MODIFIED MINUTE
Modified Minute - 100% devoted to the Modified Racing World
MODIFIED MINUTE
EPISODE 8
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In Episode 8 you will meet Vinny Beedle who who for 20 years has been the impetus behind the Puleo Family's modified racing success.
They call him the 'Man of Granite". Jonathan McKennedy drops in and talks about a career than took him from Go-Karts in the family driveway to multiple wins and championships in both Modifieds and Supermodifieds.
Finally Jack talks to Tyler Chapman who races SK Modifieds but left his mark on the "Tour Type Modified" circuit last month by finishing 2nd in Stafford Speedway's NAPA Spring Sizzler
This week on the modified minute.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, the super is a s it's an awesome machine. I can't all I can tell you, it's um when you strap in that car, it's it's you and the machine. You have no radios, no communicational spotters, your team, and it's just the ultimate short track race car.
SPEAKER_16Well, we won a lot of races over the years between me and Ed, and now me and John. Um we won championships if it ain't all the tracks. We've actually won championships between me and Eddie, me and Jonathan, and all the tracks. Um kind of crazy. I have one bucket list thing that I would hope someday is to win all three chair, all three tracks in one year.
SPEAKER_12I don't think the river stops coming off the track. Um it could be anything from who does woodworking better or whose truck looks better. Um it's it's uh round the clock, who's better at what. Um I wouldn't say at the end of the day it's it's all for fun, but it's we know it's not. It's it's who's better. Um it's always been like that.
SPEAKER_04All that plus hot dog of the week, radio replay, and either or. 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. This is the Modified Minute. Go inside the world of modified racing with Jack Root. Modified Minute is brought to you by Flock Del Communications, the official track side radio supplier for the mod squad, by mid-state type development, safety, knowledge, and innovation, by Wheeler's Auto Services, the finest and top-level service of premier automobile makes and models, by Humble Brothers Quality Means, 100% quality since 1933, by Riverhead Building Supply, built smarter, built better, by New England Racing Fuels, New England's authorized distributor of Sunoko Fuels and products, and by Ferguson contractors, building excellence since 1925. Here's Jack.
SPEAKER_17Welcome back to your home for modified racing, the modified minute. I'm Jack Aroot. Now this week we're visiting with three individuals that have already left their mark upon the sport. For more than 20 years, Vinny Beadle has been the impetus behind the success first of Father Ed Puglio and now his son, last year's Stafford SK champion, JP Jonathan Puglio. He's been called the man of granite. Jonathan McKennedy has won championships in more than 100 modified and supermodified races. He drops in to recount his career and also shares key moments in his racing resume. And then, well, he dominated the SK Light series, winning at all three Connecticut tracks. Tyler Chapman has moved into the SK Modified Division, but has created quite a stir after a spring sizzler runner-up in Les Hinckley's Tour type modified. Now last week's racing action was plagued by rain that forced the cancellations at the London Waterford Speed Bowl, Riverhead Raceway, and the Race of Champions Show at Shangri-La. But Stafford opened their Friday night schedule, and we have all the modified action for you in this week's Up to Speed.
SPEAKER_04Time to get you up to speed in the modified world. Up to Speed is brought to you by Mid-State Site Development. Mid-State safety, knowledge, and innovation.
SPEAKER_06The biggest field of device, the up and covers, the best words, and much, much more. We are green to expand for the FK Light Division.
SPEAKER_03We have a couple more crashing behind it. It looks like the 22 of Mike Droll and the 584 speed along with Dick 9.
SPEAKER_06So it all happened with the bottom left in the butt active cars. It appears that the very machine had a problem with getting it into gear. What he did is stacked up the outside lane. That set off a riffle effect. Looked a lot worse. And it appears because it appears everybody is able to accept a 31 car with two cards, able to pull away. The 52 is moving. And that is Anthony Farino. Here's what happened. Keep your eyes on that neon yellow. It looks like a a highlighter color.
SPEAKER_03Oh, Tyler Perry does not go again. That's two straight restarts where he has missed a shit. Off the turn, Castanter Cole gets a nice start. Much better restart by Barry. Oh my god, the tracking blocks and get smooth to the lead to the leak, it's dumb back top.
SPEAKER_06Different clock, different combinations. Dominant at the front of the field here tonight. Final time to turn number three and off the turn four.
SPEAKER_01First week, um, we missed a little, but you know, we took it as a learning curve and learning each other as a team. Um, you know, I just told everybody, hey, let's write it down, come back and and show them, you know, what KRR's about and what I'm about, and I'm very happy to have, you know, impressed this quick.
