MODIFIED MINUTE – EPISODE 22: “IS THIS A DREAM?”

WEBVTT
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We are out of this week on the modified minute.
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I was racing with him.
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I ran side by side with him probably 10 laps.
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And the amount I learned in that just from racing next to him and watching how he does stuff and you know just learning.
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It's just you always got something to learn from, and there's always somebody better.
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I remember going to like the Sizzlers in the fall final as a kid.
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My dad would take me, and I would stand right at the fence, and they would have all 32 guys lined up on a mini mile, you know, staged up, ready to go.
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And you know, that those are some of my core memories, you know, growing up and watching racing, like, I want to do that one day.
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Steven knows what he's feeling.
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So it does make it it gives him a little bit of an uh uh an advantage in the communication department.
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Because as you know, it's harder to build a team than it is to build a race car.
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And the communication between the driver and the crew chief has got to be spot on to make the adjustments.
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Well, when you're in the car and you're making the adjustments in the seat, um I'm not gonna say it's easier because he's got tire sizes at different air pressures in his head while he's driving.
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Um he's he's trying to remember where the pan arm bar is.
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He's got so much stuff he's processing while he's trying to drive the car.
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All that.
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Along with Hot Dog of the Week and Throttle Down.
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So tighten those belts because this week's modified minute is next.
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They're called the Mod Squad.
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Ground Pounders.
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The men that live by the grace of God and 600 horsepower.
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They are open-wheeled race cars slung low to the ground and ready to rumble.
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Flag in the air.
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Here comes Dolpino to the inside.
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This is the Modified Minute.
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Go inside the world of modified racing with Jack O'Root.
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Modified Minute is brought to you by Wadell Communications, the official track type radio supplier for the mod squad.
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By mid-state type development, safety, knowledge, and innovation.
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By Wheelers Auto Services, the finest in top-level service of premier automobile makes and models.
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By Humble Brothers Quality Meets.
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100% quality since 1933.
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By Riverhead Buildings to Fly.
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Build Smarter.
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Build better.
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By Mr.
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Reuter Fleming.
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Expert Fleming contractors you can trust by SteinPro, exceeding your expectations.
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And by Ferguson contractors, building excellence since 1925.
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Here's Jack.
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Passion defines us.
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It is passion that drives us to excel.
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Now, this week on the Modified Minute, we're going to look at how passion defines our three guests.
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Nick Kopsick has been at the side of his son from the very beginning.
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Together, they've risen up the modified ladder, and their passion is always on display center stage.
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Unlike a lot of teams, though, Steven both drives and calls the shots as far as setups and race adjustments.
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You'll meet Nick this week and learn how this modified fruit she field works for their team.
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Tyler Barry got his passion from the sport from his father, Ken, and his grandfather Art.
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Their company Staffco is one of Modified Racing's top chassis operations.
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Tyler has spent his entire life embracing his family's racing passion.
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Teddy Hodgson's passion started when, as a little kid, he sat in the stands at Stafford Speedway with his dad and watched his modified racing heroes.
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He nurtured that passion and climbed the racing ladder.
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It came full circle when Teddy scored his very first career NASCAR wheel and modified tour victory in the series return to Stafford after a five-year absence.
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You'll meet all three this week on the Modified Minute, but first, let's get you up to speed.
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Time to get you up to speed in the modified world.
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Up to speed is brought to you by Mid-State Site Development.
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Mid-State, safety, knowledge, and innovation.
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The weekend kicked off at the Stafford Speedway, where the Wheel and Modified Tour returned for the first time in five years for the running of the GAF 150.
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But before they took to the half mile, the Trax SK Modified cooked it out for 40 laps.
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At the point, the point of the arrow, it is still Dylan Izzo.
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Izzo has company in the front of the field.
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Alex Pearl and Anthony Plannery.
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They're three wide down the back straightaway.
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Plannery finds a hole to the bottom.
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Izzo in the middle.
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Pearl up top comes out with the lead.
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Thanks tight up once again at the front of the field as well off two.
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Plannery has closed into within half a car length.
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It seems like he's better in turns one and two.
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Able to get up to Pearl's back bumper, but Pearl seems to have a slide extra three and four and plannery bottoms out of it.
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It's been over a year since he has lapsed into the nap the victory lane.
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He's up front now.
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White flag is out.
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No one's surrendering among those top four positions.
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Let's go with them around the tracking final circuit.
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Pearl looks for his second career victory in the SK Modified turn number three.
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In the breeze, plannery has one final shot, closest to it to the car length off of turn number four.
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Not close enough.
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Alex Pearl wins the 40 Lab SK Modified feature event here tonight.
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I hate losing when I have a winning race car in the last couple weeks.
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We've been losing with the losing car, so uh you had talked to me the last couple weeks.
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We've been we've been really struggling, so this week.
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Uh completely different setup other than what I've driven my entire mod SK Late SK career.
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So I just want to thank uh everyone back at the shop for dealing with my cranky ass.
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And um, yeah, this is awesome.
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I I didn't think we'd back be back here tonight after practice.
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Um thanks to my crew again for dealing with me.
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And uh yeah, this feels awesome to be back in SK Victory Lane on such a big night.
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Then it was the SK Light can construct their stuff.
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Amanda West comes off of turn number four as our pace setter with Casey Vogue to the outside lane.
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West does not come up the speed, they scatter around her as they go to turn one.
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Casey Vogue is the leader of the pack.
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Matt scramble behind.
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Casey Vogue leads, but the back bumper is full of Nick and Glaze, who has a run coming off a turn two, poked the nose out going into three, quick the bottom chop.
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Boop, anglaise goes for the lead.
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Battle for the lead, still side by side.
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Anglaze to the inside of both.
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Anglace with the lead, but go both go for the crossover.
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Anglaze just at the fastest lap of the ring.
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Robert blocks in the third, trying to move around Peter Bennett just behind them.
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Tyler Perry, way out of shape, but Sammy Anderson goes for a ride.
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That card nearly goes upside down in the 21.
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Fortunately, it comes back on down on all four wheels, but a wild ride for Sammy Anderson here on the front straightaway.
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The remaining competitors come off of turn number four.
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We're looking for the restart.
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There it is.
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Green flag is up.
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Nick Anglais will bring the field back to turn number one.
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The boat card is outside.
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Nick Ganglaze to the inside of Casey Boat.
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Amanda West to the bottom of Dylan Hogan.
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One through four, tightly bunched to try.
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They are locked up nose to nose at the front of the field with the advantage going this time by the Nick Anglais by a nose.
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White flag is out, one lap to go.
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Nick and Glaze will break it up.
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It's a car link between the front two.
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Boat goes into the corner hard, but he slides up the track.
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I'm not big Glaze.
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Says I got a two carlink advantage.
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Now Boat's gonna have to hold off both West and Houghton as Anglais meets the charge.
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Looking for his seventh win of the season off of turn number four, as Amanda West gets out of shape further back.
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Nick Anglais takes the checkered flag and the SK Light modified victory here tonight.
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And uh the Facebook post that I got a lot of hate for last week.
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It was supposed to be a message that we're coming here to kill.
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Like we're on kill mode for the rest of the year, and uh I started thinking about points for a little bit, and I lost, you know, what I came here for, which was the wins.
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So uh I stopped caring about points and look what happened.
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The curtain closer was Nashcard Wheeler modified tour for 150 laps on the Connecticut Half Mile.
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Here they come, the fans have risen from their seats.
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We are green and racing here at Stafford.
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The GAF Riverhead Buildings machine is now underway.
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Oh, contact up front! Austin Beer spins in front of everybody, and we have a mess at the bottom of the racetrack.
