Rick Fuller Retires From NASCAR Modified Racing
Massachusetts Driver Won 20 Races, 1993 Series Title

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 12, 2008) – Former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Rick Fuller brought to a close one of the most successful driving careers in the 24-year history of the tour with the announcement that he has retired from racing.

Fuller, of Auburn, Mass., made his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut in the series’ inaugural race on March 31, 1985 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway with a 13th place finish in the Icebreaker. Ultimately, Thompson became the site of his last race when was caught up in an early accident and came home 30th in the No. 77 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Modified in the Xtra Mart World Series on Oct. 19.

Fuller compiled 20 wins, 145 top fives, 231 top 10s and 11 Coors Light Pole Awards in 439 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts. His win total ranks seventh in tour history.

Fuller got his start in weekly series action. He won Late Model championships at Westboro (Mass.) Speedway in 1980 and at Thompson in 1982. Fuller later moved on to the Modified division where he captured the Thompson track title in 1985.

“Early on in my career, winning really wasn’t that big of an effort,” Fuller said. “It wasn’t uncommon in the first few years that I started out racing for me to win 30 or 40 feature events. Once I moved solely into the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, it was a humbling experience. To win just one or two races a year was huge. To actually win the championship was a monster accomplishment.”

The highlight of Fuller’s distinguished career was his championship season of 1993. A year after his brother, Jeff, had captured the title, Fuller strung together a win and 14 top 10s in 17 starts to finish 93 points ahead of Reggie Ruggiero for the crown.

As part of NASCAR’s celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions, Fuller was honored at Thompson prior to the Sunoco Modified Mania 150 on Sept. 7.

Fuller, voted the series’ Most Popular Driver in 2000, is one of just three drivers to have made starts in each of the first 24 years of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour along with Carl Pasteryak and Jamie Tomaino.

“The past couple of years Toyota Certified Used Vehicles had the confidence to back me in an attempt to run for another championship and I have to thank them and the Curt Chase family for doing the same,” Fuller said. “The championship I won in 1993 was with the No. 77 team, and for them to have the confidence in me to make another run at that meant an awful lot to me.”

While Fuller hasn’t necessarily lost the drive to compete, there are a number of reasons why 2008 became a good time to close the book on his racing career.

Fuller has kids of his own who are at the beginning of their racing careers, and he has also started to turn his attention toward supporting them.

“I had a really good run at this and I had a lot of fun, but right now I’m looking at other opportunities in racing,” Fuller said. “My son, Alex, is racing Quarter Midgets at the “Little T” at Thompson and my daughter, Meghan, says she wants to start, and that will probably occupy a lot of my time.”

While the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will be the last full-time run of Fuller’s distinguished career, he didn’t necessarily close the door on his availability for a spot start or part-time ride in the future.

Brian Loftin Honored As 2008 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Champion on Friday Night

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – It was a night where dreams finally came true for 31 year-old driver Brian Loftin as the Lexington, N.C. native was honored as the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion.

Loftin, the driver of the No. 23 L&R Transmissions/QMF Solutions Chevrolet as well as his family-owned team was recognized on Friday night at Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem, N.C.

Loftin won this year’s Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship by a mere 30 points over Tim Brown. In doing so he joins Junior Miller (2005-2006) and L.W. Miller (2007) as only the third driver to win a Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship in only the fourth year under the NASCAR banner.

“Every year all the teams get together like we are now to celebrate the end of the season,” Loftin said. “Some teams, just like mine, are celebrating a year of success while some teams are celebrating the fact that the year is over with. At the start of the season, my team and I sat down and decided we’d run for the Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship. I’m glad we made that decision and know we have the championship in our hands. There are not a lot of people that can say they won a NASCAR championship and that’s something nobody can ever take away from me. I’m just looking forward to get next season underway and see if we can make it a repeat.”

Bobby Loftin, Brian’s father, was on hand to receive the 2008 championship car owner award while Mike Adams earned the championship crew chief award.

The Top-20 drivers in the final point standings were called onto the stage on Friday night to be recognized for their efforts throughout the course of the 2008 season.

Several special NASCAR awards were handed out during the banquet. Veteran driver Bobby Hutchens received the 2008 Whelen Southern Modified Tour’s Most Popular Driver award. Andy Seuss was awarded the season’s Featherlite Most Improved Driver award as well as the Driver Achievement award. John Smith earned the POWERade Power Move of the Race.

Tim Brown won the season’s Coors Light Pole Award while George Brunnhoelzl Jr. picked up top honors for the Sportsmanship award. The Hoosier Tire award was presented to Brian Loftin.

In one of the biggest NASCAR awards of the evening, 19 year-old Rich Kuiken Jr. was officially named as the 2008 Whelen Southern Modified Tour Rookie-of-the-Year.

There were also several special awards that were presented by the Southern Modified Ladies Racing Auxiliary. Two longtime Whelen Southern Modified Tour officials were recognized for their efforts as Lynn Miller received the Bud Hutchens Excellence in Motorsports Award while Boyce Lineberger was called to the stage to accept the Kenny Minter Memorial Determination award. Scott Rigney received the Bubba Beck Perserverance award while Jody Utt was named the Mechanic of the Year.

FOX Sports commentator and legendary journalist Dick Berggren was Friday night’s Master of Ceremonies, bringing in a wealth of past racing experience dating back to his early days as a modified driver in the northeast.

Other special dignitaries on hand on Friday were Phil Kurze, the Vice-President of Motorsports for Whelen Engineering. Hank Thomas with Sunoco was in attendance to hand out the 2008 Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year award.

Special guests from NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla. included: George Silbermann, the Managing Director of Racing Operations; Ed Cox, the Whelen Southern Modified Tour Director; and Meghan Miley, Touring Series Marketing Manager.

Representing NASCAR from the Concord, N.C.-based Research and Development Center were: Richard Buck, Director of Touring Series; and Jerry Cook, Competition Administrator.

In one of the biggest announcements of the night, it was revealed that the Whelen Southern Modified Tour will make its inaugural visit to South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2009.

Christopher Captures Modified Crown With Win At Thompson
First Series Title For Modified Veteran

THOMPSON, Conn. (Oct. 19, 2008) – As one of the most accomplished short-track racers in NASCAR, Ted Christopher had nearly done it all. Christopher (Plainville, Conn.) filled in the biggest remaining gap in his resume Sunday at Thompson International Speedway when he wrapped up his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in grand style.

Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet) won the Xtra Mart World Series 150, the final race of the season, to earn the title by 127 points over runner-up Matt Hirschman. Hirschman (No. 59 Furnace & Duct Supply Chevrolet) finished 25th on Sunday.

Christopher's title was virtually wrapped up when Hirschman suddenly slowed on lap 118 after battling for third place. Hischman came down pit road five laps later, while Christopher was running in the top five on the track. Hirschman's crew pushed the car behind the wall a short time later, effectively allowing Christopher to clinch his championship. Christopher passed Ronnie Silk on lap 135 for the lead following a late-race restart and cruised to the win and the title.

Chuck Hossfeld, Ronnie Silk, Doug Coby and rookie Erick Rudolph rounded out the top five.

Christopher started fifth in the World Series, two spots in front of Hirschman and leading by 35 points. Both pitted, along with most of the leaders, on lap 69. Hirschman came out 10th and Christopher 12th. The two made contact on the front stretch on the lap 71 restart when the outside lane was slow coming up to speed, but both were able to maintain control and continue without incident.

Christopher made his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut in 1988 when he ran three races. He had finished in the top six in points in each of the last eight seasons. Twice he was runner-up - in 2002 by 50 points to Mike Stefanik and in 2005 by 18 points to Matt Hirschman's father, Tony Hirschman Jr. In the latter, Christopher entered the final race of the season in a similar situation as Sunday. He led Tony Hirschman by 36 points and needed a finish of seventh or better to clinch. An early wreck at the World Series, however, relegated him to 30th and cost him the title.

Christopher won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship in 2001 running in the Sunoco Modified division on a weekly basis at Thompson. He has 31 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins, including four this year. He is the winningest driver in all divisions at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, and has made starts in all three of NASCAR's national series, as well as the NASCAR Camping World Series and the Grand-Am Rolex 24 at Daytona.,

As the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Christopher earned a secure spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. The Showdown, contested in NASCAR Camping World Series cars, will be Jan. 23-24, 2009 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).

Christopher had led Hirschman by has many as 99 points following his win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sept. 13. But Hirschman had whittled down the lead by finishing better than Christopher in three consecutive races leading up to the World Series.

Matt Hirschman was the crew chief on his father's championship teams in 2004 and '05. His best points finish as a driver was third place last season. He was 11th in points in his first full season as a driver in 2006.

