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04/12/2013 |
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MIKE STEFANIK
HOPING TO ADD FIFTH SIZZLER TROPHY
TO CABINET WITH NEW OWNER AND CAR NUMBER |
 When
it comes to the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at
Stafford Motor Speedway, it is hard to find a driver
with more success in the race than Mike Stefanik.
The 7-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion has
4 career Sizzler victories to go along with 14 top-5
and 19 top-10 finishes in his 25 career Sizzler
starts. Stefanik's 14 top-5 and 19 top-10 finishes
are Sizzler records and his 4 wins are only eclipsed
by Ted Christopher's 6 Sizzler victories. While
Stefanik has a new car owner and a new car number
for the 2013 season, he has the same crew and
equipment from 2012 and he hopes that familiarity
will help him to his first Sizzler checkered flag
since 1998.
"We have the same team and the same equipment as
last year, the only thing that really changed was
the car owner and the car number," said Stefanik.
"Last year we ran pretty well at Stafford and I
think that Brad LaFontaine has proved that his
setups work really well at Stafford. Usually I don't
ask Brad for too many changes on the car once we hit
the track and we have some new updates on the car,
so I think we should be pretty good. We were really
fast last year and I'm looking forward to getting
back to Stafford and getting started."
Stefanik had a great start to his 2013 season in
Daytona, qualifying 6th and finding himself in the
lead of the race on the final lap before contact
with Steve Park sent Stefanik around and relegated
him to a 13th place finish. Although that wasn't the
finish that Stefanik and his #22 Robert B. Our
Company / Canto Paving team were looking for,
Stefanik is happy with how well they ran and is
confident that the team can carry momentum from
Daytona into the beginning of the Whelen Modified
Tour season and the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring
Sizzler.
"Obviously we were frustrated with the outcome in
Daytona, but for our first time out, we ran really
good and we were really competitive," said Stefanik.
"The racing game is a tough game and it felt good
that we were competitive. We've moved on from the
finish and we're going to take the positives from
Daytona. Everyone on the team did their jobs and in
the end it didn't quite work out for us. We ended up
having a few laughs with some of the stuff that was
on the internet and I'm still working on trying to
get an invite to Jay Leno's garage."
If anyone knows what it takes to put their car into
victory lane at Stafford and the CARQUEST Tech-Net
Spring Sizzler, it is Stefanik. Stefanik's 4 Sizzler
victories are part of his record 20 WMT wins at
Stafford, and Stefanik also holds the Stafford
record for the most WMT pole positions with 17.
"The key to winning at Stafford is to show up with a
fast racecar that doesn't use up the tires," said
Stefanik. "You have to have a good handling car and
have a good pit stop, you can't afford to drop the
ball anywhere. The longer races seem to spread the
field out as far as the pit window, so I prefer the
longer races. If we have the car that we expect to
have at the Sizzler, I think we can have a good day.
Brad's [LaFontaine] m.o. is usually to pit late and
have the freshest tires on the car for the run to
the end of the race. But I also don't think Brad has
ever gone into a race with a set game plan, he
usually sees how the race is playing out and makes
his call from that. I'm certainly happy to have Brad
on my side and it would be nice to be able to win a
Sizzler with Brad."
Stefanik is also excited about the prospects of the
CARQUEST Triple Crown $25,000 bonus that will be
awarded if a WMT driver can win the three CARQUEST
sponsored races at Stafford this year. Twice before,
in 1997 and 1998, Stefanik has won three of the four
Stafford races, but in both instances he didn't win
the three races he would need to win in order to
collect the CARQUEST Triple Crown bonus.
"That would be awesome if we could win that bonus,"
said Stefanik. "CARQUEST has definitely been a large
part of Stafford's history with the Whelen Modified
tour and it's nice that they're offering this bonus
opportunity for us Tour drivers. Whoever walks away
with the Sizzler trophy will be feeling pretty good
about their chances and I hope it's our team that is
having those good feelings. I've done it at Stafford
before, but it's going to be real tough to do with
the competition like it is. But it can be done and
we're all excited about the challenge of winning
those races."
The 2013 CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler gets
underway Friday, April 26 with a practice session
for Stafford's weekly divisions and the NE Mini
Stock Tour with the general admission grandstands
open to the public at no charge. Stefanik and the
rest of the NWMT field will get their first taste of
on track action on Saturday, April 27 with a
practice session in the morning and then the race
for the Coors Light Pole Position begins at 2:30pm.
Also in action on Saturday will be heat and
consolation races for Stafford's weekly divisions as
well as the Northeast Mini Stock Tour. Saturday will
wrap up with feature events for the SK Light,
Limited Late Model, DARE Stock, and NE Mini Stock
divisions. The Sizzler continues on Sunday, April 28
with the CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party from
11am-12noon 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. All ticket
prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.
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: April
12, 2013 |
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