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John McKennedy was involved in the third got a beat, and the caution comes out on the very first lap as the front row come together.
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New front row, Andrew Moller, Steven Copsick, inside and out as they go to turn one.
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They make their way to the first corner, two by two, Dowling on the inside, Justin Bonsignor and the outside, but Bonsignor with great roll in the center of the corner gets out ahead of Dowling, he's clear with the bleed.
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Dowling is second, but here comes Copsic on his outside.
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But here comes Coptic, full move to the inside, complete change of turn two.
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The classic high low mention we see here.
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Stafford Hodgin has a run, made a little contact with Copsick, going for another bottom three.
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Keeping an eye on Jonathan McKennedy, further back, just out of the top ten.
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As the race leaders are once again side by side.
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Steven Copsick, Teddy Hopkins, the nose to turn one.
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Fantastic battling up front.
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Copsick will not replen.
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He has a drive off a turn two that allows him to get a nose up front.
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But back comes Hodgson down low.
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They're side by side again.
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Here they come off the turn.
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They sway to the left, sway to the right.
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At the stripe, it's still Coptic, but for how long?
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Hodgson is here, he'll take the lead.
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Here we go.
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Hodgin taking Coptick up the track, out of the groove, and Hodgson takes the lead.
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Copstick goes around, trying to save it, couldn't do it.
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Off of turn four, green flag is back out.
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Hodgson nearly gets turned by Christopher the button who goes to the inside for second, and Hirschman goes to the lead.
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And Hirschman jumps up the track and that opens the door for Teddy.
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If he can stay on the throttle off a two, he does.
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He gets a nose up alongside.
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They're side by side for the lead.
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Teddy Hodgston throws it in at a ton.
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Off turn number four.
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Teddy Hodgson by almost a bumper, but that Hirschman leads him at the line.
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Side by side into the first turn.
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Hodgson, he is clear.
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He takes the lead from Hirschman.
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Off turn number four.
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Teddy Hodgson, one of our old, a graduate here at Stafford.
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The fans are jumping up and down in their seats.
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He has won.
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This has been so many years in the making.
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And I knew qualifying in the back was just it was gonna be an uphill battle, but as soon as we got through the first turn, I knew we had a piece tonight.
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I mean, I can't put in the words how much gratitude and sacrifices and everything that every single one of my crew members and my family have done to get me to this position starting right here at Stafford, 2008 of the Wild Thing cards.
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I could have never imagined that almost 20 years later that we're here.
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Winning a tour of a NASCAR tour modified event.
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It's just you know, this is the my closest track to Home Danbury, and coming up here watching these cars as a kid and then able to race the track and progress through the rankings.
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Man, I I don't think you could have written a script better.
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On Long Island's Riverhead Raceway, it was their great modified, going at it for 25 laps.
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Green flags in the airs were underway.
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Vinny Delaney would have got a four-car lead.
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Still knows to tell Vinny Delaney, Richie DeVidowitz, AJ DeSantis, Michael Vernon outputting pressure on AJ DeSantis.
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Two to go here, Vinny! Devidowitz putting heavy pressure on, hits it a little high there.
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Boom with the rear bumper of Vinny Delaney.
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He's gonna get the white flag this time by looking to the outside now.
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Richie Davidowicz.
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White flag, one more lap to go here.
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Did that be the final nail in the coffin for Davidowicz?
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He got loose there at a four! The wash up, Delaney still struggled down the back straight away.
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Carwin's advantage! Through three and four, and out of turn four, Vinny Delaney holds on! He'll win the crate modified feature event.
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You know, we've been we've been struggling with this car since we bought it, but you know.
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Finally got the following night at the Waterford Speed Bowl, it was CWPM night featuring twin 35 lap features for the track SK Modified.
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The first modified main was won by Nicholas Hovey.
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We've been pretty mediocre recently, and uh somebody was talking craft to my spotter Brandon Medino over there, and uh I took that pretty personally, so I think we caught him this week.
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We I took that personally, we really got this thing going.
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Jonathan Julio was second and Dotto finished third.
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Before the next SK Division race, it was the track's SK lights on the third file, and the winner was Evan Brigord.
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We got a couple weeks off here.
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Man, terrible year.
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Then it was time for the SK modified second 35 black paint, and Anthony Flannery cruised to a four-second margin of victory, beating Jonathan Julio and Nicholas Hub.
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Oh, we had a great car.
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Um, right from the rip, and uh I don't know, it was just it was perfect.
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I got nothing else to say.
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So now you are indeed up to speed.
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Here's a look at the championship chases brought to you by SignPro, exceeding your expectations.
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The Wheel and Modified tour standards got shuffled after status.
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Patrick Emmerlin took sole possession of the championship league with his fifth place finish.
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Boston Beers, who finished 15th, dropped to second 10 points behind.
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While John McKennedy's sixth place finish moved in to third in the standing.
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Next up for the tour is this Saturday at the Oswego Speedway.
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September 5th also sees the Smart Modified Tour back on the track with Danny Bone, Ryan Newman, and Jake Crumb leading the standing.
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The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series gets back into action on September 6th at the Waterford Speedbowl.
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So until then, Jonathan McKennedy, Ronnie Williams, and Ron Silk remain in the top three.
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On the local track scene, Thompson Speedways remain the same as their next event isn't until the middle of September.
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In Stafford's SK lights, Nick Ganglace's victory in Tyler Barry's accident blew Ganglais back to the top of the standings.
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Barry drops to second, 21 points behind, with Dalton McCarthy in third.
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In the track's SK modified standings, Keith Rocco padded his lead over defending track champion Jonathan Puglio.
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Julio now trails Rocco by 66 points, with Marcello Rafano listed in third.
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At Riverhead Raceway, the Great Modified were back in action, where A.J.
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DeSantis leads Michael Berner and Richie Davidwitz, who are tied for second by just eight points.
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The track tour type series was idle, so Owen Grennan leads Mark Stewart, Chris Young, Chase Grennan, and Matthew Brody.
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RB3 Robert Flox in the third enjoys a 57-point lead in Waterford's SK Lights Division.
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Kevin Davis is second, and Will Anderson sits third.
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They are followed by Kevin Cormier in fourth and Melania Shaloski in the fifth spot.
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The race in the tracks SK division is a little bit tighter, with Anthony Flannery on top by 15 points over Todd Owen and by 25 over Nicholas Hubby.
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Heath Rocco and Timmy Jordan round out the top five.
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The Barry Racing legacy has deep roots in modified racing.
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Hall of Famer ArtBerry provided championship-winning mounts for a host of drivers.
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His son Ken has carried on his father's legacy and has now passed the torch to his son Tyler.
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Let's meet Tyler Barry.
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This is SK Soundings, brought to you by Wheelers Auto Services, the finest and top-level service of Premier Automobile makes and models, specializing in European, Japanese, and domestic vehicles.
00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.880
So Tyler, welcome to the show.
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Good to have you on board.
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Let me go way back.
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What is your first memory?
00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:38.319
What racetrack did you first end up going to as a little kid?
00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:28.880
How are you doing in improving your racegraft?
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:40.559
I watched my films alive, post great videos, John, Austin John, and even all the other guys watching the tour drivers.
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:51.039
You always can learn something.
00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:54.400
I don't care who you are, you can always learn something from watching somebody else.
00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:59.200
You've changed the championship in the FK life and you won it before.
00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:02.480
Um I talked to your dad in a previous episode.
00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:07.920
And he said, Look, we went modified rating.
00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:13.119
And you were in a very, very young and impressionable age.
00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:17.359
And he said, you know, in a lot of ways, he told me that a couple of weeks ago.
