Obtaining his breakthrough NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win at Monadnock Speedway in May was special for Jake Johnson in numerous regards.
Not only did he fend off many stalwart veterans to achieve that milestone, but he did so in the famous Ole Blue No. 3 Modified operated by Boehler Racing Enterprises. Among the notable drivers who have wheeled Ole Blue to Victory Lane over the years are Bugs Stevens, Wayne Anderson and current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece.
Johnson felt honored to continue Ole Blue‘s cherished legacy on the Modified Tour, crediting his victory to the chemistry he’s established with Boehler‘s operation over the past three years.
“It took a little bit to set in,” Johnson said. “The [NASCAR Whelen Modified] Tour is such a prestigious level to win on, especially with this group of guys. We all work so hard toward building a notebook and a bond with each other to get there. Finally getting that win made such a positive impact for the team, and hopefully we can keep the momentum going.”
Boehler was responsible for helping Johnson break into the Modified Tour in 2022 on a part-time basis. After putting together several consistent runs, Johnson earned the opportunity to become Ole Blue‘s full-time driver this year.
There were many long weekends for Johnson during his first two years with the Modified Tour, but the positives and negatives provided many valuable lessons on how to set reasonable expectations and salvage solid days when victory is out of reach.
Consistency has been an instrumental component of Johnson‘s 2024 campaign. Aside from his Monadnock victory, he has completed every lap while having yet to record a finish outside the top 10, all of which has him third in the point standings behind Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore.
Although he still has some ground to make up in the championship, Johnson‘s victory does have him atop the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings. Holding that lead through the next two Monadnock events will be a challenge for Johnson, especially since Saturday‘s race is 100 laps longer compared to the May event and features a tire change.
If he can maintain solid pace through all 250 laps, Johnson believes he can park Ole Blue in Victory Lane again. He is optimistic another win will help build momentum toward pursuing a title, but he emphasized the importance of keeping Ole Blue clean through the remaining events.
“I‘m grateful to have that first win,” Johnson said. “That milestone is done, but looking forward, you can‘t be greedy. It‘d be nice to have a little more success this weekend and get another win. You have to keep up consistency over the last half of the season. Don‘t get yourself in a bad situation, and take everything one by one.”
Johnson‘s quest to defend his Monadnock Speedway victory from May starts Saturday when the Duel at the Dog 250 goes green at 8 p.m. ET on FloRacing.
Woody Pitkat making first start of 2024 in familiar No. 82
An iconic Modified Tour ride is set to return to the track at Monadnock this weekend.
Long-time owner Danny Watts Jr. will have his orange No. 82 Modified on the grid in Saturday‘s Duel at the Dog 250 for the first time this year after retiring from full-time competition at the end of 2023. Piloting Watts‘ car is veteran Woody Pitkat, who is also making his first Modified Tour appearance this season.
Pitkat and Watts bring plenty of familiarity to Monadnock. The duo previously collaborated on the Modified Tour during the late 2010s, with Pitkat delivering a victory for Watts at Wall Stadium back in 2019 after overtaking Timmy Catalano with three laps remaining.
Saturday is expected to kick off Pitkat‘s second consecutive part-time campaign with a storied owner in Modified competition. In 2023, he partnered with Stan Mertz prior to his retirement, successfully putting together several clean races that culminated in a top-10 finish at Thompson Speedway to wrap up Mertz‘s career.
Pitkat‘s best Modified Tour performance at Monadnock was a runner-up finish to Doug Coby in 2015. He looks to improve on that showing in Watts‘ car Saturday night.
Stephen Kopcik seeks to build momentum from debut race
In his second career Modified Tour start, at Seekonk Speedway last month, Stephen Kopcik made a strong impression amongst the series regulars.
After starting ninth, Kopcik worked his way through the field to secure an impressive fourth-place run. He placed higher in the running order than several accomplished Modified Tour drivers such as champions Doug Coby and Justin Bonsignore.
Even though he has only made limited ventures into the Modified Tour, Kopcik has plenty of experience in the discipline. Along with winning numerous races around the northeast, Kopcik is also efficient as a crew chief, having led Ryan Preece to Victory Lane on a couple of occasions.
The equipment Kopcik will drive Saturday can deliver him another top five. His Wanick Motorsports teammate Anthony Sesely led 46 laps during the Granite State Derby at Monadnock in May before he faded to 13th in the closing stages.
If he can replicate his stellar performance from Seekonk, Kopcik could make a statement by adding a Modified Tour win to his resume after just three starts.
NOTES:
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In his most recent Modified Tour appearance, Matt Hirschman at Seekonk overcame a bad selection in the redraw to earn his ninth series victory. Hirschman rejoins the Tour for Saturday‘s Duel at the Dog 250 in search of his maiden Monadnock win.
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Patrick Emerling has come close to victory several times during his first year driving for Rich Gautreau. One of his two third-place finishes of 2024 came during the Granite State Derby at Monadnock earlier this year, a milestone Emerling looks to eclipse Saturday night.
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Kyle Bonsignore nearly upstaged his cousin Justin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month but settled for a solid second-place run, his best of 2024. Bonsignore is searching for better luck at Monadnock in Saturday‘s Duel at the Dog 250, as he finished 22nd there in May due to an expired engine.
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When the Modified Tour visits Monadnock, Brian Robie typically performs well in front of the home crowd, as two of his three top 10s have occurred at the facility. Robie enters Saturday‘s Duel at the Dog 250 with the goal of finally obtaining a top five in the series.
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