Christopher's championship capped a season-long celebration by NASCAR and series sponsor Whelen Engineering of the 60 Years of Modified Champions. Prior to the race, three-time Modified champion Bugs Stevens was honored, along with the late Fred DeSarro and Bill Widenhouse. Christopher's official coronation will come Saturday, Dec. 13 in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Awards Banquet at the Mohegan Sun Resort in Uncasville, Conn.

Stefanik Captures Stafford Fall Final For Eighth Time
First Win Of Season For Series’ All-Time Winningest Driver

STAFFORD, Conn. (Oct. 12, 2008) – Mike Stefanik capped off a dominating weekend at Stafford Motor Speedway by reaching Victory Lane in the CARQUEST Fall Final for the eighth time in his illustrious career.

Stefanik (No. 16 Diversified Metals/Ace Moldings Pontiac) won the Coors Light Pole Award on Saturday and used the front row starting position to his advantage as he led 129 of the 150 laps in Sunday’s race.

The win Stefanik's eighth in the Fall Final, Stafford's traditional season-ending race. It was also his 20th all-time win at track and the 69th in his career overall. All three totals are NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour records.

Matt Hirschman (No. 59 Ed Bennett Properties Chevrolet) came home second to Stefanik on Sunday. With the runner-up finish, Hirschman now trails series leader Ted Christopher by just 35 points with one race remaining on the schedule. Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet) finished sixth.

Chuck Hossfeld (No. 4 Mystic Missile Dodge) was third, while Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Xtra Mart/Wisk-Snuggle Ford) and Eric Beers (No. 46 Reynold’s Auto Wrecking/Sunoco Chevrolet) rounded out the top five finishers.

The rest of the top 10 consisted of Christopher, Rowan Pennink, Anthony Sesely, Glenn Tyler and Kevin Goodale. It was the best finish of the season for Sesely and Tyler.

Prior to the race NASCAR legend Bobby Allison was honored for his 1964 and 1965 NASCAR Modified division titles as part of the celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions.

The 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship will come down to the season finale at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 19. For Xtra Mart World Series ticket information, please visit Thompson’s official Web Site (thompsonspeedway.com).

Brian Loftin Wins 2008 Whelen Southern Modified Tour Championship

ASHEBORO , N.C. (Oct. 4, 2008) - Brian Loftin's early-season success allowed him to cruise to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship Saturday night at Caraway Speedway.

Loftin finished third in the Whelen 150, the final race of the season, to clinch his first NASCAR title. Loftin, who had collected a tour-high four wins, needed only to finish seventh or better to hold off challengers Tim Brown and L.W. Miller.

“This is awesome even though it hasn't sunk in yet,” Loftin said. “This is all kind of surreal right now. I kind of doubted if we could seal the deal and pull this championship off. So many thoughts ran through my head all week even I tried not to think about it. This is awesome and the biggest night of my racing career. I just have to thank all the guys on my team because they're the ones that made this all happen.”

Andy Seuss won the race for his second career victory. Brown finished second and Miller in sixth.

“It seems like it's been a long time since I won one of these Whelen Southern Modified Tour races,” Seuss said. “It's been a long time since Riggs Racing has won a race so I'm just happy to win for them. They earned their money today because the worked hard from the start of the race all through qualifying. It was kind of like throwing calculated darts at the board.

“I'm just glad to get these guys back to victory lane because (team patriarch) David Riggs had a stroke earlier in the week so hopefully this will make him feel a little bit better.”

Loftin ended up winning the title by 30 points over Brown and 82 over defending champion Miller. Those three were the only drivers to enter the final race with a chance at the title.

The 31-year-old Loftin, from Lexington , N.C. , is the third different champion in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour's four-year history. Junior Miller - no relation to L.W. - won the first two titles. It is the third straight year Brown has finished second in points.

Brown won the Coors Light Pole Award and started third following the post-qualifying redraw, while Loftin started seventh and L.W. Miller 12th.

Jason Myers led the first eight laps before Seuss was able to take advantage of Brown pressuring Myers to go around both for the lead.

On lap 67, Loftin moved up to fifth. Loftin avoided a major disaster when Junior Miller spun in front of him in Turn 4 to bring out the race's first caution. Loftin was able to dodge Junior Miller's car and avoid any contact. During the extended opening-race, green-flag run, Seuss put all but six cars a lap down. L.W. Miller was among those to lose a lap, but he was able to get it back as the benificiary car from that first caution.

Loftin closed out the race - and his championship season - by picking up spots where he could and keeping Brown in his sights. Loftin's previous best points finish was third in 2005, when he also won four races. He won the final two races in 2007 and finished 12th in points, running in nine of the season's 12 races.

As the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion, Loftin earned a secure spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. The Showdown, competed in NASCAR Camping World Series cars, will be Jan. 23-24, 2009 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale ( Calif. ).

Seuss, 21, had previously won at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville , Tenn. in 2007.

Hirschman Dominates Chemung 120
Leads Wire-To-Wire For Second Win

CHEMUNG, N.Y. (Oct. 4, 2008) – Matt Hirschman led start-to-finish Saturday in the Chemung 120 to capture his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win of the season and gained on the championship points lead of Ted Christopher with two races remaining.

Hirschman (No. 59 Ed Bennett Properties Chevrolet) was the car to beat from the time they unloaded at the Chemung Speedrome on Saturday morning. He was fastest in practice, earned his first Coors Light Pole Award of the season, captured the first of two 25-lap heat races, then led wire-to-wire in the 120-lap main.

Hirschman entered the day 89 points behind Christopher in the championship chase. With Christopher's seventh place finish Saturday, Hirschman narrowed the gap to just 55 points with only the Stafford Fall Final and Thompson World Series weekends remaining.

Todd Szegedy (No. 2 Wisk-Snuggle Ford) challenged Hirschman many times but settled for a runner-up finish and held up his spot in third in the season standings. Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Diversified Metals/Ace Moldings Pontiac) finished third.

Chuck Hossfeld, Ronnie Silk, Erick Rudolph, Christopher, Bobby Grigas III, Rowan Pennink and Woody Pitkat rounded out the top 10 finishers.

Hossfeld won the second of the two heat races prior to the main.

With just two races remaining in the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, the series will move to Stafford ( Conn. ) Motor Speedway for the CARQUEST Fall Final on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Tim Brown Scores Saturday Night Win in the Whelen 150 at Caraway to Cut Into Brian Loftin’s Championship Lead

ASHEBORO, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2008) – With championship implications clearly on the line with only two races remaining, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour returned to action on Saturday night at the famed Caraway Speedway.

In the end, it was a successful night for Tim Brown who scored his second victory in the last three races on Saturday in the Whelen 150 at Caraway. In doing so, Brown cut into the championship lead in second place by 35 points behind Brian Loftin heading into next weekend’s season finale.

“That was a heck of a race and it did help us as far as the points go,” Brown said. “I was lucky enough to gain points on both Brian Loftin and L.W. Miller. L.W. and I put on one heck of a show for the fans. I know they had to like that.”

L.W. Miller was second in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings coming into Saturday night’s race and was looking to cut even further as he led the most laps until Brown passed him with 12 laps remaining. Just after losing the top spot, Miller went for a harmless spin that dropped him back to sixth in the final running order as he is now in third position in the standings, 63 markers behind.

Rounding out the top-five behind Brown and Miller were George Brunnhoelzl, Andy Seuss and Brandon Ward.

The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour is scheduled to wrap the 2008 series season next Saturday night, October 4, with a 150-lap event in a return trip to Caraway Speedway.

Weather Postpones Stafford Fall Final Weekend
Events Rescheduled For Oct. 10-12

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2008) – An expected weekend-long deluge from a tropical storm has postponed the 36th annual CARQUEST Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Conn.

The race weekend, which featured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the final race of the NASCAR Camping World Series East, has been rescheduled for October 10-12.

The weekend will include all five divisions of Stafford’s NASCAR Whelen All American Series as scheduled.

The NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 150-lap events will be run Sunday, October 12. Practice and Coors Light Pole Award qualifying are scheduled for October 11.

The next NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event is the Chemung 120, scheduled for Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome on October 4. The NASCAR Camping World Series East Stafford Fall Final 150 is the final event on the 2008 schedule. Matt Kobyluck clinched the 2008 series championship Sept. 19 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

A complete revised schedule is available at staffordspeedway.com. For more information on the NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, go to nascarhometracks.com.

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
State And Provincial Champions Announced

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2008) – Cedar Lake Speedway’s decision to add NASCAR sanctioning paid off for Brent Larson. The Lake Elmo, Wisc., driver finished third in the track’s final feature event Sept. 12 to claim the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Wisconsin state championship by one point over defending state and national champion Steve Carlson.