00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:23.599
In a lot of ways, you were going to be able to do it.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.119
I we would like to do, you know, SKDs and stuff like that.
00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:06.240
Just it's a financially it's a big jump for us.
00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:07.200
We tried it.
00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:10.079
We we can run an SK at 15.
00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:11.279
We don't want to run 15.
00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:12.240
We want to win.
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:21.119
So we can uh we can delight so we can spend you know the money and still be able to run up top where we think we should be, you know, top five car every week.
00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:26.799
And the SKs, we like it's just so people don't realize too, just not even money is how much more time.
00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:29.839
You know, you're running double lapse, so there's double maintenance.
00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.079
It's just all of that adds up to a lot.
00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:36.960
And um again, I I'd love to go race on the wheel and tour and stuff too.
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:39.440
It's just it's the big jumps and stuff.
00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:47.440
And if at this point of my career, I'm I'm probably not going to NASCAR Cup Series racing, and I don't know if I want to.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:51.759
I'm having a lot of fun racing with my dad here, running SK lights and stuff like that.
00:22:51.920 --> 00:23:02.720
So at this age, I'm you know, I'm in this point in my career, I'm just we're having a lot of fun doing this, and we can still go and you know, dad and I can still go bass fishing if we want to after after the shop.
00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:08.960
And we're when we were running the Wheel and Tour a couple years ago, him and I were at the shop until 9, 10 o'clock almost every night working on it.
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:09.920
It's just that it's a lot.
00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:11.359
People don't realize.
00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:15.759
You've established yourself as one of the true superstars in the SK Lights.
00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:21.839
You won an SK Lite championship, and now you're chasing after your second championship.
00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:24.000
It kind of took a big hit on Friday night.
00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:28.400
Tyler Berry way out of shape, and Sammy Anderson goes for a ride.
00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:31.759
That car nearly goes upside down in the 21.
00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:38.559
Fortunately, it comes back on down on all four wheels, but a wild ride for Sammy Anderson here on the front straightaway.
00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:40.000
What happened?
00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:45.920
Um I think it's just normal SKO8 racing, to be honest, is or even SK racing.
00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:53.440
I'm not trying to put a bad name on SKLA, it's just it's when you run good, you gotta start in the back with the handicap system, which is it's awesome.
00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:54.160
I love that.
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.599
It makes it so you're not it makes it awesome for the fans to watch.
00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:59.839
People fast guys gotta work for it.
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.440
And it just happened where on Friday night I just had bad lanes.
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:06.079
Every time I went in the lane, it was the wrong decision for me.
00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:22.000
And uh it just got to the back, and then probably maybe a little over-aggressive drive and trying to get back up a little bit and um made contact with another car that ultimately got me loose, and then come across in front of other guys that just gave us too much damage to finish the race.
00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:33.759
Strikes me, though, that there's still time for you to gain on Anglais, and it it's almost like a scenario, it's like deja vu all over again from when you won the SK Lite title.
00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:38.400
Tyler Chapman picks up the race win here tonight in the SK Lite modified.
00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:42.799
Tyler Perry is your 2022 SK Lite champion.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:43.440
Exactly.
00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:47.839
It's uh it's we've said it all year, it's just consistency.
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.759
You gotta finish races, and that's even a thing, Glace.
00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:54.960
I was behind up until last week, I was behind him.
00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:58.160
He had he had a bad race and I got in front of him.
00:24:58.240 --> 00:24:59.599
Now it's I got a bad race again.
00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:12.079
We've him and I both had the same amount of bad races, so now it's just whoever can get to the front of the field and gets there faster, I think, is gonna be able to get the more points tonight and see get ultimately win the championship.
00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:15.279
It's just that's what makes it so much fun at this point of the year, too.
00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:17.599
Is you know, obviously Anglais has a really fast car.
00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:18.559
We have a really fast car.
00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:20.559
Even the other guys right close behind us.
00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:22.480
I think McCarthy's pretty close too.
00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:23.680
Anything can happen.
00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.440
So it that's what makes it fun.
00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:31.920
It's just us guys, uh, us top five guys just driving as hard as you can, driving your hearts out, trying to get to the front.
00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:43.200
Tell me about how you and your dad decided to uh take choose the color scheme that uh they have now referred to as the Sharpie highlighter color.
00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:47.039
It it's it's a fluorescent yellow, to be sure.
00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:52.400
Yeah, we've always had some sort of the yellow most of the time on the cars.
00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:57.680
Just uh this actually goes back to COVID when I was on iRacing a bunch.
00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:01.680
I was doing this Legend Car League, and it was actually televised on YouTube.
00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:08.880
So my dad was watching, and one night for some reason I always liked the Menage car, the uh Matt Crafton's truck.
00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:15.759
And so I made just a yellow paint scheme with black numbers, and dad liked the fact how you could just pick it out of the field.
00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:18.079
No matter where you were, you were seeing it.
00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:29.759
And we just kind of want to change it up a little bit this year, and um we still, you know, same colors, same number schemes, stuff like that, but we just tried it, and the more we wrap, the more we liked it.
00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:31.039
And so we just keep going.
00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:33.440
I think it's gonna be stick around for a couple more years.
00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:42.559
So if we we were, you know, it was kind of a gamble at first of how much we'd like it, but the uh I guess it kind of fits because we call that this car I'm running now the gambler.
00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:46.079
So I guess the uh the gamble of the paint scheme fits the car.
00:26:46.640 --> 00:27:00.480
You know, I I was wandering around the pits and uh watching your operation on Friday night, and I noticed you putting some tape on the hood of the car and then writing things down.
00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:02.400
What is that all about?
00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:07.119
So that is um just air pressures and tire sizes.
00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:14.000
That just we so we leave each night's got their own tape for practice, heat race feature on it.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:20.480
Um, and then we leave that on there because we run it escalates here to three races on the same set of tires just about.
00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:22.160
So we leave that on there.
00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:28.160
So next week all I gotta do is look to see what air pressures I ran, and okay, the stagger closed up an eighth of an inch.
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:32.240
Now I can adjust air pressures from that, and just look my notes are right on the car.
00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:39.119
I write on there what's sent, because you know, we got practice tires, heat rays, feature, you know, playing the games, trying to keep laps off tires.
00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:44.400
That you um that's an easy way to keep track of how many laps are on the tires as well.
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:54.319
Dude, I gotta tell you though, your your chicken scrawl, your handwriting, uh I don't think you have to worry about somebody going over there and trying to find out what's written there.
00:27:54.480 --> 00:28:07.359
And it it it harkens back to your dad, your grandfather always had a tradition that whoever drove for him, it was the driver's autograph signature that went on over the driver's door.
00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:13.839
But then it came time for you, and you showed your grandfather your signature, and then what happened?
00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:22.480
Yeah, so we'll start that story from the beginning of like you said, he every driver, you know, their nice signature on there.
00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:29.039
And it got to right when I think I was around 15 or so, right when I could start driving it.
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:36.960
Because we knew I probably would have waited a little bit longer if I could have, but we saw Grandpa, you know, he's getting a little bit slower, so he wanted to do it before we couldn't.
00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:52.720
And um, so he says to me one day, and this is I was sitting up actually right in there in his living room with him, and he's he's hey, go get a piece of paper and just sign your name on there so you can have Tommy scan it in there and print it out.
00:28:53.039 --> 00:29:00.480
So I go over and I sign it, and up until probably my legend cars, I was just printing my name as my autograph.
00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:04.880
So I really wasn't good and you know, and I didn't really learn cursive.
00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:08.720
I I like school, I didn't mind math, didn't like English.
00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:12.079
So English and whenever we learn cursive, I wasn't really paying attention.
00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:15.279
So I, you know, I sign a piece of paper, hand it to him.
