RPW Column: Looking Back A Bit: Second Week Of February
Story By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Sixty years ago in 1961, Glenn “Fireball” Roberts and Joe Weatherly were the winners in the wreck marred 100-mile qualifiers for the Daytona 500 at the Daytona Int. Speedway.
Lee Petty received life threatening injuries which all but ended his racing career when he crashed out of the track with Johnny Beauchamp. Marvin Paunch, in a Smokey Yunick built 1960 Pontiac, won the 500 after Roberts lost an engine with 13 laps to go. The spectator count was 51,287 and the winner’s share of the race purse was $21,050.
Fifty five years ago in 1966, Paul Goldsmith and Earl Balmer were the 100 lap qualifying race winners at Daytona. New England’s only entry, Rene Charland, blew an engine and finished 33rd in the second 100.In the 500, Richard Petty became the races’ first repeat winner. The 200 lap-500 mile event was halted with two laps to go because of rain. For his efforts, Petty received $28,150 and there were 90,000 spectators on hand.
Fifty years ago in 1971, Pete Hamilton, the defending Daytona 500 winner, took the lead on the last lap from AJ Foyt in the first 125 mile qualifier and went on to record the win. David Pearson won the second 125.Richard Petty secured his third Daytona 500 win after AJ Foyt ran out of gas with 39 laps to go. Buddy Baker, in the Petty Team car that had been driven to victory the previous year by Pete Hamilton, finished second. Hamilton, driving for Cotton Owens, led some of the early going but lost an engine and finished a distant 28th.Northern modified fans held their breath when Maynard Troyer in a Ford owned by Dave Nagle blew an engine and flipped 16 times. Troyer survived the wreck but was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Forty five years ago in 1976, the Modifieds ran on the road course at Daytona. Despite being out of their element they put on a fairly good show. Taking the 200 mile win was Bobby Allison. Merv Treichler finished second and was followed by Gene Felton, John Bryant, Buzzy Reutaman, Philip Smith, Fred Harbach, Geoff Bodine and George Wagner. Dave Marcis and Darrell Waltrip were the winners of the 125 mile qualifiers. Richard Petty and David Pearson battled wheel to wheel until they wrecked together on the final lap, just before the start finish line. Pearson managed to keep his car running and drove thru the infield to take the checkered flag. The winners share was upped to $46,800. There were 125,000 spectators were on hand.
Forty years ago in 1981, after winning on Friday and Sunday on the first weekend at New Smyrna, Richie Evans continued his winning streak to six in a row. Ron Bouchard and George Kent were the only two who could run with Evans. Bouchard turned the tables on Saturday night as he garnered a hard fought win with Evans, second. Brett Bodine became a surprise winner as Evans blew two engines on the final night. Bouchard ended up second with Maynard Troyer and John Blewett Jr following.
Thirty five years ago in 1986, Jamie Tomaino started the week on Monday night at New Smyrna with a win over Mike Casterline, Randy Sweet and George Kent. Tuesday thru Friday night at New Smyrna belonged to Reggie Ruggerio who ran up a four race win streak to win the overall championship. Mike Casterline was the spoiler as he took the victory on the final night. At Daytona, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt were the winners of the 125 mile qualifiers. Dale Earnhardt appeared headed for his first Daytona 500 win when he ran out of gas with three laps to go. Geoff Bodine, running second, inherited the lead and went on to record the win which was worth $192.715.Terry Labonte finished second while Earnhardt faded to 14th.Ronnie Bouchard finished sixth, Doug Hevron finished 15th and Greg Sacks finished 35th after losing a clutch. Because of an in car camera, fans and race officials got a first hand look at how far ones body stretches on impact. Richard Petty hit the backstretch on lap 63.Cameras recorded the fact that Petty’s body stretched to the point where his head almost hit the right side roll bars.
Thirty years ago in 1991, Tim Arre went pole to pole in Monday night action at New Smyrna. Rick Fuller in the Mario Fiore No.44 finished second and was followed by Mike Ewanitsko and Tom Baldwin. Rookie David Green took the Goody’s 300 pole at Daytona. Tuesday night at New Smyrna, Jeff Fuller beat out Arre and Baldwin for the win. Rick Fuller banged out two in a row on Thursday and Friday at New Smyrna. The final two nights at New Smyrna belonged to Mike Ewanitsko including a pole to pole run in the series ending Richie Evans Memorial 100.Ewanitsko was awarded the series championship for his efforts. At Daytona, Dale Earnhardt and Davey Allison won the 125 mile Daytona 500 qualifiers. Earnhardt won the Goodys 300 and was leading the Daytona 500 when he spun with five laps to go. Ernie Irvan was the 500 winner.
Twenty five years ago in 1996, Bruce Dell in the Ben Dodge No.36 made it two in a row at New Smyrna as he won on Monday night. Ricky Fuller finished second with Jamie Tomaino and Ted Christopher in tow. Steve Park in the Joe Brady entry went pole to pole to win the Tuesday night modified event at New Smyrna. Tom Baldwin finished second and was followed by Rick Fuller and Mike Ewanitsko. Jamie Tomaino broke into the win column on Wednesday at New Smyrna. Bruce Del finished second and was followed by Baldwin, Park and Christopher. At Daytona on Thursday, Dale Earnhardt and Ernie Irvan won the 125-mile qualifiers. Back home in the northeast, Tom Curley in behalf of the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) filed suit against Mike Liberty, owner of the Oxford Plains Speedway claiming fraud and breach of contract. Thursday night at New Smyrna saw Ricky Fuller take the win. Tom Baldwin moved into second spot after Bruce Del, who was running second on the final lap, tangled with Ted Christopher and went into the wall. Tomaino came home in third. On Friday, Park again ruled the roost with Tomaino, Fuller, Baldwin and Christopher following. In the Goodys 300 at Daytona on Saturday, Steve Grissom used the draft from the lapped car of Jim Spencer to pass Dale Jarrett with five laps to go. Jarrett finished second with Mark Martin, third. The final night at New Smyrna saw Rick Fuller win the Richie Evans Memorial 100.Baldwin finished second with Ewanitsko and Park following. The final tally for the week saw Baldwin take the series championship despite not taking a win. Steve Park and Ricky Fuller each recorded three wins, Bruce Del, two and Jamie Tomaino, one. In the Daytona 500, Dale Jarrett took the lead from Dale Earnhardt with thirteen laps to go and went on to score the win. Earnhardt finished second and was followed by Ken Schrader, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton.
