2/2/2023
Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series
Mike Christopher Jr. To Compete On Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series For Tommy Baldwin Jr. In 2023
Chasing Modified championships all over the map will be the theme for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2023.
Team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. has already announced that he will be fielding Doug Coby on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time in 2023 along with Caleb Heady full-time on the SMART Modified Tour.
Thursday he added another title the team will be hunting.
Baldwin announced Thursday that Mike Christopher Jr. will compete for him full-time on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series in 2023.
It will mark the first foray into competing full-time on the series for Baldwin and Christopher.
“It’s nice finally get it all together,” Baldwin told RaceDayCT. “I’m looking forward to racing with all the Tri-Track competitors and the officials there. It’s a great group of people. We’re excited to be a part of it for 2023. And excited to be going for not only wins but the Tri-Track championship.”
Christopher made two Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series starts in 2022 for Baldwin. He finished second when the series visited the New London-Waterford Speedbowl in August. The team also competed in the NAPA Fall Final event for the series at Stafford Speedway.
“I’m super excited,” Christopher said. “The Tri-Track series has been growing in popularity. Not only does it have Matt Hirschman, but it’s got a bunch of other good race car drivers that go to great race tracks.”
Christopher has competed in various Tour Type Modified events over recent years for Baldwin. Last year Christopher made four Whelen Modified Tour starts for Baldwin and recorded his first series victory and three podium finishes. Christopher was third in the Whelen Modified Tour seasons opener in 2022 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. He got his first series victory last May at Jennerstown (Pa.) Speedway and he was second in the Whelen Modified Tour’s October event at Thompson Speedway.
Christopher also won the Icebreaker 125 and Nutmeg 75 Thompson Outlaw Modified events at Thompson Speedway in 2022 driving for Baldwin.
The 2023 Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series schedule features six events. The season kicks off at Thunder Road in Barre, Vt on May 28. The series will also visit Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway (June 28), Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. (July 22), the Speedowl (Aug. 12, Oct. 21), and Stafford (Sept. 23).
“We performed well at [the New London-Waterford Speedbowl] last year and they’re going there twice this year,” Christopher said. “So that’s awesome. It’s a home track and we get to represent the Bowl. Obviously, they go to Stafford, so we get to represent them too. And they go to different race tracks that I haven’t been to, so that’s going to be fun and exciting. Tommy is at the top of his game right now so I don’t have any worries that we’re going to show up to a new race track and not be fast.”
Baldwin won the 2022 Whelen Modified Tour team owner’s championship with the stable of Christopher, Coby, and Jimmy Blewett combined to run the 16 events on the schedule last year. Heady won the 2022 SMART championship with Baldwin.
“Michael has grown to be one of the top young talents in Modified racing and we’re happy to have him back with our team in 2023,” Tommy said. “His success during the 2022 season helped us not only win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owners title, but also win at many Open Modified events at tracks in New England. He’s growing as a driver every time on the track and will help us be a major threat for the Tri-Track title in a competitive field of drivers and every race we run together in 2023.”
Said Christopher: “If 2022 showed anything, it was that Tommy Baldwin Racing is a threat at every single race we enter. Whether it’s a hometrack of mine or a new one in the Northeast, we were strong. Expanding to competing with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series will be the perfect way to showcase ourselves to more tracks, fans and competitors.”
Article Credit: RaceDayCT
Submitted By: Renee Dupuis
