Shawn Courchesne | Auto Racing

No Open Doors At Lime Rock Park For the Whelen Modified Tour

With a dwindling base of short tracks looking to host major touring events, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has seen their event schedule pared down over the past decade to a select few tracks.

The Modified Tour visits 8 tracks this season as part of a 16 race schedule. That schedule includes 5 events at Thompson International Speedway and 4 events at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Getting the tour to new venues is something first year series director Chad Little said recently was one of his goals.

Don't Blame The Racetrack For Racing Tragedies

The knee jerk reaction was nearly automatic when word started to spread Sunday that NorthEastern Midget Association driver Shane Hammond had been killed in an accident during the season opening Icebreaker at Thompson International Speedway.

Automatically people were pointing fingers at the track.

Three lives lost in less than 4 years at Thompson.

It’s not surprising that people, almost immediately following the news of Hammond’s death, came out firing against Thompson, blaming the track, calling it an unsafe place to race. 

Ed Flemke Jr. Reflects On The Tragic Days Of Racing From A Driver's Perspective

On Sunday, after being declared the winner of the rain shortened Whelen Modified Tour Icebreaker 2008 at Thompson International Speedway, Ed Flemke Jr. of Southington spent some of his time in the press box with the media on hand reflecting about the day and being a driver and dealing with deaths of other drivers.

Prior to Flemke and his fellow Whelen Modified Tour competitors taking the track on Sunday, 27-year NEMA Midget driver Shane Hammond had been killed in a crash in turn 3 of the .625-mile Thompson International Speedway oval.

“I’m getting tired of it. I’m getting real tired of it. It’s just so sad that the price is so great. You hit a foul ball, what’s the price? You fumble, what’s the price? You fumble the ball here, the price is just too great. I’m just getting tired of it. It’s sad, it’s really sad. But my dad told me a long time ago, at [Modified racing legend Fred DeSarro’s] wake, pick that chin up, it’s OK to cry, just pick your chin up and you’ll be alright. We’ve got to do it for them. We’ll be back. We’re too stupid to stop so we’ll be back.

Don't Believe The Hype: Playing The Public Relations Game In Short Track Racing

Tuesday I got some news forwarded along to me from a colleague in the business. And really, it was big news.

Donny Lia finished in the top-5 in just the fifth Craftsman Truck Series event of his career. Wow, and here I thought I remembered him finishing 9th Saturday in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

Lo and behold, I went to NASCAR’s media website where, there it was in a big headline, sure enough, “Donny Lia Scores Top-Five In Just His Fifth Craftsman Truck Race.”

Donny Lia Scores Career Best Truck Series Finish At Martinsville

Being back in the short track element proved to be the elixir Craftsman Truck Series rookie Donny Lia needed.

After a pair of disappointing finishes to begin his 2008 campaign with TRG Motorsports, Lia, the 2007 Whelen Modified Tour champion, scored his first career Truck Series top-10 Saturday, finishing 9th in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

“We made up a lot of spots there at the end but we lost a lot of spots that we shouldn’t have,” Lia said. “I was pretty mad at myself for that. I guess that was kind of like redemption, you know, to make up those spots at the end. I think we could have had a top-10 and then we lost a slew of positions.  I got stuck on the outside.  So to come back and get a top-10, even if it was gifted back to us then you know what, hey, we’ll take it any way we can get it.” 

Donny Lia Quick Out Of The Gate At Martinsville

The results haven’t been exactly head turning in two events this season on the Craftsman Truck Series for 2007 Whelen Modified Tour champion Donny Lia.

Could a short track trip be just what the Jericho, N.Y. driver needs to turn things around?

Last year it was Lia celebrating in victory lane at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway when the Whelen Modified Tour visited the track in September. He showed Friday that he hasn’t forgotten the quick way around at Martinsville.

News And Notes From Around The Scene

A season of honoring past Modified Champions begins April 6 when the Whelen Modified Tour kicks off its 2008 season with the running of the Icebreaker at Thompson International Speedway.

At each Modified Tour event this season NASCAR plans to recognize every past Modified champion. The Icebreaker will see Frankie Schneider, Donny Lia and the late Richie Evans celebrated.

Schneider was the 1952 NASCAR Modified division winner and is the oldest living former champion.  Evans won 9 Modified titles over a 13-year span including the first Whelen Modified Tour title in 1985. Evans had already clinched the title in 1985 when was killed during a practice session at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Lia, who is now running on the Craftsman Truck Series, won the Whelen Modified Tour championship last season for Mystic car owner Bob Garbarino.

Our Little Piece Of Interweb Real Estate Is Growing Up So Fast

They said it couldn't be done.

A racing blog, at the Hartford Courant? Nobody is going to look at that.

Ok, so maybe it's just a few select friends hitting refresh over and over and over and over again, just don't tell the management types here our little secret.

Yes, its a big day at our treasured little piece of undervalued web space here, our little blog is growing up.

Stewed Up: Intimidating It Surely Doesn't Seem

Another edition of The Backstretch’s semi-regular concoction, brewed of the meatiest newsworthy items, opinions and meaningless meanderings down some paths that might not have anything to do with racing. Strap in for the ride.

--- Austin Dillon, the 17-year old grandson of Sprint Cup Series car owner Richard Childress, will race this season in the Camping World East Series for Andy Santerre Motorsports in a car designed strikingly similar to one very familiar to race fans from coast to coast.

Stewed Up: Don't Make Me Turn This Car Around And Go Home Because I Will

Another edition of The Backstretch’s semi-regular concoction, brewed of the meatiest newsworthy items, opinions and meaningless meanderings down some paths that might not have anything to do with racing. Strap in for the ride.

--- It looks as if Dillon Moltz, who last year became the youngest driver ever to win in the Late Model division at Stafford Motor Speedwa, could be looking to make some noise on a bigger stage this season.

The 16-year old from Waterford has been approved by NASCAR to run in the Camping World East Series for 2008. An announcement on who Moltz could be driving for in the division this season is expected in the near future.