00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:19.599
He looks at it and he goes, We'll just stick with whatever you guys got going on.
00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:24.559
He uh said it wasn't legible enough.
00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:26.240
That's okay.
00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:29.839
Listen, as long as you can turn left, as long as you can win features.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:32.799
I know your grandpa's up there smiling from ear to ear.
00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:33.200
Oh, yeah.
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:34.960
Listen, Tyler, we wish you the very best.
00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:38.559
Appreciate your coming on board, and good luck for the rest of the season.
00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:41.519
It's gonna come right down to championship night, I'm sure.
00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:42.960
Oh, yeah, it definitely will.
00:29:43.039 --> 00:29:45.119
It's uh that's what makes it fun, honestly.
00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:52.400
Is uh, I mean, yeah, it's nice when you can go into the championship and just finish the race and win the championship, but let's be honest.
00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:54.559
Who wants to see what would the fans want to see?
00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:58.880
Us racing side by side for the win or me sitting around just trying not to get wrecked.
00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:07.599
Well, I'm glad I'm glad you like math because it may take some math just to uh to add and subtract and figure out at the end of the final championship.
00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:09.920
Thanks so much for joining us here, pal.
00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:11.119
No problem.
00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:12.319
Thanks for having me.
00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:18.160
Okay, it's now time to reveal this week's modified minute hot dog of the week.
00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:20.480
Someone who stood above the rest.
00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:27.759
Brought to you by Humble Brothers, Quality Meet, the top dog in modified racing.
00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:31.680
100% quality since 1933.
00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.079
I'm card.
00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:49.200
From there, he scored a wedge discourse both titles.
00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:52.160
And then he moved to the track SK lights.
00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:56.720
2019 60 championship title with five distance.
00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:01.440
But from there, a 50 SK modified just zero wins.
00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:06.720
And when he moved into the wheel modified tour, he went zero for seven feet.
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:15.680
That record does finish Friday night when NASCAR's modified to it, returned to staff for the very first time in five years.
00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.960
Qualifying for Jettix, well, it was underwhelmed.
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:24.880
But when they got the green, Hodgson started moving forward to the last 100 class.
00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:27.279
Hodgson held off all comforts.
00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:38.720
Off turn number four, Teddy Hodgson, one of a row, the graduate here at Stafford.
00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:41.440
The fans are jumping up and down in their seats.
00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:46.160
He has won the GAF Riverhead Building Supply 150.
00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:51.759
That's why Teddy Hodgson the Fourth is this week's hot dog of the week.
00:31:57.839 --> 00:32:01.920
Stephen Kopstick earned a reputation as a master setup guy.
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.720
To this day, even when driving, he is the ultimate decision maker.
00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:11.279
His dad, Nick, mans the pits and works with Steven's ideas.
00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:14.880
It's a unique setup between crew chief and driver.
00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:18.319
Let's learn more in this week's Crew Call.
00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:29.200
It's Crew Call, brought to you by Ferguson Contractors, building excellence since 1925.
00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:32.160
I want to go back in time.
00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:38.720
Uh, we all it's well documented the success that you and Steven have had climbing up the ladder.
00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:44.400
But long before that, when did you first get involved in this in modified racing?
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:47.119
I dabbled a little in the 90s.
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:52.799
Um I have a neighbor, uh Fran Principe Jr., that used to race at Riverside Park.
00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:58.400
Um, so back when I was 14, 15, 16, he was down the street from my house.
00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:04.720
And so, you know, they would drive the car down the street, turn around in the driveway, across the street, and come back and sparked my interest.
00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:08.720
And I ended up hanging out down there a little bit, but not really doing too much.
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:16.079
Um, they were they were definitely a hands-on team, they had their own group, so I kind of just watched and you know what they were doing and learned.
00:33:16.160 --> 00:33:22.400
They had an Evans chassis, and they used to scale the car on grain scales, so it's you know, all old school.
00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.359
Um, but uh didn't really do much with that car.
00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:37.279
And then uh I ended up you know buying my gas station and um getting involved with uh Gary Gadosh with the 2X.
00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:45.359
Uh he had just bought that car uh from Bobby Judkins with the chassis and everything, uh chassis jig and all that.
00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:48.319
And I would work on that car over his shop.
00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:57.359
We put up a big garage, the whole nine yards, and uh did a lot of fabricating and work on that car there.
00:33:58.079 --> 00:34:00.960
Not really much, not really much with the setup.
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:03.279
Um he used to have Mr.
00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:10.880
Judgments come up and tell him what to do with the car and set it up, and it was just you know, turn this, adjust that, tweak this, you know.
00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:12.559
Hey, that's how you learn.
00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:14.400
That's how you have to learn, you know?
00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:16.400
Yeah, way different back then.
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:18.800
I mean, not not that it's different, uh it's different.
00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:22.239
We use strings and jack stands, now we're using lasers.
00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:25.119
Um it's all the same, it's just quicker.
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:27.360
And a little more sophisticated for sure.
00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:32.000
Yeah, and the strings are great, they work fine, they're just as straight as a laser.
00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:34.639
You just uh everything's gotta be put where it's gotta be.
00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:36.000
Laser's gotta be put straight too.
00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:38.480
If it's not squared in chassis, it's useless.
00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:52.960
So but then along the way, uh, you know, Steven comes along, and I found it interesting as I was researching pictures and things of that nature, that you two are involved in some of the success that Doug Kobe had.
00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:58.880
You guys were involved in the success uh up at New Hampshire uh with Chase.
00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:08.239
It's and and that ran did that run in parallel with Stevens starting to turn turn the wheel as a driver too.
00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:13.199
Actually, um he was he was well into driving at that point.
00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:24.320
Um before that, back in 2012, uh probably, I don't know, maybe actually even a little before that, uh, I helped out Michael Jarvis at Stafford.
00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:28.400
Um he won the 2012 Czech Championship there.
00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:31.920
Uh and Steven was up here, up at the races every week.
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:40.159
They called him the squirrel because he ran around like darting all over the place doing stuff, putting tires on, twerking the wheels, anything we asked him to do.
00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:44.559
Um, he really paid attention and and learned what was going on.
00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:49.679
Um, we were doing go-karts uh in 08, 09, 1910.
00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:51.760
Then we moved up to the legend car.
00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:55.840
Um, we were doing that at Waterford and then going to Stafford Jarvis.
00:35:56.159 --> 00:35:59.760
Um, and then obviously we moved up to SK Lights.
00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:05.760
And I'm trying to remember exactly when um we ended up going to see Phil.
00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:09.519
It was right around when Zegetty left and Kobe came in.
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:16.559
Um his shop was in my in our hometown and um didn't even know it was there.
00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:21.119
I remember going over there and and checking it out and talking to Phil.
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:34.239
And you know, Steven was already going in and out of there talking, you know, he really looked up to Phil and Phil, you know, you know, would show him some stuff here and there, and they got to be good friends, and they are good friends now.
00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:38.000
Um and then I started hanging out there for a little while.
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:46.800
And then uh Phil's, you know, I just kind of watched and saw what he was doing, and then I would help him with this, help him with that.
00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:55.440
And you know, I know when you look when he left, Phil, whatever somebody touches on the card, he goes over it, which is what I do and Steven does.
00:36:55.599 --> 00:37:01.920
And um, but uh eventually he got you know, he gets to trust people and he's got people working with him.
00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:04.719
And I remember Steven says, Dad, you gotta stop going over there.
00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:07.119
Uh you're gonna start bothering him too much.
00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:10.800
And I asked Phil, you know, and he bothered, he says, No, no, absolutely.
00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:14.079
I love the I love the company, and then we got to be pretty good friends too.
