MODIFIED MINUTE
Modified Minute - 100% devoted to the Modified Racing World
MODIFIED MINUTE
EPISODE 2
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Phil Moran makes the “Crew Call” and shares his thoughts about his 5 decades twisting the wrenches.
In SK Soundings you will hear from Meg Fuller who captured Stafford Speedway’s 2026 SK Light Title and she shares her thoughts on women in racing.
The winner of round two of the Whelen Modified Tour stop at Martinsville, Stephen Kopcik joins the show and shares his recipe for success and how he earned a Grandfather Clock.
All that and our "Hot Dog of the Week", “Either – Or”, as well as a recap of this season's early modified action.
This week on the modified minute.
SPEAKER_04But over the years I've watched the amount of females progressively grow, and it just it makes me happy to see because I know starting out at Thompson, I was the only female not only in my division, but at the track.
SPEAKER_10And one of the things last year on the tour with a few tour races, we had, we got kind of bullied a little bit, and I'll call it bullying. And that was one of the things Patrick and I kind of talked about over the week. It was we gotta dig our heels in the mud a little bit.
SPEAKER_00So I get my first tour over here. Um that track that has so much history and so many badass names raced here through the years. Um as back home. Um it's unbelievable.
SPEAKER_08All that plus hot dog of the week. Uh hands down the most personal victory for me. Radio replay in either or underwear or commando. Depends on the situation. So tighten those belts because this week's modified minute is next. They're called the Mod Squad. Ground Pounders. The men that live by the grace of God and 600 horsepower.
SPEAKER_02Here they come to the strike, down to the finish, check the flag in the air.
SPEAKER_08This is the Modified Minute. Go inside the world of modified racing with Jackaroot. Modified Minute is brought to you by Wadell Communications, the official track side radio supplier for the Mod Squad. By Mid-State Site Development, safety, knowledge, and innovation. By Wheelers Auto Services, the finest in top-level service of premier automobile makes and models. By Hummel Brothers Quality Meets. 100% quality since 1933. By Hoosier Tire East. Tires designed for champions. By Riverhead Building Supply. And by Ferguson Contractors. Building excellence since 1925. Here's Jack.
SPEAKER_05Hey there. Welcome back to the Modified Minute. I put together this week what I think is an enjoyable show. Of course, I hope that you'll agree. We have a lot to unpack, so why don't we get started?
SPEAKER_08Time to get you up to speed in the modified world. Up to speed is brought to you by Mid-State Site Development. Midstate safety, knowledge, and innovation.
SPEAKER_05You know, now that spring is upon us, more and more modified action is getting underway. In fact, the Smart Modified Tour has already run three races. The Smart Tour started their season with the Zach Brewer Memorial at the Florence Motor Speedway in Timminsville, South Carolina.
SPEAKER_12Off of turd number four, by the grace of God and 600 horsepower, the 2026 season is upon us with the Smart Modified Tour. The top three single file, little bit of a gap between third and fourth place Danny Bone. But behind that, a bag of race cars led by Jack Baldwin.
SPEAKER_11Trying to find any mistake that helped get that gap, but he is not in the Ryan Boomin is posing in on these front three, has made two very aggressive but clean passes so far, and he continues to march to the front.
SPEAKER_12Open with trouble, ultimate the defending series champion trouble on the opening event. He's low is going down the back stretch after that contact with Austin McDaniel. Problems on the 7 VA for Tapla's family embracing a deep downpick row. We're coming back to the pacematic restart, showing off of turn number four. Brandon Ward. The front row on this one. A slow pace by the free home New Jersey driver with the green flag now in the air. Jack Baldwin gonna fill the hole down in one and two. Brendan Ward knows it, so he gets the run on the outside. Ward with so much experience here! For the only final stock card that needs to modify, but he's hanging tough with Danny Bowen on the outside. Jack Baldwin, you gotta he talked about how this is a two-lane right track. Bouncing the right rate fire off the side, third part for the 20 bucket. This is a fantastic battle, but now second. Two laps to go. It's both time for Jack Baltimore! Forward! Saberan move by Brandon Forward! It's gonna be one lap for Jack Baldwin, five five. Right there, got it from the off the ground! Another stabbing move by the veteran Brandon Force! Baldwin diving down low, coming to the checkered flag. Brandon Ward wins in his return to the Smart Modified Tour and wins the race to honor his late friend, Zack Brewer. For the seventh time in his Smart Modified Tour career, Brandon Ward is a winner! He comes back with a vengeance and wins the Zack Brewer Memorial.
