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MODIFIED MINUTE – EPISODE 14: FAMILY RACING LEGACIES
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This week on Modified Minute, we're celebrating the families who have helped shape Northeast short-track racing for generations.
🏁 TROY TALMAN joins us to discuss a family racing history that dates all the way back to the 1950s at Westboro Speedway. Troy shares stories of his family's deep roots in the sport and reflects on his own career behind the wheel of an SK Modified.
🏁 MATT SWANSON has built one of the most diverse racing résumés in Northeast motorsports. From Midgets and Super Late Models to Supermodifieds and Modifieds, Matt has competed—and won—in just about everything. He looks back on the journey that has made him one of the region's most versatile drivers.
🏁 TOM BOLLES is celebrating an incredible 50 years at Stafford Speedway. A successful driver turned respected race car builder, Tom discusses his half-century in the sport and the pride he takes in helping the next generation, including SK Light rookie Conner Christmas and SK Modified veteran Dylan Izzo.
If you love the history, tradition, and family connections that make Modified racing special, you won't want to miss this episode.
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#ModifiedMinute #ModifiedRacing #StaffordSpeedway #SKModified #NortheastRacing #ShortTrackRacing #MattSwanson #TomBolles #TroyTalman #FamilyRacingLegacies
This week on the modified minute.
SPEAKER_13Well, I don't know. It's like I started doing it at a young age today. I enjoyed it. It's hard to give it up.
SPEAKER_06Unfortunately, right when I was going through the ranks is where it started to become, if you didn't have a massive checkbook behind you, um, pretty much became a marketing genius at five years old and all that good stuff. Like you're dreaming of the.
SPEAKER_14You had to have an NBA by eight, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, exactly. Like it uh it became relevant to me at a very young age that that my cup series was going to be the modified. But I like the pressure, right?
SPEAKER_07I think the pressure um it's um uh something you you can't take for granted. It's uh it's a privilege to have the pressure to go out there and uh perform.
SPEAKER_15All 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. Here they come to the strike, down to the finish, check it flying in the air.
SPEAKER_02Here comes Tomino to the inside! Here comes Giovanni Jr.
SPEAKER_15And off the corner to the line they come. This is the Modified Minute. Go inside the world of modified racing with Jack O'Root. Modified Minute is brought to you by Wattel Communications, the official track type 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 modeled. By Humble Brothers Quality Meads. 100% quality since 1933. By Riverhead Buildings to Fly. Build smarter. Build better. By Mr. Wuger Plumbing. Expert plumbing contractors you can trust. By Sign Pro, exceeding your expectations. And by Ferguson Contractors, building excellence since 1925. Here's Jack.
SPEAKER_05This week, I thought you might be interested in a mix of guests, all with deep racing legacies. Troy Talman's family traces their motorsports history all the way back to their grandfather in the 1950s when he raced at the Westboro Speedway. Talman has been racing in SK for a number of years, and he drops in to talk about his career. Matt Swanson, well, he has one of the most diverse racing resumes in the Northeast Short Track racing world. He's raced successfully in midgets, super late models, super modified, and of course the modified. Swanson stops by to talk about all of it. And then well, Tom Bowles is celebrating his 50th anniversary at the Stafford Speedway. He's had success as a driver, and now he builds race cars and provides the mounts for SK Lights rookie Connor Christmas and SK veteran Dylan Izzo. Tommy shares his thoughts about his half century in racing. But before we get to all of that, it was a busy weekend for the Mod Squad. So let's get you up to speed.
SPEAKER_15Time 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_05The action started last Wednesday night at Constant, where Kid Rock Pete Rocco remained a perfect three for three, scoring the victory in the 35-lap SK tier.
SPEAKER_12It's always a fun race in SK scary though. It's never changed over the last 20 years. It's awesome race, it's fun two by two. It's uh it's entertaining to be in a car.
SPEAKER_05It may have started out slow, but Evan Davis was there, winning the 20-lap SK Light space effect. Then it was the Monaco modified price back.
SPEAKER_10I came down the restarts there. Um I think you would add this flip up. We were pretty evenly matched. I tried to you know pull my tires down for a little bit, and the yellow came out, but it would have been tough to get them. We had a good car, and it was a good race. We uh rain each other well, you know, the whole time we did it, and uh it's come out on top.
SPEAKER_05Friday night after the SK light rate came down.
SPEAKER_03Final flat where the white flag is up. No one's surrendering any of the real estate here.
SPEAKER_02Here's Cops, it is in place, he's down underneath Bennett off two, leaves on Bennett coming off the corner, but he still has a nose on the left for the Bennett Penn for the check the flag and it comes side by side in the turn screen at the front of the field, and placed to the bottom, turn away around, and they get to the line first beat up, to go away, make it in place, takes the window for fennettes.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's a really good night, and uh we had this fast car all day. Uh it's kind of unfortunate, you know. As we saw, we were all taking the top because it's a little bit wet in one and two. Uh, so if you hit the water, you just watch right up. So it didn't really give us much of an option. So uh that's just unfortunate, but it's a really good car.
