The 2009 Season in Modified Racing.

Well here we are 8 months after it all started at the Icebreaker. Only one race remains on the 2009 calendar, the Turkey Derby at Wall Stadium.

I was a good year on the WHT 13 races at 7 tracks in 5 states. I know that 13 races is not enough for some people but except the Spencer Speedway race the tour raced in front of good or great crowds all year long. The crowds at Bristol and New Hampshire we huge, seeing the mods at Thunder Valley and on TV was quite a thrill. The road trip to Bristol with Teds Race Tours was quite a trip. If you ever get a chance to travel with Ted do so as it is 40 dedicated race fans for anywhere from 1- 3 days on the big green bus.

The point race got very exciting after Bristol and went down to the wire. Donny Lia charge up the standings all summer and Fall was exciting to watch. Plus Donny had #3 team with Ryan Preece in tow all summer. No matter what was thrown at Donny, he and the team rose above it. The charge from the back 3 times at NH in September are what legends are made of.

Ted Christopher's decent in the standings after starting the season with 2 wins and a second was almost as startling as 2009 champ Donny Lia's climb to the top. Just one or 2 small breaks and Teddy might have been be the 2 time champ.

All told 2009 saw 61 different WMT drivers hit the track. Not the largest amount in history but with tough economy that was not too shabby. The True Value Tour had 69 different driver in action this year, the ROC had 57 drivers in only 8 races and while the Southern tour which only averaged 12-20 cars per race saw 43 drivers race at least once. Even the shortened season of the ASA tour saw 27 drivers this year.

With the ROC, WMT, WMST and True Value Series there were probably 125-150 different teams in action this year. Now if we could get them all in action at the same track like the old Race of Champions, that would be a sight to see.

In addition to tour tracks the independent track Shangra La II opened to good crowds and growing car counts. Lets hope they can keep the growth going with the installation of the rest of the grandstands, lights and the completion of the infield pit area. This would be a tremendous track to the ROC, WMT and maybe the Race of Champions some day.

This year I got to travel a lot more than I had planned and got to see a wide variety of tracks, I really enjoyed getting back to Oswego on 2 occasions. The steel palace has lost some its luster from when I first went there but it is still a big time track that puts on a great show. Labor day weekend it was packed with tons of cars, campers and fans. I also got to see the winged supers. for a special show in July.

Some of the more interesting news in the early off season is the paving of Albany Saratoga and Devils Bowl in Vermont. Those 2 tracks along with Airbourne Speedway may give the mighty mods 3 more quality tracks to race. Those and the WMT traveling to Lime Rock Park next year gets me excited already. The ROC and MRS racing series has already booked a race on April 18th 2010.

Add in the 10 rumored Speed TV races for the WMT series and it is shaping up to be another great year of open wheel racing all up and down the east coast.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

I can be reached at Mjaworecki@gmail.com

1st Time Modified Winner in Western New York.

Well, it may be old and it may need a few things (Including an extra port-a-potty or 2) Spencer Speedwayin Williamson NY played host to a pretty good modified race on Sunday. Originally set for Saturday night rain changed that by flooding the infield where the cars were to pit.

27 teams made the trip west, including the back up 2 re-numbered 90 for Renee DuPuis for what really looked like a start and park. Buck Catalano substituted for Jake Morosz and I believe his familiarity with the track served the team well as he brought the maroon 9 home in 15th place.Doug Colby was in the 79 back up machine re-numbered to his familiar 19 but dropped out with front end damage.

The heart breaker of the day was the 99 of Jamie Tomanio blowing the engine in practice and parking it for the event. Glenn Tyler graciously offered his back up car but Jamie chose to skip the event.

Drivers with problem using the race included, Johnny Bush "The Bushman" who lost a transmission late in the race and retired, Glen Reen who was having troubles all day also dropped out before the races end along with Jimmy Blewett who retired with damage to the car. Wade Cole had pit road problems when he left too soon before all or any of the lug nuts were secured and lost a right rear on pit road.

Ken Heagy was having a decent day until a trip off turn 3 left his car on the double hook although he recovered to an 18th place finish. Eric Beers blew a gasket or an oil line and spun by himself on the back stretch loosing time in the pits. Chris Pasteryak struggled all day with nerf bar damage and a damaged left front tire. Woody Pitkat slid back from a 5th place start to an unlucky 13th place finish.

The strangest incident occurred before the race started. Ted Christopher after inspection was driving down the infield access road, hit a pot hole and damaged a bunch of the front end sheet metal. Repairs were made before the feature started and it did not hinder his day. A loose handling race car left him in 10th place.

Enough with the bad how about the good. Second place Todd Szegedy was strong all day leading many laps early in the race and it he had a a few more laps may have been in victory circle.

Third place Chuck Hossfield from western New York made a pretty good return to the series, for a while it looked like he was the fastest but may have run out of tires at the end.

Fourth place Rowan Pennink was solid all day.

Ryan Preese was near the top all day, including leading a few laps but faded to 5th. Ryan had the back-up car ready to go as the team fought electrical problem during practice and the heat.

Usually 6th place is not what a driver aspires for but with all the troubles Donny Lia had Sunday, not too bad a finish. Donny had on a fire suit the promoted Autism research, a cause near and dear to my heart.

Rookie Eric Goodale is really getting comfortable with driving a full blown modified after racing SK's off and on the last couple of years. Eric is going to be in victory lane before too log. Eric had a fine 8th place finish after leading in the NH race and finishing 17th.

Now we save the best for last. Winner Erick Rudolph started 25th and passed a bunch of cars to win his first NASCAR Tour race. At the age of 17 years 3 months it was quite an accomplishment. Erick has continued a winning tradition started by his grandfather many years ago and continued by his father Charlie farther who was a winner on pavement and dirt. I think now that he has is first win, in the 1st race he finished this year there could be many more to follow!

The tour has a couple of weeks off, then its off to Long Island and Riverhead Raceway for the only stop there in 2009.