DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 8, 2009) \u2013 The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a racing series steeped in history. Whether you trace its roots to the beaches of Daytona in 1948, or the paved banks of Thompson, Conn., in 1985, there is plenty of history and tradition to go around. The present-day incarnation of that tradition will be on full display as the Tour heads to Thompson International Speedway to crown the 2009 champion.<\/p>\n
The World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart \u2013 the finale for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour\u2019s 25th season \u2013 will see two of the most notable teams in the history of the New England Modified racing battling for the trophy. Donny Lia, pilot of the No. 4 \u201cMystic Missile\u201d Dodge owned by Bob Garbarino, will take a 26-point lead on Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 3 \u201cOle Blue\u201d Chevrolet, of the famed Boehler family.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool \u2013 this being the 25th season [of the Tour] \u2013 and the two longest running teams going for the championship,\u201d Preece said. \u201cIt just goes to show you that experience helps a lot to contend for a championship.\u201d<\/p>\n
The only two Modifieds that carry a nickname, the Nos. 4 and 3 have been around longer than any other teams. Garbarino fielded his first \u201cMystic Missile\u201d in 1961, nearly a quarter of a century before the present-day Whelen Modified Tour was founded. \u201cOle Blue\u201d dates back even further as legendary car owner and builder Len Boehler founded the team in 1957.<\/p>\n
Garbarino\u2019s dedication to NASCAR Modified racing through the decades was finally paid off in 2007 when Lia delivered the longtime owner his first championship. The No. 4 has featured a host of notable drivers in the seat through the years, but the pairing of Lia with the team in 2007 resulted in the perfect combination to bring home the trophy. Garbarino, who was recently selected as a 2010 inductee for the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, has only the utmost respect for the No. 3 team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been parking alongside of them for a long, long time, and anything that\u2019s in my truck they can have, and I think that goes the other way too,\u201d Garbarino said. \u201cI\u2019m happy for them \u2013 I\u2019m glad that they\u2019re in the running for this whole deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garbarino reasoned that because the teams have been so close through the years, it will be tough for one to leave Thompson disappointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI almost wish it was any other car in the pit area [in championship contention],\u201d Garbarino said. \u201cI consider those guys all good friends \u2013 and this won\u2019t change the friendship at all \u2013 but somebody\u2019s going to win and somebody\u2019s not going to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now in their sixth decade of Modified competition, Boehler Racing Enterprises continues to be a stalwart. The cars built by Boehler \u2013 a 2004 NEAR Hall of Fame inductee \u2013 produced NASCAR Modified national championships in 1967-69 with Bugs Stevens behind the wheel. \u201cOle Blue\u201d earned another three-peat in the mid-1990s as Wayne Anderson (1994) and Tony Hirschman (1995-96) captured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titles. And while Len passed away in 2001, his widow, Jan, and son, Michael, have sustained the family tradition.<\/p>\n
Like Garbarino, BRE President and Manager Michael Boehler has mutual respect for the competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cBob and his wife Joan are great, great people \u2013 they\u2019re first class,\u201d Boehler said. \u201cThey\u2019re always the first ones there to lend a hand if something goes wrong. They\u2019re positive, encouraging people, and they\u2019ve given their life to the sport like we have. There\u2019s not many of those families left that do that, so it\u2019s just great that it\u2019s the \u201cMystic Missile\u201d against \u201cOle Blue\u201d [for the title].\u201d<\/p>\n
The significance of the two teams competing for the title is not lost on the drivers either, even though they are only in the second year with the respective teams.<\/p>\n
Following his win at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on Oct. 4, Lia acknowledged the history of the two cars that will battle for the 2009 championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 3 car and the 4 car \u2013 they\u2019ve been around forever \u2013 and are a big part of Modified history,\u201d Lia said. \u201cSo for me, whether I was driving the car or not, I think it\u2019s pretty cool that those two cars are going for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Lia is already part of \u2013 and will look to add to \u2013 the history of the \u201cMystic Missile,\u201d the 18-year-old Preece is just in his second year behind the wheel of \u201cOle Blue,\u201d and his third year of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really happy that the 3 car is where they are, and that we\u2019re going for the championship together,\u201d Lia said. \u201cHe\u2019s a good kid, and he\u2019s got a great future ahead of him. Hopefully we can hang on and win it, but if they do, that\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
The young Preece is well-versed in Modified history. His grandfather \u2013 Bob Judkins \u2013 was a longtime Modified car owner.<\/p>\n
Lia can clinch his second Whelen Modified Tour crown by finishing fifth or better at Thompson, but with Preece just 26 points out, there are a number of scenarios that will make every lap important in the season finale.<\/p>\n
The World Series of Speedway Racing presented by Xtra Mart will commence with practice and qualifying for the Whelen Modified Tour on Saturday, Oct. 17. The 150-lap race is set to go green on Sunday, Oct. 18 at approximately 3:30 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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