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‘A dream come true’: Hometown hero Teddy Hodgdon scores emotional first Modified Tour win at Stafford

Brandon White

(Photo: Chris Dehney/NASCAR Regional)

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Stafford Speedway on Friday evening was a day Teddy Hodgdon was eagerly looking forward to.

A good portion of Hodgdon’s childhood was spent at Stafford watching the track legends do battle around the storied facility. Hodgdon would eventually get a chance to write his own history at Stafford, racking up numerous accomplishments that included an SK Light Modified track championship in 2019.

RELARED: Complete results from the GAF 150

Hodgdon had to wait seven years after his 2019 championship for a chance to chase a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at his home track. When that time came Friday evening, Hodgdon did not let it go to waste. He charged from 23rd on the starting grid to win his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.

An emotional Hodgdon was in disbelief as he climbed out of his No. 05 in Victory Lane, elated that his small, family-owned team bested the giants of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the track that defined him.

“This has been so many years in the making,” Hodgdon said. “I knew qualifying in the back was going to be an uphill battle, but as soon as we got through the first turn, I knew we had a piece tonight. My mentality at the beginning was to pick guys off and try to get the best track position we could for the pit stop.

“We made some changes with the tires and this thing was lights out after that. I fought the hardest 16 laps I could during the last run. I can’t believe that just happened.”

Entering Stafford, Hodgdon had seven top 10s through the first 12 races of the season. Given his previous experience at Stafford, Hodgdon knew there was an opportunity for the GAF 150 to be his best NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race yet.

Hodgdon set the quickest time in the first practice of the day but could not back that speed up in qualifying. Disappointed but not deterred, Hodgdon went to work when the green flag waved, surviving a first corner crash that collected numerous contenders before patiently working his way to the front.

With 25 laps remaining, Hodgdon was pulling away with a comfortable lead. Then the caution waved with less than 20 laps left after Stephen Kopcik spun off the front bumper of Matt Hirschman, who would line up second for the ensuing restart.

The restart was a near-disaster for Hodgdon, who spun the tires and lost the lead to Hirschman, though he quickly regrouped and gave chase.

Hirschman was unable to withstand Hodgdon’s pressure and conceded the top spot only a few laps later. While Hirschman would have loved to win at Stafford for the first time with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, he commended Hodgdon’s drive and felt he was deserving of the victory.

As for the contact with Kopcik that triggered the final yellow, Hirschman said it was unintentional despite their past encounters throughout the season.

“I sent it in the corner and didn’t have enough grip in the right front there to hold it,” Hirschman said. “Slid up and got into [Kopcik] a little bit. I’ve gone around twice this year off his front bumper. I wasn’t intending for that to happen, but I’ll at least own it. He didn’t do that at Riverhead and it cost us about the same amount of spots.

“If I really wanted to return any kind of payback, I would have just done it.”

Being able to beat so many other talented competitors for win number one in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was a surreal moment for Hodgdon. Many of the drivers in Friday's field were racing at Stafford when Hodgdon’s own career there was beginning during the late 2000s.

Hodgdon never imagined that two decades of hard work and sacrifice would lead to a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Stafford. There were even times when running an event in the series at Stafford seemed far-fetched to him.

Patience paid off for Hodgdon in the most rewarding way possible. He'll now be forever recognized as one of the select few to win a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Stafford, which he achieved by besting a legend like Hirschman.

“Everyone knows Matt [Hirshcman] is one of the greatest Modified drivers of all time,” Hodgdon said. “I tried to race him with as much respect as I could, but I knew that me and this orange No. 05 was a hard combo to beat. I’m so speechless right now. This is truly a dream come true.

“I don’t think you could have wrote a script better.”

Chase Dowling came home third, with Justin Bonsignore placing fourth after being involved in the crash on Lap 1. Patrick Emerling finished fifth to regain sole possession of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship lead.

Jon McKennedy, Kopcik, Mike Christopher Jr., Eric Goodale and Paulie Hartwig III were sixth through 10th, respectively.

Only three events remain on the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. Next up is the Toyota Mod Classic 150 at New York's Oswego Speedway, which takes place next Saturday at 8 p.m. ET and will air live on FloRacing.