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:20.559
So um, and then you know, we Stafford is where we shine, that's what we did.
00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:29.679
We focus on you and the SK lights, um, then moved up to the SKs, and then uh, you know, moved on to the open cars.
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:44.960
Yeah, let's talk about that for a moment because along the way, I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, my friend, because Steven became very, very well known, not as an ace driver as much as he could set up a race car.
00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:50.000
Now you move to the modified, it's really your son that's calling all the shots.
00:37:50.239 --> 00:37:52.800
Explain to me how that dynamic works.
00:37:53.119 --> 00:38:05.119
Well, I mean, what better uh than the driver knowing exactly what he wants and actually knowing what adjustments he wants to do.
00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:13.119
Working with Phil and Kobe, you listen to Kobe telling Phil Kobe would never talk on the radio, he'd get back in the pits and he would talk face to face.
00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:15.519
He wouldn't, they don't want anybody to know what was going on.
00:38:15.679 --> 00:38:24.800
Um, and they would discuss where they needed to improve, and Phil would make the adjustments, and I don't so much think that Doug knew what the adjustments were.
00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:28.000
He just knowed that the car went in the right direction.
00:38:28.400 --> 00:38:45.039
Stephen knows what he's feeling, so it does make it, it gives him a little bit of an uh uh an advantage in the communication department because as you know, it's harder to build a team than it is to build a race car.
00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:51.599
And the communication between the driver and the crew chief has got to be spot on to make the adjustments.
00:38:51.679 --> 00:39:02.880
Well, when you're in the car and you're making the adjustments from the seat, um I'm not gonna say it's easier because he's got tire sizes at different air pressures in his head while he's driving.
00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:08.320
Um he's he's trying to remember where the pan arm bar is.
00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:13.519
He's got so much stuff he's processing while he's trying to drive the car.
00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:19.039
Um which isn't as big a deal, I think, in practice as it is in the race.
00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:32.000
Um in practice, you're single file, you're you're you know, you're doing your thing and maybe picking some different lines, trying to figure out what the car uh handles better, and then what we can do to fix the car.
00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:35.199
Um and then you know, sometimes it's chaos.
00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:39.119
You know, the practices have been a little bit short and a little bit rushed.
00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:46.400
Um but um when you have a plan to stick to it, it's a lot easier.
00:39:46.719 --> 00:39:49.760
So but he's not the only one.
00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:53.280
Matt Hirschman does it and John McKennedy is doing it.
00:39:53.599 --> 00:40:00.320
Um I mean, you'll see Steven and Matt with the notepad on the steering wheel during practice.
00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:04.000
You find yourself in a role during the course of the race.
00:40:04.320 --> 00:40:21.679
Are you translating or are you trying to give him maybe some different perspectives and inputs for him to then process and come up with the well the the the the the direction of attack for adjusting on the race car during a caution?
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:33.199
Um I try to bounce stuff off of them, but the problem you got is you gotta be careful because when you start throwing too much stuff at him, it confuses them.
00:40:33.679 --> 00:40:35.679
Um so we don't want that either.
00:40:35.920 --> 00:40:45.199
So, you know if I because I'll I'll go out and try to watch the car, not as much as I used to, because I don't need to.
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:46.960
He he knows what he's feeling.
00:40:47.039 --> 00:40:48.480
He comes in and tells me.
00:40:48.719 --> 00:41:02.480
Um you know, back in the day, I watched the car and see that the car was tight or it was loose, and he'd come in and tell me it was tight or loose, and um, you know, and we'd make adjustments from there.
00:41:02.639 --> 00:41:04.800
But uh I don't need that.
00:41:04.960 --> 00:41:07.599
He's got he he knows what he needs.
00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:16.800
And now it's just a matter of okay, we're gonna put a turn of wedge in it, take a turn of wedge out, we're gonna lose the sway bar, we're gonna change the sway bar, we're going up in the springs, we're going down in the springs.
00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:18.960
There's a couple different things that we need to do.
00:41:19.119 --> 00:41:22.079
Um, we've been trying different shocks.
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:27.360
Um, this this new tire, um, everybody's, you know, we're learning on it.
00:41:27.440 --> 00:41:30.320
You know, we're learning, American Racer's learning.
00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:39.280
Um, you know, we've been working with them uh extensively trying to make their program uh more fitting to our modifieds.
00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:47.280
I don't know if you're ever gonna have a driver that's 100% happy, unless they can flat foot their car all the way around the track.
00:41:47.599 --> 00:41:52.000
But, you know, because it's it's it is what it is.
00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:54.320
Um right now it's what we're dealing with.
00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:02.559
Um they're working pretty damn good hard to uh uh make everybody happy and and you know we want to make sure the fans are happy.
00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:04.079
That's that's where we're heading with that.
00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:16.480
So Nick, it's gotta be gratifying to see the way your son has risen up the ranks and how the two of you have been able to share a passion for modified racing and have success in it.
00:42:17.119 --> 00:42:25.599
Well, it's it definitely it's there's no greater feeling than watching your kids succeed in life at anything they do.
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:36.239
Um and everything they've done in life, I've gotten involved with, whether it was scouts or baseball or you know, this the modified racing, the whole family raced go-karts at the Berlin.
00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:41.599
Uh we were at Nagan Shelton and then moved up to the Bernaline Lions uh club there.
00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:48.159
Steven's the one that took it and and he was washing the carts all week long, prepping everything.
00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:49.760
He he'd work several nights.
00:42:49.920 --> 00:42:54.719
The other my other boys, you know, would do less work on the car, and and you know, they would race.
00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:57.840
One of my oldest boy would race and he did really well.
00:42:58.000 --> 00:42:59.760
My youngest boy, it was tough.
00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:04.880
I had to pick a practice or a feature for him to get on there, and he would just kind of putt around and wave.
00:43:04.960 --> 00:43:06.480
And he, you know, he's five years old.
00:43:06.719 --> 00:43:08.800
So, you know, he's having fun.
00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:10.880
He gave me the he give me the thumbs up.
00:43:11.199 --> 00:43:14.559
I can that's all I can, I can only be happy that he's happy.
00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:17.360
Um, but Steven took it to a different level.
00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:29.519
I mean, we used to argue in the beginning, because we worked on the cars at our in my garages here at the house, and um he would take the car apart every week and wash it.
00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:43.519
Wash the panels, put the panels in the you know, in the other bay and let them dry, and then he'd wash the frame and go over and nut and bolt everything, and then we'd put the whole car back together typically on Thursdays and scale the car for Friday.
00:43:43.599 --> 00:43:46.320
And uh, that's on a week that the car's not wrecked.
00:43:46.800 --> 00:43:52.480
And Thursday, you know, when I got home from work, we had to wash the trailer.
00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:56.960
And we would fight because I'm like, we don't need the trailer if the car's not put back together.
00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:58.960
It's all part in my garage.
00:43:59.440 --> 00:44:01.599
And He would get it done.
00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:05.519
I mean, he would get it all done and and he would scale the car.
00:44:05.599 --> 00:44:08.000
We were working with Mike Piquette closely back then.
00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:22.800
So Mike would come over and scale the car in our garage and uh down the road we ended up at his shop and and Steven worked closely with him and learned a lot from Mike and then uh um he just took everything to a different level.
00:44:22.960 --> 00:44:25.840
I mean, everything he does is top-notch.
00:44:25.920 --> 00:44:29.519
He doesn't skimp on anything, but I mean I give him a hard time about it.
00:44:29.599 --> 00:44:40.400
He'll spend, you know, an extra 45 minutes on a uh panel on the car making it perfect and standing the edges, and that's just the way it is with everything on that car.