SPEAKER_09All the hard work and it's awesome to have to broke our getting us there, you know. I think I they just uh keep keep putting the work in and uh shows, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_07Uh after race two is uh some noise was going on there, so I don't know if something messed up or if I messed it up from something I was doing wrong, but uh we'll definitely look into it for next week. I hate raking it, wrecking everybody for my mistakes like that. That's just I know what goes into these cards, how much money I work on these all week myself, so I get it.
SPEAKER_06All eyes are on turn number four. They ignite the wick and the gun has the job. Now this is turn number one.
SPEAKER_03What's up, we'll follow this laptop, go with my master hit the hook up the two everybody in the scramble stuff, everybody came out of the middle day.
SPEAKER_06Michael Mr. Boy's on the looking like I'm alone with later as well.
SPEAKER_03And we have a battle for the lead. Rummock's gonna fight on the smoke is the full bag.
SPEAKER_06He has still Rocco deleted up to halfway.
SPEAKER_03Two drivers who used to be teammates in the 2010s. Rumano sticking with the family team, Rumiko moving on to his own fence. Now he's riding for Dan A3. He's got a two colour late gap of a woman up absolutely cut the gap. Rocco was able to stay on the gas of the four, so they're being evenly messed up. What common parts with hope that you're gonna do Rocco is holding it free. Nothing up on the left, left three cars angle in the corner, jump force in on the outside underhead of beast. Looks like Megan Fuller is a two and another car taste cooking to step the seven that are stuck in one together.
SPEAKER_06With a four here is that first Marcello Rafano to finish is second. Dill it go back to finish on the podium great blood.
SPEAKER_05How are we able to hold off the multi-time charges of Marcello Rufano as he tried to take the win away?
SPEAKER_00I think I might have worn him out in the shop this week. Uh the extra help when I need a hand. Uh thanks, Marcello.
SPEAKER_11Yeah, it's a lot of work coming back and forth, Keith. But uh like Keith said, he wore me out in the shop all week, so uh this week my labor rate just went up a little bit for him. Uh really awesome race car. It sucks. We gotta start so deep.
SPEAKER_08We had to work a lot there coming through the pack, but uh we had a good car today, we had a good card to Sizzler, uh, just a little bit of transmission issues. Um helped us pack a little bit, but uh today the guys got the car rolling good, and I'm kinda happy that we stayed up here and we got a good finish.
SPEAKER_04It's now time to reveal this week's modified minute hot dog of the week. Someone who stood above the rest. Brought to you by Hummel Brothers, Quality Meets, the top dog in modified racing. 100% quality since 1933.
SPEAKER_17You know, Michael Christopher Jr. suffered a terrible trip to this route.
SPEAKER_03Coming off the second corner, Christopher has the leverage on the inside line with the frontal lurking in third. Christopher charges the corner into three, he's got the lead again.
SPEAKER_05New race leader, can he hang on to it? By the time they get to the start-finish line, the answer is yes, Michael Christopher Jr. to the point. The race is now behind him for second.
SPEAKER_17Relegating him to 25th in the final result. But MCJ bounced back Friday night. That bounce back, Ernst Christopher, this week's Hot Dog of the Week. It started out with a simple phone call more than twenty years ago, and from that came a racing relationship that has brought two families together. Let's meet Vinnie Beadle in this week's crew call.
SPEAKER_04Time 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_17Well, making a crew call this week is a guy that, well, maybe he doesn't twist the wrenches, but he is probably the critical component to the success of the Puglio family in modified racing throughout the Northeast. We are talking about Vinny Beadle, who joins me now. And Vinny, is that an accurate description of the relationship? Starting as a sponsor, being a friend, being part of the family. You do everything but tune on the race car.
SPEAKER_16Correct. I mean, when they need me to carry tires and back a car, I've been known to do a little bit, but as I tell Eddie, he does not want me to make the decisions on the operation.
SPEAKER_17How important is that relationship that you you have forged, first starting with the dad, Eddie, and now with Jonathan and the way he is moving up the ladder?
SPEAKER_16It goes back a long time. You know, it's actually me and Eddie have been 16 years together and started as a car owner and sponsor to Eddie, watched JP grow up, and he's only 21 now. So, you know, he was a little tyke, him and my son doing the little flat carts at Waterbird.
SPEAKER_17What why did you guys connect the way that you did?
SPEAKER_16I'll tell you a quick story. Um got a call that uh Eddie wanted to meet me, or gentlemen wanted to meet me, that owned a street stock back 16 years ago. And uh I guess the first question I asked him was, what are you looking for? And he was looking for a sponsor for some tires and fuel. But I went right to the I'm gonna take control kind of guy. And I said, Why aren't you winning championships and races? And he said, Well, I need better horsepower, you know, we need to do this to the car. So I said, Okay, well, let's do it. And he looked at me kind of strange and he goes, What are you talking about? And I said, Well, in plain English, if we're gonna win something, we have to perform. We have to have the right equipment. And I'm not a big as you can see. Mr. Ruder is my company as the car owner. I self-sponsor most of everything I do. And I said, I want to have control. And the only way you have control is not being dictated to by your sponsors. So I became the primary sponsor to my own cars.
