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12/13/2011 |
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PATRICK EMERLING WINS NASCAR
WHELEN MODIFIED ROOKIE AWARD
Emerling finishes Thirteenth in Point Standings
by
Denise DuPont |
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 Making
the move from a local track to a NASCAR touring
division is a major step to aspiring young drivers.
Each year the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) has
new drivers that join the field to step up their
race competition level to contend for the one and
only “Sunoco Rookie of the Year”. This year there
were several contenders for the coveted NASCAR award
but the youngest of them in the end captured the
honor, nineteen year old Patrick Emerling. Emerling
finished the year with 139 points in the Sunoco
Rookie of the Year standings which out-distanced two
more experienced drivers from Long Island New York.
Bryon Chew, from Mattituck, had 121 points while
Patchogue’s Tom Rogers Jr. had 64.
“I had a lot of fun,” Emerling said of his first
year. “The competition is just way up there. It’s a
lot different from what I did before. I learned so
much along the way.”
“Our main goal was to get rookie of the year and do
the best that we can. It worked out good for us. We
were up against some tough guys like Bryon Chew and
Tom Rogers. We ended up going up pretty good. I am
proud of my dad, all the team and all the help that
we got from Emerling Chevrolet.”
The turn around in Emerling’s first season with the
tour came at Bristol Motor Speedway in August when
he rallied from two different spins to finish fifth
in the Whelen Modified-Whelen Southern Modified Tour
combination race. “Probably Bristol is my most
memorable moment for this year. We started in the
back we ended up running really strong. If we had a
caution at the right time we probably could passed
and won the thing.”
Emerling came to the Whelen Modified Tour following
two years of Modified racing in Upstate New York. He
has posted one top-five finish and six top-ten
finishes and at the end of the season sits 13th in
the overall standings. Emerling also competed in the
first four races of the NASCAR Whelen Southern
Modified Tour (NWSMT) season and also earned one
“Sunoco Rookie of the Race” Award there.
The NWMT Rookie headed south to Charlotte’s NASCAR
Hall of Fame for the end of the 2011 racing season
Touring Series banquet celebrations. There he
received his trophy as he was honored for his
accomplishments. “NASCAR really did a good thing
with the banquet. It is pretty awesome coming all
the way down here. We flew down and now we are
flying back tomorrow night. It is pretty awesome to
be here with all the touring series.”
Additional Notes
on Rookie Racer Patrick Emerling:
What was Emerling’s Most
Memorable Moment in 2011?
“My most memorable moment is probably the Bristol
race. Starting at the back and charging to the
front. I really still wish that they threw a caution
at the end of that race. That was my best finish on
the tour and it was the race to win.”
“Then the race at Lime Rock (Park), I had a lot of
fun. It is too bad that they are not going back
there next year.”
What are your potential
plans for 2012?
“We are starting out with a new team next year. We
will see where we go from there. Maybe we will go
for the championship, but we will do the best we
can. 2011 was out learning year so we will go out in
2012 and do the best that we can. I look forward the
next year it will be both good and cool.”
“We will also see if we can get a truck or ARCA car
or something like that next year or a full body car.
We will see how it goes.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: December
13, 2011 |
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