SPEAKER_07Everywhere, this this is one that was on the list for this year. This is uh hands down the most personal victory for me. When this means a lot, like I said, to have Zach family here, uh this is this pretty much topic. What's up?
SPEAKER_05Next, it was a stop at the Anderson Motor Speedway for the running of the Pesomatic 99.
SPEAKER_12Here is the smart modified tour at Anderson Motor Speedway. And Danny Bone in the 25 grams, the lead here to Anderson in the Pesomatic 99. Veteran versus late model stock car veteran. Jake Crumb came over to the modified a few years ago and now finds his home with the smart modified tour. Up front, Jake Crumb still pounding Danny Bone. We saw this last week. Those two guys go out of F. Florence Motor Speedway. Jake Crumb got in an incident in a late race restart, stopped on the racetrack, came back to finish in the top 10, but Danny Bone had himself a good run.
SPEAKER_05Then it was time to crowd the king of the modified. That's when the Spark Tour visited South Boston Speedway in Virginia.$20,000 was slated for the winner, and it's the end of 125 laps. It was a drive by a Norwalk Connecticut driver. It turned out smooth and still.
SPEAKER_12Newman now into the clutches of Patrick Emberley. Carson Lofton's at the top, but he's got company. Here comes Silky Spoon, Ron Silk. Silk on the inside of Carson Lofton. The first counter for the lead in this race comes here. The lap 10 mark. Silk on the inside of the kit. Carson Lofton. Lofton, a winner at Caraway last week. Ronnie Silk trying to get to the lead. And Doug here on that lap lap number nine. He leads Patrick Emerling trying to follow him. And Trevor Catalano goes around after that contact. Burt Myers with a hard shot by Jimmy Wallace. Myers, one of the championship contenders in the smart modified tour. Newman on the outside, Ron Stilk on the inside. Two hard-nosed veterans of racing around America coming back to the piece of matter restart zone.
SPEAKER_02What an interesting start right there. It looked like the 16 was gonna sucker him. But Newman got to the loud pedal on the outside, they danced side by side. Emerly on the outside, silk trying to take over the top spot.
SPEAKER_12They bang wheels once again. Ron Silk in the preferred line, and he runs the one up the racetrack.
SPEAKER_02Silk key to the lead here in South Boston. Wow, this is exhilarating racing here in Virginia. Copstick moves to second position.
SPEAKER_12Five to go now at the line. Ron Silk. What a decorated career he has had. We mentioned those two championships for the NASCAR Wheel and Modified Tour. The 16 has been so strong. Ron Silk has been so good. But never before has Ron Silk been called a king, but now he is indeed the king of the modified with the win at South Boston Speedway.
SPEAKER_05For the Wheel and Modified Tour, it was time to run the Half Mile Martinsville Speedway, known as the Paperclip. It was time for the Virginia's Racing Lovers 200. Rainforced and asked our officials to postpone the race until Saturday night. And 24 hours later, 31 Mod Squad cars answer the bell.
SPEAKER_09Here comes the field off of turn number four, Patrick Emerling. Danny Bone, bring the field down, columns of two, green flag is out, we're underway. Bone topside emerling to the bottom as everybody races the turn two for the first time. Now from Tommy Catalano, and now there's contact and around ghost, Christopher in turn one.
SPEAKER_12And that was just a little contact from the right front of Catalanum.
SPEAKER_09Christopher, a former winner on this tour of the Jennerstown Speedway four years ago in 2022. That's about to change. Commitment line violation upon entry into the pit lane. And now we have a tire that has come off of one car bouncing down the back straight away.
SPEAKER_12And it looks like it might be the right rear on Polly Hartwig the third's machine.
SPEAKER_09And the number one car will restart 23rd. Green flag back out from the starter stand. We are back put away. Here's the Martinsville speedway as we close in on the halfway mark. 27 laps from now. And it's Steven Copsick that gets the jump on the bottom. Tyler Ripkama cleared in second and pulls old blue right to the inside. Popsick has it, here comes Ripkama, dives to the inside, going into turn number one, doesn't have the momentum, and now there's contact.
SPEAKER_12Yeah, silk. Able to be so smooth on the outside, although he struggles a little bit. Getting by Jack Baldwin, just as I say that Baldwin, by the way, making his first start, and hey, it goes around again in the 18 car.
