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TSI Harley Davidson 100
TSI Harley-Davidson 100. Photo by Howie Hodge.
After a near month-long break in the schedule, NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour returned to Stafford Motor Speedway for the running of the 19th annual TSI Harley-Davidson 100.
For the third stop on the 2009 schedule, 37 cars attempted to qualify for just 31 spots. Of the cars taking time, the No. 90 team posted the 21st fastest time of the session.
Following qualifying, while the cars were sent to impound, Renee went to Stafford’s midway and participated in an autograph session.
Set to start the 100-lap race on the favored inside line, the No. 90 car unexpectedly required the assistance of a push truck to get started following driver introductions. After the jump, the car appeared normal – then completely lost power as the field was coming to the green.
“I don’t know if the battery died – and I don’t mean lost its charge – or if we had a short in the main electrical switch, offered Renee (the team has since learned a plate in the battery was knocked loose as a result of the accident during the previous race causing the battery to short). “Regardless, it ended our day before we even made a single lap. We obviously had no indication of a problem prior to the start of the race.”
“I should have guessed the day would turn out like this,” she continued. “We were out in Chicago on Thursday night for a reception for our sponsor – UNION Insurance Group – and our flight out (on the first flight available on Friday morning) was delayed. Luckily, we got out – but our plan didn’t go smoothly. Then, once we got to the track, we had problems in practice.”
“The May Stafford race is always a short field and, in the past, we haven’t even qualified for this race. We’ve worked hard to better our performance at Stafford and to have this happen is frustrating, to put it mildly.”
With another lengthy break in the schedule, the team will next head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the June 27 running of the New England 100 – a support race to the weekend’s headlining Sprint Cup race.
Short-lived Sizzler
The Whelen Modified Tour made its first of four stops at Stafford Motor Speedway (Stafford Springs, CT) on Sunday, April 26. Sunday marked the 38th running of Stafford’s annual ‘Spring Sizzler’ event.
The weekend opened, for the WMT, with a mid-morning practice session on Saturday. Time trails followed and, despite a dreaded early draw (the car was just the 6th to take the track) – of the 36 cars on hand – the No. 90 team qualified 23rd fastest.
On Sunday the team participated in Stafford’s Pit Party. The hour-long event provided the thousands of fans in attendance with the chance to meet their favorite drivers and get an up-close look at the cars that would take to the track that afternoon.
Starting the 200-lap race from the favored inside lane, the team stuck to their strategy of just trying to stay out of trouble.
“We approached the race conservatively. We just wanted to stay on the lead lap for the first 150-laps. Then, the plan was to go racing for the last 50,” explained Renee.
Despite a good plan, the day quickly unraveled following contact with the 32 car – on just the 22nd lap. Following a solid trip into the outside retaining wall in turn four, the car was removed from the racing surface – with the aid of two wreckers.
The No. 90 car comes to rest with right-side damage. Photo by Howie Hodge.
“I thought we gave him plenty of room. Apparently not. I don’t know if he got loose and came up into us or if his spotter just cleared him too soon. I don’t really know what the deal was, other than it was way too early for something so stupid to happen.”
Regardless, the team will have the opportunity to try it all again as they return to Stafford on Friday, May 22 for their next WMT event – a 100 lap race. For more information on the event, please visit Stafford’s website.