Ted Christopher

Ted Christopher (Born June 5, 1958), from Plainville, CT is an American racing driver who has raced and won in many different types of race cars, including Modifieds, SK Modifieds, Camping World East Series, Late Models, Pro Stocks, Midgets, and Supermodifieds. He has also raced in NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, and Craftsman Truck Series. He is best known for competing on the Whelen Modified Tour, where he was the champion in 2008. He is also well known for his success on the 1.058 mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway where Christopher has won 5 Camping World East Series events and 5 Whelen Modified Tour events.

Christopher won the 2001 NASCAR Weekly Series national championship in 2001.^[1]. Driving asphalt SK Modifieds for multiple teams while also pursuing the Whelen Modified Tour championship and racing in other series, Christopher won 15 of the 18 races that he entered at Thompson International Speedway in Connecticut.^[1]

In 2008, Christopher won the Whelen Modified Tour championship for the first time^[2]. Christopher, who is known as one of the most accomplished drivers in the Northeast, had never won the Whelen Modified Tour championship. He did so in fashion, winning both the championship and the final race of the season, at Thompson International Speedway. It came in his 12th full-time year of competing on the tour. It was Christopher's 31st career win on the tour. Christopher came into the race leading the championship standings over Matt Hirschman by 31 points. Late in the race, Hirschman suffered an electrical problem, which put him a handful of laps off the pace. Christopher drove on to win the event, with Hirschman finishing 21 laps down, in 25th position.

Ironically, in 2005, Christopher went to the season finale at Thompson holding a 36-point lead over Matt Hirschman's father, five-time tour champion Tony Hirschman, only to lose the championship due to a lap 11 crash.^[2]

Christopher was known for his aggressive driving style, which has changed in the past year and has brought more success to his racing career. So far 2009 is starting to shape out as one of "TC" most incredible years. ^[3]

Christopher, currently has 33 Whelen Modified Tour victories. All of his statistics are viewable on the Whelen Modified Tour section of right hand column of this page.

[edit] Honors

• As part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Weekly Series in 2006, Christopher was named one of the series' All Time Top 25 drivers.^[4]

• In 2008 Stafford Motor Speedway named a section of their grandstand for him in honor of his 100th victory at Stafford. Chirstopher, who currently has 102 victories at the prestigious and storied Connecticut oval, is Stafford's all-time winningest driver.

• Christopher is the only driver to win SK modified track championships at all three Connecticut race ovals that race the cars on a weekly basis--Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson International Speedway, and Waterford Speedbowl.

[edit] References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Schaefer, Paul. Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. ISBN 0-9789261-0-2. pp. 131-136.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Courchesne, Shawn. Christopher Earns First Whelen Modified Tour Championship Thompson, Connecticut, USA, 2008
3. ↑ Courchesne, Shawn. Destiny Finally Finds Ted Christopher[1], 2008
4. ↑ Schaefer, Paul. Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. ISBN 0-9789261-0-2. pp. 163-170.

[edit] External Links

• Stats