Larson’s margin of victory was the smallest for the 25 U.S. state and Canadian province champions announced by NASCAR today.

“It’s a pretty neat deal,” said Larson. “I’m pretty impressed with the NASCAR program. I know the guys at the track are happy to get some recognition.”

Larson didn’t think it would be that close. His finish Sept. 12 gave him just enough to edge Carlson, but the track had two more races scheduled for that final weekend before the Sept. 14 deadline for points to count toward a driver’s total. Rain, however, washed away those two races.

“I knew what we needed to do coming in,” Larson said. “After we finished third, I thought, it’s good but we have a couple more days to add to it. Turns out, it was a good thing we got it done on Thursday.”

Larson earned the top prize in the state and an invitation to join all of the NASCAR Whelen All-American track and state/province champions at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet Friday, Nov. 7 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas.

Other highlights among the U.S. state and Canadian province champions:

• Erica Thiering became the first female to win a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship. The 18-year-old won the Osman Auction-Family Motors Cam FM NASCAR Feature Stocks Division title at Edmonton International Raceway and captured the Alberta province title.
• National champion Philip Morris won his second straight Virginia state title. Brian Harris, who finished two points behind Morris in the national title race, earned his first Iowa state championship with his performance at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, Farley Speedway and West Liberty Raceway. Third-place Marty Ward won his first South Carolina state championship by virtue of his performance at Greenville-Pickens Speedway
• Morris, Bruce Yackey (Colorado), Bub Bilodeau (Maine) and Andy Bozell Sr. (Michigan) were the only drivers to successfully defend their state championships. Bilodeau held off challenger Bobby Babb Jr. at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway by just 14 points. Yackey won his title driving Colorado National, while Bozell competed at Kalamazoo Speedway.

The crowning of U.S. state and Canadian province champions was resumed in 2007, continuing a NASCAR tradition of honoring the top drivers at the regional level that dates back to the earliest days of NASCAR. The list of NASCAR drivers who have won state championships includes Richie Evans, Red Farmer, Ned Jarrett, Jerry Cook, Ralph Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Sterling Marlin, Harry Gant, Geoff Bodine and Jack Ingram.

Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner will receive two points for every car in the event up to 25 cars. Second place will receive two fewer points, and so-on through the field. For example, if there are 25 cars, the winner receives 50 points, second gets 48 and third 46. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 30 points, second gets 28 and third 26. New this year, drivers receive five bonus points for a win.

NASCAR Legend Allison To Be Honored At Stafford
“Alabama Gang” Member Was Two-Time Modified National Champion

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2008) – As part of the season-long celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions, two-time NASCAR Modified titlist Bobby Allison will be honored at the CARQUEST Fall Final on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.

Allison, a resident of Mooresville, N.C., captured the 1964 and 1965 NASCAR Modified Division titles prior to his rise to stardom in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Named one of “NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998, Allison’s dominant two-year run in the Modifieds put him on the map as a force to be reckoned within the world of NASCAR racing.

Allison’s first title came in 1964 when he finished 636 points ahead of Freddy Fryar on the strength of 18 wins in 82 starts. Allison then took 14 checkered flags in 66 starts to distance himself from fellow “Alabama Gang” member Red Farmer by 540 points for his second national title in a row in 1965.

Prior to his NASCAR Modified Division titles, Allison also collected back-to-back championships in the NASCAR Modified Special Division in 1962 and 1963.

With Alabama as his home base through most of his racing career, Allison did visit a few tracks in New England, and to this day carries fond memories of those experiences.

“During those years I ventured off for some special events and got to New England a few times,” Allison said. “Later in my career after I had some success in the [NASCAR Sprint] Cup Series, I got to do some special events and got back into New England a few times, which I really enjoyed an awful lot. The competitors there were really good competitors and racers that you could really learn from if you paid attention.”

Allison went on to register 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories which ranks third in the division’s history. He was a three-time Daytona 500 winner, six-time Most Popular Driver and the 1983 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

Although Allison was able to achieve stardom in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he hasn’t forgotten how the NASCAR Modified Division helped to develop his racing skills.

“I felt like it was really good for me because there were so many different tracks where you had to catch on to different peculiarities of that particular track and the techniques that it took to adapt from track-to-track, which is what the Cup Series was all about anyway,” Allison said. “The early Modified days were good competition with a good variety of race tracks and track conditions to learn to deal with.”

Since closing out his racing career Allison has been inducted into the International Motorsports, North Carolina Auto Racing, National Motorsports Press Association and Eastern Motorsports Press Association Halls of Fame as well as the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame.

In addition to Allison, NASCAR will also recognize the accomplishments of 1949 champion Fonty Flock.

Flock was the second NASCAR Modified Division champion following Red Byron’s title in the inaugural season of NASCAR racing in 1948. One of NASCAR’s early stars, Flock led the series in wins during the first season with 15, but lost the title to Byron by just 2.75 points. He secured the NASCAR Modified title the following year by outdistancing his brother, Tim.

In the first three years of NASCAR Modified racing, Flock compiled 34 victories in just more than 100 starts. In the same season he captured the Modified title, 1949, he also finished fifth in the NASCAR Strictly Stock division standings. Flock went on to register 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories before he retired in 1957. He passed away in 1972 at the age of 52.

The CARQUEST Fall Final will be the 14th of 16 races on the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. For ticket information please visit Stafford’s official Web site (staffordmotorspeedway.com).

Myers Captures Made In America Whelen 300 At Martinsville
Preece Highest NWMT Finisher In The Race

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour celebrated its 500th race in its tradition-rich history, but it was Burt Myers that stole the show and drove his way to Victory Lane in the Made In America Whelen 300.

Myers became the first NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver to win the annual combination race with their northern-based counterparts at Martinsville Speedway.

He also became the first Southern driver to win a Modified tour race in a NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville since Johnny Bryant in 1985.

“I tell you what – this is something else,” Myers said. “It will probably sink in tomorrow.”

Seventeen-year-old Ryan Preece became the youngest winner in NASCAR Whelen Modified history as the highest finishing NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver. He appeared poised to take the overall win, taking the lead on lap six and leading throughout the event. But Myers, who spent most of the race in second, tracked him down and made the winning pass on lap 271.

Almost as important, Myers put Tim Brown and L.W. Miller a lap down on lap 183. That, combined with Brian Loftin’s 10th-place finish, allowed Myers to move into second in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified points. He is 27 behind Loftin with two races remaining.

Myers had briefly taken the lead on lap 223, but Preece got it back when caution flew on the same lap and the running order reverted to the last-completed green-flag lap.

Matt Hirschman finished third, followed by Reggie Ruggiero and Ted Christopher. Todd Szegedy, Woody Pitkat, Ed Flemke Jr., Rowan Pennink, and Loftin rounded out the top 10.

Christopher maintained his NASCAR Whelen Modified points lead. He is 89 up on Hirschman with three races left.

Since the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour was formed in 2005, it has inched closer to beating its older brethren in the combination event. L.W. Miller set the previous best finish with his third-place in 2007.

Virginia’s Philip Morris Earns His Second
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 17, 2008) – Late-season pressure doesn’t seem to phase Philip Morris.

For the second time in three years, Morris won his final Late Model feature on the very last weekend of the season to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship by the slimmest of margins.

Morris’ victory at his home track of Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., on Sept. 13 gave him the precious points needed to secure the 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship.

The Ruckersville, Va., driver won the title by two points over runner-up Brian Harris of Davenport, Iowa, 955 to 953. Morris becomes only the second driver in the history of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program to win the title more than once. Morris also won the championship in 2006. Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., won five championships between 1989-96.

“This means everything,” said Morris, who was third in the national standings last year. “It was just a hard fought year with a lot of sacrifice. We tested almost every week – sweating in the grueling heat, trying to win this thing. From Day 1, we were watching the national points. It was a lot that went into it and to culminate it with the national championship is just awesome.

“We’ve been trying to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship since 1998. When we finally one one in 2006, I thought nothing would top that. Until today. And then I realized this was even bigger.”

Morris received the official word in a congratulatory phone call Wednesday afternoon from NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Operations George Silbermann. Morris’ coronation will take place at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet on Friday, Nov. 7 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas.

“To get that call from Mr. Silbermann saying we were the 2008 national champions made everything worthwhile,” Morris said.

The margin of victory matched Morris’ 2006 title run, when he beat out veteran Dirt Late Model driver Joe Kosiski, of Omaha, Neb., by two points (1,114-1,112). Morris won his final race that season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., a track he hadn’t visited prior to the finale.

Under a different points system, Barry Beggerly edged Dennis Setzer in 1993 by the similar margin of one position on the track.