SPEAKER_17Does the does the sponsor in you ever have a conversation with the car owner in you?
SPEAKER_16Yeah, I call it me, myself, and I. We talk often. And sometimes I hear two opinions against mine, and I usually lose.
SPEAKER_17Let me ask you this. Eddie certainly had some success with your help, but then decided to hang it up as he watched Jonathan move up from the flat carts to the to the to the legends cars. And we've documented that here on the modified minute. Did you play a role at all in the decision for Eddie to hand over the controls of the modified to Jonathan?
SPEAKER_16I think it was a joint effort that we saw what JP had. You call him Jonathan, we call him JP. A few other things we will not talk about on this podcast. But we we like to have fun in our team. I gotta tell you right now, we love to have fun. That's a very important part of what we do. And and we talked about it and said, what is the next step for our race team? Because we've never had a lot, we've we've not had multiple drivers, different sponsors. It's always been Benny Beetle, the Pulio family, and Mr. Rooter. So we kind of organically grew the team through the process, from my grandson being involved to my son, to JP to Eddie, everyone changed rules and grew together. And we're family now.
SPEAKER_17How satisfying is it to you, the championship season that your team enjoyed at Stanford at the SK level one year ago?
SPEAKER_16Incredible. The year before we struggled, why should we last a couple years prior? Because he was maturing into the driver he is today. He's a young man now. We watched him as a little kid, to a teenager, to where he is. And uh we watched it through the year, and we didn't win a lot of races, but we were consistent. And but I go back to I have a motto at our race team is if we can have fun, we're not gonna do it. And that's the important part. You know, uh I I just see too much tension in the sport sometimes, in the big, all the way up the cup, down to where we are. And I said, if we can have fun, we can achieve anything.
SPEAKER_17There came a moment and JP was kind enough on the podcast to share it when you and his dad didn't sit him down, you actually had the conversation in the paddock area just before the last race of the season, when and I'm paraphrasing, you two said to him, Look, forget all this, we're leading one week and we're not leading the next. There's nothing to worry about because there is no next week.
SPEAKER_16Correct. Whatever happens, happens. We were prepared for whatever was to happen. We were proud, we were blessed to be where we were, and he couldn't change nothing. It was in his hands, it wasn't in my hands, wasn't in Eddie's, it wasn't in the car, it was up to him. And he went into it with the mindset. Actually, he didn't even know he won the championship when he won it. We didn't tell him. It was important.
SPEAKER_17Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Mikey Flynn dropped out of the race with an overheating engine. You guys see it. And JP, you don't tell him.
SPEAKER_16Nope. Because we wanted his head where it needed to be, which was in the car to do the best he could. Because not only was if Mikey was out or in, we had other cars in contention. And that placement where he placed, he had to place a certain veter. And if we put pressure on him that one was out, he would take that for granted. And you can't like take things for granted. So we let him run his race.
SPEAKER_17It sounds to me, Vinny, that in addition to having fun, uh, you've been instrumental along with uh with his father in teaching young JP some valuable life lessons away from the racetrack.
SPEAKER_16Because racing is just not racing. When you're in that car, it's life. The decision to make, the financial decisions we make with racing, as you know, racing is not cheap anymore, but it's it is learning about life, and we're watching him grow in many ways as a young man.
SPEAKER_17Where do you think his strong suit is right now?
SPEAKER_16It isn't listening sometimes, no. And he'll laugh when he sees this. Um he's getting a leveler head, and he's not reacting to the reaction. He's thinking the process. He's studying more. If it isn't watching videos, racing today is different than racing it was back in me and Eddie in the early days. These kids today they get a simulator, they watch videos. As you know, Jack, me and you are from the same age bracket. We didn't have any of the above back then.
SPEAKER_17Let me ask you this. What's left on Vinnie Beatles hit list of terms of things you want to accomplish slash have fun with in racing?
SPEAKER_16Well, we won a lot of races over the years between me and Ed, and now me and John. Um, we won championships if it ain't all the tracks. We've actually won championships between me and Eddie, me and Jonathan, and all the tracks. Um kind of crazy. I have one bucket list thing that I would hope someday is to win all three tra all three tracks in one year.
SPEAKER_17Wow. The way things are going, that's that's doable. That's doable this year.
SPEAKER_16You know, dreams are dreams. You can stab at them, you can get them. But if you give a direction, my job is to give a direction of what it would like to see, and everyone works towards it, if we get halfway there, we've achieved it yet. And that's what I try to teach everyone on my team. I say, listen, every week is a new week. What happened last week is past. We can't change last week. I don't even believe you can predict next week. It's this week is the most important week of our career.