00:44:40.559 --> 00:44:42.480
And that panel may make it one race.
00:44:42.880 --> 00:44:45.360
You never know, you know, you know modified racing.
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:53.599
So Well, listen, it's it's a real treat uh to see the success that you've had and that he is continuing to have.
00:44:53.840 --> 00:45:03.920
I laughed when he told me where he was gonna put the grandfather clock, but I got a s I got a sneaky suspicion there's gonna be a few more grandfather clocks in his future.
00:45:04.239 --> 00:45:07.760
Wish you the very best of luck, and uh we'll catch up with you down the road.
00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:08.880
Thanks for answering.
00:45:09.280 --> 00:45:09.679
No problem.
00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:10.880
Thank you, Chad.
00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:21.760
Stafford Speedway uses a handicap system, which means that event winners always start towards the rear of the field and have to work their way to the front.
00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:25.679
That's the case in this week's Throttle Down.
00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:33.199
This is Throttle Down Time, where you get to ride along inside a modified.
00:45:33.440 --> 00:45:40.800
Brought to you by Waddell Communications, your Northeast track side dealer for radios and repair.
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:50.239
Ride on board with Michael Christopher Jr.
00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:52.400
inspired Market Cross.
00:51:03.039 --> 00:51:03.519
Everywhere.
00:51:04.079 --> 00:51:05.840
Good luck! Good beats don't go.
00:51:10.079 --> 00:51:13.519
I did a little bit of uh angle, I need to wrap it up.
00:51:16.800 --> 00:51:19.599
Yep, I'm gonna just need to crack this about by myself.
00:51:22.960 --> 00:51:24.480
I got another dope, man.
00:51:28.159 --> 00:51:29.440
Oh, might it's right.
00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:33.119
Good thing we played then, didn't take right out.
00:51:34.719 --> 00:51:35.599
Yes, sir.
00:51:37.840 --> 00:51:55.199
Keddy Hodgden I fourth went from Tiger Sprints and Legends cars to SK Lights, SK modifieds, open modified, the Monaco modified Tri-Track series, and NASCAR's Wheel and Modified Tour, where he is competing for this year's Rookie of the Year honors.
00:51:55.840 --> 00:52:03.440
In many ways, his career has been built around one track and one goal, winning at Stafford Speedway.
00:52:03.920 --> 00:52:14.960
Friday night, his career came full circle when he scored his very first career victory in the Wheel and Modified Tours running of the GAF Riverhead Building Supply 150.
00:52:15.440 --> 00:52:18.559
He is in this week's Racer Spotlight.
00:52:18.800 --> 00:52:23.840
Today it's Racer Spotlight Time brought to you by Riverhead Building Supply.
00:52:24.800 --> 00:52:27.679
Build better, build stronger.
00:52:28.880 --> 00:52:35.679
Deep in the turn number three, off turn number four, Teddy Hodgson, one of our own, a graduate here at Stafford.
00:52:35.840 --> 00:52:38.320
The fans are jumping up and down in their seats.
00:52:38.480 --> 00:52:39.280
He has won.
00:52:39.440 --> 00:52:41.360
Well, Teddy isn't sunk in yet.
00:52:41.760 --> 00:52:47.440
The fact that you are now a Stafford Wheeling modified tour winner.
00:52:48.079 --> 00:52:49.840
Uh honestly, not really.
00:52:50.079 --> 00:53:04.320
Um you know, uh coming on to uh to the wheeling tour for the uh as a rookie for uh full time this year, you know, we we knew there was gonna be some challenges and um Yeah, we we've had some ups and downs, you know, some decent runs.
00:53:04.400 --> 00:53:16.320
Uh during the summer we've had a stretch of top tens, you know, uh bolstered our uh our position within the standings, within the driver's standings, and um, you know, we just haven't had that that breakout race, right?
00:53:16.400 --> 00:53:19.199
And to to really contend for for a shot of the win.
00:53:19.840 --> 00:53:35.039
Um we unloaded pretty fast as Stafford, you know, top five in both practices, which is which is pretty good for us, but then um qualifying this year has just been seemed to be our our our weak point, and uh I don't know what it was, we were just super locked down and super tight.
00:53:35.280 --> 00:53:51.519
Um but I made a call just to revert back uh uh our changes to to what we unloaded with, just just you know, start from scratch, and if if we're if we're bad, we can come in early and and and make a change, but uh, you know, the thing was lights out from there.
00:53:51.840 --> 00:53:56.480
It was it we were picking off cards one by one and just uh, you know, the thing was a rocket.
00:53:56.800 --> 00:53:58.639
Dude, it was more than lights out, okay?
00:53:58.880 --> 00:53:58.960
Right.
00:53:59.199 --> 00:54:00.639
The way you carved your way to the front.
00:54:00.800 --> 00:54:17.599
In fact, I should inform you that uh you have been awarded this week's hot dog of the week, quite simply because anybody that can go from 23rd to not just win by a squeaker, but to dominate deserves that hot dog designation.
00:54:17.760 --> 00:54:20.000
I want to go back for just a minute, though.
00:54:20.559 --> 00:54:24.880
You basically got the racing bug in Wild Thing Carts.
00:54:25.280 --> 00:54:32.559
You've been let's put it this way you've been part of the extended Stafford Speedway family since you were about five years old.
00:54:32.880 --> 00:54:40.239
Did you ever in your wildest dreams imagine that you would reach the highlight that you experienced on Friday?
00:54:40.800 --> 00:54:45.920
Well, I mean, that was always my dream was to even just start in a wheel and race.
00:54:46.079 --> 00:54:59.360
I mean, I remember going to like the Sizzlers in the fall final as a kid, my dad would take me, and I would stand right at the fence, and they would have all 32 guys lined up on a mini mile, you know, staged up, ready to go.
00:54:59.599 --> 00:55:05.599
And, you know, that those are some of my core memories, you know, growing up and watching racing, like, I want to do that one day.
00:55:05.760 --> 00:55:13.280
And um I'm super grateful and lucky that I got the opportunity to just even go into carts and start at Stafford, which is huge, you know.
00:55:13.519 --> 00:55:26.559
And uh ran carts for uh six years and won championships and and moved up, and we ran Legends for a couple years in the mini mile, and then I've run Stafford every year of my modified career from lights to now.
00:55:26.719 --> 00:55:29.920
So um, yeah, it's it's the closest track to me.
00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:33.760
Um I truly call it my own track, and it it's just super special.
00:55:34.000 --> 00:55:36.880
You know, 2019 you talk about super special years.
00:55:37.199 --> 00:55:42.320
That indeed was wonderful for you and the family, winning the SK Lite modified.
00:55:42.559 --> 00:55:55.280
Then you got rookie of the year in the SKs, but uh what went into the thought process, Teddy, of of moving out of the SKs and tackling what we call air quotes, the tour type modified.
00:55:55.840 --> 00:55:56.159
Right.
00:55:56.400 --> 00:56:04.159
Yeah, so when we won the the SK Lite Championship, you know, natural progression, uh, we got hooked up with Mike Pettit um and and got an SK engine.
00:56:04.320 --> 00:56:06.239
So we we moved up in 2020.
00:56:06.639 --> 00:56:16.159
And man, I I thought it was gonna be hard, but I did not expect SKs to be as ruthless and it competitive as they are.
00:56:16.719 --> 00:56:26.400
They take no prisoners, you realize that it's a whole nother breed of of racing, and I it slapped me right in the face and knocked me down as as many times as it could.
00:56:26.719 --> 00:56:29.920
It it it you know it it it honestly humbled me.
00:56:30.079 --> 00:56:41.440
So um you know, learn learning and and and trying to overcome those two years were hard, but it it it it made me the person and the driver that I am today uh having that experience.