Under the current points system, a driver’s total is based on a driver's top 18 finishes for the year at any NASCAR-sanctioned track. A driver receives two points for every car they beat – up to 25 cars – with a five-point bonus for wins.

Morris finished the season with 14 wins, 23 top fives and 26 starts. He also won his sixth Late Model division championship at Motor Mile, a .416-mile asphalt oval.

“I really enjoyed our last race at Motor Mile,” Morris said. “I wanted to win our national championship there. It was probably the hardest race we had there all year long. We never knew, even on the final lap, if we’d get the win. But we knew we had to win.

“It was great to earn the championship in front of my hometown fans. And it’s going to be great to represent Motor Mile Speedway at Las Vegas, because it’s just a first-class facility.”

Harris had 20 wins, 35 top fives and 36 top 10s in 38 starts while running his dirt Late Model at three Iowa tracks: West Liberty Raceway, Farley Speedway and Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway.

Marty Ward of Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., finished third with 927 points. Keith Rocco, who races at three Connecticut tracks (Waterford Speedbowl, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway), finished fourth with 880 points. Jeff Strunk of Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., rounded out the top five with 868.

Andy Eckrich, who raced on a weekly basis against Harris in Iowa, finished sixth. Jason Gilbert of Altamont Motorsports Park, Coleman Pressley of Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Nick Joanides of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) and David Roberts of Greenville-Pickens Speedway round out the top 10.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion also earns a secure spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to be held at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) Jan. 23-24, 2009.

NASCAR To Celebrate 500th Modified Race at Martinsville
Series Began In 1985

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2008) – When the green flag drops on the Made In America Whelen 300 on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, it will be a historic marker on the timeline of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour: the 500th race.

Formed with the purpose of formalizing the procedure to crown a Modified champion, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s first race took place at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on March 31, 1985. Fittingly it was Richie Evans, who is widely considered to be the greatest Modified driver of all-time, that took the checkered flag in the first race.

The Modified division is the oldest in NASCAR. The first NASCAR-sanctioned event was a Modified race on the beach and road course in Daytona in 1948. For the first 38 years of the division, competitors chased a national title by racing three or four nights a week at numerous tracks throughout the eastern seaboard that held championship races. As 1985 rolled around, the formation of today’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour brought the historic division together as a regional touring series.

In the first 499 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races there have been 56 different race winners, led by Mike Stefanik’s 68 victories. That 23-year span has seen 12 different championship winners, led by Stefanik’s seven, and the series has visited 35 tracks in 12 states.

Martinsville, the site of the upcoming milestone event, is a marquee stop each year for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The series has held at total of 31 races at the historic track and the all-time winner’s list includes such Modified legends as Tom Baldwin, Brett Bodine, Jeff Fuller, Mike McLaughlin, Reggie Ruggiero and Mike Stefanik.

Ed Flemke Jr., who is the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour record-holder for consecutive starts with 307, looks forward to continuing his streak and participating in the milestone event.

“To be part of the 500th race is going to be quite a feat,” Flemke said. “It’s going to be really special to be a part of that – the 500th – that’s a pretty big number.”
For the fourth year in a row, the Made In America Whelen 300 will be a combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. Ted Christopher, the most-recent race winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 13, will bring a 99-point lead in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season standings to Martinsville. Christopher won the inaugural Made In America Whelen 300 in 2005.

To mark the historic event, all fans attending the event will receive a commemorative 500th race souvenir. For ticket information for this historic race, please visit Martinsville’s official Web site (martinsvillespeedway.com).

NASCAR To Also Recognize Virginia Natives Crouse, Weatherly

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2008) – As part of the season-long celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions, 1956 NASCAR Modified titlist Red Farmer will be honored at the Made In American Whelen 300 on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Farmer, a member of the famed “Alabama Gang,” captured the 1956 NASCAR Modified championship by a 118-point margin against Sam DiRusso.

“There were three of us, along with Fred Schweikert, close enough to win the championship, and the last race we ran was in Concord, North Carolina,” Farmer said. “In fact, I think Ralph Earnhardt was in that race in a Sportsman car, and we both got our championships in that last race.”

Named one of “NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998, Farmer has had a checkered racing career that, now in his mid-70’s, still continues today. Along with NASCAR, Farmer is celebrating his own 60-year anniversary of racing in 2008.

A resident of Hueytown, Ala., Farmer still competes on a part-time basis in dirt Late Models at Talladega Short Track and other regional venues. He’s even wheeled against some of today’s brightest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars each of the last four years in Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream race at Eldora Speedway.

Originally from Hialeah, Fla., Farmer started his racing career in 1946. A competitor for many years in the NASCAR Modified Division and NASCAR Nationwide Series (then known as Sportsman), Farmer found Victory Lane on numerous occasions. In addition to his 1956 NASCAR Modified championship, Farmer won three-consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series titles from 1969-71.

Farmer also made 36 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (then known as Grand National), starts from 1953-75. His last appearance in one of NASCAR’s national divisions came in 1992 with two starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Always a favorite at the track, Farmer was named the NASCAR Modified Most Popular Driver in 1968 and was a four-time winner of the award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Farmer is a member of the inaugural class of the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame in 1998 along with fellow “Alabama Gang” members Bobby and Donnie Allison and Neil Bonnett and is also a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Farmer has fond memories of racing at Martinsville against drivers such as Sonny Hutchins, Ray Hendrick, Emanuel Zervakis and Glen Wood.

“I look forward to coming back up there [Martinsville] to see the track, I haven’t been there in so many years and there’s been so many changes to it,” Farmer said. “Everybody used to ask me how to get around Martinsville, and I’d tell them that you need a dragster with air brakes.”

In addition to honoring Farmer’s 1956 Modified title and career accomplishments, NASCAR will also recognize a pair of champions that are no longer with us; Eddie Crouse and Joe Weatherly.

Crouse, who made a name for himself at South Boston Speedway, earned back-to-back NASCAR Modified national titles in 1962 and 1963. From Glen Allen, Va., Crouse won 13 of 77 races and finished second 11 times while competing throughout the eastern seaboard and finished 1,072 points ahead of Ed Flemke Sr. for his first title in 1962. He earned his second title in a row by distancing himself from runner-up Runt Harris by 1,172 points with eight feature wins, seven runner-ups and a host of top-fives in 58 races during his 1963 title run. Crouse, who was inducted in the Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame earlier this year, passed away in 2004 at the age of 78.

Weatherly, who gained fame as a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, earned his first NASCAR title in the Modified division in 1953. After finishing second to Frankie Schneider in the national title chase the previous year, Weatherly returned the favor in 1953 as he finished 976 points ahead of Schneider. His 1953 title featured track championships at Royall Speedway in Richmond, Va., and Princess Anne Speedway in Norfolk, Va.

A native of Norfolk, Va., Weatherly captured 25 wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prior to his death in 1964 at the age of 41. Weatherly, who was first a motorcycle racer before moving to cars, also compiled 12 wins in NASCAR’s Convertible Division. He is a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and was named one of “NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.”

The Made In American Whelen 300 will be the 13th of 16 races on the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. A combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, the green flag is set to drop in Martinsville on Saturday, Sept. 20 and 3:30 p.m. For ticket information please visit Martinsville’s official Web site (martinsvillespeedway.com).

Burt Myers Scores NASCAR Whelen Southern Tour Victory Saturday Night at Southern National Raceway Park

KENLY, N.C. – NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver Burt Myers snapped a nagging losing streak on Saturday night in the Night of Modifieds 150 at Southern National Raceway Park.

Myers’ victory on Saturday night by a comfortable 3.040-second margin of victory over second-place finisher Tim Brown ended a 13-race winless skid for the popular Walnut Cove, N.C. driver dating back to his last Whelen Southern Modified Tour win on Aug. 4, 2007 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Myers led the first two laps until L.W. Miller took command on the third lap. Myers regained the lead from Miller and never looked back en route to the victory.

“We had an awesome race car tonight and getting to celebrate like this is what it’s all about,” Myers said following his fifth career Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory. “We’ve had a great car all year long, but it has seemed to lose a little bit of speed as we get deeper and longer in race runs. Tonight was just perfect and the car had all kinds of grip in it. All I needed to do was take my time and be careful.”

Rounding out the top-five behind Myers (No. 1 JRC Investments Chevrolet) and Brown (No. 83 Hayes Jewelers Chevrolet were L.W. Miller, Andy Seuss and George Brunnhoelzl. The Top-10 was completed by Jason Myers, Buddy Emory, Thomas Stinson, John Smith and Frank Fleming.

Aside from Myers returning to Victory Lane in Whelen Southern Modified Tour competition, one of the biggest stories from Saturday night centered on point leader Brian Loftin who entered Southern National with a 79-point lead over defending Tour champion L.W. Miller.