SPEAKER_17And I think I would add the post script to that is enjoy the hell out of it.
SPEAKER_16And we have fun.
SPEAKER_17Yeah.
SPEAKER_16And we all laugh, we have fun in the trailer, we don't fight, um, word of hated drama. I won't get involved in of the above, because we're not in this to make money. It's all about the sport of having fun, building a relationship, not only with the Pulio family and the Beatle family, it's our team, all the crew members and women. I have women on my cruise now that you know we all have fun. We went to Florida, all of us together, down New Smyrna. We learned a lot. We didn't go down there and say we're gonna slaughter the place. We said let's go have fun. I made the commitment. If we win the championship, we go. I just next time won't make such big promises.
SPEAKER_17Yeah, be careful, be careful.
SPEAKER_16Be careful what you asked for, right? Or you promise. But it's we're we uh we have fun. I go back to that. I think that's lacking in a lot of the teams, all the way up to the cup series. Have a little fun. And success comes when you have fun.
SPEAKER_17I like that. I'm gonna remember that. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed our conversation. Look forward to seeing you on a regular basis around the short track. Thanks for being part of the modified minute because after all, I want this podcast to be fun. And it should.
SPEAKER_16I wish you all the luck.
SPEAKER_17You know, drivers call the cockpit of their race car their office. So I thought it'd be fun this week to visit the office of the pride of Italy.
SPEAKER_04It's Radio Replay brought to you by Waddle Communications, your Northeast track side dealer for radios and repairs.
SPEAKER_17He's one of a handful of young guns establishing themselves as the future of modified racing. Well, this week, it's time to meet another. He's climbed the racing ladder and he has planted his flag as a driver to be dealt with. Let's meet Tyler Chapman.
SPEAKER_04This is SK Sounding. News from the SK, SK Life, and 602 Modified World. Brought to you by Wheelers Auto Services. The finest and top-level service of Premier Automobile makes and models. Specializing in European, Japanese, and domestic vehicles.
SPEAKER_17Well, for our SK soundboard today, I decided that we would tap into a guy that is really taking the SK series by storm. First, as an SK Light champion with multiple wins, and now moving in between the SK that he drives on a regular basis to the modified tour of the Tritrack series driving for Les Hinckley. That's right. We're talking about Tyler Chapman. Tyler, welcome to the modified minute. You got a lot going on, my friend. Yeah, I appreciate you having me here.
SPEAKER_12Thanks.
SPEAKER_17Tell me a little bit about where the bug for racing started with you and your two brothers. And it was that typical climbing up the ladder, so to speak, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_12Yeah, I don't think I had a choice when I was four and a half. My dad put me in a go-kart along with me and my brothers. Um I can't complain for it. Um, but uh he started us in go-karts on uh Monday nights at Wild Incart with with um you know the the staff motor speedway. Um great program. That's you know where all the the good guys start, it seems like. And um then we worked our way up uh through go-karts and went to like Bandoleros, uh Legend Cars, SK Lite, SKs, and now open cars.
SPEAKER_17When you first got in the car, it felt four and a half? Is that right what you said?
SPEAKER_12About four and a half, four and three-quarters of forgetting.
SPEAKER_17Forgive me, but your your dad straps you in a race car and says, go out there and turn left and you're only four and a half years old. What went through your little mind?
SPEAKER_12I I wish I could say um I have no recollect recollection of uh exactly what was going on. Um, you know, the earliest I can remember is probably you know a couple years after when I was you know six, seven, eight-ish. Um but when I was four and a half, I have no idea.
SPEAKER_17When you started coming up the ladder, and I find it interesting that not only Wild Thing, but then you moved to Bandoleros and to Legends cars. There's an awful lot of people that now look, especially your generation, and see a vital rung in the racing ladder being those Legends cars from Inex.
SPEAKER_12Yeah, no, I think Legend cars is a huge step. Um I don't I didn't really prefer the Bandoleros. Um when we got to the Legend cars, um, small tires, small wheelbase, ton of power, going fast, you know, that that's that's you learn car control there. Um go-karts, you're not sliding to sideways, you're stuck to the ground. So you know that teaches you how to go left really fast and consistent, you know, being with other cars. Then you move to the legend cars and it's um it teaches you car control. If a modified steps out, um you shouldn't know how to correct it by that after doing a legend car, um, just because it's you're pretty much sideways the whole time.
SPEAKER_17And then when you started driving the SK lights, a tad different than the SK's because that's a momentum type race car. How long did it take for you to gain the skill set to excel the way you did uh you know, at the end of your light career winning the championship?