SPEAKER_05In the SK modified Deep Rocco's dominance of the week continued as he became the track first double winner of this team.
SPEAKER_11You know, this thing was really awesome tonight. We had uh we had such a good car last week for the open 80 and uh for the 80 lapper, and just uh really really hit on time for that and managed carried over this, and uh I'm looking forward to next week already.
SPEAKER_05At the Waterfall Beatles, Jordan Hadley took the top honors in the SK Lights division. It was his first career victory. In the 50 lap SK modified main, Jonathan Julio made it two in a row, driving to Mr. Rooter number seven. Meanwhile, that night we were heading right away. Ray forced the cancellation of their over speed unlimited Bubble 150 with their tour type modified. So now you are two up.
SPEAKER_15Here's a look at the championship cases. Brought to you by Stein Pro, exceeding your expectations.
SPEAKER_05A fifth place finished last Wednesday at Thompson kept Jonathan McKennedy atop the Monaco Tri-Track standing. He's followed by Ronnie Williams, Kyle Bonsignor, Michael Christopher Jr., and with the victory, Ronnie Stilk moved into the top five. Steven Kopsick leads the wheel of modified tour standings, being chased by Austin Beers, Tyler Riptuma, Patrick Emmerling, and Justin Bonsignor. The tour heads back to Seakonk Speedway this Wednesday. Stafford Sign Pro Triple Crown standings remain the same. The next leg on the agenda, the Senators Cup on July 24th. And the Smart Tour roars back into action on July 4th at Caraway Speedway. He has taken the long road to success, and it's a journey that's been built on patience, perseverance, and a determination to keep getting better every time he climbs behind the wheel. His breakthrough came with his first SK modified victory at the Thompson Speedway. But it was the 2024 season that truly announced his arrival as one of the sports elite drivers. He's a rising star in the modified ranks, Troy Tallman.
SPEAKER_15This is SK Soundings. 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_05Well, Troy, welcome to the Modified Minute. It's great to have you here today.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, thanks for having having me on. Good to be here.
SPEAKER_05Look, your family has rich, deep roots in the short track racing industry. Take me through a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_07Uh well, yeah, it all started um with my grandfather. Um he started race in I don't know, maybe like the 1950s, uh, 60s. Um he raced at Westbrook, and then Hudson, maybe Manadok, um tracks like that. And then uh my uncle, uh Tomtag, he uh started race in uh 1980. Uh he started racing at Westbrook, I think it was uh Street Stark Division. Um and then he did that for a few years, Riverside Park, uh Stafford, of course, Thompson. Um so he did late models until uh all throughout the 80s, and then he jumped into an SK in 1990, um, which is uh the same paint scheme I'm running now. Um he actually ended up winning the championship at Thompson in '90. Um and then he continued doing SK's Thompson Stafford until he retired in 02. Um and then my cousin, uh his son, Brian Tagg, races um he races late models. Um now I think he's racing at Waterford. Um he did win a track championship at Thompson in 15. Um and so then I started racing uh quarter midgets in 2006. Um I started when I was eleven, which is kind of a little bit older. That's late.
SPEAKER_05That's late for quartermidges.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Um that was a lot of fun. Um so yeah, so I started I did the quarter midgets uh at Little T Speedway. Um six, oh nine, and then I jumped into the Legends cars. I did that uh Waterford two, three years, um like 2010 to 11. Um those cars are super hard to drive.
SPEAKER_05Um, you're you you know you're not the first person that has said that. A lot of the Legends car graduates that have moved up into the open wheel modified, be it SK lights or SK modifieds, have all remarked about how difficult those cars are drive are to drive, and how much easier it is to wheel an SK or an SK light.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, exactly. As soon as I I made the jump, I made the jump right from a Legends car to an SK light, it was so much easier. Um I loved it right away. It was uh it kind of feels like a big go-kart where the Legends cars, you're just always up on the wheel, you're uncomfortable, you gotta drive it loose, you gotta you get so much power and no tire. Um but it definitely taught me a lot. It definitely taught me car control, so when I did make the jump into a modified, um it was easier to drive, and it was just more so me working on like racecraft.
SPEAKER_05And and what how would you define your specific racecraft now that you're in the SK?
SPEAKER_07Um I like to be calculated um you know now. I think maybe when I first jumped into the SKs um years ago, I was a little more on the aggressive side. You know. Um, so I think it's more calculated. You're not gonna win the lap at the race on the first lap. You gotta be there at the end. Uh you gotta have a well-balanced call. Um you know, you wanna be aggressive at the at the right time. Um you know, you you don't you wanna take care of yourself. You win the race at lap forty, not lap one.