Just past the Lap 35 mark, Loftin’s No.23 L&R Transmission/QMF Solutions Chevrolet stalled on the track to bring about the race’s first and only caution flag. Loftin experienced electrical problems and finished 15th while Miller ended up third which allowed him to cut Loftin’s point advantage to 32 with three Whelen Southern Modified events remaining. Brown is 35 points behind Loftin in third in the standings and Myers sits only 37 behind Loftin in fourth.

The Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns to action this Saturday, Sept. 20, at the legendary Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The Whelen Made in America 300 is a combination race with the popular northern-based Whelen Modified Tour.

Christopher Captures 10th Win At New Hampshire
Third Win Of Season For Points Leader

LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 13, 2008) – Ted Christopher reached Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the fifth time in his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career, and 10th time overall, Saturday evening in the New Hampshire 100.

Christopher, who finished second to Chuck Hossfeld by just .001 seconds in the New England 100 at New Hampshire in June, garnered his third win of the 2008 season and extended his points lead in the process.

“Last time – to lose by inches – it was definitely hard to take, but this thing today was really good,” Christopher said. “My car was rolling through the center so much better, and came off real good, it was a really good car.”

With the win, Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet) also extended his own track record for victories to double digits. It was the 30th win of his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career, fifth most all-time.

Jimmy Blewett (No. 19 United Crane/Ling Trucking Chevrolet) led seven times in the race but had to settle for a runner-up finish. Ryan Preece (No. 3 FJ Hubeny/Reynold’s Auto Wrecking Chevrolet) tied his career best finish by placing third.

Rob Summer is officially credited with a fourth place finish although it was Donny Lia that piloted the No. 1 Frasco Fuel/Hook & Ladder Chevrolet to the finish line. Summers drove the first 62 laps prior to a red flag.

Danny Sammons came home fifth for his best finish of the season. He was followed in the top 10 by Matt Hirschman, Erick Rudolph, Woody Pitkat, Jamie Tomaino and Eric Beers.

Hirschman placed fourth in the NASCAR Camping World Series East’s Heluva Good! Fall 125 earlier in the day.

With the win, Christopher now has a 99-point lead on Hirschman in the season standings with four races to go on the schedule.

The New Hampshire 100, which originally went green at 1 p.m., was red flagged with 62 laps complete due to extensive damage to the guard rail on the backstretch caused by an accident. The race resumed at just before 6 p.m., following the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.

All told, the race had 15 lead changes between five drivers.

The Made In American Whelen 300 will be the 13th of 16 races on the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. A combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, the green flag is set to drop in Martinsville on Saturday, Sept. 20 and 3:30 p.m. For ticket information please visit Martinsville’s official Web site (martinsvillespeedway.com).

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Championship Down To A Two Driver Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 9, 2008) – Nearly seven months of racing and almost 900 feature events across North American, and the spot at the head table for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet is down to two driver’s weekend plans.

Brian Harris of Davenport, Iowa, and Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Va., are tied atop the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series standings with 946 points apiece.

Both drivers have already wrapped up an invitation to the banquet – Friday, Nov. 7 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas – by virtue of their respective winning track and state titles. Now all that’s left to determine is the final seating arrangements.

Harris currently holds the advantage because he would win the tiebreaker based on more overall wins, 19-12.

“We did what we could do, and that’s it,” said Harris, who collected 19 wins and 34 top fives in 36 starts racing at a trio of dirt tracks in Iowa. “We’ve never really been in this type of points battle before.

“It’s been a lot of fun. Whatever happens, we still had a great year and I’m really proud of everybody that’s been behind our program.”

Harris has one schedule race remaining: Wednesday at Farley Speedway on the first night of the 31st Yankee Dirt Track Classic on the .500-mile high banked clay oval.

If he wants to travel, he also has the option of running in the Legendary 100 at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisc., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Harris said he has raced there in the past on regional dirt track Late Model tours. However, he added that the NASCAR Whelen All-American rules at the track are different than what he runs in Iowa and he would need to find a ride. Harris said he may look at the possibility of running there.

Harris already won the track titles at Farley and West Liberty, and finished second in points at Dubuque. He capped the season at Dubuque by winning the finale this past Sunday.

Points total is based on a driver's top 18 finishes for the year at any NASCAR-sanctioned track. A driver receives two points for every car they beat – up to 25 cars – and there is a five-point bonus for wins.

Harris’ worst points finish is a 48.

“The only way to gain any points is for us to win,” Harris said. “That’s the approach we’re going to go out with. My plan is to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

Morris has already wrapped up his sixth Late Model championship at Motor Mile Speedway, a .416-mile asphalt oval in Radford, Va. He added to his resume there this past weekend by winning the track’s final two features – twin 75-lap races Saturday.

With Motor Mile’s season over, Morris is looking at competing this Saturday at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. He’s run at the historic .400-mile oval five times this year and recorded two seconds, a third, an eighth and a 13th. Because the worst of his 18 finishes is a 46, Morris could finish first or second and still improve his points total.

“It’s tough,” said Morris, who has 12 wins and 21 top fives in 25 starts. “It’s going to be hard. If we win it, that’s awesome. If we don’t, we still had a pretty amazing year.”

Morris won the 2006 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series title on the final day of the season at an unfamiliar track. Morris won his 13th race of the season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., a track he hadn’t been to prior to the finale. That allowed him to edge Nebraska’s Joe Kosiski by two points for the championship.

“It’s difficult when you go to another track,” Morris said. “You want to go to the track and be respectively of the drivers that race there every week and be competitive.”

Wayne Ramsey will be looking to wrap up the points title at South Boston Saturday. Ramsey has five wins at the track and a 31-point lead over Justin Johnson. South Boston, in its 51st year, is no stranger to NASCAR champions. In addition to being the home track of Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin, the track was the site of Peyton Sellers’ 2005 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship season.

Marty Ward of Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., is third behind Harris and Ward with 907 points. Keith Rocco, who races at three Connecticut tracks (Waterford Speedbowl, Stafford Motor Speedway, and Thompson International Speedway), is fourth with 880 points. Jeff Strunk of Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., is fifth at 868.

U.S. state and Canadian provincial championships will also be decided this weekend. The final day for points to count toward NASCAR championships is Sunday, Sept. 14.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion also earns a secure spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to be held at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) Jan. 23-24, 2009.

Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner will receive two points for every car in the event up to 25 cars. Second place will receive two fewer points, and so-on through the field. For example, if there are 25 cars, the winner receives 50 points, second gets 48 and third 46. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 30 points, second gets 28 and third 26. New this year, drivers receive five bonus points for a win.

Pair Of Modified Champions To Be Honored At New Hampshire
NASCAR to Recognize McLaughlin, Szegedy On Sept. 13

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2008) – As part of the season-long celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions, 1988 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titlist Mike McLaughlin and 2003 winner Todd Szegedy will be honored at the New Hampshire 100 on Saturday, Sept. 13 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

McLaughlin, who was a consistent contender for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour crown in each of the series’ first five years of existence, broke through in 1988 for a 155-point margin of victory against Reggie Ruggiero in the final standings. Szegedy, who has been a consistent title contender for most of this decade, was able to capture the 2003 title following a tight battle with Chuck Hossfeld that resulted in a 32-point margin of victory.

Originally from Waterloo, N.Y., McLaughlin wasted no time becoming a championship contender. During the inaugural season of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 1985, McLaughlin finished as the championship runner-up to the legendary Richie Evans. He finished sixth and third, respectively in 1986 and 1987 before his title run in 1988.

McLaughlin was able to compile five wins, 15 top fives and 20 top 10s in 24 starts in 1988 while driving the No. 12 Sherwood Industries car for owner Billy Corazzo. The title campaign was highlighted by wins in Martinsville, Va., Indianapolis, Ind., Oswego, N.Y., Oxford, Maine and Owego, N.Y.

In his last full season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour McLaughlin finished fourth in the 1989 title standings. After making a few more starts in the early 1990’s McLaughlin closed out his Modified career with 16 wins and 15 Coors Light Pole Awards to his credit. He went on to record six wins and 110 top 10 finishes in 314 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and twice finished third in the division’s points standings.

Today McLaughlin works for Joe Gibbs Racing in various capacities, including driver development and as a test driver.

Szegedy is one of four past NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions that still compete on a full-time basis. Currently sixth in the 2008 season standings, Szegedy has been a competitive threat for the title in of his six full-time seasons in the series.

The Ridgefield, Conn., native made an immediate impact in the series. In his first full season in 2002, Szegedy won at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and finished seventh in points to earn Rookie of the Year honors. In his second year, at the age of 27, Szegedy became the youngest driver to ever win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title, and in the process became the first driver to earn Rookie of the Year honors and the series championship in back-to-back seasons.