Twenty years ago, in 2001, Ted Christopher picked up his third win in the New Smyrna World Series on Thursday night. George Kent finished second with Junior Hanley, third. In 125 action at Daytona, Sterling Marlin passed Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the last lap to win the first one. Jerry Nadeau, who started dead last, also passed Earnhardt and finished second. Mike Skinner won out over Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a photo finish of the second 125.Jeff Burton finished third. Jamie Tomaino out raced Charlie Pasteryak and Rob Summers to win the Richie Evans 100 on Friday night at New Smyrna. At Daytona on Saturday, Randy LaJoie took the win over Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Green. Jamie Tomaino went pole to pole to win the New Smyrna World Series final on Saturday night. Junior Handley finished second with George Kent, third. Ted Christopher finished ninth and sewed up the series title. Speedweeks came to a close on Sunday with the running of the Daytona 500.Little did anyone know, this day would be one of the most devastating in NASCAR history. It all came down to the final corner of the final lap. Michael Waltrip, driving his first race for Dale Earnhardt Inc. was leading the pack with Dale Jr. and Sr. in tow. As Waltrip streaked home for the win, Sterling Marlin took the air off Earnhardt Sr’s spoiler, causing the former champion to break loose and collide with the concrete wall and the car of Ken Schrader. Earnhardt Sr., 49, died instantly of head injuries from the impact.
Fifteen years ago in 2006 , World Series Modified Racing action at the New Smyrna Speedway continued on Monday, February 13. Once the sun went down it was like being at home in New England as the temperatures dipped below freezing in central Florida. Donny Lia and Chuck Hossfeld started on the front row and ran nose to tail the entire distance of the event. A few minor incidents slowed the event. Kevin Goodale and Robbie Summers spun on lap 7 between turn 3 and 4 in the early going. During lap 10 Chris Pasteryak spun bringing out a caution and on lap 11 Ryan Preese and Buck Catalano bringing out the caution after a tangle in turn three. Following Lia and Hossfeld at the finish were Eric Beers, John Blewett III, Andy Suess, Jimmy Blewett, Ted Christopher and Mike Andrews Jr. who had taken over the driving duties for injured Mike Ewanitsko. Earl Paules was the SK Modified winner. Mike Holdredge finished second. Jimmy Blewett dropped out with mechanical problems on lap 10.
The cold weather coupled with the full moon on Tuesday made for an exciting night of spins, wrecks and strange happenings. Donny Lia made it two in a row and was the only driver to escape unscratched. There were two incidents before one lap was completed. The first incident saw Jimmy Blewett, Ted Christopher, Kevin Goodale, Danny Sammons and a host of others spun in turn one. The race all got underway again and the cars restarted. As the cars went into turn 1 during the start of lap two, Jimmy Blewett, Jeff Preece, Zach Sylvester, Dave Koroleski, John Blewett III, Eric Beers and Kevin Goodale were involved in another incident in turn one. Beers, the Blewetts and Koroleski were towed off the track. As the cars restarted on lap two Hossfeld and Christopher headed for pit road, never to return. Just when it looked like the race would go non-stop Eric Beers came to a stop in turn 1 on lap 10 with smoke coming from the right front of his car. A tow truck pushed him in, out for the night. Lia continued to lead when, with two laps to go, three cars spun on the front stretch as they were contending for the 6th spot: Dave Sapienza, Earl Paules & Jon McKennedy came to a grinding halt. All cars were damaged and were done for the night. After a green-white-checkered finish Lia took the win and was followed by Chris Pasteryak, Mike Andrews Jr., Andy Suess, Tim Arre, Jay Wesley Swartout and Dan Sammons. John Jensen won the SK Modified feature over Jimmy Blewett and Billy Anderson.
Full Moon Modified Racing continued at New Smyrna on Wednesday night. The central Florida temperatures moderated somewhat making life easier on fans and competitors alike. The Modifieds ran their first of two extra distance events. Eric Beers was the top time trialer and started on the pole. John Blewett III started on the outside pole with Chuck Hossfeld, third. Beers led the charge to the green with Blewett III in hot pursuit. The first caution flew on lap two when Rob McMullen, driving the Joe Brady back-up car, spun on the backstretch. The field no sooner took the green when, on lap 3, Kevin Goodale spun between turns one and two. Green again and then crash! The Blewett brothers tangled between turns three and four. Collected in the melee was Zach Sylvester who ultimately ended up in the front stretch wall. The Blewetts maintained their spots as the caution was thrown for Sylvester, who was done for the night. Beers and Donny Lia led the restart. The field no sooner got up to speed when Jimmy Blewett & Andy Suess tangled and came close to hitting the front stretch wall. Both cars drove away unscathed and were able to restart the race. Another restart, another tangle. This time it was Dan Sammons, Tim Arre, Chris Pasteryak, Jon McKennedy, Ted Christopher and Don Lia. Lia got the worst of it and had to be double hooked off the track. Beers continued to lead as the green was dropped once again. Rob Summers & Earl Paules tangled in turn 4, bringing out the fifth caution on Lap 6. Mike Andrews Jr., doing a great pinch hitting job for Mike Ewanitsko, moved into the runner-up spot. The field took the green again and actually ran four laps at speed when Ryan Preese spun on backstretch on lap 9. Green again with Beers still leading followed by Andrews, Blewett III, Hossfeld and Rob Summers. Just when it looked like things would smooth out the seventh caution flew on Lap 19 when Jim Storace was engulfed in smoke in turn 2. The final and eighth caution flew on lap 31 when Chris Flemming stopped in turn four. The final 19 laps were run without incident with Beers taking the win over Andrews, John Blewett III and Chuck Hossfeld. Rob Summers rounded out the top five. Tom Farrel won the SK Modified feature. Jimmy Blewett finished second with Kevin Goodale and Mike Holdredge, following.
