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08/07/2014 |
7-TIME NWMT
CHAMPION MIKE STEFANIK BACK IN COMPETITION
IN CALL BEFORE YOU DIG 811 150 AT STAFFORD SPEEDWAY |
When
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour takes the green flag
on Friday, Aug. 8 for the Call Before You Dig 811
150, there will be a familiar face among the drivers
on the starting grid. Coventry, RI native and 7-time
NWMT champion Mike Stefanik will be part of the
starting field. After parting ways with the #22
Christopher Our owned team after the 2013 season,
Stefanik has been driving part time for Ed Marcau’s
#1 Cady’s Tavern team and there couldn’t be a better
track for Stefanik to add to his part-time schedule.
Stefanik began his racing career at Stafford in the
LM-Sportsman class in the late ‘70’s and he later
moved into the weekly modified division while also
competing on the Whelen Modified Tour. The list of
accomplishments that Stefanik has amassed over his
career at Stafford are truly astronomical. Stefanik
has made 451 career NWMT starts with 95 of them
coming at Stafford for a percentage of 21%. In a
little less than one-fourth of his career starts,
consider what Stefanik has accomplished at Stafford
in an Whelen Modified Tour car: he has recorded 20
of his 74 career wins, which is 27%; he has won 17
of his 48 career pole positions, which is 35%; he
has recorded 50 of his 223 career top-5 and 74 of
his 300 career top-10 finishes at Stafford, which
equates to 22% and 25%. In his 95 career Stafford
starts, Stefanik has led 165 of the 13,697 laps that
he has completed which is 16%. In addition to his
NWMT exploits at Stafford, Stefanik is a 2-time
Stafford track champion; winning a LM-Sportsman
title in 1979 and a Modified track title in 1986
when Stafford ran both Tour Type Modifieds as well
as SK Modifieds® as weekly divisions. Stefanik’s
last Stafford victory came in the 2008 Fall Final
but he is feeling good about his chances of being in
contention for career victory number 21 at the
Connecticut half-mile facility.
“Another trip to Stafford,” said Stefanik. “I’ve
always called Stafford my home track since that’s
where I started my career all the way back in 1976
in the Limited Sportsman division. Not running the
full Tour schedule makes things a little tougher,
but I have so much time at Stafford that hopefully
we can unload and we’re close and make the right
adjustments for the night. I would hope we can be
contenders for the race. We showed some good speed
at Loudon and we were running well in the Icebreaker
before we had an issue and the car has a good Billy
the Kid engine. We’ll do the best that we can and
I’d like to win the race but I’d like to have a good
showing for everyone involved with the car.
There’s plenty of good cars and good teams so if you
miss it just a little bit you’re going to be running
around in the middle of the pack. Ed Marceau’s cars
always run good and I’m happy to wheel the car for
him. I’m as serious as any racer out there, I don’t
take any race lightly. You hope you make all the
right adjustments and the racing gods are shining on
you. Racing can give you the highest of highs and
the lowest of lows so we’ll put our best efforts
forward and see where the cards fall at the end of
the night. That’s the same way I’ve raced for the
last 38 years and this race will be no different.”
Tickets for the Call Before You Dig 811 150 are
available and on sale now at the Speedway Box
Office, or online at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Tickets are priced at $33.00 for adult general
admission, $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 $35.00 for all ages. All ticket
prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. Stafford Motor
Speedway offers plenty of free parking along with
overnight parking in self-contained Recreational
Vehicles.
For more information on the Call Before You Dig 811
150, 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:
August 7, 2014 |
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