Szegedy earned the 2003 championship on the strength of four wins, 11 top fives and 14 top 10s in 18 starts when he drove the No. 50 Haynes Materials Ford for owner Don Barker. He made trips to Victory Lane in Lake Erie, Pa., Beech Ridge, Maine, Adirondack, N.Y., and Stafford, Conn., but it was an eighth place finish in the season finale in Thompson, Conn., that clinched the title in a close battle with Hossfeld.

Szegedy has finished fifth and second, respectively in the two seasons prior to 2008. Currently the driver of the No. 2 Wisk-Snuggle Ford for owner Mike Smeriglio, Szegedy has 13 wins and 63 top 10s in 105 career starts and won this past Sunday at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.

New Hampshire, the site where McLaughlin and Szegedy will be honored, has significant history for both. McLaughlin is fifth on the track’s all-time wins list with six victories across three-different series, and he won the inaugural NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Camping World Series races at the track in 1990.

“I think it’s awesome that they [NASCAR] are honoring all of the past champions,” McLaughlin said. “I’m definitely looking forward to going back. Loudon was like Daytona to us, it was the highlight of the year to race there. Looking back on it, it was definitely my favorite race track.”

Szegedy won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at New Hampshire on this date last year and has consistently been a contender at the “Magic Mile” throughout his career.

“It’s pretty cool to be honored there,” Szegedy said. “It’s one of our premier tracks, so it’s definitely an honor.”

The New Hampshire 100 will be the 12th of 16 races on the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. The green flag is set to drop in Loudon, N.H., on Saturday, Sept. 13 and 1 p.m. For ticket information please visit New Hampshire’s official Web site (nhms.com).

Szegedy Earns First Win Of 2008 At Thompson
Veteran Nabs 13th Career Victory

THOMPSON, Conn. (Sept. 7, 2008) – Preseason favorite Todd Szegedy broke through for his first win of the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season Sunday afternoon in the Sunoco Modified Mania 150 at Thompson International Speedway.

Szegedy (No. 2 Wisk-Snuggle Ford), who ran inside the top five for most of the afternoon, took his first lead of the race on Lap 132 and held off numerous charges by Ronnie Silk (No. 79 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/Sunoco Pontiac) in the last 22 laps for his 13th career victory, and third at Thompson.

Silk, who entered the event on a two-race winning streak at Thompson, led seven laps in the race but could not get past Szegedy despite three restarts in the closing circuits.

Doug Coby (No. 28 Ramar-Hall/Genesis Shocks Chevrolet) came home third in the race, his second such finish in as many starts this year.

Long-time series veterans Reggie Ruggiero (No. 14 Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet) and Rick Fuller (No. 77 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles) came home fourth and fifth, respectively, for their best finishes of the year.

Fuller was honored prior to the race as part of NASCAR’s Celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions. Sunday’s finish was the 145th top five of his career.

Bobby Santos, Billy Pauch Jr., Matt Hirschman, Rowan Pennink and Eric Beers rounded out the top 10 finishers in the race.

Series points leader Ted Christopher started on the pole with Saturday’s qualifying rained out. Christopher, who led all 157 laps last time out at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park, paced the field in the first 125 on Sunday at Thompson, but pitted on Lap 124 and never made it back to the front. Despite a 14th place finish, he retained a 63-point lead over Chuck Hossfeld with 11 races in the books.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will now move on to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 12th race of the 2008 season on Saturday, Sept. 13. Green Flag for the New Hampshire 100 is set to drop at 1 p.m. For ticket information please visit New Hampshire’s official Web site (nhms.com).

Brown Earns Caraway Win, Loftin Increases Lead

ASHEBORO, N.C. - Tim Brown earned his first in in nearly a year, leading the final 26 laps Saturday night, to capture the Whelen Southern Modified Tour 150 at Caraway Speedway.

Brian Loftin (No. 23 L&R Transmission/QMF Solutions Chevrolet) finished second and increased his points lead when his closest challenger L.W. Miller finished 18th. Loftin leads Miller by 79 points and Brown by 87.

Brown (No. 83 Hayes Jewelers/Triad Auto Sales Chevrolet) qualified sixth and started third after the post-qualifying redraw. Miller qualified third, redrew the top spot, and led the first 66 laps before being slowed by a flat tire and penalty. Brandon Ward took over the lead on lap 67 and led until Brown passed him.

It was Brown’s fourth career win and first since Sept. 15, 2007. Following Loftin, Andy Seuss, Frank Fleming and Brian King rounded out the top five.

Earlier in the day, Burt Myers earned his third Coors Light Pole Award of the season and tour-record 16th overall.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Broadcast Dates Announced
New Hampshire, Martinsville Races To Be Aired By SPEED

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2008) – NASCAR and SPEED TV have announced the broadcast dates for upcoming NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
The New Hampshire 100, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13, will be the second appearance for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the Loudon, N.H., track in 2008. The race will be aired on a tape-delayed basis by SPEED on Sept. 24 at 1:30 p.m.

The Made In American Whelen 300, which will be run at Martinsville, Va., on Saturday, Sept. 20, will also be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis by SPEED. The fourth annual event, which features the NASCAR Whelen Modified and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tours in a combination race, will air on SPEED on Friday, Oct. 10 at noon.

Before making the aforementioned back-to-back trips to New Hampshire and Martinsville, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will contest its 11th race of the season at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 7. The green flag is set to drop on the Sunoco Modified Mania 150 at approximately 2:45 p.m.

Finally First: George Brunnhoelzl Scores First Career Whelen Southern Modified Tour Win Saturday at Lanier

BRASELTON, Ga. (Aug. 30, 2008) – On Saturday night at Lanier National Speedway, it was a case of ‘finally first’ for NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver George Brunnhoelzl who scored his first career victory in rather convincing fashion in one of the most competitive races in series history.

The third-generation racer from Babylon, N.Y. took the lead from Frank Fleming – who was also looking for his first Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory – and wheeled his way to the front on Lap 25 and never looked back as his family-owned No. 28 Oval Speed Unlimited Chevrolet won his first race in his 20th career start.

“This is unbelievable and this night has been a long time coming,” Brunnhoelzl said. “Tonight we were fortunate enough to sit on the pole and win the race. This is awesome and just unreal. This car was on rails tonight. Emotionally this is huge. Dad and I have been racing together my whole life and to see the look on his face when I pulled into Victory Lane was something I’ll never forget. I couldn’t be any happier than I am right now. I’ll never forget this night.”

Fleming was both disappointed in coming up shy of the win but also very respectful towards Brunnhoelzl.

“I wanted to win but I got beat by one car,” Fleming said. “I’m glad to see anybody win a race that hasn’t won in a while. I was just glad to be competitive. I usually get beat by guys like L.W. Miller and Brian Loftin and I beat them tonight and still finished second. It was a good night for us and we’re going to hopefully win a race pretty soon.”

Rounding out the top-five behind Brunnhoelzl and Fleming were L.W. Miller, current championship leader Brian Loftin and Tim Brown. The Top-10 was completed by Burt Myers, Brian King, Jason Myers, Andy Seuss and Buddy Emory.

The Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns to action next Saturday night, Sept. 6 at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. with a 150-lap race on tap.

Modified Champion Rick Fuller To Be Honored At Thompson
NASCAR To Recognize 1993 Modified Champ On Sept. 7

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2008) – As part of a season-long celebration of 60 Years of Modified Champions, 1993 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titlist Rick Fuller will be honored at the Sunoco Modified Mania 150 on Sunday, Sept. 7 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.

A consistent championship contender throughout his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career with top 10 points finishes in 17 seasons; Fuller broke through in 1993 and earned a 93-point victory over Reggie Ruggiero for the title.

In eighth place in the season standings after five races in 1993, Fuller put together a run of eight top fives in the next 10 races and took the points lead from Ruggiero for the first time on Sept. 15 after placing fourth in the Sunoco 300 at Thompson. He then held off Ruggiero in the season’s final two races to earn the title.

Still an active competitor in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Fuller has 20 wins and 230 top 10s in 434 career starts. His win total is seventh on the series’ all-time list while his 11 Coors Light Pole Awards rank 13th.

“I think it’s pretty awesome that they’re going to do it there at Thompson,” Fuller said. “That is in my backyard, I only live 15 minutes away.”

A resident of Auburn, Mass., Fuller has excelled at the .625-mile oval throughout his career. Of his 20 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins, eight came at Thompson, including his first on Oct. 16, 1988. Prior to joining the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on a full-time basis, Fuller nabbed Thompson track titles in the Late Model division in 1982 and the Modified division in 1985.

“I’ve had a lot of good times there,” Fuller said. “I started racing there back in the early 1980s and I’ve won in just about every division that they’ve ran there. I love that place.”