SPEAKER_09Steven Copsick to the inside, Ron Silk to the outside, the 21 and the 16. Inside and out, after get the link, he has had an eventful night. After flight violation under the last yellow, had to restart 23rd. Restart third here. 46 to go. Outside lane, silk at the advantage. Here comes Copstick back to the bottom. Patrick Emeralding, the fastest car of the night, and has passed the most gear this evening. It's another one here. Straight away to the inside of Fox Tilt.
SPEAKER_12Look at this. We got a couple cars, including a championship contender, John McKennedy in the 79, and Teddy Hodgson in the 05, bringing out the caution with 40 to go.
SPEAKER_09Patrick Emerling in the outside lane gets the edge in the turn number one. But Top Sick, the shorter way around, has the advantage by the time they get to the back straightaway. Over now, Ron Silk. Who is up to second?
SPEAKER_12Just what the doctor ordered for Ron Silk, able to get back to that second spot. Now he's firmly planted on the target ahead of him. And that is Steven Copsick. Ron Silk wants a win here at Markville. We've documented it throughout this race. Never one here at nine stars. Could this be the day they're coming to do to go?
SPEAKER_09It's Copsick by the Carl Wagner. Silk, right there in his tire tracks. Up the back, straight away, into turn number three. Looking for the white flag, this time from Chocolate Lamb.
SPEAKER_12Rock Silk's gotta set him up, going into turn number three. Maybe a slight little buff by Rock Silk is something we could see. But he's gotta get the momentum coming off of turn number two to be able to make that run.
SPEAKER_09Up the back straight away for the final time for Steven Kopsick in the three silk. Tries to get to his back bumper, it's not enough. Down to the line, sugar flag is out, and Steven Kopsick picks up his first NASCAR Wheel and Modified Tour win. Winning the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 here at Martinsville Speedway. Here he comes, Steven Kopsick climbing out of the car as a NASCAR Wheel and Modified Tour winner, claiming the first of what I'm sure are gonna be many wins here on the NASCAR Wheel and Modified Tour.
SPEAKER_05It was a reversal of the top two from the King of the Modified Smart Tour race in South Boston one week ago. And for the Newtown Connecticut native, his very first modified tour victory. I caught up with Steven after the win, and he's the focus of this week's Driver Spotlight.
SPEAKER_08It's Racer Spotlight time on the modified minute. Racer Spotlight is brought to you by Riverhead Building Supply. Build better. Build smarter.
SPEAKER_05So can you believe it? You wait for your first career wheel of modified tour victory, and you do it in probably one of the most iconic short tracks that have run modified for so many years. Congratulations.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you. Um yeah. Um believable.
SPEAKER_05I want to kind of trace back a little bit in your background on how you climbed up the ladder, but first I want to go back to the beginning of the race when you and your team decided to maybe change things up just a little bit and save a couple of American racers for late in the race. Uh was that something you talked about before the race started, or is that just the way it unfolded with the way the car fell?
SPEAKER_00We had that plan. We had a plan to just maintain my car was still driving pretty decent, so I didn't know there was no reason to do that.
SPEAKER_05You and your one of your best friends are running the show. Well, I would say one of your racing neighbors.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure. Um I try not to think about it too much. I'm just trying to think about the bottom. Like I knew you don't really know.
SPEAKER_05Let me go back a little bit because there's an awful lot of people that uh maybe just follow the wheel of modified tour. I don't know that it literally even Throughout your career, everything that you exactly had, you ended up being victorious. You came up through the modified ladder, you run in the MRS, you run in the tri-track tour, you will race the staffer, you win the spring sizzler uh just a just a year ago, almost a year ago. How did all of this start receiving copyright? Well what was the basis for you to sit down and say to your dad, you know what? I'm gonna be a badass race card driver.
SPEAKER_00Um we started working on um just working on other people's cards, and of course I would always raise co-cards, and then I think I was raised cards when I first started helping on a modified. And um one thing led to another and and I don't you know, we raised the lights, we raised the SK, the Stafford, we raised we dabbled in the open stuff, we didn't really get after until probably twenty-three, um and run a bunch of races in the tri-track and then ran the tour in twenty-four and and um or ran a few races and then ran it la you know, ran last year. So I don't really I can't tell you like uh race by race you know what I did and and whatnot, but I can tell you like anything that we ever did, whether it was lights or tri-track or MRS or wheeling tour. We always give it a hundred percent effort and um in any shows where we you know we we uh we just we do whatever we gotta do to get better and everyone works harder to shop and um very fortunate now to have a a car owner that um I get along very well with and uh and just a good guy and loves recent and kind of just you know, whatever we need we can we can um we can get, but uh we gotta work hard and we gotta perform. So uh get this one.
