As part of a season-long celebration of 60 years of Modified
champions, two-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titlist Jimmy
Spencer will be honored at the New England 100 on June 28 at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Spencer, who currently works for SPEED TV as a co-host for
“NASCAR Raceday” and “NASCAR Victory Lane,” became the first
driver to earn back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
championships in 1986 and 1987. He is one of just three NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour drivers to capture consecutive titles.
Although Berwick, Pa., native competed on the NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour for just four years, Spencer left an indelible
mark on the division, and the success was immediate. The
Modifieds had been part of NASCAR since the very first
sanctioned race in 1948, running in countless events up and down
the East Coast, and 1985 marked the formation of the NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour. Spencer finished third in the inaugural
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
and reached Victory Lane in the fifth event of the season.
He wound up with four wins and finished eighth in the season
standings. The table was then set for a dominant two year run.
“I owe a lot to the Modified Series because it’s what gave me
notoriety and exposure,” Spencer said. “Because of my Modified
career, people recognized me the minute I moved south to race.
They knew who Jimmy Spencer, ‘Mr. Excitement,’ was because of
what I’d done up there.”
Following his success in the Modifieds, Spencer he went on to
become one of the few drivers to earn a victory in each of
NASCAR’s national series. He had two victories and 80 top 10s in
478 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, 12 wins and 93 top 10s in
212 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and one win with 11 top 10s
in 31 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.
Spencer registered four wins during his first NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour championship season in 1986, but it was his
consistency down the stretch that proved to be the difference.
He finished third or better in 11 of the season’s final 13 races
and beat runner-up Jamie Tomaino by 211 points to earn the
title.
While Spencer’s first title run was characterized by a strong
finish, his second championship was earned early in the season.
Spencer had four wins in the first eight races and never looked
back as he compiled six victories, 16 top fives and 21 top 10s
in 28 outings and finished 99 points ahead of Reggie Ruggiero.
All told, Spencer compiled 15 victories during his four
seasons on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, a total that still
ranks 12th all-time.
NASCAR plans to honor each of its 31 all-time Modified
champions throughout the season. The celebration began with the
recognition of Frankie Schneider, Donny Lia and Richie Evans at
Thompson on April 6. Since the season-opener Red Byron, Jeff
Fuller, Ernie Gahan and Mike Stefanik have also been recognized.
The NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour will hold its fifth race of the season at New
Hampshire on Saturday, June 28. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
race will be immediately followed by the NASCAR Nationwide
Series which will run the Camping World RV Sales 200. For ticket
information, please visit New Hampshire’s official Web site (nhms.com).
Source: Jason
Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
Posted:
June 23, 2008
