Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Believe it or not only 4 weeks remain before the flat lands of central Florida come alive with the sound of race car engines at the New Smyrna Speedway and the official start of the World Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series.
The World Series runs from Feb 9 thru Feb 17. The Whelen Modified Tour Series event is scheduled for Saturday night, Feb 10. For the third consecutive year, the Tour will open at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida as part of the track’s “World Series of Asphalt Stock Cars Racing” during NASCAR’s Speedweeks, racing under the lights. The 66th running of the DAYTONA 500 at nearby Daytona International Speedway then takes place a week later to conclude the opening week of NASCAR action.
As of last Friday, 1/6, the entry list of tour type modifieds totals 17. This does not include entries for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event scheduled for Saturday, Feb 10. The field of 602 Modifieds will be extremely stout as 25 entries have been received so far.
The entire World Series is expected to be live streamed by FloRacing.
A subscription to FloRacing is well worth the price. It’s the next best thing to being there!
It was good to hear that for the first time since 2020, Boehler Racing Enterprises will have one driver competing full-time aboard the legendary Ole Blue No. 3 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. That driver is Jake Johnson, the reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award winner. He will tackle the entire schedule for the first time after part-time schedules with the team in 2022 and 2023. “Jake is unique. He is very focused and determined, and he wants to run with the best of the best,” said team owner Michael Boehler, son of Boehler Racing Enterprises founder Lenny Boehler. “I think the key part is him knowing now what he wants and us being ready to deliver it.”
The naming of Johnson, who is a Rehoboth Mass resident brings back fond memories of another Rehoboth resident by the name of Carl “Bugs” Stevens who won three consecutive NASCAR National Modified Championships in cars designed and built by Len Boehler.
Johnson is a life-long fan of Ole Blue, the nickname given to the famous blue No. 3 Modified wheeled through the years by drivers like Stevens, Wayne Anderson, Fred DeSarro, Leo Cleary, Ronnie and Kenny Bouchard and Tony Hirschman.
Now Johnson will become the latest in a long line of full-time drivers of the No. 3, something he is still working to fully comprehend. “I had an Ole Blue diecast when I was a kid that Bugsy Stevens signed,” Johnson said. “I always had it on the mantle in the living room. Now I’m driving it, which is the wildest part. I look at my dad and go, ‘Oh, isn’t that weird?’ It’s kind of funny how it came completely full circle.”
Some good news for Stafford Motor Speedway competitors: LaPlante Racing Products has joined the Stafford Speedway contingency program. For the 2024 season, LaPlante Racing Products will reward each SK Light 3rd place finisher with a $75 bonus. “Stafford is a track where you’re made to feel welcome as a competitor and they have the best competition and marketing, so I figured why not start at the top?,” said Paul LaPlante, owner of LaPlante Racing Products. LaPlante is promoting his Steering Coupling Device (SCD), which he designed and manufactured to lessen the severity of wrist injuries to drivers resulting from violent frontal impacts.
“This goes back to 2016 when I was going out for a practice session,” said LaPlante. “I remember Teddy [Christopher] had broken his wrist and Keith [Rocco] had broken his wrist. I thought it makes no sense that drivers were breaking their wrists and there were constantly a lot of wrist injuries, so that’s how I came up with the idea. I remember watching Danica Patrick when she would crash, she would take her hands off the wheel and hold them to her chest. I was always taught, and I think it’s an instinctive thing with most drivers, that you don’t take your hands off the wheel until the car comes to a stop. I was talking with Keith [Rocco] about this and he told me that there’s no way he was taking his hands off the wheel. I designed and fabricated the parts and I ran it for a couple of years to properly test it out and when Matt Hirschman broke his wrist in August, I talked with him about the product and I sent him two devices. Ryan Stone and Phil Moran have also both asked for one, so guys are starting to take notice.”
LaPlante’s Steering Coupling Device affixes to the steering column with no additional modifications or tooling required. The SCD has shown in tests to greatly improve the driver’s ability to grip the steering wheel and walk away from hard frontal impacts with little to no injuries. The SCD comes in two models, the SCD-1, which weighs 2.4 lbs. and retails for $525 and the SCD-2 model weighs .74 pounds and retails for $725.
On another note, SRX RACING IS BACK at Stafford. Tickets went on sale last Saturday, January 6th at 8:00am.
Word comes from the Thompson Speedway that Sunoco 604 Modifieds will race for $1,500 to win, $8,500 weekly purse at Thompson Speedway in 2024. That totals up to over $24,000 up for grabs each week for the Thompson Track Championship divisions! It will be interesting to see where all these 604 Modifieds come from. Stafford and Waterford have their own Sks and SK Lights. There are 604’s or 602’s running at Riverhead but chances are they won’t travel to Thompson. There are a few “Wannabee” winners who will spend the money for a special engine to run at Thompson but for the most part it doesn’t appear that the speedway will have to enlarge the pit area to handle the overflow of cars.
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!
With the cooperation of the Arute family another book has been published with pictures and biographies of the 50 Greatest Drivers at Stafford.
The Stafford Motor Speedway had become the epicenter of NASCAR Modified racing in the northeast by the late 1980’s. From its dirt beginnings to its lightning-fast asphalt, Stafford had become the toughest and most gratifying track to score a victory. The Arute family which has owned and guided the destiny of the facility commissioned their thousands of loyal fans to name their favorite drivers. In alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:
Tom Baldwin, Gene Bergin, Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Ron Bouchard, Mario “Fats” Caruso, Rene Charland, Ted Christopher, Leo Cleary, Tim Connolly, Jerry Cook, Corky Cookman, Pete Corey, Fred DeSarro, Richie Evans, Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke, Sr., Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Ernie Gahan, Bill Greco, Bo Gunning, Ray Hendrick, George “Moose” Hewitt, Tony Hirschman, George Janoski, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Buddy Krebs, Randy LaJoie, Jan Leaty, Jerry Marquis, Mike McLaughlin, Ray Miller, Steve Park, Bob Polverari, Bob Potter, Brian Ross, John “Reggie” Ruggiero, Greg Sacks, Ollie Silva, “Wild” Bill Slater, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Carl “Bugsy” Stevens, George Summers, Jamie “The Jet” Tomaino, Maynard Troyer and Satch Worley.
Books are priced at $17.95 each and be purchased at the track at the Novelty Booth or at the Stafford Motor Speedway on line store. Books are also available at Amazon.com and at Coastal181 (877-907-8181).