SPEAKER_05You talk you talk about working hard to if there's something that's you're known for, it is your work ethic. And uh I wonder coming up through the ranks, you were equally adept whether you were in the car or I can think of a lot of winds that you were just there calling the shots on behalf of someone else. How would you attribute what I would call your crew chief knowledge? How has that made you a better driver?
SPEAKER_00Um you know, just learning you know, how the cars um how to tune on these cars, how to work on 'em. And then like the more I got to drive 'em, you know, how how to connect the two together and connect what I'm feeling and what I need to to get myself better. And I think it's a pr it's a pretty good luxury at this point to be able to know what what I'm feeling and what I need and how what I you know what will make me better. Um so it it's helped me out tremendously in that in that way. And obviously just being around it. I can't say it's helped me out like as far as calling races and you know I'm still we have a we have a good team that we work together with, but we're still kind of you know it's a joint effort. So um and with the constant changes in the the whi way the races play out and the tires and um you know I can't say that it's helped me that way but um just all around help me help me be better.
SPEAKER_05I I want to go back to last week the checker flag falls you say all the right things on the podium about the victory and then instead of m coming back to Newton Newtown Connecticut you stay down south to help the rocket man drag a car out of the mothballs and get Ryan Newman ready to go racing uh at at Martinsville. You're just a racer at heart.
SPEAKER_00Yeah I pretty much work on anything I I didn't have much to do with that. I just happened to be down there and uh happened to give him give him a little bit of a hand button but um yeah you were in management right you were just you were you were the foreman of the operation. Ryan Stone and the Fury group are uh got the rands of that and uh and Ryan himself and and um Mr Styres but uh yeah I mean I'll I'll work on anything I'll help anyone I don't really care what um you know what it is uh as long as they're good people we'll work with that with anyone and and they definitely are we had a good time.
SPEAKER_05Is modified racing the end of the journey or the beginning of the journey for you? Because you're a young stud.
SPEAKER_00A little bit of both. I'm happy where I am right now. I just want to try and win some more of these races and be successful even outside the tour. You know we got a we got big shoes to fill after winning the scissor last year. That's um a pretty prestigious event um as it's been for what seventy something seven or seventy years.
SPEAKER_05We're over fifty let's just leave it.
SPEAKER_00I think it's fifty years so I mean you know I just want to focus on what I'm doing now and where I'm at right now and just try and push forward and progress and just continue to get good finishes and and be blessed if we can win some more of them.
SPEAKER_05So where are you going to put the grandfather clock?
SPEAKER_00Uh it's gonna have to go in my shop.
SPEAKER_05I gotta I gotta wait get out of town in your race shop you're putting a grandfather clock a nice steel shelf for it and put it up high so you can you realize you gotta wind that to keep it keep time.
SPEAKER_00That's all right. You're okay with that I'll make sure it stays wound don't worry about that.
SPEAKER_05Will you stay wound out on the racetrack congratulations on the big win thank you. You know Stafford Speedway can lay claim to a fascinating statistic.
SPEAKER_08Year in and year out there are more women competing at the Connecticut half miler than any other track in the Northeast and this week you get to meet one of them that advances her family's modified legacy by winning the 2025 SK Light modified title time for SK Sounding brought to you by Wheeler's Auto Services the finest in top level service of Premier Automobile makes and models specializing in European Japanese and domestic vehicles in this week's episode of SK Sounding we're visiting with someone who is part of a rich legacy of modified championships wins etc the Fuller family and Meg Fuller joined the winning legacy this past year winning and capturing the SK Lights modified championship at the Stafford Motor Speedway.
SPEAKER_04Meg first of all congratulations on the championship thank you and thank you for having me so tell me a little bit about your journey I recall your dad showing up with a rent err because his daughter had mentioned to him she might like to try racing tell me a little bit about that start yeah so when I was a little kiddo growing up obviously I watched my dad race and he got my brother into it and he was selling one of my brother's quarter midgetes and I begged him to let me race. He didn't want to so I kept stealing that for sale sign and going and hiding it in the trailer and then finally he gave in he said I was so persistent he knew it would probably be something that I stuck with so he allowed me to race and then once I was old enough we decided we wanted to move into stock car racing and uh we started at Thompson Speedway in the limited sportsman's and then we moved to Stafford and tried out um a stock car there and we really liked it.
