Bristol Motor Speedway Mod Tour Test Updates

Team Turn Their Ground Pounders Loose on The High Banks

Compiled By Various Speed51.com Staffers and Spies

Afternoon Test Session Notes

The session wasn't without a few dramatic moments, but nothing major transpired. Teams got adjusted to the super-fast high banks and got their cars more comfortable as the day went on.

Ryan Preece, who's been one of the quickest cars all day, cut a right rear tire and spun off of turn-four. The teen driver made a nice save and kept it off the wall.

In another close call, Woody Pitkat went on a long slide down nearly the entire length of the backstretch. Pitkat kept the Don King-owned car off of the wall.

Matt Hirschman was on hand, but not behind the wheel. Matt was helping Rowan Pennink and his team during the test. Matt was involved in the first test at Bristol in the Spring and brought some of that setup knowledge and advice to help Pennink. As of right now, Hirschman still has no ride on the Tour or for the Bristol race.

Veteran Mike Stefanik even had a big slide but did not make contact with the wall.

Chris Pasteryak backed it into the wall, but apparently had little-to-no damage to his #52. He returned to the track after the incident.

The hot track temperature had many drivers experiencing loose handling racecars and some fighting for stability on the ultra-fast _ mile.

Tour directors Chad Little and Sherry Clifton (Whelen, and Whelen Southern Tour) were on hand to talk with the teams and check out the test's progress.

A few notables not testing Bristol…

Ted Christopher has laps at Bristol in a Mod from the first test there and was not testing today. Southern Tour drivers LW Miller and Brian Loftin also participated in the initial test and were not there for today's session.  2007 NASCAR Whelen Mod Tour Champ Donny Lia and the Mystic Missile #4 team were not present as well.

Unofficial Speeds for Afternoon Session at Bristol Mod Test

1)12 - Jimmy Blewett  14.874

2)46 - Eric Beers  15.073

3)58 - Eric Goodale  15.102

4)3 - Ryan Preece  15.156

5)2 - Todd Szegedy 15.156

6)1 - Burt Myers  15.172

7)93 - Rowan Pennink  15.188

8)28 - Woody Pitkat  15.237

9)28 - George Brunnhoelzl III  15.245

10) 96 - Kasey Kahne 15.348

Jimmy Blewett on Bristol

“The car was wicked fast. It took us 3 hours or so just to find the right balance to get us comfortable for a 15-lap run or more. I feel like we were one of the most consistently fast cars of the day. One or two cars might have been able to turn in a faster lap than me, but over a long run we were very consistent.

“It was like a dream getting to run at that place.  It's fast. Do I feel like it's too fast for our division? Absolutely. At the same time, I'm a racer and I'll go as fast as you let me go.

”Today everyone was running the same groove. When we come back here and the other divisions race on the track like the Camping World Truck Series, I think there will be two-grooves.”

Speed51.com would like to thank all the drivers, crew members and spies who contacted us and helped contribute to these updates.

Open Test for Modifieds at Bristol Motor Speedway - 1:00pm ET Update

On Monday, there are 19 Modifieds testing at Bristol Motor Speedway in preparation for the August debut of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the half-mile mile facility. Both Northern and Southern Tour teams are on hand.

Reports say the track is considerably hotter than the last time the Mods were on track at Bristol so expect the speeds to be slower.

The Mods are not running any restrictor plates during this test session.

 

Who's There?

Here is a list provided by Bristol Motor Speedway.

1. 99 Jamie Tromaino

2. 4 Jason Myers

3. 47 Andy Seuss

4. 1 Burt Myers

5. 46 Eric Beers

6. 58 Eric Goodale

7. 52 Chris Pasteryak

8. 3 Ryan Preece

9. 28 Woody Pitkat

10. 2 Todd Szegedy

11. 28 George Brunnhoelzl, III

12. 44 Rich Kuiken, Jr.

13. 09 Bobby Grigas, III

14. 17 Glen Keen

15. 96 Rob Fuller (Kasey Kahne)

16. 50 Kevin Goodale

17. 16 Mike Stefanik

18. 93 Rowan Pennink

19. 12 Jimmy Blewett

The Skinny

The first half of the day saw a few minor on-track incidents. Rich Kuiken's #44 and both Goodale cars both went for spins. 

Glen Reen's bad luck of late has continued. He smacked the frontstretch wall hard. According to Glen, his #17 car has suffered front clip damage.

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne is on-hand, and not as a spectator. Kahne is hopping behind the wheel of the Troyer house car.  Rob Fuller took laps in the #96 H&H ride before Kahne arrived.

Burt Myers and the Dirty South #1 team has been in the pit area working on their car all morning. Burt finally hit the track before the lunch break but spun during his first run. There was no contact with the wall for Myers as he rolls on.

At the lunch-break the top-five speeds are:

1)28 - George Brunnhoelzl III 14.903

2)46 - Eric Beers 14.923

3)3 - Ryan Preece 14.984

4)2 - Todd Szegedy 15.002

5)12- Jimmy Blewett 15.030

“So far so good,” said Georgie. “We are learning a lot and we hope to continue to improve throughout the day. I think it will be a good race when we come back here.”

"It's pretty wild," said Andy Seuss. "It's not as crazy as everyone said it would be though. There is a lot of banking but it's not that much different than other places we run like Smyrna or Thompson." "We are just trying to catch Georgie. We're trying a lot of stuff and getting adjusted to having to have the chassis so high."

Kasey Kahne is eighth fastest with a speed of 15.371 in the Troyer House car. Talk at the track is that Kahne will drive the car in the Bristol Mod race in August.

Speed51.com will have more updates later today.

Glen Reen's #17 comes in on the hook at Bristol.

Kasey Kahne (Red Suit) talks to Miek Stefanik at Brisitol.

Kasey Kahne's ride for the day - the #96 Modified.

Jimmy Blewett's #12.

Ryan Preece's #3 car comes in for service.