A new face entered victory lane on Thursday night at New Smyrna. Mike Andrews Jr., who took over for the injured Mike Ewanitsko, started on the pole of the 25 lap feature and went on to lead every lap to record his first win in the Sunshine State. The first caution of the night came during the opening moments when Jo Wesley Swartout, Tim Arre, Luke Flemming and Tony Hanbury tangled in turn one. Arre and Flemming had to be towed from the scene. Donny Lia pitted to have officials check for a possible fluid leak. The field restarted with Andrews still on the point. The second caution of the night came on lap 8 when Zach Sylvester slowed on the front stretch. The ensuing restart saw a major pile-up on the front stretch that collected seven cars and blocked the track. The event was red flagged. Among those involved were Chuck Hossfeld, Lia, Arre and Chris Pasteryak. Lia was not able to restart. It proved to be a major setback as he was leading the point standings going into the event. The race restarted single file. By lap 15 Andrews continued to lead with Rob Summers moving into second spot and John Blewett III, third. Jimmy Blewett was running fourth but spun two laps later when he looped it in turn two. Once the field restarted they ran non-stop from there. At the finish it was Andrews taking the win followed by Summers, Blewett III, Andy Suess and Tony Hanbury. Lia ended up in 19th spot. Eric Beers, who blew the left rear tire in the fourth turn during first lap of time trials, finished 8th and was tied for the point lead going into the Richie Evans 100 last Friday night. His car sustained damage on the right front and he was forced to start the feature in last spot. In another development Ted Christopher, who had been driving the Bear Motorsports No.14 with little or no success, parted ways with car owner Bill Callicio and signed on to drive the Joe Brady back-up Modified for the final two events at New Smyrna. Mike Holdredge held off Jimmy Blewett to win the SK Modified feature.
The Richie Evans 100, which was run on Friday night, ended up being a true test of stamina and nerves. In the end it was Jimmy Blewett in victory lane with the Eddie Partridge TS Haulers entry. Ted Christopher, in the Joe Brady back-up mount finished second after making a late race pit stop for fresh tires. Christopher made a determined charge to the front but got only as far as second. Rob Summers ended up being a victim of Christopher’s aggressiveness as he was knocked out of second spot in the closing laps. Summers expressed his displeasure with a post race slam to the rear of Christopher’s car.
It was rumored that the Bear Motorsports No.14 was headed home but as the field was called to post the former Christopher mount appeared with Billy Anderson behind the wheel and starting scratch. Christopher, who won the Super Late Model feature earlier in the evening, started on the pole with Mike Andrews on the outside. Christopher took the green and led the first three laps. Jimmy Blewett, who started fourth, wasted little time as he passed Kevin Goodale and Andrews for the second spot on lap 3. One lap later, Blewett put the Partridge owned; Brad LaFountaine wrenched No.12 in the lead. The first caution of the night came on lap 8 when Zach Sylvester in the Hills Enterprises No. 79 came to a halt after spinning on the backstretch. Eric Beers, who had high hopes for a good finish was forced to drop out with an ailing engine. On the restart, someone booted the 36 of Andrews and triggered a wreck that collected 13 cars in turn one. Among those collected were Donny Lia and Chuck Hossfeld who both sustained race ending chassis damage. After a long red flag period the field restarted single file with Jimmy Blewett leading followed by Christopher, John Blewett III, Jim Storace and Billy Anderson. John Blewett III’s night came to an end on lap 47 when he stopped in turn 3, bringing out the caution and ultimately went behind the wall due to rear end problems. At the half way mark it was Jimmy Blewett in the lead followed by Christopher, Summers and Jim Storace. With 20 laps to go Christopher’s tires began to fade as he gave way to Summers. A caution on lap 88 for debris gave Christopher the opportunity to pit for fresh rubber and set the stage for an exciting finish. Jimmy Blewett withstood the intense pressure put out by Christopher as he continually gave him the bumper but to no avail as Blewett never wavered as he streaked under the checkered flag for the win. In a last minute move Kevin Goodale moved into third spot while Summers was trying to collect himself after his incident with Christopher. Andy Suess rounded out the top five. Billy Anderson, Ryan Preese, Jon McKennedy, Mike Andrews Jr. and Jim Storace rounded out the top ten. To cap off the night Jimmy Blewett won the SK Modified feature.
The final night of racing, Saturday, saw a slim field of Modifieds as many felt they had had enough plus they were not in contention for the point title. Jimmy Blewett started on the pole and led the charge to the green. John Blewett III and Ted Christopher followed. Blewett III and Christopher, in team cars, were eliminated on lap 5 when a slow car triggered the crash. Both cars had to be towed from the scene and were out for the night. Jimmy Blewett led until the final moments when he was passed by Kevin Goodale who took the closing night win. Blewett finished second and was followed by Eric Beers, Chuck Hossfeld and Andy Suess who captured the Modified division series championship. Mike Holdredge won the SK Modified feature. Jimmy Blewett finished ninth and wrapped up the division title.
Elliott Sadler and Jeff Gordon won the 160 mile qualifiers which were a total bore to watch. Mark Martin won the truck race and Matt Kenseth, the IROC event. Tony Stewart won the Busch 300 and Jimmy Johnson won the Daytona 500.
Ten years ago in 2011, Racing for the Modifieds and SK Modifieds resumed on Monday night at the New Smyrna Speedway. The car count for the SK Modifieds remained at seven as the Modifieds picked up Burt and Jason Myers along with Kevin Flockhart. Chuck Hossfeldt to the lead at the start and led the entire 25 lap distance holding off Ted Christopher for the win. Earl Paules finished third with Burt Myers, fourth. Ron Silk rounded out the top five. Earl Paules was the SK Modified winner and Brian Hoar was the ACT Late Model winner.
Tuesday night at New Smyrna saw the Modified field swell to 17 while the SKs remained at seven. Joining the field was James Civali, George Brunnhoelzl III and Ryan Preece. Chuck Hossfeldt jumped out to the lead position at the start and despite trading the No.1 spot with Ted Christopher on numerous occasions was able to score the win. Ronnie Silk ended up second with Christopher finishing after a late race tangle. George Brunnhoelzl III finished fourth with Burt Myers, fifth. Ryan Preece was in the field but was disqualified because his team neglected to register the car. The SK Modifieds went 20 laps with Ronnie Silk taking the win.