SPEAKER_12Yeah, I think five years um it took to master it, obviously, because that's when we won all the races, won the championship. Um the first year I was out there, um I we I was either just learning the track, learning the car, um feeling it out. Second year, we were going for a couple wins, you know, just progressing, you know, fairly, don't wreck the car, stuff like that. Um the third year we started, I believe we got two or three wins, I'm not sure. Um but uh you know, just yet again, don't wreck the car, learning the car. And the fourth year I was like, we were going to the championship, I believe, with Tyler Barry. Um, and we just had bad luck, blew a transmission, blew another transmission. Um, just you know, struggle. We were on a struggle bus. And then the last year we wanted to come back, get the championship, lock it down, and that's what we did.
SPEAKER_05Tyler Chapman caps the season off your 2024 SK Light Modified Champion.
SPEAKER_17And a giant exhale and a commitment now to move up to SK's. Winless in the SKs thus far, but this is only year two. I'm gonna get to what seems to be the bright spot, and that's that car behind you in the uh the open modified tour. But where do you think you need to pick up pick up things in the SK competition?
SPEAKER_12Well, I mean, you get three tires a week. Um so if you look at the charts, you're within a tenth of each other, at least it's the top ten. Um so if you're tenth, you're really you're there. You're just in a bad spot at the wrong wrong timing. Um obviously you have the class of the field right now. It's Rafano, Christopher, um, possibly sometimes here and out JP, Flynn, those are you know top guys. Um I'm not sure if we're there yet, um, but we're definitely getting there. The first race, we we missed the setup a little bit. A lot going on. We had two cars, only three divisions on the Sunday of the Spring Sizzlers. So um we missed the setup a little bit, um, but we we bounced out of a you know top five, which is pretty cool. Um yeah, I think I think it was a win. No wrecked race cars. The first Spring Sizzler with SK. We brought two cars home, me and Steven, um, in a a ball of mess. So we're already better than last year.
SPEAKER_17I want to talk about that sibling rivalry between you and Steven. As I watch in the stands or I watch on flow, uh it's like you two really thoroughly enjoy getting after each other.
SPEAKER_12Oh, definitely. Um I don't think the rightly stops coming off the track. Um it it could be anything from who who does woodworking better or whose truck looks better. Um it's it's uh round the clock who's better at what. Um I wouldn't say at the end of the day it's it's all for fun, but it's we know it's not. It's it's who's better. Um it's always been like that. Um which you know makes it fun. Obviously, my mom is pulling hairs, listening to it all all the time. Um back when Jason was involved in it, um there was three of us going at it. Um but no, more recently, me and Steven. Um we like racing with each other. At least I do, at least. Um, may it may be different if you ask him. Um, but uh we seem to get along on the track.
SPEAKER_17All right, now I want to move to June of 2025. You're in your first year uh driving an SK modified, and as a lot of SK drivers did, you took a long hard look and committed to the Monaco modified Tri-Track series with a guy that had had a long and storied history there, the 06 team of Les Hinckley. You guys merged your operation and how'd it go in the beginning?
SPEAKER_12Uh well the first race went great, I think. Um we went to Seacon, was the first race. I was obviously nervous. Never been to the track, looks like a hard track. I'm used to bigger tracks like Stafford Thompson. Um I was never a fan of Waterford, it was a smaller momentum track. Um so going to Sea Conc was like here we go. Um I believe we started I want to say around the 13th area, 14th, and we finished 11th, I believe, around there. Um out of I think 30 cars. So um no damage. It went well. Um it was a success. We we got to you know dip our feet in what what's what's succumb.
SPEAKER_17You know, through all our conversation here, when you're recounting how you did, it's like uh most important on the checklist no damage.
SPEAKER_12Okay. Last year we had too much damage. It was if you look back at the weeks, it was every other week we wrecked, and it it wasn't just me, it was me and Steven. We wrecked together, uh, whether it was the same wreck or not. Um I want to say, I mean, I I can put the blame on, you know, twice. I you know, it was my fault. Um, but most of the time the the wreck was avoided, my car was slowed down, and the car behind me was not slowed down. You know, my my rear and my rear end was up in the air, flying through the air, wrecking the car. Um so last I my older brother Steven, he uh stopped SK racing last year. He had too much fun, so he he called it. Um he's focusing on the the 25 team. Um so you know the no the no damage is huge. We gotta work on our own cars. Um and I I don't want to spend, you know, until 11 o'clock every night fixing the car that would have been fine if we just didn't wreck the car.
SPEAKER_17All right, now let's fast forward to the spring sizzler and the uh 80, I mean the 100 lap green flag race. You were fast right out of the box. And when it came down to it, it it was a toss-up for the final three or four laps.
SPEAKER_06No surrendering at the point. It's still Williams as they cross the stripe. Beers still running strong to the outside lane. Tyler Chapman wants to go.
SPEAKER_03He pushes past Bears coming off of turn two. Now Williams looks to protect the bottom lane, two turns away from victory.
