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NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

Entry List, Preview NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour New Hampshire

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will race for 100 laps on Saturday alongside the Cup Series …

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour begins the second half of the championship points schedule at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, with the Eastern Propane & Oil 100.

The series joins the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy Cup Series for a full weekend of racing in New England.

Bobby Santos III is the odds-on favorite to visit Victory Lane on Saturday.

The Franklin, Massachusetts, driver may have no laps this season, but he’s teaming up with Dave Sapienza at one of his best tracks, and it’s hard to bet against him. Santos has won three of the last four at New Hampshire — all of them for Tinio Motorsports.

The 2010 Whelen Modified Tour champion will step behind the wheel of the Tommy Grasso-prepared machine looking to continue his NHMS glory.

The championship points battle turns towards the track with the largest car counts. One mistake could cut into Doug Coby’s 31-point cushion. The Milford, Connecticut, veteran has four wins in 31 career starts at NHMS, but has finished outside the top 10 in three of his last four. When he does win on the ‘Magic Mile,’ Coby is normally at the front of the field more than just the final lap. He’s led a combined 183 of 400 laps in races where he went to Victory Lane.

Off his third straight win at Riverhead, defending tour champion Justin Bonsignore jumped to third in the standings, and enters a place where he’s had success of late. Bonsignore has top-10 finishes in six of his last seven starts, including-three straight of sixth or better. In September’s inaugural Musket 250, Bonsignore led 77 laps, and led the field into Turn 3 for the final lap before a crash sidelined him. If he wants to continue his climb back towards Coby in the standings, New Hampshire will be the prime opportunity.

Three drivers will compete in Saturday’s 100 lapper and Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman has two wins at NHMS, with the most recent of them was in 2010. He won the pole for the Eastern 100 last year, and Preece, who won the All-Star Shootout in 2017, has no points wins at the 1.058-mile oval. Former two-time Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss will also make his Monster Energy Cup Series debut driving for Rick Ware Racing on Sunday, but will follow his deep modified roots driving for his family operation in his familiar No. 70 on Saturday.

RACE FACTS

RACE: EASTERN PROPANE & OIL 100
PLACE: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.
DATE: Saturday, July 20
TIME: 1:45 p.m. ET
TELEVISION: FansChoice.TV live broadcast (1:45 p.m.)
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.058-mile oval
2018 WINNER: Bobby Santos III
2018 POLE: Ryan Newman
EVENT SCHEDULE: Friday — Garage Opens 8 a.m.; Final Practice 10-11:40 a.m; Saturday Garage Opens 7 a.m.; Qualifying 9 a.m.; Autograph Session 10:30 a.m.; Eastern Propane & Oil 100 1:45 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

  1. Doug Coby Ldr.
  2. Ron Silk -31
  3. Justin Bonsignore -32
  4. Craig Lutz -65
  5. Woody Pitkat -67
  6. Eric Goodale -73
  7. Patrick Emerling -74
  8. Chris Pasteryak -79
  9. Jimmy Blewett -89
  10. Timmy Solomito -91

ENTRY LIST

1 01 Melissa Fifield Kenneth Fifield
2 1 Jeff Rocco Eddie Harvey
3 2 Doug Coby Mike Smeriglio III
4 3 Matt Swanson Jan Boehler
5 06 Sam Rameau Randy Rameau
6 6 Ryan Preece Ed Partridge
7 7 Jon McKennedy Tommy Baldwin
8 07 Patrick Emerling Jennifer Emerling
9 14 Blake Barney Richard Barney
10 16 Timmy Solomito Eric Sanderson
11 18 Ken Heagy Robert Pollifrone
12 20 Max Zachem Bruce Bachta
13 21 Jimmy Blewett Joseph Bertuccio
14 23 Jacob Perry Jason Sechrist
15 24 Andrew Krause Diane Krause
16 25 Calvin Carroll Joe Carroll
17 26 Gary McDonald Season Mcdonald
18 32 Tyler Rypkema Dean Rypkema
19 33 Wade Cole Wade Cole
20 34 J.B. Fortin Nicole Fortin
21 35 Andrew Molleur Mike Molleur
22 36 Bobby Santos III Judy Thilberg
23 38 Kyle Ellwood Linda Rodenbaugh
24 45 Timmy Catalano Dave Catalano
25 46 Craig Lutz Russell Goodale
26 47 Joey Mucciacciaro Frank Mucciacciaro
27 51 Justin Bonsignore Kenneth Massa
28 54 Tommy Catalano Amy Catalano
29 57 Todd Cooper Bryan Dauzat
30 58 Eric Goodale Edgar Goodale
31 64 Rob Summers Mike Murphy
32 70 Andy Seuss Steve Seuss
33 75 Chris Pasteryak Charles Pasteryak
34 77 Ryan Newman Mike Curb
35 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Steven Sutcliffe
36 82 Woody Pitkat Danny Watts Jr.
37 85 Ron Silk Kevin Stuart
38 92 Anthony Nocella Anthony Nocella
39 97 Bryan Dauzat Bryan Dauzat
40 99 Chase Dowling Cheryl Tomaino

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