Wednesday night at New Smyrna saw the running of the annual John Blewett III Memorial 50 lapper. The 16 Modifieds on hand didn’t disappoint as this event turned out to be the most competitive of the series so far. Among the new faces in the field was Justin Bonsignore who was driving the Hillbilly team car to James Civali. Burt Myers started on the pole of the 50 lapper and quickly jumped out to an early lead with Civali in tow. The first caution of the night came on lap four with liquid on the track, the culprit. Myers led the restart with Civali and Ted Christopher in hot pursuit. Christopher turned the wick up and on lap 12 passed Civali for second. On lap 15 Christopher got the best of Myers as he took the lead. The caution flew on lap 22 as the Eddie Partridge entry of Ronnie Silk caught on fire. Silk returned for the restart which saw Myers retake the lead from Christopher. Christopher fought back as he retook the lead on lap 34. The caution flew on lap 42 when Silk hit the wall in turn four. At just about the same time Christopher gave up the lead as he pitted the Joe Brady #00 with transmission trouble. On the restart Burt Myers led but his quest for glory was short lived as Civali elbowed his way inside to move Bowman Grey Champion up and out of the groove. Myers slipped to fifth. Civali didn’t last on the point as Earl Paules took the lead with Chuck Hossfeldt in tow with three laps to go. Meanwhile Christopher returned without losing a lap and was making a determined march to the front. As Paules took the win with Hossfeldt second Christopher made a bonsai move on Civali as they exited turn four. Civali spun and collected Bonsignore, his teammate. Christopher escaped as he finished third. Bonsignore, going backward, finished fourth. Jason Myers rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Patrick Emerling, George Brunnhoelzl III, Burt Myers, Jin Zacharias and Civali.
Ronnie Silk won the SK 15 lapper.
The Modifieds went back to the 25 lap format on Thursday night. Sixteen Modifieds went to post. Pole sitter Ted Christopher jumped out at the drop of the green to take the lead over Chuck Hossfeldt and James Civali. Civali created some excitement on lap six when he got Christopher squirrelly after a love tap. Civali took the lead but TC took it back one lap later. The only other action in the event came on lap 22 when Earl Paules, who was running fifth, spun. At the finish it was Christopher taking the win over Civali, Hossfeldt, Burt Myers and Paules. Sixth through ninth were Justin Bonsignore,Ron Silk, Jason Myers and Ryan Preece. The SK Modified field continued at six with Ron Silk taking the 15 lap win.
Friday night saw the running of the annual Richie Evans 100. The Modified field continued to total 14. Patrick Emerling started on the pole with Ted Christopher in the outside pole slot. Emerling took the lead at the start with Ron Silk second and Christopher slipping to third. On lap four Silk slipped by Emerling and Christopher slipped by them both. On lap 10 Silk returned the favor as he retook the top spot only to give it back to Christopher one lap later. Once back into the lead TC was all business. By lap 50 he had a full straight a way lead. The caution flew on lap 60 when James Civali and his teammate Justin Bonsignore spun. Christopher led the restart but Silk had got a second wind and by lap 65 took the lead. Both swapped the lead before Silk settled into the top spot. On lap82 Bonsignore slowed and brought out the caution. Silk led the restart with Christopher blowing the chrome horn. While the two front runners were trying to regain control James Civali, who was running third, took the lead. A slow leak in one of Civali’s tires went undetected following a spin by another competitor on lap 89. On the restart slipped up the track and crashed with Silk. Christopher inherited the lead and following the restart went on to take the win. Earl Paules finished second and was followed by Emerling, Bonsignore and George Brunnhoelzl III. Rounding out the top ten was Ryan Preece, Chuck Hossfeldt, Burt Myers, Jason Myers and Silk. Civali finished 11th.
Earl Paules was the SK Modified winner. The New Smyrna Speedway enjoyed a near capacity crowd for this event.
With the Richie Evans Memorial in the record books many of the Modified Tour teams called it quits and headed home. For last Saturday nights finale a lean field of nine cars were on hand. Ted Christopher lined up on the pole with Burt Myers on the outside. At the drop of the green of the series ending 25 lapper Christopher jumped out in front with Myers in tow. The caution flew on lap 6 for Patrick Emerling who spun. Christopher led the restart as Chuck Hossfeldt dove under Myers to take the second spot. Hossfeldt had his No. 22 hooked up as he closed on Christopher’s bumper. Christopher’s handling was off as Hossfeldt made a bottom shot under TC on lap 10 to take over the lead. The upstate New Yorker never looked back as he sprinted home the winner on the final night of competition. Burt Myers finished second with Christopher, third. His third place finish earned him enough points to beat out Hossfeldt for the series title by 6 points. Earl Paules finished fourth in the feature with Emerling, fifth. Jason Myers finished sixth.
In action at the Daytona Int Speedway, Kurt Busch felt certain he cemented himself the favorite to win the Daytona 500 after winning Thursday’s first 150-mile qualifying race, backing up the previous weekend’s victory in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout. Jeff Burton, the winner of the second qualifying race, respectfully disagreed.
Dick Berggren sent word that Whelen Modified Tour Series Champion Bobby Santos III had a HUGE crash in Daytona on Thursday while practicing for Saturday’s Nationwide Series race. A pitman arm broke as he was coming off turn four and he hammered the inside wall driver’s side. “With the old style cars and seats, it was unsurvivable, but, this is today and he was unhurt” stated Berggren. He added, “He walked out of the garage without a limp even, complaining of a sore ankle. Hit so hard, they shut the track down for around an hour while they completely replaced an entire section of the steel wall where he hit and bent it.” Santos did race in the Nationwide Race in Daytona 2 days following a practice crash. Santos raced Aric Almirola’s backup car out of the JR Motorsports(Dale Earnhardt Jr’s) stable.
Santos ran as high as tenth in the Nationwide Series race and in the end finished 23rd.
A smaller restrictor-plate was used in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona in an attempt to lower the horsepower and keep the cars from running over 200 miles per hour in the draft. On Sunday, NASCAR lowered the tolerance in the air inlet on the front grille and a pressure relief valve on the radiators to force the cars to unlock from a two-car draft in order to keep the engine temperatures down.