SPEAKER_05You know, 2024 was a breakout season for you. At the home of the SK modified Stanford Motor Speedway, where you've been competing and continue to compete. Tell me a little bit about that season.
SPEAKER_07Uh yeah, 2024. That was a great year for us. Um I guess it all started uh the year prior. Um we had a uh uh newer Troyer uh that we bought from Shane Hopkins at Northeast Race Cars. And we switched to that end of 2023. We were making a lot of progress uh towards it. And you know, it's no secret. I I was struggling at Stafford. Um uh but we got the car balanced well, and I had two top fives to end the year. Um, so we had good confidence going into the next season. Um and we ended up winning the Sizzler.
SPEAKER_02Here comes Talbot, tries it high, tries it low. Marcello Rapano, here comes Talbot! They come off the turn, the fans are jumping up and down in their seats, and Troy Talbot will take down the win.
SPEAKER_07I I still can't believe it. It was uh you know a little dramatic fashion uh last lap pass. Um the car was a rocket. We uh we tweaked on it a little bit uh during the day. Um and and Shane uh helps me out so much um as like a mentor uh role. Um I really uh kind of took over a lot of the the duties myself in 24, getting the car prepped, um, you know, making the adjustments at the track. Um, you know, Shane really tells me uh what to do, and he still does to this day, even though he got out of racing a couple years ago. He helps me out so much over the phone.
SPEAKER_05Well, I was gonna say, I I happened to see you on the phone after the practice session on Friday night at Stafford, and you were on the phone with Shane going over things.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah, it happens every week. Um he's awesome. He helps me out so much. Um it's uh it's a great feeling um that he still helps me out, and uh it's uh it works out. He um he he he said he drew cheese from the couch. Um yeah, I I tell him what the car is doing, we kind of bounce some ideas off each other, um, and he he always steers me in the right direction. Um you know, and he's not afraid to tell me how it is. I'll be like, I think the car needs this. He's like, No, it doesn't. Try this. And it always works. So it's it's a really good feeling. And it helps my confidence knowing I get in the car um and I feel like I have a shot to win. So it just boosts my confidence so much.
SPEAKER_05You know, we don't pay enough attention, I think, to a driver's confidence level. You just talked about the transitions that you've made in your career and how it's helped you develop your racecraft. And there are so many what I call cerebral elements to this. We just think a guy gets in there and just presses the loud pedal. When you've got that confidence level, what does it allow you to do behind the wheel?
SPEAKER_07It's everything. Um, you know, if if you're if you're not confident in a car or you're not sure what the car is gonna do, you're gonna be hesitant. And that's everything, like a split-second decision between, you know, um like uh protecting the bottom or making a pass on somebody. Um just knowing, you know, turn one lap one. I'm gonna send this thing in, I know what it's gonna do, I know where the right front's gonna be. Um, I'm not unsure where the car is, and that's uh that's everything. Um I think I confidence is made is a is a huge deal in racing.
SPEAKER_05You know, you're very fortunate. You have some strong support from Casella, and uh they have been with you for a number of years now. How important is it to have a partnership with a major company like that?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, it's amazing. That's uh another thing. Uh I uh still find it a little hard to believe, um, you know, because they're such a huge company. Um and uh Mark DeMaro uh Senior and Mark Jr. uh I've been friends with them for years. Um and I'm just so fortunate. Uh like you said, it's such a huge company, and to have their backing also feeds my confidence too. Um, you know, it definitely adds pressure to it.
SPEAKER_05Um, especially on a Caselo Waste uh special event.
SPEAKER_07Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When they they uh they pack the tower with with all their their people. Yeah, you want to make them proud. Um but I I like the pressure. I I think the pressure um it's um uh something you you can't take for granted. It's uh it's a privilege to have the pressure to go out there and uh perform.
SPEAKER_05You know, one of the things I noticed this year is your your performance index is starting to go on the rise after I guess you could call it somewhat disappointing one year ago in terms of results. And the major change that I see that you have made as an outsider is you've added a veteran spotter to your roster in Sean Waddell. And I've known I've known Waddell for well way too many years. But when you have him and his e in your ear, again, going back to that confidence thing, what's that been like?
SPEAKER_07That's awesome. You know, it it's uh like anything else, you're only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Uh, and I'm really fortunate to be surrounded with very successful people. Uh so you say Sean Waddell, I've been lucky enough to have him spot for me the uh past handfall races. He knows what's gonna happen before it happens.
