Setting The Scene: 2017 Whelen Modified Tour from Stafford

Two races remained in the 2017 season when the NASCAR Whelen Modifeid Tour arrived at Stafford Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 1 for the NAPA Fall Final 150. It was shaping up to be one of the closest championships in the history of the tour. Six drivers arrived at Stafford within 35 points of the leader, Doug Coby. RACING-REFERENCE: 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results  Coming off his third straight Whelen Modified title, the Milford, Connecticut, driver led Justin Bonsignore by 11 points and Timmy Solomito by 14. Rowan Pennink and Ryan Preece, each SK Modified champions at Stafford, were 17 and 26 points back, respectively. Long Island’s Eric Goodale was sixth, 35 out of the lead, but still in the hunt with two races remaining. The tour was coming off a race at New Hampshire that was won by Bobby Santos III and featured a shakeup in the standings. Pennink finished second, Bonsignore fifth and Goodale sixth, while Coby wound up 14th. He was still able to take the points lead from Preece, though, as the Berlin, Connecticut, driver missed his second race of the season. Preece missed the New Hampshire event to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway the same same. Jon McKennedy piloted the No. 6 T.S. Haulers Chevrolet to an 11th-place finish at New Hampshire, to keep car owner Ed Partridge in the hunt for the tour’s owners championship. In May, Preece missed the rescheduled race at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia, when the makeup date conflicted with his wedding. He arrived at Stafford looking for as season sweep of the historic half-mile, having already won the Spring Sizzler in April and the August race. He also had picked up wins at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and New York’s Oswego Speedway. Meanwhile, Solomito had won four times, Pennink went to Victory Lane in April’s Icebreaker at Thompson, and Coby extended his streak of seasons with at least one win with a victory at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway. The only contender without a win heading into the race? Goodale, who had picked up his second career victory in 2016 with a breakthrough performance at Bristol Motor Speedway.