SPEAKER_05So how big how steep was the learning curve for you?
SPEAKER_04Um I feel like I picked it up pretty quick.
SPEAKER_05Um I think I was a little bit too confident because I definitely think my first practice I side slapped the wall pretty hard because I had no fear getting as close to the wall as I could just like he told me to I tend to take everything he says very very seriously and you moved from the uh from the street stocks and moved up to the SK lights and you've had a home there for a couple of years and you've done well podium finishes close but no cigar and then last season in the midst of a chase for a championship which we will get to in just a moment you scored victory.
SPEAKER_04Tell me about that night um going into that night and that race specifically I think was the first time I was ever nervous in a race car. Usually I'm so at peace and I don't get worked up at all. I try not to let my emotions get the best of me I don't let other people drive my race car but that night I was really really nervous and really nauseous because it not that I didn't think that it would be possible to be in that situation. I knew I had a lot of great people behind me and a lot of smart people behind me but to be in that situation it was just very very nerve wracking because we had been in it a couple times before in the street socks and it had been pulled right out from under us.
SPEAKER_05And that victory was sweet wasn't it yeah for sure. You ran to your dad when you shared a moment with your pops there. What did he say to you and what did you say to him?
SPEAKER_04Um I don't know that there was really any words spoken just that exchange of emotions. Yeah yeah I mean he was just he was so proud of me and um I always love to make my dad proud so I think there was just no words spoken but all the emotions felt and in the process it launched or catapulted you into a very heated uh championship chase and it came down to the last race of the season and you knew what the job was uh explain to our listeners just how you went into that race and what your goals were besides if you had the opportunity to take the checker flag. Um so pretty much I think my the way that I thought of it was I knew Nick would probably be starting behind me because I looked at the handicapped and I kind of figured out where everybody would be starting as long as everybody finished in the handicap and the heat races. So I knew he'd be starting behind me. So I uh in my mind I just wanted to play run away from Nick and get to the front as quick as possible. But then um some things happened during the race so then I just knew I had to be within a certain amount of positions of Nick to be able to clench the title and I did it within a couple points. So I definitely I definitely knew where I needed to be on the track and I was very aware of it.
SPEAKER_05You realize you're only the third woman ever to win a championship in Stafford Motor Speedway history.
SPEAKER_04Yeah it's it's a pretty amazing feeling and pretty empowering and I love to inspire other females.
SPEAKER_05Let's talk a little bit about women in sports is uh it seems to have since Title IX seems to have well it's taken over the entire sporting world whether it's the women's hockey team that just clinched a gold medal or the WNBA or in the case of racing when you look at the number of women that are competing whether it's at Stafford or Thompson or throughout the Northeast let alone on a professional level do you think that that that glass ceiling has been shattered or is there more work to come?
SPEAKER_04I think there's probably a little bit more work to come when it comes to the higher up levels of racing but over the years I've watched um the amount of females prove progressively grow and it just it makes me happy to see because I know serving out at Thompson I was the only female n not only in my division but at the track.
SPEAKER_05How'd that work out for you? I don't think the men liked it well guys don't like getting beaten by gals you realize that no and I'm sure you don't ever rub it in like maybe walk by their pit area and just kind of give them the Meg Fuller look I don't know I I try to keep to myself at the track. I mean I have a few few friends but I don't really rub it in anybody's face your car is uh one of uh Keith Rocco's stable and Keith was on SK Soundings one week ago and he brought your name up and said that one of the reasons why he started the operation not only to put food on the table because he didn't want to work a real job was to give people like you like Jonathan Puglio etc customers the opportunity to really shine through what has Rocco's equipment enabled you to accomplish honestly none none of this would be possible without Keith he he's really done so much for us and we really like being around him whether it's at the track or outside of the track hanging out with him.
SPEAKER_04He's a really fun guy to be around and he really puts a lot into each and every car and he focuses on everyone before himself.
SPEAKER_05So what are your plans for 2026?
SPEAKER_04Um so we're moving up we're partnering with uh Dan Avery and Keith Rocco which is really exciting I'm glad that I have both of their support behind me and uh we'll just be running full-time SKs at Stafford. What if people that have followed that path have shared with you as far as the gap between SK lights and a full time SK ride I don't really know that I've had anybody share that really two races in the SKs and there's definitely a big difference between the two. So I think in what in what areas Meg um the amount of like horsepower to the wheels is so much different. Like you step on the gas and the car will slip right out from under you. It's the the throttle control that you need to have when you can get back on the throttle in the corner it's all so different because with the SK lights you can really use the throttle to turn the race car but you can't in an SK it's opposite.