SPEAKER_05Isn't that amazing? He really does, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Yes, yes, absolutely. It's uh, you know, uh it's been a huge help. And as a driver spotter uh relationship, you can't hesitate. So when he tells you clear low, you better get down. There's no looking in the mirror, you know, double checking this or that. Um so that's been great. Like even um we had a good run fourth. Um there was a few situations where I I we started tenth, so we're rolling the top, and like I got up to seventh, and there was an opportunity to get down. Um, and there was uh somebody that you know was was coming to us on the on the top side, and he probably would have dragged us back. So there was a real tight window to get down to the bottom on the back stretch, and we squeezed in there. Um that's all thanks to Sean. Um yeah, he's a he's a great coach. Um he uh he's been there, done that, so he's uh I'm really lucky to have him.
SPEAKER_05Well, we're really lucky to have you in the ranks of the SKs and uh look forward to your continued success. Time to uh break out from fourth, though, and uh grab some wins to match. Let's beat your 2024 campaign, all right, in 2026.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, that's the goal. I think uh we're definitely heading in the right direction uh the past three weeks. We've we've had a lot of speed. Um, you know, as long as we uh you know just keep doing what we're doing, keep bringing fast cars to the track. Uh love shot to live.
SPEAKER_05Appreciate you. Appreciate you. You know, Roger Penske has always said the guys who put in the most work get the most results. Well, this week's hot dog of the week did it the Penske way and salvaged what might have been a real disaster on Wednesday night at Thompson.
SPEAKER_15It'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_05Jonathan McKennedy won the Monaco Tri-Track Opener back in April at Thompson. But when the series returned last Wednesday, McKennedy suffered a blown engine in practice and was forced to race back to his jump for Massachusetts shop, along with his crew, to get the car that he tested the day before cloud. Started shotgun on the field, but salvaged a fifth place finish and stayed on top of the standing.
SPEAKER_00We uh blew an engine today in practice. Um thrashed everything loaded, drove an hour north. Guys worked their ass off of me. There's a handful of us. Big thanks to Chris, Steve, uh, Pat, Eddie. Um guys stepped up and uh dug our hails in the mud and we really thrashed, got this car already. This car was at the Hampton Motor Speedway yesterday doing a tire cut, so it wasn't even close to being ready for today. Tire shocked, gears, um, just a bunch of odds and ends, still had to scale it, but uh we ripped like crazy men, got it done, uh flew back down here, started, I don't know, 23rd or 24th, and at one point I thought I was gonna have a top three out of it. Just um got stuck here on the bottom there on that last three start and ended up fifth. But overall, uh great day considering the whole situation.
SPEAKER_05That Herculean effort has earned Jonathan McKennedy and his crew this week's Hot Dog of the Week Award. Tommy Bulls has earned the respect. Of modified fans and competitors throughout the Northeast. He's had a career that spans more than five decades. He's competed in the NASCAR Wheel of Modified Tour, the Bush North Series, and Stafford's SK Modified Division. But what really sets Tom apart is his old school approach to the sport. He's built many of his own race cars, raced against the very best in the business, and has remained one of the most respected competitors in the entire modified community. Through hard work, determination, and a passion for racing that has never faded, Tommy Bowles is celebrating his golden anniversary. Let's meet him.
SPEAKER_15Time 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_05Tommy, you've been at this for a very, very, very long time. Your 50th anniversary in 2026 at Stafford Speedway. Tell me a little bit of how the long run got started.
SPEAKER_13Well, back in 1975, my dad and a good friend of his were going to Stafford Speedway actually with a group of guys, and that used to be their Saturday night out and go watch the races. And they would go down by the pit area and have their faces up against the fence, watch the cars go by. It went on private for a couple years. And it's like, and the guys and their other buddies that would they would hang out with, we'd be like, Ed, Ken, you guys, your nose are all dirty. It's all look at it, they're all black. And it's like, you're stiffing that tire rubber again. And they'd be like, they'd be like, oh man, we'd love to have a race car. And the guys they used to tease them all the time. And then they finally purchased an all-america sportsman car at the end of 1975 from Greg Cozy, and Ron Wilson was a driver. And that's how it all began. So the winter of 75 was we got the car home in the fall after the season was over from the previous racing. And got it home and basically started to look at the car and say, What do we got to do, Dad? You know, I was I always loved working on cars. Excuse me. And I always love working on cars. It's kind of like, you know, what are we gonna do? So we started to tear it down and look at different things, and we started to work on it. Back then those those cars had an inline six-cylinder engine, and it was uh it was all new to us, but it was it was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed working on uh that type of stuff since I was a young fella. So that's how it all began. And they raced in 1976, and my dad was a military man, and um he was like uh really patriotic. So 76 was that's gonna be our number, number 76, red, white, and blue, and did it all up. And there was a fellow just above our home here at an auto body shop. His name was Mel, and he did the car all up, and it was beautiful. And it's like, here we go. So we go to the racetrack, first race, and competing the series. And um, they used to have like 55 Chevies and Fords and 67 Camaros and all kinds of stuff. And the first day out, uh going Ron Wilson drove the car first the first year because you know he was a seasoned driver, and he goes down the corner, and I think it was a it was a big blue, like old older Ford, like a 55 Ford, went right up over the back of the car and crushed it. Crushed the back, and it's like, oh my god, this is how race is gonna start. And then we fixed the car and went back again, and uh we've been doing it ever since.