SPEAKER_06No question about it. They dive to the bottom of turn three. Here comes Austin Beers.
SPEAKER_17The fans are jumping up and down in their seats, but it is Ronnie Williams to takedown the greatest race in the history of spring for the Tell me what went through your mind as you're challenging not only for the lead, but with Ronnie Williams and Austin Beers in the 179. And the three of you were glued to each other. People say it was the most exciting spring chiseler in the 54-year history.
SPEAKER_12Yeah, I don't know about that. It was just to me, it was another race with no damage. Um I think that race showed us. Yeah, I think that race showed that, you know, we we're here, we're fast, you know, we're here to stay. Last year was a little rocky. Um, so this year, you know, definitely. This is a second race, two top tens. Um, so this this race was definitely you know a click in the box if we're going in the right direction. Um, it's our first top three finish of the Monaco track track series and the open modified's overall. Um, you know, I think the first part was passing Silk. I know we had a troubled piss stop after his car got tight or something. Um and uh we passed him, it felt great. Car was awesome. Um, and then we were you know actually racing with the top guys. There's no better guys than you know the people I was racing with then.
SPEAKER_17Well, it was a thrill to watch. Think you've got a great year ahead of you. Uh let's hope that each and every week, be at the SK or the tour modified, when you get back to the garage, A, you can check the box, no damage. And B, because you work on the car, you can go home early because there's no need to do anything in terms of repairs.
SPEAKER_12Yeah, you know, nine, nine, I like to say nine o'clock, nine thirty is it's got time. It's time to go to bed. So um we want all all the work between the car and everything to be done before 9 30.
SPEAKER_17Tyler, we appreciate it. Good luck this season.
SPEAKER_12Appreciate it, thank you.
SPEAKER_17What happens when a father gives his five-year-old son a go-kart to run in the family's driveway? Well, if you're Jonathan McKennedy, it results in a 20-year modified and supermodified racing career that is filled with victories and championships.
SPEAKER_04It's Racer Spotlight time on the Modified Minute. Racer Spotlight is brought to you by Riverhead Building Supply. Build better, build smarter.
SPEAKER_17Here's Jack. Well, shining brightly in the Racer Spotlight today is a guy that has won the Modified Racing Series Championship. He has won the Wheel and Modified Tour Championship. Oh, yeah, and by the way, he's won the Monaco Modified Tri-Trax Championship and a Super Modified Championship. We're talking about Jonathan McKennedy. Jonathan, welcome to the Modified Minute, my friend.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, it's great to be here. Thanks for having me on, Jack.
SPEAKER_17Let me start all the way back when you were at Sugar Hill as a six-year-old and decided to turn left in a in a first in a you know in a mini car and then in a in a go-kart. When did you really get bit with the bug to become a race car driver?
SPEAKER_13Uh it definitely started young. My dad got me into it at a young age, and we started off with some carts here in the driveway, and my brother and I used to run these carts out in the driveway for hours at a time, just run them out of gas, keep putting fuel on them, and um yeah, one thing has led to another. We went to the local go-kart track about an hour north, Sugar Hill Speedway. And man, from there on I just it was something I really enjoyed. We were pretty good at right from the beginning. And yeah, here we are, what uh twenty-five years later, and um I'm still fully committed and still really enjoying it, and you know, running very competitive at high levels of racing, so it's gonna use part of my life.
SPEAKER_17John, how old were you when you first sat behind your very first modified?
SPEAKER_13Modified, uh maybe like nine eighteen or nineteen, I want to say. Okay. Uh, you know, sour-type modified. Yep.
SPEAKER_17And from there, you've won more than a hundred races. And we're gonna talk a little bit about your transition from modifieds to super modifies in just a moment. But I I want to go back because you have run well, you've run your own operation, then you got a couple of opportunities that were just absolutely top shelf. Tell me about your time with Art Berry, one of the true Hall of Famers in Modified Racing.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, so Art, that was uh that was a really cool deal. That was something that we were actually at a trade show, I think it was in um Mars that Bobby Seymour had put up. And I was down there, this was about 2011, 2012. We were walking around and I seen Kenny Barry, and he came up to me and says, I want you in my car this season. We were kind of joking, and um about a month later, his dad called me and he said, Jonathan, I I'd like you to drive my car this year. And you know how racing's changed over the years. It's you know, unfortunately, it's about the sponsorships and the mighty dollar, and I was straight up with him. I said, I I can't bring nothing to the table a lot. I'd love to drive here. He goes, I'm not asking you to. I want you to drive for me. So at the time it was a great opportunity, and um, I ran the whole year with the modified racing series, and back then, too, the the series was a really good series. I mean, very competitive. I mean, they were getting 25-30 cars at all those events around that time. Um so yeah, we ran the whole year together, we won a handful of races, we won a championship. Um ran the whole year, I think it was 15 or 16 races, literally didn't put a scratch on the car, and that was huge with art. Um, you know, he liked someone that could respect his equipment, you know, go fast, but more importantly, he he didn't want to have to work and you know replace stuff for stupidity. And you know, if he had a fifth-place car that day, that's what you had. But um and that was one of the reasons why I think he hired me to drive. He he knew I could get the job done, and I was a clean driver. And so yeah, that was a great deal. The car was always prepared. Um that out of all the rides I had, that was definitely one of my favorite rides. And Ken Barry and I had good chemistry, you know. Here and there we bump heads, and um, you know, but overall it was a great deal, and I really enjoyed racing for the berries.