SPEAKER_05Well you make your debut in uh just a handful of weeks we wish you the very best and appreciate you visiting with us here on the modified minute modified drivers will tell you that they rely on their spotters for help while running just inches apart.
SPEAKER_08This week we ride along with one from this year's Pastomatic 99 at the Anderson Speedway on the Smart Modified Tour It's Radio Replay brought to you by Wild Communications your Nordic Watch dealer for radio dispair right along with 8995 at defense line films on YouTube. It's now time to reveal this week's Modified Minute Hot Dog of the week someone who stood above the rest.
SPEAKER_05Brought to you by Hummel Brothers Quality Meets the top dog in modified racing 100% quality since 1933 you know when the Smart Modified tour kicked off their 2026 campaign was at the Ford South Carolina Speedway. And they remembered a foreign driver named Zach Brewer who passed away back in March of 2024. One driver in the field went on a mission to honor his friends and it earned him this weekdog of the week over the last three years Brandon Ward has run selected smart modified races but this year's opener in Florence South Carolina was one race he was not going to miss. In the spring of 2024 Ward lost his close friend Zach Brewer who was a fellow racer called Bowman Greyhoe and this year's smart opener was named in memory of Zach. Brandon and Jack Baldwin took it down to the final lap and Ward came home with the win the victory has earned Brandon Ward this week's hot dog of the week in this week's crew call you're going to meet a chief mechanic that's been part of the modified racing world for almost 50 years. Along the way he's twisted wrenches to five championship drives and most recently engineered Ronnie Stilk's King of the modifies win at South Boston Speedway.
SPEAKER_08Let's meet Phil Moran time to drop in at the race shop and get the inside dope from the guys who twist the wrenches it's Crew Call brought to you by Ferguson Contractors building excellence since 1925.
SPEAKER_06Full time since 1985 so I don't know if I'm showing my age a little bit or you got a lot less hair than you had in 85.
SPEAKER_05Yeah but then again so do I so I mean but no we uh started with Art Berry uh back in the day and uh was fortunate enough when Greg Sachs was driving his car to uh go to work for him full time with uh John Lombardi as a sponsor and uh been at it ever since those early days with Art Berry and Spearpoint what were the lessons that he taught you that you put into effect now with all of your efforts oh I would say just paying attention to detail um art was a very very very meticulous guy as people remember his race cars were always top shelf beautiful yeah immaculate cars won so many best appearing car awards that uh we didn't want to win them anymore because it seems like every time we won them we crashed a car so we could avoid getting those but uh no that work ethic um you know nonstop as as this racing with the modified stuff it is it's nonstop it's uh it's so as the years progressed you went out on your own uh who was your first driver where you were the owner as well uh I've never been an owner so always been a crew chief and uh been very fortunate to have great owners uh my first one was Charlie and Carl Pastiak okay yeah guys in uh '96 I think it was ninety five or ninety-six and had a great relationship with those guys had a had a ball championship started to come in the uh in the in the 80s and in the 2000s lo and behold you and Mike Smeriglio along with a kid named Doug Cobe just I mean cleaned house for a few years. Tell me about that relationship.
SPEAKER_06Oh it was a great relationship um when we we had Todd Zegetty driving for us at the time in 2011, 12 and 13 and it was time to make a change Mike wanted to make a change and we were looking at uh different drivers here and there and Doug was one of the drivers and I had talked to him a couple times. I had known him just from seeing him at the racetrack and um you know it it came down it was the the final minute you know I had given him an an ultimatum of uh you know you yeah you got a half an hour here to figure out whether you want to drive for me. And unfortunately and thank God he did come to drive it for us and uh great relationship hell of a driver. Uh we had a lot of fun together won a lot of races and won a lot of championships.
SPEAKER_05How many races specifically did you team up with Doug Kobe and those trophies that are behind you?
SPEAKER_06I I couldn't even count. I want to say it was uh in the in the almost into the 30 range that we had wise and then championships him and I together uh we had five one of the things that first stood out to me back in that time was you had an uncanny ability of knowing when to take on four new Dr.
SPEAKER_05Feel goods. You you just understood maybe you had to wait then maybe you had to go early.
SPEAKER_06You were not afraid to think outside the box well you know in in order to beat somebody you can't do the same thing that they're doing. So I've learned uh art taught me it it a lot and um I did spend a couple years down south was very fortunate to work with a couple cup teams and I learned a lot about strategy and stuff like that and the biggest thing is I learned you can't do what they do. So um you know if they take on four we take on two if they take on two we try to take on four.