SPEAKER_05When did you officially step in behind the wheel of a race car?
SPEAKER_13Well, my brother drove, I believe it was 1977. My brother Brian Bowles, right? He became the he came, he became the driver, and I was always working on the cars, and you know, the car, and I was always hand on. And probably a couple more years, I was just like, I really want to drive, I like to do this. And my dad's like, oh, but it's a lot of work, and we you know, we all work on this car together. And I'm like, man, and a good friend of mine that I met in high school, his name was Ron Banforth. And it's like, man, I want to get a car because we're all working on that car. And I went and we used to get our the reminder paper on Saturday. I look up my reminder paper, there'd be cars like stuff for sale. There's a fellow in Southwoods that's selling a 67 uh Chevelle, and it was all apart in his garage. I told my buddy Ron, let's go check it out. So we go over there and check it out. It's like the guy has parts scattered all over the garage. And I think his wife was like getting totally frustrated with this guy with stuff all over the place. So I ended up purchasing that car. I brought it home. We stripped it, and Fred Roger was a great chassis builder, was building stuff for us at the time. I asked Fred, I said, Could you pick me up a cage for a 67 Chevelle? He goes, I'll make you one up. So I made me got up to all the tubing, gave me a pile of stuff. I went home and just went after it. And about in a week I had a car built up. And from that competing, I think we started competing at Stafford, maybe 79, 78, somewhere around there.
SPEAKER_05At that point in time, you began your driving career. You still maintained you know the mechanical side of things, and we're going to get to that in a moment. But tell me about your whaling modified tour victory at Jennerstown.
SPEAKER_13Yeah. Um it was uh, you know, the years have gone by, but it was a lot of fun. I was a younger fella for sure, you know, young, and we were chasing him on a tour recently because people that like Brian Ross, uh oh, it was George Kent was in the race, yeah, you know, Tom Baldwin, uh who else? Sefanic, uh you had the four car there, missing missile. I think Sash Woolley was driving at the time. I mean, when I was a young fellow, those are all the people I watched racing modified. I always I always wanted to be a modified driver, and it's like got a chance to chase the tour and race with that. And Brian Ross actually gave us a little guidance, you know, you can do it, come with us. And uh it was a lot of traveling, and it was all new to us. We had to pick up trucking over road trailer, we just went trucking around the country and uh chasing a race. And and that one day in uh at Jennerstown, things just uh I always for some reason I just took a really good liking to Jennerstown. I just really liked the track, and we had some really good races there, and that day everything came together. Now I remember late in a race, we got out in the lead and we're leading the race. And I look back in my mirror, George Kent's like right behind me, you know. It's that's always stuck out in my head. George Kent and these are all top drivers. I mean, they're all great guys, and it's like I just I think it was a 200-lap race. I mean, that was one of the longer races I ever ran. It's like gotta keep this thing going. And he chased me to the end, and we got that win, and a lot of fun. And you know, call that Western Pennsylvania, and they gave you a big cowboy hat, and then you know, it was a big we had a lot of fun that day.
SPEAKER_05You know, um, you spent a lot of years with the with the SKs and uh on the the tour-type modified, and now you've transitioned into with your with your chassis fabrication business, uh you you've transitioned into taking after or looking after a couple of young studs, one in the SK lights with the perfect name, Connor Christmas, and the other that just this past Friday night, Dylan Izzo put on a performance, led the race for a while, and ended up finishing on the podium. And how did that make you feel, Tommy, as the crew chief?
SPEAKER_13That's what we that's what we strive for to get be able to get podium finishes and really wins. We want to win races. And I just, you know, it it all begins in the shop. I just work from we unload our car after a Friday night of racing, and uh basically work begins, you know, just after last night, tear stuff apart on the car. Connor Chris just got a little banged up there, so ripped the car apart last night, it gives me an idea of what I need to do and get started for the week, and then I get after things. It's just yeah, I mean, it's it feels really good, there's no doubt. But I've been there, I've raced a lot of years. It's kind of like we just this is what we do. We want to warm good and win races.
SPEAKER_05It's an incredible passion that you have. Uh can you explain to people what racing in motorsports has meant to you, Tommy Bulls?
SPEAKER_13Well, I don't know, it's like I started doing at a young age and I just enjoyed it. It's hard to give it up.
