NASCAR MODIFIED: Mike Stefanik Wins At Bristol In Thrilling Battle

Mike Stefanik - Bristol Motor Speedway ( NASCAR Whelen Modified Series )

Mike Stefanik Takes Win Number 74

Mike Stefanik extended his Whelen Modified Tour career win record to 74 in the first leg of Bristol Motor Speedway’s Wednesday night doubleheader, but the 55-year-old ranks his first victory at the World’s Fastest Half Mile near the top of the list.

“This is way up the ladder. I’m being cool right now, but I’m freaking out inside,” said the Coventry, R.I. native. “This is a huge, huge victory in my arsenal of victories – right at the top if not the top. I’m really going to try and savor this.”

Open wheels and high banks combined for a frenzied 135 laps around the concrete oval, as Mike Stefanik battled Todd Szegedy and Cup regular Ryan Newman for much of the TitanRoof 150, shortened by 15 laps because of a time limit.

“We were wheel-to-wheel racing,” said the seven-time Whelen Modified Tour champion. “There was some bumping and rubbing with Todd but nothing we couldn’t handle. It’s not a game of inches here, it’s hundredths of an inch.”

Hinting that this might be his last complete season on the Tour, Mike Stefanik voiced conflicting emotions following his second win of the 2013 season.

“I’m so elated to win here at Bristol, but it’s also a relief just to win,” said Mike Stefanik in his post-race press conference. “This game is so emotional, so intense, so frustrating. It’s not like I can’t do it or I’m too old to do it, but there comes a time when you just have to say it’s time.”

Szegedy piloted his UNOH-sponsored Ford to his second runner-up finish of the season with Ron Yuhas Jr., Ryan Preece and Newman rounding out the top five.

Written By: Bristol Motor Speedway

 

NASCAR Whelen Modified Full Results ( WINNER – Mike Stefanik )

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points Status
1 18 22 Mike Stefanik Robert B. Our Co./Canto & Sons Paving Ford 135 47N Running
2 5 2 Todd Szegedy UNOH/Dunleavy Repair Ford 135 43N Running
3 16 64 Ron Yuhas, Jr. Fast Track Elect./Complete Const. Chevrolet 135 41N Running
4 3 16 Ryan Preece East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford 135 41N Running
5 19 7 Ryan Newman Menards/Wix Filters Chevrolet 135 39N Running
6 14 79 Woody Pitkat Mr. Rooter/Coors Light Pontiac 135 38N Running
7 4 58 Eric Goodale Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 135 37N Running
8 10 51 Justin Bonsignore M3 Technology Chevrolet 135 36N Running
9 9 1 Burt Myers CitruSafe/Adams Towing & Recovery Ford 135 43S Running
10 21 71 Jimmy Zacharias * Vist-Pro Automotive Chevrolet 135 42S Running
11 26 72 Chuck Hossfeld Jerry Gradl Motors Chevrolet 135 35N Running
12 24 6 Ron Silk TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet 135 34N Running
13 25 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Ford 135 41S Running
14 11 28 George Brunnhoelzl III Epox-Z/Oval Speed Chevrolet 135 40S Running
15 23 25 John Smith G-Oil/Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet 135 39S Running
16 7 2 Tim Brown Hayes Jewelers/T&C Motorsports Chevrolet 135 38S Running
17 8 3 Ted Christopher Silver Dollar Const./Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet 135 33N Running
18 33 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood/Mehner Racing Ford 134 32N Running
19 13 97 Bryan Dauzat O.B. Builders Chevrolet 134 37S Running
20 32 77 Gary Putnam Stock Car Steel Chevrolet 133 36S Running
21 29 26 Ed Flemke, Jr. Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores Chevrolet 133 31N Running
22 31 99 Jamie Tomaino Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet 132 30N Running
23 6 52 Doug Coby Furnace & Duct/Seekonk Grand Prix Chevrolet 130 29N Running
24 20 46 Eric Berndt North End Auto Parts/Cape Cod Agrgts. Chevrolet 129 28N Accident
25 15 11 Andy Seuss Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet 125 35S Accident
26 35 33 Wade Cole Performance Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s Chevrolet 111 27N Too Slow
27 36 70 Jeremy Gerstner * GMR Complete Lawn Care/Fountain Mtspts. Chevrolet 109 34S Running
28 22 15 Rob Fuller 15-40 Connection Chevrolet 104 26N Accident
29 27 40 Luke Fleming * Koma Unwind/Autos by Nelson.com Ford 102 33S Accident
30 1 4 Donny Lia Circle Track Magazine Dodge 93 27N Accident
31 30 73 Cole Powell * Tricar Developments Chevrolet 93 24N Running
32 17 44 Bobby Santos Tinio Corporation/Cape Cod Aggregates Chevrolet 77 23N Fire
33 12 93 Rowan Pennink Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet 76 22N Accident
34 28 14 Jason Myers Mark Moorefield Performance Ford 32 32S Accident
35 34 21 J.R. Bertuccio Gershow Recycling Chevrolet 30 31S Accident
36 2 88 Bryon Chew Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Chevrolet 9 21N Accident

 

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