The new size for the restrictor plate is 57/64ths of an inch — a reduction of 1/64th. That’s a decrease of 12-horsepower and in turn will lower the rpm (revolutions per minute) after some teams reported running more than 9,000 rpm in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Int’l Speedway Saturday night. Two-car packs ran speeds exceeding 206 mph in the race.
Tony Stewart continued his domination of the Nationwide Series season opener, overcoming a late pit stop to fix a flat tire to catch Clint Bowyer at the finish line. It was his fourth consecutive win in the opener for NASCAR’s second-tier series and sixth in the past seven seasons.
Trevor Bayne, in just his second Sprint Cup Series start, pulled off a stunning victory in his first Daytona 500 on Sunday, becoming the youngest winner in the 53 years of the Great American Race. Bayne, who turned 20 the day before the biggest race of his career, took the Wood Brothers back to Victory Lane for the first time since 2001. The victory for NASCAR pioneers Leonard and Glen Wood ended a 10-year-losing streak, and came the week of the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s fatal accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
It had everyone almost certain Sunday’s win would go to Earnhardt Jr., the prodigal son, who shied away from the suggestion that the stars were lined up for a spectacular tribute to his father.
On Lap 29, Michael Waltrip, pushing David Reutimann, got misaligned and spun Reutimann, triggering a wreck that took out literally one-third of the field. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and feel-good story Brian Keselowski were among those collected in the wreck. Waltrip had spun out Kyle Busch earlier in the race in almost exactly the same way. But in that incident, Busch didn’t hit anyone, and was able to get back in the mix with little lost but some sheet metal. Reutimann and the huge pack around him weren’t quite so lucky.
Five years ago in 2016, Racing for the Modifieds and SK Modifieds resumed on Monday night at the New Smyrna Speedway. The car count for the SK Modifieds remained at seven as the Modifieds picked up Burt and Jason Myers along with Kevin Flockhart. Chuck Hossfeldt to the lead at the start and led the entire 25 lap distance holding off Ted Christopher for the win. Earl Paules finished third with Burt Myers, fourth. Ron Silk rounded out the top five. Earl Paules was the SK Modified winner and Brian Hoar was the ACT Late Model winner.
Tuesday night at New Smyrna saw the Modified field swell to 17 while the SKs remained at seven. Joining the field was James Civali, George Brunnhoelzl III and Ryan Preece. Chuck Hossfeldt jumped out to the lead position at the start and despite trading the No.1 spot with Ted Christopher on numerous occasions was able to score the win. Ronnie Silk ended up second with Christopher finishing after a late race tangle. George Brunnhoelzl III finished fourth with Burt Myers, fifth. Ryan Preece was in the field but was disqualified because his team neglected to register the car. The SK Modifieds went 20 laps with Ronnie Silk taking the win.
Wednesday night at New Smyrna saw the running of the annual John Blewett III Memorial 50 lapper. The 16 Modifieds on hand didn’t disappoint as this event turned out to be the most competitive of the series so far. Among the new faces in the field was Justin Bonsignore who was driving the Hillbilly team car to James Civali. Burt Myers started on the pole of the 50 lapper and quickly jumped out to an early lead with Civali in tow. The first caution of the night came on lap four with liquid on the track, the culprit. Myers led the restart with Civali and Ted Christopher in hot pursuit. Christopher turned the wick up and on lap 12 passed Civali for second. On lap 15 Christopher got the best of Myers as he took the lead. The caution flew on lap 22 as the Eddie Partridge entry of Ronnie Silk caught on fire. Silk returned for the restart which saw Myers retake the lead from Christopher. Christopher fought back as he retook the lead on lap 34. The caution flew on lap 42 when Silk hit the wall in turn four. At just about the same time Christopher gave up the lead as he pitted the Joe Brady #00 with transmission trouble. On the restart Burt Myers led but his quest for glory was short lived as Civali elbowed his way inside to move Bowman Grey Champion up and out of the groove. Myers slipped to fifth. Civali didn’t last on the point as Earl Paules took the lead with Chuck Hossfeldt in tow with three laps to go. Meanwhile Christopher returned without losing a lap and was making a determined march to the front. As Paules took the win with Hossfeldt second Christopher made a bonsai move on Civali as they exited turn four. Civali spun and collected Bonsignore, his teammate. Christopher escaped as he finished third. Bonsignore, going backward, finished fourth. Jason Myers rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Patrick Emerling, George Brunnhoelzl III, Burt Myers, Jin Zacharias and Civali.
Ronnie Silk won the SK 15 lapper.
The Modifieds went back to the 25 lap format on Thursday night. Sixteen Modifieds went to post. Pole sitter Ted Christopher jumped out at the drop of the green to take the lead over Chuck Hossfeldt and James Civali. Civali created some excitement on lap six when he got Christopher squirrelly after a love tap. Civali took the lead but TC took it back one lap later. The only other action in the event came on lap 22 when Earl Paules, who was running fifth, spun. At the finish it was Christopher taking the win over Civali, Hossfeldt, Burt Myers and Paules. Sixth through ninth were Justin Bonsignore,Ron Silk, Jason Myers and Ryan Preece. The SK Modified field continued at six with Ron Silk taking the 15 lap win.
Friday night saw the running of the annual Richie Evans 100. The Modified field continued to total 14. Patrick Emerling started on the pole with Ted Christopher in the outside pole slot. Emerling took the lead at the start with Ron Silk second and Christopher slipping to third. On lap four Silk slipped by Emerling and Christopher slipped by them both. On lap 10 Silk returned the favor as he retook the top spot only to give it back to Christopher one lap later. Once back into the lead TC was all business. By lap 50 he had a full straight a way lead. The caution flew on lap 60 when James Civali and his teammate Justin Bonsignore spun. Christopher led the restart but Silk had got a second wind and by lap 65 took the lead. Both swapped the lead before Silk settled into the top spot. On lap82 Bonsignore slowed and brought out the caution. Silk led the restart with Christopher blowing the chrome horn. While the two front runners were trying to regain control James Civali, who was running third, took the lead. A slow leak in one of Civali’s tires went undetected following a spin by another competitor on lap 89. On the restart slipped up the track and crashed with Silk. Christopher inherited the lead and following the restart went on to take the win. Earl Paules finished second and was followed by Emerling, Bonsignore and George Brunnhoelzl III. Rounding out the top ten was Ryan Preece, Chuck Hossfeldt, Burt Myers, Jason Myers and Silk. Civali finished 11th.