SPEAKER_17And you talk about top names in modified racing. Then a little later in your career, you drove for Tommy Baldwin Jr. in this famous 7 New York. What a juxtaposition or the polar opposites. Art berry, quiet, calm, you know, always just you you had to really, really understand his soft-spoken approach to racing. And then you got TBR that is just absolutely out of control. How'd that work out for you?
SPEAKER_13Yeah, it was different. Um, but at the end of the day, you know, I drove for Tommy for a couple years. Um it was a good experience. I I learned a lot, you know. Obviously, he's a smart guy, he's made a living, you know, crew chief and top-level racing in the world, you know, the NASCAR Cup series, and he's won races and um he's put himself around some great people, you know, in his racing career as a crew chief. And those two years I drove him, I learned it a lot, and it it was a great opportunity for me to race the NASCAR modified tour. Um because prior to that, you know, I've been racing the modified on and off for I don't know, what's it been, 15 or 20 years? But there was a lot of those years from like 2009 and 2016, 17. I only ran a handful of, I feel like, NASCAR modified events. It was mostly open shows and modified racing series, stuff like the Supers. So when I drove with Tommy, that was really from 18 to like 2021. I got a lot of experience on that tour. A lot of tracks I got to go to, and you know, overall we ran well. Um, we did win a handful of races, you know, a Myrtle Beach. We won a race down at New Smyrna. We won the last race at the North South shootout at uh Concord Speedway, which was an awesome track. Uh one of my favorite tracks. Um you know, in the last year, racing for Tommy, uh, we had some struggles for sure that year, you know, um, just a lot of little stupid mechanical issues, and you know, we were trying some new cars, and I think at the time he was definitely a little bit busy. He had a lot of stuff going on with other racing, and um but in the day, you know, we ended on good terms, we're still ready friendly, we talked still. Um I was really fortunate, you know, to drive for him. And again, that that was a deal that came out of left field. I remember driving a 10-wheeler when he called and McKennedy, I want you to drive my car in Florida. We do good, the ride's yours. And that's the God's honest truth. We went to New Smyrna and our first night out together, we won the poll and won the race, and um yeah, one thing kind of led to another. So overall, it was a it was a good few years driving for Tommy and uh a lot of respect for him, hard worker, and I think all the guys down southfield the same about him because uh hard hard nose racer, loves racing, and um no one's gonna work harder than Tommy.
SPEAKER_17Look, there's no question that you established early on a reputation as an outstanding modified race car driver, but then you fell in love with the super modified. Tell me what it was about a super modified that just jazzed you beyond all belief.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, the super is a st it's an awesome machine. I can't all I can tell you it's um when you strap in that car, it's it's you and the machine. You have no radios, no communication on spotters, your team. And it's just the ultimate short track racing car. I mean, this car is 2,000 pounds with me in it. You know, follow fuel, and it's got almost a thousand horsepower sitting next to my left leg. And I tell you, when you hit the gas, it is something. Um, it's probably the closest thing I'll get to drive, you know, something close to like an indie car. I've always said I love the opportunity to try one of those because I feel like a super in a way is very similar, and I've been pretty successful over the years with the supers, and and I've seen guys like Bentley Warren, Joe Ghost, you know, super modified stars, um great drivers back in the day. They did some indie car stuff and um they they ran pretty respectful, you know. So that I think there is a little hope there, but again, it's um it's a needle and a haystack, right? We all want to make it to that top level, but it's there's only a few rides available each year, and that's for a whole entire world. So the window's so small. And I'm you know, I'm aware of that, but at the end of the day, I really enjoy racing the supers, and they're just um they're just an awesome machine. I mean the nice thing with the superjack is sometimes you can be a little bit off, and it's like you drive that car a little bit harder because it's just a it's such a fast car, you can make up to speed. Um where I feel like the modified now they're almost like in a box, you know. They're all I don't want to say cookie cutters, but they kind of are. You know, we all run the NASCAR spectr motor. You know, the majority of the whole field all has that 620 horse. We all got the same cars, and the majority of the drivers are all good drivers. So it's like there's a small window, right? If you miss it just that little bit, you're a fifth or ten place car because there's only so much you can make up as a driver, where the super is so fast, you know. Sometimes you can you can put your stones up on the steering wheel and make up a temp or two, and that's just the truth. Um one on this topic, one thing I I have mentioned a little bit the last year is and it hasn't gotten nowhere, but me personally, I would like to see the modified, you know, um have some more horsepower. You know, during the offseason, um, a cheap, affordable way to give these things some power is you know, give these spec engines a little bit more camshaft, a little bit of valve train. Make them so they have over 700 bus. And it's a cheap, affordable change. Then the driver has a little more say in it. You know, the the the whole feel now is just so close, and sometimes you just you can't make up what you need to when everyone's at even and the car is uh slightly underpowered, and I personally would like to see them have more power, and um give us the option to run a different spoiler. You know, why run an eight-inch spoiler? Give us the option if we want we can run a 10 or a 12-inch. And I think you'd see better racing, it'd be more coming and going, and that's my personal opinion, and I think guys who have followed the um the racing would probably agree with it. Um I think you just need to see a little bit more of a change.
