TED CHRISTOPHER
2007 SK  MODIFIED®
CHAMPION 		COREY HUTCHINGS
2007 LATE  MODEL
CHAMPION
Click here to return to SMS Online Home Page
Links, Photo Gallery, Race Video Sales, Downloads Fairgrounds Restaurant, Directions, Accomodations, Aerial Photos, Overnight Camping, SK Modified Story, Track History Points Standings, Power Ratings, All-Time Feature Winners Lists, Rookie Points Standings, New England Regional Standings SK Modified, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock Team Directories Stafford Motor Speedway's Marketing Kit Race Schedule, Season Tickets, Special Event Tickets, Rules and Restrictions, Ticket Order Forms SMS Online Classified Ads SK Modified, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, DARE Stock, Whelen Modified Tour, & Busch East Race Results

TED CHRISTOPHER WINS 17th ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND DODGE DEALERS 150

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jason Christley - NASCAR PR
August 11, 2007

Stafford Springs, Conn. – With a motor that overpowered clutch problems, Ted Christopher broke a year-long winless streak on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour by holding off Todd Szegedy to win the the New England Dodge Dealers 150 Saturday night at Stafford Motor Speedway.

It was Christopher’s seventh win at the track where he is the all-time winningest driver and the points leader in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series’ SK Modified Division. But it was his first trip to Victory Lane on the Whelen Modified Tour since Aug. 17, 2006 at Thompson (Conn.).

Christopher (No. 36 Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet) battled runner-up Szegedy (No. 2 Wisk/Snuggle Ford) and third-place finisher Mike Stefanik (No. 16 Diversity Metals Pontiac) during several restarts over the final 38 laps. Christopher said that his clutch was slipping on each restart.

“I had to start in fourth (gear),” Christopher said. “I figured if I stayed on the bottom, if (Szegedy’s) going to go to the outside, he can go outside.”

Christopher led 58 laps before pitting on lap 76. He quickly worked his way back up front and retook the lead on lap 114.

“It was fun,” Christopher said. “I passed a lot of cars and had a lot of fun.”

Doug Coby, making his first start of the season for the No. 77 Race Against Cancer Foxwoods/Subway Pontiac, finished fourth.

Donny Lia (No. 4 Dodge), who won the first two Whelen Modified Tour stops of the season at Stafford, was fifth. Matt Hirschman, Jerry Marquis, Eric Beers, Jimmy Blewett and Woody Pitkat rounded out the top 10.

Pitkat, the national leader in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series standings, won his fourth straight SK Modified feature at Stafford earlier in the night and was the Whelen Modified Tour’s Sunoco Rookie of the Race. Szegedy took the lead briefly on restarts on lap 126 and 138, and each time Christopher was able power back in front.

“I was really strong on every restart,” Szegedy said. “But Teddy, the motor he’s got in that thing – he’s got power. I could have blocked him, but there was no sense. He would have gotten by eventually.”

###