Earl Paules was the SK Modified winner. The New Smyrna Speedway enjoyed a near capacity crowd for this event.
With the Richie Evans Memorial in the record books many of the Modified Tour teams called it quits and headed home. For last Saturday nights finale a lean field of nine cars were on hand. Ted Christopher lined up on the pole with Burt Myers on the outside. At the drop of the green of the series ending 25 lapper Christopher jumped out in front with Myers in tow. The caution flew on lap 6 for Patrick Emerling who spun. Christopher led the restart as Chuck Hossfeldt dove under Myers to take the second spot. Hossfeldt had his No. 22 hooked up as he closed on Christopher’s bumper. Christopher’s handling was off as Hossfeldt made a bottom shot under TC on lap 10 to take over the lead. The upstate New Yorker never looked back as he sprinted home the winner on the final night of competition. Burt Myers finished second with Christopher, third. His third place finish earned him enough points to beat out Hossfeldt for the series title by 6 points. Earl Paules finished fourth in the feature with Emerling, fifth. Jason Myers finished sixth.
In action at the Daytona Int Speedway, Kurt Busch felt certain he cemented himself the favorite to win the Daytona 500 after winning Thursday’s first 150-mile qualifying race, backing up the previous weekend’s victory in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout. Jeff Burton, the winner of the second qualifying race, respectfully disagreed.
Dick Berggren sent word that Whelen Modified Tour Series Champion Bobby Santos III had a HUGE crash in Daytona on Thursday while practicing for Saturday’s Nationwide Series race. A pitman arm broke as he was coming off turn four and he hammered the inside wall driver’s side. “With the old style cars and seats, it was unsurvivable, but, this is today and he was unhurt” stated Berggren. He added, “He walked out of the garage without a limp even, complaining of a sore ankle. Hit so hard, they shut the track down for around an hour while they completely replaced an entire section of the steel wall where he hit and bent it.” Santos did race in the Nationwide Race in Daytona 2 days following a practice crash. Santos raced Aric Almirola’s backup car out of the JR Motorsports(Dale Earnhardt Jr’s) stable.
Santos ran as high as tenth in the Nationwide Series race and in the end finished 23rd.
A smaller restrictor-plate was used in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona in an attempt to lower the horsepower and keep the cars from running over 200 miles per hour in the draft. On Sunday, NASCAR lowered the tolerance in the air inlet on the front grille and a pressure relief valve on the radiators to force the cars to unlock from a two-car draft in order to keep the engine temperatures down.
The new size for the restrictor plate is 57/64ths of an inch — a reduction of 1/64th. That’s a decrease of 12-horsepower and in turn will lower the rpm (revolutions per minute) after some teams reported running more than 9,000 rpm in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Int’l Speedway Saturday night. Two-car packs ran speeds exceeding 206 mph in the race.
Tony Stewart continued his domination of the Nationwide Series season opener, overcoming a late pit stop to fix a flat tire to catch Clint Bowyer at the finish line. It was his fourth consecutive win in the opener for NASCAR’s second-tier series and sixth in the past seven seasons.
Trevor Bayne, in just his second Sprint Cup Series start, pulled off a stunning victory in his first Daytona 500 on Sunday, becoming the youngest winner in the 53 years of the Great American Race. Bayne, who turned 20 the day before the biggest race of his career, took the Wood Brothers back to Victory Lane for the first time since 2001. The victory for NASCAR pioneers Leonard and Glen Wood ended a 10-year-losing streak, and came the week of the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s fatal accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
It had everyone almost certain Sunday’s win would go to Earnhardt Jr., the prodigal son, who shied away from the suggestion that the stars were lined up for a spectacular tribute to his father.
On Lap 29, Michael Waltrip, pushing David Reutimann, got misaligned and spun Reutimann, triggering a wreck that took out literally one-third of the field. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and feel-good story Brian Keselowski were among those collected in the wreck. Waltrip had spun out Kyle Busch earlier in the race in almost exactly the same way. But in that incident, Busch didn’t hit anyone, and was able to get back in the mix with little lost but some sheet metal. Reutimann and the huge pack around him weren’t quite so lucky.
Last year, 2020 The World Series at New Smyrna got the green on Friday, Feb 6. Tour type Modified Racing at New Smyrna began on Monday night, Feb 10. There were 32 cars on hand. Of those, 28 took time in order to qualify for starting spots. To no ones surprise Matt Hirschman was the fastest of the fast as he toured the half milr oval in 17.257 second fastest. Patrick Emerling was second fastest at 17.278. Rounding out the top five were Anthony Nocella, Craig Lutz and Ryan Preece.
The top four were inverted for the start of the 50 lapper. Lutz led the field to the start. Nocella was at his finest as he grabbed the lead after a lap one restart and went on to lead the remainder of the event to take the win over Hirschman by less than a half car length. Emmerling finished third with Preece and Lutz rounding out the top five.
Sam Mayer won the ARCA Menards East 175. After two nights of light attendance the grandstand at New Smyrna was almost full. Dick Berggren was at Volusia’s dirt track on Sunday night where they had so many UMP cars they had to break the field in half, running each half on every other night. “The WoO outlaws feature had 27 410-engine cars and an incredible race that went to two to go before the first yellow. The grandstand capacity was significantly increased, I’d say by a factor of at least one-third and every seat was taken. Great racing, full fields, lots of passing in both divisions.”
Anthony Nocella’s car was based upon a Raceworks Chassis, a fitting tribute to Ed Flemke Jr and his dad, Steady Eddie Flemke Sr. Mike Petit provided the power. Ryan Preece used a CD chassis which is basically a 20 year old BoDyne chassis designed by Geoff Bodine and Bob Cuneo.
On Tuesday night 31 Modifieds were on hand for qualifying for the scheduled 35 lapper. Matt Hirschman was again the fastest qualifier with a time of 17.204 seconds. Second fastest was Monday night winner Anthony Nocella.Craig Lutz was third fastest with Patrick Emmerling and Ryan Preece rounding out the top five. The top two were inverted for the start.
