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03/12/2013 |
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42nd ANNUAL
CARQUEST TECH-NET SPRING SIZZLER TO KICK OFF
STAFFORD SPEEDWAY'S 55th SEASON OF NASCAR WEEKLY RACING
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With
the spring season fast approaching, yet another
season of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
competition is set to kick off at Stafford Motor
Speedway with the 42nd annual Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler Presented by CARQUEST on April 26-28. "The
Greatest Race in the History of Spring" will
officially begin Stafford's 55th season of hosting
weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing.
The race began its long and storied history as the
brainchild of Dr. Dick Berggren, Lew Boyd, and Bruce
Cohen as a way to hold a prestigious race during the
spring at a time when all the major races were held
in the fall. The inaugural Sizzler in 1972 featured
an overflow crowd of 11,500 race fans who saw Fred
DeSarro take the checkered flag and $2,200 from a
then modified record purse of $15,000. Ed Flemke had
taken the lead on lap-7 and he held the lead until a
faulty water pump eliminated Flemke from the race on
lap-70, stripping him of a near certain victory and
allowing DeSarro to win. Following the success of
that Inaugural Spring Sizzler, Jack Arute, Sr.
purchased the rights to the race from Berggren,
Boyd, and Cohen, and it has been the premier event
at Stafford ever since. CARQUEST Auto Parts took
over title sponsorship of the race in 1995 and the
race became the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
prior to the 30th Annual edition of the Sizzler in
2001 to promote CARQUEST's Tech-Net Professional
Auto Service.
Some of the greatest names in modified history have
tasted the fruits of victory in Stafford's signature
event. Since the inaugural Sizzler in 1972, there
have been 23 different winners with 11 drivers
winning the race multiple times. Of those 23 Spring
Sizzler winners, 11 drivers have won a Whelen
Modified Tour championship. Ted Christopher,
Stafford's all-time winningest driver with 118
career feature victories, 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, Mike Ewanitsko, and Doug Coby 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.
The CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler has also had a
great deal of storied finishes. Richie Evans won the
1975 Sizzler using 10 inch Late Model Sportsman
tires, Geoff Bodine returned to Stafford from North
Carolina to record his final Stafford victory in
1980, Greg Sacks won twice in a row including
pitting for tires and coming back through the field,
Reggie Ruggiero pitted twice and won in 1987, the SK
Modified® cars took center stage in 1988 with
Christopher winning the race, and Jerry Marquis
returned the Len Boehler owned Ole Blue #3 to Spring
Sizzler Victory Lane in 2004 for the first time
since DeSarro won the inaugural Sizzler in 1972. But
perhaps the greatest Sizzler finish of all-time was
the 1981 Spring Sizzler that came down to a
side-by-side duel between Bob Polverari and Richie
Evans with Polverari taking victory by inches ahead
of Evans in what many will recall as the greatest
Spring Sizzler finish in history.
The 42nd Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
gets underway Friday, April 26 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 27 with time trials
for the Whelen Modified Tour cars, along with heat
and consolation races for Stafford's weekly
divisions. In the 33 Spring Sizzler events run since
1980, the fast qualifier has gone on to win the race
only 7 times. Saturday will conclude with feature
events for the SK Light, Limited Late Model, and
DARE Stock divisions. Saturday will also play host
to a Northeast Mini Stock feature event, the very
first time the NEMS cars will hit the track at SMS.
The Sizzler concludes on Sunday, April 28 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 $38.50 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 $42.00 for all ages. As always,
Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with
overnight parking available. All tickets are good
for both Saturday and Sunday admission.
For more information on the 42nd 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
12, 2013 |
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