00:56:41.760 --> 00:56:58.559
Uh so we were dealing with with with Mike Pettit um with the SK stuff and he had a a really good deal on an open motor for the 2022 season, and I didn't really know if I was ready to make that step, but uh with the help of great partners um and my family we were able to uh purchase that engine and and put it in.
00:56:58.800 --> 00:57:22.079
And uh our first race with that was ended up going to Speed Weeks in 22, and uh we had we had a poll, uh like three or four top fives, like it was it was it was a it was a very good progression from from our bad years of SKs, and then right out the gates we were running with the front runners there, so uh we knew we had something with that motor and just you know progressed my career from there.
00:57:22.719 --> 00:57:33.360
During that period before you went full time this year, changing the rookie of the year on the tour, as I say, you you won a race at Cheekon in the uh Monaco modified series.
00:57:33.599 --> 00:57:45.280
Were there ever frustr frustrating moments where you looked at it and said, Hey, you know, maybe maybe I am shoveling you know what up against the tide here and need to go back and reset?
00:57:46.480 --> 00:57:53.440
I mean, I I don't know if I'd say that, it's just it's everybody's like every competitor is putting their heart and soul to this, right?
00:57:53.519 --> 00:58:04.800
There there's so many good guys and so many good teams that are putting a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of effort into this deal that if you're not 110% on your A game, it's you know, you're not gonna finish well.
00:58:05.039 --> 00:58:19.039
And you know, try having that time at the shop and really learning the car and and and understanding what changes you're gonna do and and how you can be as soon as you unload off the trailer is was huge.
00:58:19.199 --> 00:58:30.159
And uh over the last couple years, especially this year, I've spent an incredible amount of time like digesting and and and working and trying to really understand how this modify will go.
00:58:30.320 --> 00:58:33.840
And um yeah, it's it it was tough.
00:58:33.920 --> 00:58:52.559
Like like you said, it it there were some a lot of downs, uh a lot a lot of a lot of wrecks and crashes and you know unfortunate mishaps that that shouldn't have happened, but it's you know having it all culminate into into on Friday is is truly special, and I I honestly wouldn't have had it any other way.
00:58:52.960 --> 00:59:03.599
I witnessed a moment while you were getting out of the car, which you did not happen to see because you were busy getting all the accolades, but it was between your mom and your dad.
00:59:03.840 --> 00:59:06.880
And they embraced each other and started to cry.
00:59:07.119 --> 00:59:12.159
And I I get emotional thinking about it, and all your dad said to your mom was, We did it.
00:59:12.400 --> 00:59:13.360
We did it.
00:59:15.360 --> 00:59:18.800
You know, it's it's truly it's truly, truly, truly a family effort.
00:59:18.960 --> 00:59:23.280
I I absolutely would not be in a position in this position if it wasn't for those two.
00:59:23.440 --> 00:59:31.760
Um they've they've given everything every single you know thought and and and time and effort.
00:59:31.920 --> 00:59:33.840
They they're the best.
00:59:34.000 --> 00:59:36.639
I I I would not be here without them.
00:59:36.719 --> 00:59:38.480
So I I I give it all to them.
00:59:38.639 --> 00:59:44.880
I I do it for them, and um, you know, it was it was great that we could do it with our car at our home track.
00:59:45.119 --> 00:59:46.400
With both of them being here.
00:59:46.800 --> 00:59:51.840
It was it's as I say, it's a moment I won't forget, and I was very humbled just to even witness it.
00:59:52.159 --> 00:59:55.199
Alright, so the major question is what are you doing with the trophy?
00:59:55.360 --> 00:59:56.480
Are you sleeping with it?
00:59:56.880 --> 00:59:59.519
Do you have it do you have it on display somewhere?
00:59:59.760 --> 01:00:03.039
Give me the update on your first modified tour trophy.
01:00:03.360 --> 01:00:06.159
Well, yeah, we we we took a couple pictures with it when we went home.
01:00:06.320 --> 01:00:11.119
We we actually stopped at uh the local diner by the shop and we had it on display there.
01:00:11.599 --> 01:00:16.719
Um and you know, a couple pictures with it sleeping in bed, you know, just just like the messy photo, right?
01:00:16.880 --> 01:00:20.880
But no, we have it right next to our uh our Monaco trophy from Seaconk.
01:00:20.960 --> 01:00:23.039
Those are the two front and center, the biggest ones.
01:00:23.119 --> 01:00:27.679
So, you know, right as soon as you walk in the front door to the family room, you you you can't miss it.
01:00:27.760 --> 01:00:30.800
So um, yeah, just just just super excited.
01:00:31.119 --> 01:00:33.119
It was amazing to see the crowd.
01:00:33.360 --> 01:00:41.199
Um it had been five years, and uh certainly to have you then cement a hometown boys victory.
01:00:41.440 --> 01:00:49.119
Um when you look at the entire evening, discount for a minute that you won, because that makes it special.
01:00:49.360 --> 01:00:49.599
Right.
01:00:50.079 --> 01:00:54.000
How do you assess the return of the Wheel of Modified tour to Stafford?
01:00:54.559 --> 01:00:57.679
I mean, I haven't I haven't seen a crowd like that, to be honest with you.
01:00:57.840 --> 01:01:05.039
Probably since the inaugural SRX, and even before that, like there's those stands were absolutely packed.
01:01:05.519 --> 01:01:07.280
It was it was a great atmosphere.
01:01:07.519 --> 01:01:19.760
Um yeah, pulling up to the start grid and having uh, you know, Ben Dodge and Kyle Ricky announce our names and and watching for the crowd reactions, it was you know it was special.
01:01:19.920 --> 01:01:26.639
It it it it put some it put a little like you know, not anxiousness, but like there's a real feel to this race.
01:01:26.880 --> 01:01:49.280
And and I feel like I don't know if Stafford's been missing that, but that's you know, that's the type of energy that I want when I when the Open Mods and the Tour Mods show up and there's a big race to be put on, and and that was very nice to see, and just thankful to to all the roots and everyone at Stafford for allowing the tour to come back because that's you know, that that was a great showing by everyone.
01:01:49.599 --> 01:01:56.800
Across the world, certain places invoke indescribable feelings joy, uncontrollable laughter, or maybe a simple smile.
01:01:57.039 --> 01:01:59.440
All different, but somehow all the same.
01:01:59.760 --> 01:02:10.000
The emotion becomes tangible, almost as powerful as the feeling of the ground pulsating thanks to the fire breathing, 600 horsepower modified that call Stafford Speedway home.
01:02:10.239 --> 01:02:15.360
For more than 100 years, racing has been a tradition in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.
01:02:15.599 --> 01:02:24.880
From horses and buggies to specially built race cars, Daredevils have been coming to the historic half mile for decades, hoping to turn ordinary into extraordinary.
01:02:25.119 --> 01:02:32.639
They've come from states like New Jersey and Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, or as far away as North Carolina and Florida.
01:02:32.880 --> 01:02:40.400
From towns like Chamon, Riverhead, Danbury, and Northampton, or Milford, Richmond, Holtzville, and Iceland.
01:02:40.719 --> 01:02:41.760
They come here to race.
01:02:41.920 --> 01:02:43.119
They come here to win.
01:02:43.360 --> 01:02:47.840
They come here to be among legends, they come here to become legends.
01:02:48.079 --> 01:02:49.760
This isn't just any racetrack.
01:02:49.840 --> 01:02:51.760
This is where the modified's roar.
01:02:52.000 --> 01:02:54.639
This is where Stefan and Christopher and Evans reigned.
01:02:54.800 --> 01:02:56.239
This is where history is written.