For the second time in two nights, a first-time winner visited victory lane Tuesday night during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. Craig Lutz of Miller Place, New York grabbed the lead from Monday night winner Anthony Nocella on a restart with 11 laps to go and held off a charge from Matt Hirschman to win the 35-lap feature.
“It’s huge. To come down to Florida, you race against the best of the best. I’m just so grateful for this opportunity,” Lutz said on the NBC Track Pass broadcast. “I have the best car owner imaginable. This one is a little extra special between me and my dad. This car was out of our garage. I’ve got an awesome team; part of my tour guys came and part of my guys are at home on the TV checking in all the time. It wasn’t pretty but we got the job done.” The turning point of the race occurred on a Lap 24 restart when Nocella, the leader at the time, elected to restart from the outside groove with Lutz to his inside. Lutz took advantage of the opportunity, rubbing nerf bars with Nocella before powering away with the lead down the backstretch.
Nocella wasn’t overly excited with the pass made by Lutz for the lead, but recognized after the race that he did what he needed to in order to win the race. When Nocella got out of shape on the restart with 11 laps to go, Matt Hirschman slipped into the second position. From there, he chased down Lutz and challenged for the lead. Like on Monday night, Hirschman came up just short when the checkered flag waved.
The 2019 Modified Racing Series champion Mike Willis, Jr. and New York racer Brad Vanhouten from Long Island completed the top five.
Without a doubt, the Wednesday night John Blewett III Memorial 76 had to be one of the best races ever witnessed. During the closing laps Anthony Nocella and Matt Hirschman ran wheel to wheel in a brilliant display of driving. The pair came across the start finish line in what appeared to be a dead heat or tie. A slo-mo finish also appeared to make it a tie. The starter broke the tie as he indicated that Noscella nipped Hirschman by inches. It was a tough call but both drivers accepted the out-come. In victory lane Hirschman stated “I felt I beat him, but don’t take anything away from that finish. That is a lesson right there for all you young racers out there. Not just Modified racers, but all racers. That’s how you race.”
Twenty nine Modifieds went to post. Tuesday night’s winner Craig Lutz jumped out to the early lead and led the field for the first 16 circuits of the 76-lap race. Eric Goodale, who had not been having a good week, put that all behind him as he took the top spot on lap 17. Jimmy Blewett took the lead for the first time on lap 20 before Goodale took it back one lap later on Lap 21. On lap 28, Blewett regained the lead and remained in control throughout the middle portion of the race.
Hirschman, who started second and Nocella, who started third, both saved their equipment during the first two-thirds of the race before beginning their charge to the front. Nocella followed Hirschman back through the field with less than 25 laps to go and took advantage of a late restart to get by Hirschman for second. From there, Nocella and Hirschman both worked their way by early leader Jimmy Blewett, setting up a thrilling battle to the finish. Hirschman’s young son joined Noscella in victory lane holding the checkered flag.
Behind the photo finish, Blewett ended up third in the race that honored his brother, the late John Blewett III. NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece charged through the field to finish fourth after pulling his car out of impound and starting at the rear of the field. Long Island native Dave Sapienza had his strongest run of the week and completed the top five.
A new winner emerged in the 35 lap Tour type Modified event at New Smyrna on Thursday night. Patrick Emerling, the 2019 Race of Champions (RoC) Asphalt Modified Series champion, led 30 of the 35 laps run to break the ice on his 2020 season. A late-race caution added some drama for a three-lap shootout with Jimmy Blewett and Matt Hirschman.
Emerling elected to restart from the inside lane with Blewett to his outside and used a good restart to clear him as they exited turn two. That set up a great battle between Blewett and Matt Hirschman, a battle that Blewett ultimately won to earn his best finish of the week thus far.
Twenty six cars attempted to qualify. Anthony Nocella was the top qualifier with Eric Goodale and Hirschman following. The top eight were inverted for the start with Blewett and Kyle Ebersol making up the front row. Blewett jumped out to the early lead before Ebersole made a move to his inside on lap 5. After crossing the line as the leader of the lap, Ebersole made contact with the left front of Blewett’s car, sending Ebersole hard into the turn one wall. It appeared that Ebersol’s spotter did not tell his driver that he had not cleared Blewett, Blewett avoided major contact and held the lead on the ensuing lap 5 restart. One lap later, Emerling made his move for the lead on the inside and completed the pass on lap 6. From there, the 2019 RoC Modified Series champion kept the field in his rearview mirror until a late-race caution stacked the field back up for a three-lap shootout.
Emerling elected to restart from the inside lane with Blewett to his outside and used a good restart to clear Blewett off of turn two. That set up a great battle between Blewett and Hirschman, which Blewett ultimately won. Craig Lutz and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five.
At the Daytona International Speedway Joey Logano grabbed the lead on the final lap of the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel 150-mile qualifying race Thursday night and held on for the win, but a wreck at the halfway point dashed Daniel Suarez’s prospects of competing in his first Daytona 500 with his new team Gaunt Brothers Racing.
In the second Duel, William Byron made a late charge to edge Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the victory by .117 seconds
The victory in the qualifier was Byron’s first win of any kind in the NASCAR Cup Series and his first after teaming with seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus last year.
Matt Hirschman saved the best for last as he dominated the most prestigious race, the Richie Evans Memorial 100, of the five-day Modified Tour type portion of the World Series and captured the 2020 Tour-type Modified championship.
There were 19 cars that attempted to qualify. Anthony Nocella was the quickest with a time of 17.228 sec. Second fasted was Hirschman with a time of 17.245 sec. The top two were inverted while rain fell upon the speedway.
Hirschman started from the pole position and led the first 54 laps of the 100-lap race before a caution mixed things up with 46 laps remaining. While most of the field elected to visit pit road, Jimmy Blewett remained on the track and inherited the lead for the ensuing restart. Blewett jumped out in front and led six laps before Hirschman raced back to the front to reclaim the lead. From there, Hirschman pulled away from the rest of the field to score his fourth career Richie Evans Memorial victory.
