down the backstretch, I could
do it,” said Stefanik whose last career win was
September 2009 at Martinsville. “I told the guys on
the radio when it got to be green, white, checker, I
said this might get a little ugly. I wouldn’t do
anything stupid, put anyone in jeopardy, but I was
going to do what I could to make my car difficult to
pass. When it comes to one to go, you just can’t let
anyone drive by you.”
“We knew Mike was going to have to do what he had to
do because there were some pretty strong cars behind
us,” added Szaban. “Because of the draft here, we
weren’t sure we could hold them off or not- Mike did
a great job. The team gave him a good car to try and
win this race, but in the end, it was Mike’s driving
ability that got the win.”
Deep in the pack, on the starting grid in 22nd,
Woody Pitkat played out a strategy in the Don King
owned machine that paid off big in the end. “We had
a plan before the beginning of the race, if were
going good, because I’m not a great qualifier, we’d
probably try and stay out and grab some positions
that way. We didn’t pit, our car pretty much stayed
the same throughout the whole race. I’ve never raced
up there with those guys before, it was a lot of
fun. I tried to hang in there, be there at the end
and finish. I just can’t thank the guys enough, Don
King for giving me the opportunity, Bob Fill helping
me and my spotter Michael O’Sullivan, just an
awesome, awesome day.”
On the final restart, Szegedy was poised to claim a
second win this year at the Magic Mile for car owner
Mike Smeriglio when things changed in a hurry. “When
I went to make a move on Mike on the backstretch-
right when I went to make my move, I got bump
drafted and nailed him in the left rear and just
about turned him into the fence. It messed me up and
it allowed everyone to get closer to us. Woody was
able to get on the inside, I might have been able to
roll around him on the outside but he was getting a
good solid push from someone behind him. I hung
tough on the outside there.”
Starting the Granite State Classic a solid third,
Szegedy appeared to struggle in the beginning,
slipping as far back as 8th before making their
first pit stop of two on lap 22. “For some reason
our car was real free- it wasn’t like that in
practice. I knew other people were too but when it
was getting close to time to pit, I didn’t want to
beat the car up more- try and stay ahead of guys
when I couldn’t so when a guy made a run on me, I
let them go. We put a wedge in it, dropped stagger,
spring rubbers, we did what we had to do and it came
to me, I was pretty amazed. Phil Moran (crew chief)
he’s absolutely phenomenal, what can I say, I
wouldn’t be in this position if they didn’t give me
the car that they do every week. They brought me
back up front again, they’re the best.”
Stefanik’s Granite State Classic win will remain
memorable for car owner Eric Sanderson. “Wow, ever
since I’ve been coming here as a car owner I’ve
wanted to go to this victory lane. 16 years. I’m
kind of speechless to say the least. Winning any of
the New Hampshire races is like winning Daytona, the
World Series, the Superbowl, whatever you want to
call it, it’s just incredible.”
“The crew works hard, they practice and they’re
serious about it,” said Szaban. “We have a bunch of
young guys that are into it and they do a great job.
The effort that goes into this, every race- the win,
I don’t even know how to put this into words, it’s
huge.”
“It’s a nutty game we play,” smiled Stefanik. “There
is nothing that can bring you as high up as you are
right now then in a week drop you like a rock. But
you can be a rock as long as you know you have
another peak coming. This is a huge peak for us and
we’re going to try and enjoy it. Last week was great
(2nd at Stafford) we would have loved to have hung
on but we couldn’t, Teddy got by us. But we had a
great pit stop, put us in position and this team,
they’re digging and digging. They’re a great bunch
of guys and I’m very happy for them.”
Santos crossed the line sixth, Ryan Preece seventh,
Glen Tyler, Erick Rudolph and Doug Coby completed
the top ten. Point leader Ron Silk rallied to take
11th, his finish strong enough to remain the leader
over Rowan Pennink who crossed 16th. The NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour heads to Tennessee, the August
24th event at Bristol Motor Speedway will be
telecast on SPEED at 6pm ET. |
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Source: Polly Reid / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: August
14, 2011 |
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