SPEAKER_05I I think Larry McReynolds put it the best when he said if you're gonna follow the leader and do what the leader does you're gonna continue to follow the leader. Very true.
SPEAKER_06So how did you and your current driver uh Ronnie Silk hook up well when Mike decided to retire uh from the ownership part of it um Doug and I gave it a go as Doug is the car owner. Uh we did that for a couple years. I was in the Mayhew days right Mayhew days yep yep and uh Doug was the owner and it was car number 10 at that time Doug's old number from Stafford Motor Speedway actually and um it just it was tough. It was tough for Doug to financially uh Mayhew was doing a great job helping us and keeping us going and then Tyler Hayden Joe Unone and Ronnie uh kept a bug in my ear and uh said to come work for them. They wanted to they were doing some tri track stuff here and there and they wanted to get onto the tour and uh they figured that I guess I could help them get along there pretty good. So uh we've hooked up uh since then in twenty two and been going at it since.
SPEAKER_05And grabbed a championship on the wheel of modified They've grabbed a bunch of tour type races. It tracks all over the Northeast. And uh last year you ran the big races only. You started to remind me of uh Big Money Matt. You weren't gonna run for the you weren't gonna run for the full wheel and modified tour title. But here in 2026, you guys have decided to pursue it full time.
SPEAKER_06Yes. The the scheduling last year was tough. Um you know most of the modified teams are volunteer teams. Um and guys use their vacation time to go racing. And I've got a great bunch of guys that young, uh energetic, you know, want to go, go, go. And you know, the girlfriends, the kids, they want to go on vacation. So we decided to cut back a little bit last year, and now all the guys on the crew want to get the hell out of the house. So want to come back racing and the schedule, you know, um we got rid of the first or getting rid of the first two travel races early, and then everything's pretty much in the northeast.
SPEAKER_05So Well, you still chased the big money. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, you went to South Boston and left twenty thousand dollars richer as the king of the modified. Since you first started on the Wheel and Modified tour, how much has changed?
SPEAKER_06Oh, a ton. A ton. Uh just uh I don't want to say it, but they're trying to make it like the top three, and we're not the top three. We're uh we're uh short track racers, like Ryan Priest says, you know, we're working in the garage until 10, 11 o'clock at night and then getting up and going to work in the morning. So um i it's just more of a grind, I think, nowadays than it was back in the day.
SPEAKER_05Is it is it Phil, let me interrupt you. Is it is it that they're trying to make it like the premiere series by travel schedule or is it by rules? Can you can you hone in a little bit more specifically on what your gripe is?
SPEAKER_06My gripe, easy there, buddy. Um it's become more of a spectrum, basically. Um we run a spec tire, uh, we run a spec motor. Uh they've got the rules in such a box now that the creativity and the ingenuity um isn't as great as it used to be. Um I can remember growing, like I said, growing up with art, uh just doing some crazy stuff to you know try to beat the beat the competitors.
SPEAKER_05Oh yeah, there's no question the sandbox was much greater in those days. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06I think that's what made it a lot more fun for a lot of guys, you know, uh being able to take a piece of sheet metal or a piece of steel and and make something pretty cool out of it and then try it as a racetrack. Whereas now, you know, we're locked in a box pretty much. So but you know, we've got a new race director this year with Gary Putnam. Uh he's been from one end of the spectrum to the other, uh, as far as car owner, car driver, uh crew chief on a cup car, you know, all the way up to the top. And I think that's brought a lot of uh positivity and and encouragement into the tour series. So I think you'll see some really, really great racing this year.
SPEAKER_05I think you'll see some great racing not only on the modified tour, but on the Monaco Modified Tour. On the tour type, the tour type events that uh well they're sprinkled across the calendar across the Southeast uh the Northeast. From your perspective, and I I asked this question last week, um are we have we reached the limit of the number of tour type races that we can hold or we should hold?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I think so. I think so. Just uh cost wise. Um we're very fortunate um as you can see in the background. I've got four cars for me. So I've got three tour cars and then one tri-track car or open open modified car. And um so I'm able to if I crash a car, I just drag out another one to while I'm fixing this one or so on and so forth. Um yeah, it's it's it's getting to be and Tri-Track's done a great job. Stafford's done a great job with their open modified races um to try to schedule them where there's a break. Um the only I think the only race that really uh overlaps um from Tri-Track to the tour is we're in Oswego, New York, and TriTrack's at Waterford. And right now, from what I understand, Tri-Track is trying to get that to change so that they can get some of the drivers to come to Waterford.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I think they're gonna actually move it to Sunday. I think that's what they had they had said, which would be stellar, would be outstanding.
