(Stafford Springs, CT)---After a stellar 2010 season that saw him win 4 races and the Whelen Modified Tour championship, Bobby Santos, III and the #4 Mystic Missile team have found that the path to defending their championship has been a rocky road. Santos enters the Town Fair Tire 150 at Stafford Speedway in 9th place in the points standings, 162 points behind Ronnie Silk. But if there was ever a track on the 2011 schedule that Santos and his crew can use as a launching pad to get themselves back into championship contention, it's Stafford. Since joining the Mystic Missile team prior to the start of the 2010 season, in 6 Stafford races Santos has recorded 3 wins, a second, a third, and a 23rd place finish, which was the result of a blown engine.

"Things aren't going as good for us as they did last year, but that's how it goes," said Santos. "Everyone on the team is working hard to get things back to where we were last season. It's been a combination of things for us this season. We blew the motor at Thompson, we won at Stafford, and then we've had certain breaks just not going our way. We had a carburetor issue at New Hampshire, and last year we didn't have any of those things happen to us. For sure Stafford has probably been our best track and its kind of now or never for us. If we need a performance, Stafford is the place for us to get started."

Santos began the 2010 season with 3 wins and a second in the first four races of the year, which put him at the top of the standings, a position that he occupied from the start of the season to the end of the year. Although the 2011 season hasn't quite gone as planned for Santos, he feels his team can get on another run like the start of 2010 and a good finish in the Town Fair Tire 150 can kick that streak off.

"The car is fast and the guys are doing a great job, we're just not getting the finishes for one reason or another," said Santos. "The season is still long enough where a good finish can really turn things around for us and get some good momentum on our side. No one on the team is giving up and everyone feels like we can do it. There's no reason why [the Town Fair Tire 150] can start to get things turned around for us and no reason why we can't go on another run like we had to start 2010. It feels good to be going back to a track where we've run well in the past and having confidence in the track is definitely a good thing."

Stafford has been a good track not only for Santos, but for the Mystic Missile team as well. In the 18 races held at Stafford since the start of the 2007 season, the #4 car has recorded 7 wins, 12 top-5, and 15 top-10 finishes with Donny Lia, Chuck Hossfeld, and Santos as the teams' drivers. Santos shares his thoughts on what it will take for him and the team to record another victory at Stafford.

"I think that whoever wins the race will have to stop and put tires on," said Santos. "We finished third in May without pitting and Ronnie [Silk] won the race without pitting, but that's because the 125-lap distance is right on the edge of if you have to pit or not. I think someone might try to go the whole race Friday night if they have a good enough car, but I think the winner will make a pit stop for two or three tires. Depending on how your car is handling will determine if guys go for two or three tires. Stafford is a track where short pitting can win you the race, so you might see some guys come in early for tires. But the cars are so close now and everyone pretty much has the same equipment, so track position is going to be important on Friday night."

Tickets for the 21st Annual Town Fair Tire 150 are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office and are price at $30.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $32.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.

For more information, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.

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