SPEAKER_17Look, I know you already are aware of the fact that, like you, I share an abiding passion for the supers. I would be remiss on this podcast if I didn't give you a few seconds to state your case to my family to return the Isma Super modified to Stafford Speedway.
SPEAKER_13Yes. The Supers need to go back. Um at the end of the day, they haven't been there in several years. Um last I recalled, a few times they have been there. You guys have had a great crowd. Um the Isma MSA series, as well as some of these cars in the New England area running the Ness series. I mean, I'm pretty confident you get a super modified event uh at Stafford Motor Speedway. I would say you'd have a great field, 20 cars or more. And yes, they do they do do double file restarts now. I know that was a big thing with Stafford a few years ago. So um yeah, it's been a few years, they haven't been there. And um Wow, look at the colour. I don't know. I'm pretty confident then they come back, you guys will have a good crowd, and I think you'll have a good field of cars, too. Just a great facility. I really had a lot of fun racing the super there, and you know what can you say? Stafford's done a great job over the years and arguably one of the nicest short tracks in New England.
SPEAKER_17Listen, it's a real pleasure to visit with you, not only here, but whenever we run into each other, and I would share with my viewers and listeners the first thing that always comes out of Jonathan McKennedy's mouth is when are the supers coming back to Stafford? Jonathan, you know I'm giving it the best shot I can, but unfortunately, I'm retired. My input is more limited than yours. Well, listen, best wishes, you've already tied down you've already tied down a Monaco victory, and we look forward to a great campaign by you in the number 79 in 2026. Yeah, thanks, I feel this feature in the Modified Minute is getting a lot of positive airplay. In fact, it's become the talk of most of the pit areas. It's called either or. And I managed to convince, cajole, and plead with Jonathan McKennedy to be the subject this week. Well, Jonathan McKennedy, I hope that you are ready to participate in what we call either or.
SPEAKER_13I'm gonna give it a try.
SPEAKER_17All right, then let's go.
SPEAKER_04It's either or, where our guest must choose one or the other. Brought to you by New England Racing Fuels, New England's authorized distributor of Sunoko fuels and products. Sunoko, the official fuel of NASCAR.
SPEAKER_17First question I think's easy for you. I already know the answer. Supers or modified? Supers. No question. Okay. This one's gonna be a little harder. Bentley Warren or Richie Evans.
SPEAKER_13That's a good one. Um I'm gonna go with Bentley Warren. Just um Yeah, I'm going with Bentley. Someone I'm friendly with, a lot of respect for, got to see him race, race with them. Obviously, Richie was another great, but overall I picked Bentley Warren.
SPEAKER_17Steak or lobster?
SPEAKER_13Going with steak.
SPEAKER_17Okay, boots or sneakers.
SPEAKER_13I guess it all depends what you're doing that day. Um, but for the most part, I'd have to say uh sneakers.
SPEAKER_17And finally, rap or country.
SPEAKER_13Definitely not rap. We'll go we'll go on country.
SPEAKER_17Well, congratulations. You made it through either or unscathed. Jonathan, thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER_13Yes, thanks, Jack. It's good seeing you.
SPEAKER_17Well, it's time to close out this week's Modified Minute episode, and my thanks go out to this week's guests, Tyler Chapman, Vinnie Beadle, and Jonathan McKennedy. Make sure that you return next week, won't you, when we will bring you yet another episode of the Modified.
SPEAKER_04This has been the Modified Minute. Modified Minute has been brought to you by Quadell 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 Means. 100% quality since 1933. By Riverhead Building Supply. Build smarter. Build better. By New England Rasting Fuel. New England's authorized distributor of Sunelco Fuels and Products. And by first contractors, Building Expert since 1925. Why get it? That's what that's email address. Our email address is modified minutes.com.