SPEAKER_06They'll get a great crowd. Uh Waterford always gets a great crowd when it's like. Definitely.
SPEAKER_05Alright, I'm gonna anoint you king of the modified for one day. Actually, for just a handful of minutes. If you were king and you were talking from your throne, what would you make your first decree be?
SPEAKER_06Uh let us play a little more. I guess uh you know, um big money.
SPEAKER_05Uh everybody always wants more money, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah. But I'm king, so I get to get what I forgot. That would be one of the things. Uh the payout, the purses for what we have in these cars and what we travel and the hotel costs and the fuel costs and everything. Uh to win the race, you just about break even. So it's like uh kick that up a little bit.
SPEAKER_05But you know, it's funny you said that. My my my grandson, I mean my grandson, my nephew David, who runs in the modified uh on the Monaco tour, did a fascinating uh series over the winter of exactly what it costs to field a tour type modified. I I even as many years the 50 plus years I've been involved in this sport, I didn't realize that it had grown so out of control. You're looking at over$100,000 worth of rolling hardware.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. I mean our tire bill alone last year, and we didn't run the full tour, it was between$30,000 and$35,000. So that's just the tire bill. You know, now you got your motor bill on top of that. And and I saw that piece, and David did a great job with it, and it was to the point. It wasn't there was no hiding anything. He did a great job of showing everything. So pretty cool. I hope it opens some eyes for people.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and and I would hope anybody that's watching this uh podcast would go and take a look at that. Uh follow David Arut. And he's he's he's hard at it all the time. I mean, he he is he's like Sisyppus pushing that rock up the hill.
SPEAKER_06I love watching his YouTube videos, you know. Uh it's great because he he he shows following along, building a car, painting a car, you know, the whole nine yards. And you know, he he does a he does a great phenomenal job, the whole family up there, you included, with Stafford Motor Speedway. I mean, that is the if I was king for a day, that's where I'd want to sit my throne.
SPEAKER_05So well, there you go. We appreciate that, as do all the members of uh my family. It it goes way back. It's a passion that was first generated by my dad, and uh it has been carried on now by Mark and Lisa and by Paul and David. I'm just retired. I get to fool around and go over there and criticize and create hate and discontent. Listen, uh Phil, good luck with you on the uh on the flip side, and it's gonna be a whale of a season, my friend. I just feel it. It's gonna be outstanding.
SPEAKER_06Looking forward to it, really, and thank you very much for uh doing this uh thing for the modifies. It's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_05We love it.
SPEAKER_06Thanks, Phil. Thank you, buddy.
SPEAKER_05And finally, for this week's either-or, I thought we should dip into the SK Lights roster and bring on our victim, or I should say contestant, Joey Farino, better known to the SK racing community simply as the mayor.
SPEAKER_08It's either or, where our guest must choose one or the other. Presented by Hoosier Tire East, where we fuel passion, pride, and success with our tires designed for champions.
SPEAKER_05I think I may be putting in total jeopardy modified minute with this either or guest. He's known as the mayor, as I said. Joey Farino. Joey, are you ready for the quiz of your life? Anything for you, sir. All right. Either Netflix or Prime. Prime seems to have better stuff on it. Morning or night? Night. Beer or wine? Both? No, you have to pick one. Either beer or wine. Wine's the juice of the gods. Alright, this one I'm really fearful of asking you, quite simply, because of the fact that this could go downhill real quick. Underwear or commando? Depends on the situation. You have to pick one. Commando, because then you don't gotta do laundry. And finally, pit bull or Snoop Dogg.
SPEAKER_08I think Snoop Dogg would come in a lot more handy in most situations.
SPEAKER_05Alright, I appreciate your putting it all on the line for us here on either or. We'll be talking to you soon. Glad I did a failure quiz. I guess it could have been worse, couldn't it have? My thanks to all of you that tune in each and every week. It's time for us to close this episode. My thanks also goes out to Meg Fuller, Phil Moran, Joey Farino, and Steven Kopsick. As well as my sincere thanks to each and every one of you. Make sure that you subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook and X. I'll be back next week for another look inside the modified world with another episode of the Modified Minute.
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