Fuller is one of only three drivers who have made starts in each of the 24 years of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, along with Carl Pasteryak and Jamie Tomaino. Always a fan favorite, Fuller was named the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Most Popular Driver in 2000.

Fuller is the younger brother of Jeff Fuller, a former standout driver in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The two brothers have combined to win 51 races in the series. Rick’s 1993 series title came just one year after Jeff’s. The elder Fuller was honored for his 1992 championship at Thompson on June 19.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hold its 11th race of the season on Sunday, Sept. 7 at Thompson. Practice and time trials for the Sunoco Modified Mania 150 will take place on Saturday, Sept. 6. For ticket information, please visit Thompson’s official Web site (thompsonspeedway.com).

For more information, contact:
Jason Cunningham, NASCAR Public Relations, (704) 201-6658 or jcunningham@nascar.com.

Loftin Scores Friday Night NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Victory at Caraway Speedway

ASHEBORO, N.C. (Aug. 22, 2008) – They say when you’re hot you’re hot. Following his victory on Friday night at Caraway Speedway in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour 150, there’s no doubt that Brian Loftin is a man on fire after he scored his third straight win in dominating fashion.

Not only was it Loftin’s third straight win, it also allowed him to take the lead in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings over L.W. Miller who has held the top spot in the standings since last September.

Second-place finisher Burt Myers made sure he didn’t make it look too easy as he mounted a stiff challenge on a restart with two laps remaining only to come up .793 seconds short.

“I just wanted to get a good restart so bad and not spin my tires and give Burt a chance to get by me,” Loftin said. “Sometimes you get on a roll and feel like you can’t do anything wrong. I’m going to ride this wave as long as I can. I know we got the points lead from L.W. but I’m more worried about winning races and just letting the points fall where they fall.”

Andy Seuss had one of the race’s dominant cars, trailing Loftin in second until engine problems struck with less than 20 laps to go.

“I hate to see what happened to Andy there at the end because I really thought we were going to put on a heck of a show for them,” Loftin said. “I’ve been in Andy shoe’s before on the down side of things so I know how bad this hurts him and his team.

Seuss earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award in qualifying when he circled the .455-mile Caraway short track at a speed of 103.227 mph. It was Jason Myers taking the early lead until Brian Loftin made his way around him on the third lap, but by Lap 30 Seuss was showing he had the car to beat as he made his way into the third position.

On Lap 89 Seuss let his presence be felt when he swept past Brandon Ward for the runner-up position behind Loftin. In the end, though, it was Loftin prevailing for his third straight Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory.

Rounding out the top five behind Loftin and Burt Myers were Brandon Ward, Jason Myers and Brian King.

Christopher Climbs Win List With Dominant Run at Mansfield
Leads Wire-To-Wire For 29th Career Victory

MANSFIELD, Ohio (Aug. 23, 2008) – Ted Christopher took sole possession of fifth place on the all-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins list when his No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet took the checkered flag Saturday night in the Whelen 150 at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

Christopher, who qualified sixth fastest but drew the No. 1 bead in the post-qualifying re-draw to sit on the front row, never trailed in the 157 lap race that went to a green-white-checker finish following a late caution. The win was his second of 2008 and the 29th of his career, which moved him out of a tie with Mike Ewanitsko on the all-time list.

In the process Christopher became the first driver to lead a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race wire-to-wire since Todd Szegedy did it in the 2006 Fall Final at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.

Jimmy Blewett (No. 19 United Crane/Ling Trucking Chevrolet) finished as the runner-up in the race and was followed closely to the line by Ryan Preece (No. 3 Mizzy Construction/Reynold's Auto Wrecking Chevrolet), Coors Light Pole Award winner Eric Beers (No. 46 Reynold's Auto Wrecking/Sunoco Chevrolet) and Ronnie Silk (No. 79 Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/Sunoco Pontiac). Matt Hirschman, Erick Rudolph, Mike Stefanik, Kevin Goodale and Glen Reen rounded out the top 10.

It was a big points night for Christopher as well. He trailed Chuck Hossfeld in the season standings by 41 points heading into the event, but left with a 60-point advantage after Hossfeld suffered a broken axle and finished 28th.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will have the Labor Day weekend off before moving on to Thompson International Speedway for the Sunoco Modified Mania 150 on Sunday, Sept 7. For ticket information for please visit Thompson’s official Web site (thompsonspeedway.com).

For more information, contact: Jason Cunningham, NASCAR Public Relations, (704) 201-6658 or jcunningham@nascar.com

Six-Time Modified Champion Cook to be Honored at Mansfield NASCAR to Recognize Cook on Aug. 23

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 15, 2008) – As part of the season-long celebration of 60 years of Modified champions, six-time titlist Jerry Cook will be honored at the Whelen 150 on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park.

In one of the more dominant runs in the history of NASCAR’s Modified division, Cook captured six national championships during a seven-year span from 1971-77. His six titles are the third-most in the 60 years of the division.

“Just winning one is pretty tough,” Cook said. “I remember trying to win the first one and lost it to Bugsy Stevens after leading the points most of the year. Losing before you win one makes you want it all the more.”

After consecutive national runner-up finishes to Stevens in 1969 and Fred DeSarro in 1970, Cook turned the tables the following year and outdistanced DeSarro by 370 points for his first NASCAR Modified championship. Cook, originally from Rome, N.Y., garnered his second title in 1972 when he defeated Stevens in the national standings. Fellow Rome native Richie Evans took the title in 1973, but Cook grabbed it back in 1974 and kept it for the next three years.

Cook was a consistent contender for the NASCAR Modified title throughout his career. During a remarkable run from 1969-82, Cook finished in the top three in the national standings in each season. That span included six titles and six championship runner-ups.

“It took a lot of preparation; making sure the car was ready to race and that it didn’t fall apart,” Cook said. “We spent a lot of time in the garage before we went to the track. My sponsor, Hollebrand Trucking, also played a big part. If it wasn’t for Pete Hollebrand and his son, Pete Jr., it would have been awful hard for me to accomplish the championships and go to all the races that I did.”

Following a third place finish in the championship standings in 1982, Cook hung up the helmet and stepped over to the other side of the fence to work for NASCAR.

“They [NASCAR] said we need to get someone up in the northeast, and we’d like to have you,” Cook said. “Of course that meant quit racing. I decided this was a good chance to do something different, so I quit racing and went to work for NASCAR.”

Since coming on board with NASCAR in 1982, Cook has overseen the weekly tracks in the northeast and was instrumental in the development of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 1985 and the NASCAR Camping World Series East in 1987. Today he lives in Mooresville, N.C., and serves as a competition administrator in the NASCAR Research and Development Center.

A legend of NASCAR Modified racing, Cook’s career has been appropriately recognized in many avenues. He was named to the “NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers” list in 1998 and the "NASCAR Modified All-Time Top 10" list in 2003. Cook is also enshrined in the National Motorsports Press Association and New York Stock Car Association Halls of Fame. Additionally, he is a finalist for induction in the prestigious International Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2009.

“When you look at the list of people that are nominated, it’s pretty impressive,” Cook said. “I sure would like to be inducted into that, but it’s a tough one because there isn’t anybody on that list that isn’t deserving.”

The Whelen 150 on Aug. 23 at Mansfield will be the 10th race of the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. Cook will be honored by NASCAR prior to the start of racing action that evening. Ticket information for a doubleheader of racing action that will also include the NASCAR Camping World Series East can be found by visiting Mansfield’s official Web site (mansfieldmotorsportsonline.com).

For more information, contact:
Jason Cunningham, NASCAR Public Relations, (704) 201-6658 or jcunningham@nascar.com

Silk Takes Second Win of Season at Thompson
Both Wins in 2008 Have Come at Same Track

THOMPSON, Conn. (Aug. 14, 2008) – For the second time this season NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Ronnie Silk reached Victory Lane at Thompson International Speedway. Silk led 35 laps en route to the checkered flag Thursday night in the New England Dodge Dealers 150 presented by Budweiser.

For Silk, the win brought his career total to three, all at Thompson. The Norwalk, Conn., driver was a winner at the northern Connecticut oval earlier this season on June 19.

“Our car is just great here, that’s for sure,” Silk said. “We’ve had good cars other places as well. Spencer we were second, Riverhead we were second. The breaks go our way here.”

With the win, Silk moved up to sixth in the season points standings, his highest ranking of the year.

Matt Hirschman, who led nine laps on the evening, came home second for his best career finish at Thompson. Bobby Santos, Ted Christopher and Mike Stefanik rounded out the top five.

Glen Reen came home sixth and was followed in the top 10 by Rowan Pennink, Danny Sammons, Jamie Tomaino and Bobby Grigas III.
The starting grid for the race was set by the NASCAR rule book as rain washed out qualifying earlier in the evening.