01:02:56.480 --> 01:02:58.239
Well, we couldn't be happier for you.
01:02:58.400 --> 01:03:02.079
Proud to have a hometown boy win the return of the modified tour.
01:03:02.159 --> 01:03:06.800
And I do sincerely appreciate you taking some time to be here on the Modified Minute.
01:03:07.039 --> 01:03:08.000
Well, of course, Jack.
01:03:08.079 --> 01:03:08.800
Thank you very much.
01:03:10.960 --> 01:03:20.320
For this week's either or, we recruited Sammy Anderson to tackle this week's edition, which, by the way, is a special technology edition.
01:03:21.199 --> 01:03:26.320
It's either or, where our guest must choose one or the other.
01:03:26.480 --> 01:03:27.760
Brought to you by Mr.
01:03:27.920 --> 01:03:32.480
Rooter Plumbing, expert plumbing contractors you can trust.
01:03:32.960 --> 01:03:35.679
This week it's a special technology edition.
01:03:36.000 --> 01:03:44.079
Alright, Sammy Anderson, seeing how you're a Gen Zier, I thought this episode of Either Or might be right up your alley.
01:03:44.239 --> 01:03:45.679
Now here's how it works.
01:03:46.000 --> 01:03:47.360
I give you two choices.
01:03:47.519 --> 01:03:50.960
I ask you either or, and you choose one.
01:03:51.280 --> 01:03:53.039
So let's get right down to it.
01:03:53.360 --> 01:03:59.119
On the uh electronic edition, YouTube or Instagram.
01:04:00.239 --> 01:04:00.559
YouTube.
01:04:02.159 --> 01:04:06.320
Audio podcasts or video podcasts.
01:04:07.440 --> 01:04:08.559
Video podcasts.
01:04:09.039 --> 01:04:09.440
Why?
01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:22.639
I like this is gonna sound crazy, so I I'm not uh I'm very hard on hearing very badly.
01:04:22.800 --> 01:04:26.079
Um I I definitely blame cars for that.
01:04:26.639 --> 01:04:30.480
And I like the video podcasts with the subtitles on.
01:04:31.039 --> 01:04:31.199
Sure.
01:04:31.519 --> 01:04:32.800
And then I can follow along.
01:04:33.280 --> 01:04:35.119
They do say that your generation.
01:04:35.599 --> 01:04:41.280
Um, not only that, but on streaming services, they all turn on the closed captions.
01:04:41.920 --> 01:04:42.239
Yes.
01:04:42.400 --> 01:04:48.559
Yes, I always turn on the closed captions because otherwise I can't hear very well.
01:04:49.440 --> 01:04:52.800
I I mean I do that, but I'm four times your age.
01:04:53.199 --> 01:04:54.480
Right, moving on.
01:04:54.960 --> 01:04:58.880
Do you use the phone to call or to text?
01:04:59.599 --> 01:05:01.840
I normally use the phone to call.
01:05:02.079 --> 01:05:09.760
It definitely depends on I would say that it depends on how busy I am with work.
01:05:10.000 --> 01:05:12.079
That's something that is very um.
01:05:16.480 --> 01:05:25.119
If I'm super busy with work, then I'm able to I'll I'll just like shoot a text to a customer or something like that quickly.
01:05:25.440 --> 01:05:31.119
Um but of course, if it's something that's urgent, then I would take a phone call.
01:05:31.199 --> 01:05:37.119
But I actually I work for Casella Waste and I'm a sales representative at Casella, an account executive.
01:05:37.440 --> 01:05:47.280
So unfortunately I'm on my phone more often than I would like to be, but my favorite is in person connections and actually being in front of people for sure.
01:05:47.599 --> 01:05:53.119
All right, in terms of uh paying for something, do you use Venmo or PayPal?
01:05:54.239 --> 01:05:59.119
I try not to pay for anything because I need to save my money terribly.
01:06:00.320 --> 01:06:01.440
I'll let you slide.
01:06:01.679 --> 01:06:03.519
I'll let you slide on that one.
01:06:03.920 --> 01:06:05.760
I would say I would say Venmo.
01:06:06.159 --> 01:06:06.400
Okay.
01:06:06.559 --> 01:06:09.679
And finally, text or email?
01:06:10.400 --> 01:06:12.000
I like emails.
01:06:12.239 --> 01:06:13.760
I do like emails.
01:06:14.000 --> 01:06:16.239
Just kind of going back to work.
01:06:17.039 --> 01:06:19.920
Having an actual email to follow along.
01:06:20.000 --> 01:06:23.119
And I don't know, something about it just feels more professional.
01:06:23.199 --> 01:06:24.079
It feels.
01:06:25.679 --> 01:06:38.239
It feels more like, oh, I really need to pay attention to what's actually being said in on the screen right now as opposed to a text feels much more casual and a little less serious.
01:06:38.559 --> 01:06:44.800
Just always be sure that you don't send an email to the wrong person.
01:06:45.199 --> 01:06:45.840
Yes.
01:06:46.239 --> 01:06:47.360
That has happened to me.
01:06:47.599 --> 01:06:47.760
Yes.
01:06:48.000 --> 01:06:49.039
That has happened to me.
01:06:49.360 --> 01:06:50.159
Me too.
01:06:50.480 --> 01:06:54.320
Sammy, it's great that you've decided to uh participate.
01:06:54.480 --> 01:07:03.199
You did great, and uh we appreciate your being part of one of the more popular parts of Modified Minute, either or.
01:07:03.840 --> 01:07:05.199
Thank you very much.
01:07:06.400 --> 01:07:13.679
Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's show, and my thanks goes out to my guests, Nick Kopsix, Tyler Barry, and Teddy Hodgden.
01:07:14.000 --> 01:07:26.559
Now, before we go, the Modified Racing Community celebrated Saturday night when one of our very own, Ryan Priest, won the Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway.
01:07:26.960 --> 01:07:31.199
He too has had his entire career fueled by passion.
01:07:31.360 --> 01:07:36.960
And after the race, he shared a special shout out to his fellow modified racers.
01:07:37.360 --> 01:07:48.480
Like I watched the Wheel Modified Tour race last night, and I saw uh Teddy Hodgins win that race and and saw the emotion that went through his, you know, him, his family, because that was a family-owned race car.
01:07:48.559 --> 01:07:56.800
It wasn't a big race team, but they they work on their race car and they go and they do it because they love it, and that's what I know and see up in the Northeast.
01:07:56.880 --> 01:07:58.400
There isn't a lot of pay rides.
01:07:58.639 --> 01:08:06.239
There, there's people that are passionate about racing and they you know go and race for other people, and then there's owners that hire race car drivers, and then there's family-owned teams.
01:08:06.559 --> 01:08:09.920
It's much like the sprint car world, just on a smaller scale.
01:08:10.159 --> 01:08:12.639
So I'm proud of where I'm from.
01:08:12.719 --> 01:08:14.159
I know they're proud of me.
01:08:14.400 --> 01:08:32.880
And um, yeah, I'm just uh thankful to have learned the things that I've learned throughout my career, and I'm proud to be sitting in front of all of you right now where I'm actually able to race in the chase, not just for an owner's title, but also a driver's title.
01:08:33.279 --> 01:08:36.720
I also want to thank you for your continued support of the modified minute.
01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:43.199
Please remember to subscribe to the channel and help celebrate our common passion, modified racing.
01:08:43.439 --> 01:08:45.840
Until next week, I'm Jack Aroot.
01:08:46.079 --> 01:08:49.600
Thanks for joining me here on the Modified Minute.
01:08:50.159 --> 01:08:52.560
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01:10:00.479 --> 01:10:04.239
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