NASCAR Modified Racers

NASCAR Modified racers are among the proudest and most passionate of racers. If you are unfamiliar, they are the Northeast's version of the World of Outlaws, a tight-knit bunch that races hard with some of the most unique race cars in the country. NASCAR Modifieds are the first division of NASCAR, no matter how you look at it. They were the first sanctioned division in the history of NASCAR, dating all the way back to 1947. "Modified Stock Car Races" took place throughout the country, but eventually their homeland became the Northeast, primarily New England. As time would have it, NASCAR Modifieds have evolved through the years into one of the most unique racing machines in America. Their sleek looks and wide-open tires evoke a passion and heritage in racing like no other. "Modifieds are the heart and soul of racing in New England," says Modified historian Sonny "King" Richards. "I've been going to Modified races for as long as I can remember and they are like a fine wine. They just keep getting better with age."

Richards is just one of the many who make up what the NASCAR Modified division is today. At a spry over-60-something, Richards makes his way from Connecticut to as many races as possible throughout the season. In recent years, the traveling has begun to catch up with Richards, but he still makes it to many shows. "I'll tell you something," Richards continues. "I was watching a lot of these guys race when they were kids and I'm not talking about just the drivers. Guys like Art Barry, Bob Garbarino, and Lenny Boehler have been around forever. The personalities and the camaraderie are what make it the most fun. It's just a big family."

History shows that Richards is absolutely correct. Both Barry and Garbarino have been in the sport longer than a silver anniversary. Now, Barry's son, Kenny, is developing his driving skills. The whole division is like a family tree and it's spread out far and wide. The late Ron Narducci used to race Modifieds throughout New York and New England and now his son Greg owns the car that Don "Satch" Worley drives. Narducci houses the car in the same old, comfortable barn, converted to a race shop, in the sleepy little town of East Haddam, Connecticut, from which his father used to race. "I've loved Modified racing all of my life," says the 39-year old Narducci. "I grew up around it and have been involved ever since. My wife, Venetta, and I are able to both enjoy what we do with our team. It's a lot of fun. Sometimes, you get down, but the Modified bug just bites you again, and you have to keep on going."

The Narduccis are not the end of the family tree either. The list is seemingly endless. For example, there's Bob and Steve Park, Tom and Tommy Baldwin, the Fullers, and the Evonsions. Some, like Steve Park, Baldwin Jr., and Jeff Fuller, have used the NASCAR Modifieds to springboard themselves into NASCAR's big three divisions. Some just stick with the Modifieds because that's what they love. "Racing a Modified is the most fun you are going to have in racing," says Tom Baldwin, driver of the Richmond International Raceway Chevrolet. "I've been doing this for a long time now and it never loses my full attention." Scrolling through the history books, you'll find the names of Richie Evans, Geoff Bodine, Jerry Cook, Jimmy Spencer, Ray Hendrick, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Fred DeSarro, Bob Stefanik, Eddie Flemke Sr., and Maynard Troyer among others scattered about. There is not enough room in one article to mention all of the stars of the NASCAR Modified division that have carried the torch for so many years.

"I always look up to my father," says Eddie Flemke Jr., who is a current NASCAR Modified driver. "And all of those individuals who have raced in this division--everyone has left his own mark. Big or small, everyone has a legacy to live up to." It's commonly known Richie Evans is the unprecedented king of the Modifieds. Evans' untimely death in 1985 left a lot of people scratching their heads. The deaths that followed left uncertain questions throughout the division. The class went through some hard times from 1985 well into the early '90s, but safety measures taken by NASCAR, car builders, and the race tracks themselves have helped turn the division into one bulging at the seams with limitless talent. Coventry, Rhode Island's Mike Stefanik survived through the bad years and on into the good; very good for him. He is the only driver to tie or eclipse any of Evans' records. Stefanik currently pilots Dale Phelon's F-150 on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. For the 15 years or so before that, you could find him behind the wheel of an open-wheeled monster. Through it all, he is the Featherlite Modified Series career win leader with four Featherlite Modified Series, NASCAR Touring championships.

"The Modifieds were awfully good to me," says Stefanik. "I used to watch my brother race his at Riverside Park and I knew then that I wanted to be a race car driver. Those cars are so much fun to drive." Stefanik's big break came when he drove one of Richie Evans' backup cars in a race at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. We'll let him tell the rest of the story. "Richie asked me to drive at Thompson," grins Stefanik. "So, I guess the rest is history. I finished second to him in the event and Sonny Koszela was looking for a driver, so Richie led me to Sonny." Eventually, Stefanik married Koszela's daughter, Julie. "In 1985, I was devastated. Charlie Jarzombek and Corky Cookman died in racing accidents. It was a grim reality that we all had to face.

You wonder if it's all worth it and at times I really just thought about giving up, but when Tony Jankowiak died at Stafford, I knew that you just had to become cold to it. I remember telling my crew chief Sly Szaban that day that he was gone, now what do we have to do on this next pit stop to win the race. It was very cold-hearted, and I felt like a bastard, but that was the only way that I could work through it and do my job of driving a race car. "NASCAR, the race tracks, and the chassis builders went to work and turned everything around in a very short time. If you look back, every division has gone through a bad period throughout their histories. This is the premier division in New England, and, if I had more down time from the truck series, I would still be racing a Modified on a limited basis. There is nothing in the world like taking four new tires in one of those cars with about 30 laps to go and just monster-mashing your way back through the field. Once you've been around a Modified, it's with you forever. They are just a passion."

The future for Modified racing is looking very bright as well. Look for names like Chuck Hossfeld, J.R. Kent, Teddy Riggott, Robby Summers, and Renee Dupuis to be in the headlines. Dupuis is the first female in 50-some years to win a NASCAR Modified feature at the legendary Riverside Park Speedway. "I grew up around Modifieds at Riverside," says Dupuis. "The night we won was incredible. I love the division. Next season, we are looking at moving up to the Featherlite Modified Series.

Modifieds are going to be the guiding hand in my racing career. The division has done so much for me already that wherever my career goes it will be because of the Modifieds." So much has been written and said about the Modifieds, but the bottom line is the fact that, year after year, the Modifieds turn out in more numbers with stronger competition. There's only two reasons for that--a proud heritage and the burning passion to move on.