SPEAKER_05How tough was it to get out of the seat?
SPEAKER_13Oh I mean, a lot of years of racing, then just a few things that happened in my life. Uh got banged up a little bit, and I got a it was a craziest thing. I got a tick bite, and it really uh kind of messed me all up. It's just huh, it messed up my vision and stuff like that. And it's like I just didn't feel comfortable getting back in the car. And I says, you know what, it's time to uh plug something else in the thing, but because I didn't want to just walk away and I would I'll just I'll build these things and make them and I still feel like we can outperform.
SPEAKER_05So here's the part I'm interested in. What's the best advice that you've given to the rookie Connor Christmas and uh to your SK driver Dylan Izzo from Tommy Bowl's driving perspective?
SPEAKER_13Uh uh Well, I try to give them uh insights of what I've done in my career, stuff like that. And um, you know, starting with a really young, young fellow like Connor Christmas, it's like taking having a child, right? Taking a child through his growth and just trying to each week is another step that we take uh of him learning because uh he's never even drove a standard shift vehicle. So we had a we're trying to get over the standard shift and how to shift and all that, and it's just one baby step at a time, and we're progressing, and then we've had a few little setbacks. I that's I guess that's what happens in life, and we just gotta get through it and uh move forward and make progress in his um growth of the whole racing of a driver. And I think you know, 60 years old, probably by the time he's 18, he'll probably be one of the uh superstars of Stafford.
SPEAKER_05You know, I've been very fortunate throughout my career to have watched your entire career, the 50 years in competition. Knew your dad very well and uh really had an impact at Stafford Speedway. Uh, you and your brother maintained that legacy on behalf of your dad, and uh I appreciate your visiting with us today here in the modified minute. I don't know how much longer you're gonna stay at it, Tommy, but I tell you what, I just can't see you not being part of the modified community.
SPEAKER_13Uh it's it's what I enjoy, it's my life, and I I can't give it up.
SPEAKER_05Well, we appreciate your visiting with us. And uh hey, you're on the podium. Next up, checkered flag.
SPEAKER_13I appreciate you having me on your show today. Thank you.
SPEAKER_05You know, earlier you heard Troy Tallman talk about the importance of a spotter and how it boosts a driver's confidence. Well, part of that confidence building is pep talks. In this week's throttle down, we eavesdrop on Mikey Flynn and his spotter getting pumped up for last Friday's SK main.
SPEAKER_15This is Throttle Down Time, where you get to ride along inside a modified. Brought to you by Waddell Communications, your Northeast track side dealer for radios and repair. This week, you ride with Mikey Flynn and the number 24 SK modified at Stafford.
SPEAKER_09Okay, now we've got we can work on it. Good job. I'll see you over there. Step four, good rough.
SPEAKER_05He has quietly built one of the most impressive resumes in modified racing. From dominating quarter midgets as a youngster to earning a NASCAR wheel and modified tour title rookie of the year to winning one of the richest races in the Tri-Track history. He's proven he can race and win in just about anything with four wheels. He's a driver who's earned the respect of the fans and competitors alike through hard work, determination, and relentless pursuit of excellence. He's Matt Swanson.
SPEAKER_15It's racer spotlight time. Brought to you by Riverhead Building Supply. Build better. Build stronger.
SPEAKER_05Well, Matt, welcome to the modified minute. Let's get right to it, shall we? You have a very rich racing legacy and heritage. Where did it all begin?
SPEAKER_06Um, dating back to the beginning, it goes back to my grandfather, Jack Swanson. Um he used to do the old airport drags, and um that's really where the whole horsepower thing began for the family. Um, and then at a young age, my father got hooked up with the family uh the Seymour family out of Marlborough, Massachusetts, and traveled the country with Boston Louis Seymour and Michael and Bobby Seymour, and then um went on to do the Bush Norse series and some local racing up at Lee USA Speedway, Hudson Speedway, uh stuff like that, and then um became a car owner. Um started owning car uh pro stocks for people like Gigi Gravel and Louis Mechelitas and uh helping other teams like Jay Cushman up in Maine, and um that just all evolved into me getting a steering wheel in my hand at eight years old.
SPEAKER_05Well, let's talk a little bit about where it eventually led you, though. Uh I remember when you were running midgets for the Seymours, and but then you put your toe in the modified waters and you took to it like a duck on the middle of a lake. What was it about the mod squad that just lit your candle?
SPEAKER_06Um, honestly, the modified's you know, when I was growing up racing, that was that was a a local quartermage of kids NASCAR Cup series. Um that, you know, it unfortunately right when I was going through the ranks is where it started to become if you didn't have a massive checkbook behind you, um, pretty much became a marketing genius at five years old and all that good stuff. Like you're dreaming of it.
