The UIG crew services the No. 90 machine. Notably, the car came to pit road in 16th position - and rejoined the race in 12th. Howie Hodge photo.
This past weekend NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour made its fourth and final visit to Stafford Motor Speedway (Stafford Springs, CT) for the 38th annual Carquest Fall Final event.
For the No. 90 team, an uneventful practice session took place on Saturday morning; with time trials taking place later in the afternoon.
The team began race day by participating in the ‘Carquest Belts & Hoses Pit Party.’ Following the meet and greet – which took place on Stafford’s front stretch – the team prepared the car for pre-race inspection.
As scheduled, the green flag waved for the 150-lap WMT event at 3:15 PM. After an initial caution the race went green for about 30 laps. While running somewhere in the top-20 the team opted to stay out before taking fresh rubber. When the caution waved on lap 101, the team brought the car to pit road.
“The guys busted out a great stop, getting us back out on to the track sitting just outside the top-10
From that point on, the race never went green for more than seven laps, as several hard wrecks happened throughout the field. During the melees the No. 90 team both lost and gained positions but crossed the line in the 12th spot when the final caution of the day waved on lap 143. Unfortunately, the car crossed the line with significant damage. Following an extended red flag, the car finally returned to pit road for repairs. With all the damage to the right rear, the team had a difficult time getting the wheel off the car – losing a lap in the pits.
“In the end, it was probably a good thing we went down that lap in the pits. With the rear bent, that axle probably would have snapped – and our day would have been significantly worse. All considered (the rear end was bent – as were three wheels – and the front end was way out) – I guess the finish wasn’t horrible – nor was it an indication of how our day was shaping up.”
In the final rundown, the team was credited with a 14th place finish. For those who were unable to make it out to the track, the event will air on Tuesday, October 5 at 7 PM EST on Versus.
With a two week break – and lots of work to do to the car to get it race-ready – the team will next be in action on Sunday, October 16-17 for the season-ending race at Thompson International Speedway (Thompson, CT).