Pair of Modified
Champions to be Honored at New Hampshire
As part of the season-long celebration of 60 Years of Modified
Champions, 1988 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titlist Mike
McLaughlin and 2003 winner Todd Szegedy will be honored at the
New Hampshire 100 on Saturday, Sept. 13 at New Hampshire Motor
Speedway.
McLaughlin, who was a consistent contender for the NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour crown in each of the series’ first five years of
existence, broke through in 1988 for a 155-point margin of
victory against Reggie Ruggiero in the final standings. Szegedy,
who has been a consistent title contender for most of this
decade, was able to capture the 2003 title following a tight
battle with Chuck Hossfeld that resulted in a 32-point margin of
victory.
Originally from Waterloo, N.Y., McLaughlin wasted no time
becoming a championship contender. During the inaugural season
of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 1985, McLaughlin finished
as the championship runner-up to the legendary Richie Evans. He
finished sixth and third, respectively in 1986 and 1987 before
his title run in 1988.
McLaughlin was able to compile five wins, 15 top fives and 20
top 10s in 24 starts in 1988 while driving the No. 12 Sherwood
Industries car for owner Billy Corazzo. The title campaign was
highlighted by wins in Martinsville, Va., Indianapolis, Ind.,
Oswego, N.Y., and Oxford, Maine.
In his last full season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
McLaughlin finished fourth in the 1989 title standings. After
making a few more starts in the early 1990’s McLaughlin closed
out his Modified career with 16 wins and 15 Coors Light Pole
Awards to his credit. He went on to record six wins and 110 top
10 finishes in 314 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and twice
finished third in the division’s points standings.
Today McLaughlin works for Joe Gibbs Racing in various
capacities, including driver development and as a test driver.
Szegedy is one of four past NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
champions that still compete on a full-time basis. Currently
sixth in the 2008 season standings, Szegedy has been a
competitive threat for the title in of his six full-time seasons
in the series.
The Ridgefield, Conn., native made an immediate impact in the
series. In his first full season in 2002, Szegedy won at
Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and finished seventh in
points to earn Rookie of the Year honors. In his second year, at
the age of 27, Szegedy became the youngest driver to ever win
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title, and in the process became
the first driver to earn Rookie of the Year honors and the
series championship in back-to-back seasons.
Szegedy earned the 2003 championship on the strength of four
wins, 11 top fives and 14 top 10s in 18 starts when he drove the
No. 50 Haynes Materials Ford for owner Don Barker. He made trips
to Victory Lane in Lake Erie, Pa., Beech Ridge, Maine,
Adirondack, N.Y., and Stafford, Conn., but it was an eighth
place finish in the season finale in Thompson, Conn., that
clinched the title in a close battle with Hossfeld.
Szegedy has finished fifth and second, respectively in the two
seasons prior to 2008. Currently the driver of the No. 2
Wisk-Snuggle Ford for owner Mike Smeriglio, Szegedy has 13 wins
and 63 top 10s in 105 career starts and won this past Sunday at
Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
New Hampshire, the site where McLaughlin and Szegedy will be
honored, has significant history for both. McLaughlin is fifth
on the track’s all-time wins list with six victories across
three-different series, and he won the inaugural NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour and NASCAR Camping World Series races at the track
in 1990.
“I think it’s awesome that they [NASCAR] are honoring all of the
past champions,” McLaughlin said. “I’m definitely looking
forward to going back. Loudon was like Daytona to us, it was the
highlight of the year to race there. Looking back on it, it was
definitely my favorite race track.”
Szegedy won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at New
Hampshire on this date last year and has consistently been a
contender at the “Magic Mile” throughout his career.
“It’s pretty cool to be honored there,” Szegedy said. “It’s one
of our premier tracks, so it’s definitely an honor.”
The New Hampshire 100 will be the 12th of 16 races on the 2008
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule. The green flag is set to
drop in Loudon, N.H., on Saturday, Sept. 13 and 1 p.m. For
ticket information please visit New Hampshire’s official Web
site (nhms.com).
Source: Jason
Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
Posted:
September 8, 2008
