STAFFORD, Conn. – Donny Lia clinched the 2007 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship with one race remaining on the schedule.
Lia, with six victories and 11 top-five finishes in 15 races, finished seventh in Sunday’s Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway. Combined with Todd Szegedy’s 22nd-place finish, Lia improved his point lead over second-place Szegedy to 183 and earned Lia his first-career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
“Numb – just feeling numb,” said Lia. “I’m just so happy we won the championship for my race team.”
Defending Whelen Modified Tour champion Mike Stefanik won his first race of the season. He led the final 59 laps to finish ahead of runner-up Tony Hirschman and third-place Ted Christopher. Matt Hirschman and Ronnie Silk were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Following the race, Stefanik stopped by Lia’s celebration in Victory Lane to congratulate the new champion.
The Whelen Modified Tour ends its season with the World Series of Speedway Racing Oct. 14 at Thompson (Conn.) Int’l Speedway.
The finish:
Mike Stefanik, Tony Hirschman, Ted Christopher, Matt Hirschman, Ronnie Silk, James Civali, Donny Lia, Rick Fuller, Bobby Santos III, Reggie Ruggiero, Eddie Flemke, Kevin Goodale, Bobby Grigas, Rowan Pennink, Todd Szegedy, Jimmy Blewett, Richard Savary, Dick Houlihan, Eric Beers, Joe Hartmann, Anthony Sesely, Jake Marosz, Eric Berndt, Wade Cole, Charlie Pasteryak, Renee Dupuis, Glen Tyler, Woody Pitkat, Billy Pauch, Jr., Jerry Marquis, Ryan Preece, Carl Pasteryak, Jamie Tamaino.