SPEAKER_14You had to have an NBA by eight, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, exactly. Like it uh it it became relevant to me at a very young age that that my cup series was going to be the modified. Um I was very fortunate to get a lot of great opportunities at a very young age. Um why do you think that happened, Matty?
SPEAKER_05Why do you think that happened? Because you did. You've been in some of the prime equipment throughout your racing career.
SPEAKER_06I'd like to say right place at right time. Um just I I don't know. I I feel like I I communicate well with a lot of people at the racetrack. Um, I talk to a lot of people. Um my girlfriend's brother Ronnie Williams, he gives me a lot of crap for it. He says I talk to too many people. Um, but you know, it just I I I don't know, especially like the bowler thing, you know, driving for the bowlers and driving for Gary Costella. It just honestly, it it it was a lot right place, right time. Um very, very grateful for all all the opportunities I've had to drive for all the amazing people I've driven for, and uh, you know, it's kind of led me to where I am today, you know, drive my own family cars. I'm actually here at my own family shop right now, get my car ready for the NASCAR race on Wednesday at Seacon and uh the modified masters at Stafford coming up after that. So um just very fortunate.
SPEAKER_05Is there a comfort level, Matt, when you're driving your own stuff?
SPEAKER_06There is. Um, I mean, again, back to driving for amazing people like I've driven for, you know, it you get in one of those cars and you know you're you know you're safe, you know they're mechanically sound, and um, you know, your only job is to strap the helmet on, pull the belts tight, and drive as hard as you can. Um kind of the what I've been saying to people this year is there's a different type of satisfaction you get out of succeeding with your own stuff. Um, you know, I have a lot of group I'm kind of in the early stages of trying to build a team. Um, you know, I'm getting some younger guys to come over and help with me in the shop and uh kind of spread the workload out a little bit because uh doing it yourself, trying to run the full Monaco modified series and part-time on the wheel modified tour, it's uh it's a chore. So um, you know, it it's a it's a second full-time job when it comes down to it. And uh, you know, I've been very fortunate this year to get a couple new guys on board and just uh trying to work our butts off in this uh in this garage at my parents' house and try and compete with these guys that have full-time employees and you know it's their full-time job. So um I think we're finally starting to figure some stuff out here and get some speed out of our cars. We had a a pretty decent car at Thompson last week. The the results may not show it, but um, I can say to myself, being the guy that works on it and uh prepares it every week, that you know, I I feel like we're making strong momentum.
SPEAKER_05What does Matt Swanson want from a race car? Now I know everybody's gonna say I want balance, but be a little bit more specific because every driver has a style. Every driver in a perfect world says a perfect car would be, and then fill in the blanks.
SPEAKER_06Perfect car for me is a car that doesn't lose more than two tenths throughout a run. Um, honestly. I I look, like you just said, balance. You kind of took my favorite word out of my mouth, but uh, you know, I just I like a car that doesn't fall off. I I don't care if I'm running 15th place speeds the first 50 laps. If my car doesn't fall off, I'm gonna be running top two speeds at the end. So that's one thing I feel like our our our wheel and modified tour program specifically has kind of has kind of strived on uh the last two or three years. You know, we ran second at the World Series last year, we won 125 green flag laps, and the car drove just as good at you know lap 150 as it did at lap 25. And you know, my speeds didn't get faster or slower, everyone else has got slower, so um, except for Ronnie Silks.
SPEAKER_05But uh I can understand that, yeah, right.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, and even the icebreaker this year with the wheel modified tour, we showed phenomenal speed. Um, and again, back to being a newer team, we just had a a not so great pit stop, and that that bit us in the butt. But um, like I said, my guys are in in this deal is 150% just like I am, and uh, you know, we're just doing what we can do and uh hoping for the best results.
SPEAKER_05You know, there's an old adage down in the south. Uh Junior Johnson told it to me. You know the difference uh of uh involved and being committed? When you sit down to breakfast of bacon and eggs, the the uh chicken was involved, the pig was committed. And you you pretty much are committed, but you brought up pit stops, and before we we say goodbye to you, that has become far more important than in past years. It's it's almost as if the the issues. With pit stops at the premier level of NASCAR are trickling down. You gotta have a fast stop on the wheel and modified tour because track position becomes so critical during the course of these races.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, absolutely. Not only the wheel and modified tour, but you know the Monaco series as well. Um, you know, these guys, it like I said, there's there's a handful of guys that you know, this is their full-time job.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Um and their their full-time job is to put together a race team that performs in every aspect um from the second we open the back door of the trailer to the second we close it to go home. Um, you know, and they do pit stop practice once a month, and they have guys that that that do this multiple times, and you know, we my family operationally race one to two three times a month.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Um and you know, it like I said, it's it's all part of building a team. Um and I'm you know hopefully on my way to building a team like that that has a very good pick crew, um has competitive stops. You know, there there are weeks we have very competitive stops, and there's weeks we have stops that cost us a lot of positions. But um, like I said, we're we're trying to do a lot with a little and uh ha have the best outcome in the end because of that. So um it's uh definitely becoming not only competitive on the racetrack, but on pit road as well. And uh like I said, we're just trying trying to trying to get better week in and week out.