Chuck Hossfeld, who finished 16th in the race, maintains a 41-point lead over Ted Christopher in the season standings.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will move on to Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park next week for the Whelen 150 on Saturday, Aug. 23. Ticket information for a doubleheader of racing action that will also include the NASCAR Camping World Series East can be found by visiting Mansfield’s official Web site (mansfieldmotorsportsonline.com).

Five-Time Modified Champion Hirschman to be Honored at Thompson
NASCAR to Recognize Hirschman on Aug. 14

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 7, 2008) – As part of the season-long celebration of 60 years of Modified champions, five-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titlist Tony Hirschman will be honored at the New England Dodge Dealers 150 presented by Budweiser on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.

Hirschman, ofNorthampton, Pa., captured five NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titles during a stellar 11-year span from 1995-2005. His five championships are second-most in tour history.

“The first time I ever saw Modifieds was in the early days when they came to Pocono on the three-quarter mile track back in the late 1960s,” Hirschman said. “Just sitting in the stands and watching, I never would have thought that one day I would have a chance to race cars like that, let alone win a race or a championship. One thing led to the next, and as years go by, here we are with five championships.”

In the smallest championship margin of victory in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history, Hirschman edged Steve Park by three points for his first title in 1995. The 1996 season would see Hirschman again finish ahead of Park in another championship chase that went down to the wire, this time by 12 points.

After two narrow championship victories in 1995 and 1996, Hirschman was able to put together a dominant 1999 campaign for his third series title. With six wins, 14 top fives and 19 top 10s, he finished 403 points ahead of Mike Ewanitsko for the championship, the second-largest margin of victory in series history.

For the second time in his career, Hirschman was able to put together back-to-back championship seasons in 2004 and 2005. Hirschman used four wins to finish 104 points ahead of Ed Flemke Jr. for the 2004 title and he had five victories during his fifth championship season when he tallied 18 more points than Ted Christopher in the final standings.

Hirschman, who last raced in 2007, recorded 35 wins, 41 poles, 134 top fives and 199 top 10s in 319 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts. His win total ranks third in series history while his pole award tally is an all-time record. Hirschman’s five NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships are second only to Stefanik’s seven titles since the tour was formed in 1985.

Thompson International Speedway, where the ceremony will take place, was a very successful venue for Hirschman. Of his 35 career wins, eight came at Thompson. Hirschman’s first win at the track was the 1989 World Series and his most-recent triumph came in the August 2005 New England Dodge Dealers 150.

“Thompson always was a good race track for me,” Hirschman said. “Four of the five championships came down to the last race, and we won them there. Thompson has always been special to me.”

In addition to his successful NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career, Hirschman also competed in the NASCAR Camping World Series East for a couple years. He finished seventh in the season standings in 1991 to earn Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors and placed eighth in the 1992 points chase.

Following this week’s race at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on Friday, Aug. 8, the New England Dodge Dealers 150 at Thompson on Thursday, Aug. 14 will be the ninth race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2008 schedule. Hirschman will be honored by NASCAR prior to the start of racing action that evening. For ticket information, please visit Thompson’s official Web site (thompsonspeedway.com).

For more information, contact:

Jason Cunningham, NASCAR Public Relations, (704) 201-6658 or jcunningham@nascar.com.

Morris Jumps To Top of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 5, 2008) – Philip Morris has been through the national title chase enough to know not to get too concerned about the championship standings in June and July. August, though, is another matter.

And as August begins, it’s Morris who finds himself atop the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series overall standings after lurking in the top 10 all season. Morris had first- and second-place finishes in the twin 75-lap Late Model features at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., Saturday night.

The finishes pushed his points total to 852 and allowed him to jump from fifth to first.

“We’ve been hunting all year, just nobody knew it because we didn’t have enough races” said the 43-year-old Morris, who won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship in 2006 and finished third last year. “Now we’re down to the last five or six races of the year. It’s time to buckle down and try even harder.”

Connecticut’s Keith Rocco had a win and a third place in three starts over the weekend and increased his points total to 839 but dropped to second. Rocco, who runs a Modified at the New Waterford Speedbowl, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway on a weekly basis, had been the point leader since June 24. Rocco has seven wins and 23 top fives in 35 races.

Brian Harris moved up to third with 838 points. Harris runs a dirt late model at three Iowa tracks: West Liberty Raceway, Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway and Farley Speedway. He has 12 wins and 22 top fives in 23 starts.

Marty Ward, Coleman Pressley and David Roberts of Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., are fourth through sixth, respectively. Greenville-Pickens did not run Saturday when a storm caused a power outage at the track. Ward only has 17 races to his credit, so a top finish this weekend could prompt the same jump up in the standings Morris enjoyed.

This past Saturday’s twin features gave Morris 18 starts for the season. The championship is based on a driver’s top 18 finishes. Now that Morris has reached that mark, each top finish through the end of the year provides him with a chance to drop a bad result from earlier in the year and increase his point total.

“This is the best start we’ve ever had toward the national title,” said Morris. “At Motor Mile, we’ve had the car count and the performances to win the national title. We really feel good about it. It starts to get everybody pumped up. That will cause us to work harder, sweat more, practice more, lean on our engine more, and hopefully that will show through the remainder of the year.”

Morris has five races remaining at Motor Mile, where he is the five-time Late Model division champion. He said he’ll look to fill the remaining open weekend before the Sunday, Sept. 14 deadline with a race at another NASCAR-sanctioned short track.

“Wherever we go, we’re going to be shooting from the hip,” said Morris.

Under the point structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner will receive two points for every car in the event up to 25 cars. Second place will receive two fewer points, and so-on through the field. For example, if there are 25 cars, the winner receives 50 points, second gets 48 and third 46. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 30 points, second gets 28 and third 26. New this year, drivers receive five bonus points for a win.

Ward Gets Championship Hopes Back On Track In NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 29, 2008) – Marty Ward can’t ever remember racing without his father. So when Maurice Ward passed away following a heart attack while racing at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., in 2006, it nearly chased the younger Ward out of the sport.

“Last year, I just didn’t want to race,” Ward said. “I had a hard time going back to the race track. I just didn’t want to be there.”

He made spot starts throughout last season, but the fire that had fueled four track championships in the historic half-mile’s Late Model division was gone. Ward said he began to come back when he traveled down to Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway for a Thanksgiving Day show and wound up finishing second.

“When we got back home, I said ‘maybe we need to make this our backup car and build a new one,’” Ward said. “I put my head into it to go back and win one more championship.

“I still have my bad days when I go, but we work through it.”

Dedicated to winning a championship for his late father, the 43-year-old Ward is on pace to do even more. With his seventh straight win at Greenville-Pickens, Ward moved into second in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series overall standings. He has five less points than leader Keith Rocco of Connecticut, but unlike Rocco, he still has one more race to reach the 18-race mark.

A driver’s top 18 finishes are counted toward their point total.

Ward has 10 wins and 17 top fives in 17 starts this season for 832 points.

Rocco, who races a Modified at a trio of Connecticut tracks (The New Waterford Speedbowl, Thompson International Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway), has six wins and 837 points.

Brian Harris of West Liberty (Iowa) Raceway is third at 798. Coleman Pressley of Greenville-Pickens is fourth at 791 and Philip Morris of Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., is fifth at 753.

Ward admits to being more focused on the track championship than the overall standings, but his crew keeps him updated every week when they are released.

Ward’s season started off with a pair of wins, but then he picked up just one more in the next eight events. The turning point came in a double feature June 21, which he swept. He hasn’t left Victory Lane since. Saturday’s win stretched the streak to seven straight.

“We can’t complain at all,” said Ward. “We’ve had an awfully good year. It seems like everything we’ve done has went right so far. If we stay on a roll, I’d be tickled to death. But if we can’t, I can’t complain either.”

Ward lives in nearby Marietta, S.C., owns a coin laundromat and said, “I guess you can say I race for a living.”

So far, he has raced exclusively at Greenville-Pickens. That may change as the season winds down and the championship race comes into focus. For now, though, he’s concentrating on adding his name to the track’s wall of champions for a fifth time.

And Ward’s late father is never far from his mind.

“I guess he’s blessed us,” Ward said.

Under the point structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner will receive two points for every car in the event up to 25 cars. Second place will receive two fewer points, and so-on through the field. For example, if there are 25 cars, the winner receives 50 points, second gets 48 and third 46. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 30 points, second gets 28 and third 26. New this year, drivers receive five bonus points for a win. The final day for the 2008 points is Sunday, Sept. 14.

For additional information, contact:

Jason Christley, NASCAR Public Relations, (386) 947-6788 or jchristley@nascar.com