Tyler Rypkema ended a week full of mechanical issues by running a strong second to Hirschman in the biggest race of the week. He had an engine failure, a rear end failure and then we got run over on lap one on Thursday night. Craig Lutz finished third and was followed by Eric Goodale, Eddie McCarthy, Brett Meservy, Mike Willis and Jimmie Blewett
Hirschman came into Friday’s finale with six-point lead over Nocella in the standings. Nocella had mechanical issues in Friday’s feature and ended up retiring from the event in the closing laps. Nocella ended up scored 16th in the 20-car field Friday. In the end, Hirschman was the series champion of the Tour type Modified portion of the World Series by 32 points over Craig Lutz, Nocella, Mike Willis and Tyler Rypkema. Thirty seven drivers in 33 cars were in competition.
In action at the Daytona International Speedway, Noah Gragson won his first career Xfinity Series race when Saturday’s opener was stopped on the final lap by a crash well behind the winning JR Motorsports Chevrolet.It was the third consecutive win at Daytona for a car fielded by Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister and Rick Hendrick in what they consider a family business.
Gragson and Chase Briscoe swapped the lead in the closing three-lap sprint to the finish, but NASCAR threw the yellow-flag for a multi-car crash on the final lap. Harrison Burton and Timmy Hill, were second and third in Toyotas. Briscoe was fourth in a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing.
The Daytona 500 was postponed by rain for the first time since 2012, dampening NASCAR’s season opener that started with a ballyhooed visit from President Donald Trump. The race was postponed after two lengthy delays totaling more than three hours.
Denny Hamlin won his second straight Daytona 500 and third overall, beating Ryan Blaney in an overtime photo finish marred by a terrifying crash that sent Ryan Newman to the hospital on Monday.
Newman had surged into the lead on the final lap when Blaney’s bumper caught the back of his Ford and sent Newman hard right into the wall. His car flipped, rolled, was hit on the driver’s side by another car driven by Corey LaJoie, and finally skidded across the finish line engulfed in flames.
It took several minutes for his car to be rolled back onto its wheels. The 2008 Daytona 500 winner was placed in a waiting ambulance and taken directly to a hospital, and the damage to his Mustang was extensive. It appeared the entire roll cage designed to protect his head had caved.
Drivers were stricken with concern, including a rattled LaJoie, the driver who hit Newman’s car as it was flipping.
Hamlin is the first driver since Sterling Marlin in 1995 to win consecutive Daytona 500s, but his celebration in victory lane was subdued. Behind Hamlin and Blaney at the finish were Chris Buescher, Newman’s teammate at Roush Fenway Racing; David Ragan, fourth in a one-off after retiring from full-time racing; and Kevin Harvick. Newman was credited with a ninth-place finish.
Ryan Preece was running third with two laps to go and had a good shot at taking the win but his efforts fell short when he was put in the wall by an out of control Ross Chastain. Seconds before the accident Chastain went to the track apron where he made contact causing him to shoot up the track and taking Preece out. Prece ended up 29th.
In some good news Ryan Newman was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday and was seen walking with his two daughters.
Internet racing news site Speed51 reported that Tyler Rypkema of Owego, New York, a frequent competitor on the Race of Champions (RoC) Modified Series in recent years, has made his intentions to purchase equipment from Mike Smeriglio Racing and plans to chase Rookie of the Year honors this coming season. Rypkema confirmed exclusively to Speed51 on Sunday that his family-owned team has made intention to purchase two of the Modifieds previously driven by defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby.
“It basically just came down to us knowing that it was really good equipment,” Rypkema told Speed51. “We didn’t think that they were asking an astronomical amount of money for it, and then we had a good week in Florida as far as racing smart and stuff like that. My father was talking to Mike (Smeriglio) and they were able to come to an agreement that they were both happy with. That’s how that all really came about. We didn’t buy everything. We intend to buy a couple cars and a couple other miscellaneous parts.”
While Rypkema has not competed full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in the past, he’s not a complete stranger to the series. He has six career starts on the tour, including five last season at tracks like Stafford Motor Speedway (CT), New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Oswego Speedway (NY) and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Away from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Rypkema is a former winner on the RoC Asphalt Modified Series, as well as a winner during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. He’s coming off of a second-place finish in the 2020 Richie Evans Memorial at New Smyrna.
No word as to the key man, namely Phil Moran or the driver of the #2, Doug Coby.
If anyone is on the fence on buying Trackpass, It is highly recommend it based on the New Smyrna coverage. They showed all the divisions running, no commercials. The coverage is a definite upgrade from Fan’s Choice’s coverage. They have also been quick making the races available on-demand. Not bad for $20/year. New Smyrna’s website also does a really good job posting the results. Other tracks could learn something from them. Now if the track could speed up the show a bit.
NASCAR and NASCAR Cup Series team owners announced the extension of the Charter agreement through 2024. “The Charter agreement is delivering stability and long-term value to existing team owners while providing a clear path for ownership in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR President. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the team owners that extends the length of the Charter system until 2024. A healthy ownership structure ensures strong, competitive racing for our fans, which is a goal the industry collectively shares.”
NASCAR announced that to honor the legacy of the sport’s founding family, NASCAR has created the Bill France Cup which will be awarded to the champion of the NASCAR Cup Series, beginning in 2020.
The renamed trophy pays tribute to Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR in 1947, as well as his son, Bill France Jr., who elevated the sport to a national phenomenon as the sanctioning body’s chief executive from 1972 to 2003. “As the sport ushers in a new era, it’s fitting that my father’s name is associated with the highest mark of excellence in our sport,” said Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “My father and brother’s vision for NASCAR has been realized, many times over, as millions of fans follow and engage each week with the best racing in the world.”
The Bill France Cup, created by Jostens, will maintain the size and shape of last year’s championship trophy and will feature outlines of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series racetracks that comprise the 2020 season schedule. The trophy design will be updated as the race schedule evolves, and new tracks are introduced to NASCAR Cup Series competition.
On a sad note, long time New England Modified car owner Billy Simons passed away. His Excavator Specials carried many drivers to the winners circle for over forty years.
The all new book, The Modified Years At Stafford, by the Grace of God and 600 hp, is gaining interest and has become a must have in race fans and competitors library. Race by Race, Year by Year, it’s all there. Read all about it! Books are now available on Amazon.com and Coastal 181 (877-907-8181 toll free) and are available thru Stafford’s web site in their store. Order yours now. Makes a great gift!