SPEAKER_05And you know, you're going all McKennedy on me. You know, not only are you running modified, but you you've got that yearning for that, you know, sitting on top of like 600 horsepower that's right in the middle of your lap in a super modified. You know, John gets emotional when he describes what the feeling is. How big of a difference for Matt Swanson is a super modified from his modified?
SPEAKER_06Uh a big difference. Yeah. Uh, you know, when you got a when you got a thousand horsepower methanol injected big block, pretty much bolted to your left leg, uh it's it's a whole different rush of adrenaline. Um and you know, I'm driving for one of the one of the greats in super modified Towie Lane, so uh definitely a a big big pair of shoes to fill when I strap into that 97 every week. And uh just they're just the coolest race cars i i in the country as far as you know a dirt sprint car, uh a silver crown car, and uh and a big block super modified. That's the that's the cream of the crop for me.
SPEAKER_05That's the trifecta, my friend. That's it. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_06You know, little 500, just stuff like that, is races that I look forward to watching every year. It's the it's the short track racers racers dream. And um, you know, I'm just beyond fortunate to be one of the people that gets to drive one every week. So um they're uh there are some badass looking race cars and they're fun to drive as well.
SPEAKER_05I know. They ring my bell. Matt, it's always a pleasure. I appreciate your stopping by to visit with us. Good luck in the upcoming races, and uh, we'll catch up to you at the racetrack.
SPEAKER_06Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_05You know, I thought I'd change things up this week when it comes to either or, and it was Nicholas Hubby who is in the hot seat.
SPEAKER_15It's either or, where our guest must choose one or the other. Brought to you by Mr. Reuter Plumbing, expert plumbing contractors you can trust. This week it's a special foods edition.
SPEAKER_05Well, joining me for either or in this episode, you heard from him last week. It's the one and only Nicholas Hubby and Nick. This is what we call a special we like to eat either or it focuses on food. Okay.
SPEAKER_08Perfect.
SPEAKER_05So let's start. Either prime rib or tomahawk ribeye.
SPEAKER_04I would have to say tomahawk ribeye. You know, just uh being able to get both sides of the bone is pretty pretty nice, you know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Pretty awesome. But it's pretty big, too. Can uh can you eat an entire one or do you have to share it with somebody?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you know, um I'm usually pretty pretty able to add down a lot of food, so usually pretty able to take care of that myself.
SPEAKER_05Pretty simple. Coke or pep cheese.
SPEAKER_04Um, I'd say I'm more of a coke guy.
SPEAKER_05Goodie. Goody. Mac and cheese or a loaded baked potato.
SPEAKER_04I I'd say a loaded baked potato.
SPEAKER_05What do you like on your potato?
SPEAKER_04Um, really, uh, more kind of just seasoning than anything, but you know, just put some cheese here in there.
SPEAKER_05It's uh Oh come on, you're a guy with butter and sour cream.
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Right, yeah, for sure. Yeah. Okay, pepperoni pizza or a combo pizza with everything on it.
SPEAKER_04Definitely pepperoni. I'm not a not a big big fan of mixing a lot of foods, you know, especially on pizza. I think just cheating pepperonis about the other things that belong on it.
SPEAKER_05And finally, either broccoli or asparagus.
SPEAKER_04Ooh, I'm gonna have to say neither, but if I had to choose, I would say asparagus.
SPEAKER_05Well, I'm not gonna hold a gun to your head. I mean, come on. All right, you know, it's uh but asparagus with holidays isn't too shabby. Yeah, yeah. Nick, I appreciate it. Thanks so much for being part of the special food edition of Either Ore. Thank you. Well, that's gonna do it for this week's Modified Minute. A big thanks to our guests, Troy Kalman, Tommy Bowles, and Matt Swanson, for taking the time to share their stories, their insights, and their passion for modified racing. And thanks to all of you for watching and listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to like, share, subscribe, and leave a review. Using every subscription helps us continue to grow the modified racing community. Don't forget to follow Modified Women on Facebook, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Until next week, I'm Jackaroot. Keep supporting your local short tracks, keep supporting the racers who make this sport great. And as always, keep your modified journey moving forward. We'll see you next time, right here on the Modified Minute.
SPEAKER_15This 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 Mead. 100% quality 1933. By Riverhead Building Cloud. Build smarter. Build better. By Victor River Plumbing.