There is a lot of excitement around the Whelen Modified Tour this season. Some of the buzz, with good reason, surrounds the numerous strong teams that are legitimate contenders for the 2006 WMT championship. I see something that is even more important for the long-term prosperity of our beloved Tour.

Although we have occasionally had a few new drivers come onto the WMT scene, this seasons’ bumper crop of rookies is perhaps the deepest and most talented in the history of the Tour. This group also includes the first real expansion at the team level the Tour has enjoyed in a number of years. The influx of new blood has seemed to charge the atmosphere in the pit area like nothing in recent memory.

This isn’t to say that Tour favorites like Tony Hirschman, Mike Stefanik, Jerry Marquis, Ted Christopher, Reggie Ruggiero, Eddie Flemke, Jamie Tomaino and Rick Fuller are over the hill or not of championship caliber. To the contrary, until one of these young guns steps up and snags the brass ring like Todd Szegedy did in 2003, the veteran campaigners above, along with Szegedy, Chuck Hossfeld, Eric Beers and Donny Lia will likely dominate the top-ten in both race results and the standings. Even still this will generate more excitement.

The aforementioned 2003 WMT champion, Todd Szegedy, is back to contend for the title this season. Szegedy, who relocated back to Connecticut recently, has been reunited with his championship crew chief, Phil Moran. Todd will campaign the #2 owned by Mike Smeriglio, III.

Let’s take a look at some of these new faces. Danny Sammons will be piloting the #0 for Ralph Solhem. Danny is a veteran of USAR Hooters Pro Cup racing. The experience Sammons has gained from touring with the USAR will pay big dividends when it comes to adapting to new tracks. Solhem will likely enter Danny in selected Busch East Series events as well.

Dennis Charette springs onto the Modified Tour from SK racing. Dennis has called Waterford Speedbowl his home track for the past four seasons. Charette got his start in racing at Riverside Park. Dennis’ #03 cars are owned by Chris Drouin, Sr.

Chris Pasteryak jumps into the seat of his father Charlie’s ride this season. Chris was dominant in Legend cars and also has campaigned SKs. This might be a big jump for young Pasteryak but I’m sure he is in for the long haul and will evolve into one of our future stars.

Ron Yuhas, like Charette and Pasteryak has sprung forth from Waterford Speedbowl. In his youth, Ron won three Quarter Midget national championships. Yuhas left racing to focus on his studies and other interests through High School and College. He has amassed twenty victories in SK and Sunoco Modifieds since he returned to racing in 1998. Ron’s family will campaign the #6 Modifieds owned by Rich Marquardt in this rookie effort.

Glenn Tyler is a third generation driver from Long Island. His father Cliff and Uncle Jim were a part of the Modified racing scene for many years. Glenn’s racing experience evolves largely from fendered cars. Tyler won two Late Model championships at Riverhead Raceway and has raced in the PASS Series. Look for Glenn in the #8 with the eight-ball scheme.

Anthony Sesely is a name we saw on the WMT last season. Sesely hails from Matawan, NJ and will drive the #11 car. Anthony is most noted for racing on the RoC Tour.

Ronnie Silk has raced periodically on the WMT with limited success. Silk will drive the George Bierce owned #19 on the Tour this season. Ronnie has gained most of his experience driving SKs and Sunoco Modifieds at Connecticut’s three major tracks.

James Civali joins up with King Racing to drive the #28. This shoe has been in the eye of the storm in the past. Don King might be the owner to put this youngster on the road to success in Modifieds. The King team was able to help Tyler Haydt win the WMT ROTY crown in 2005.

Mike Andrews raced his family owned Tour type Modified at Riverhead Raceway, has performed well for several years and finished third in points there last season. Mike got his break this year in Florida when one of his heroes, Mike Ewanitsko, was sidelined due to injuries sustained there during Speedweeks. Andrews jumped into the ride he now campaigns, Ed Whelan’s #36, and put it in New Smyrna Speedway’s Victory Lane. This youngster has demonstrated a knack for tire management and the ability to finish well in extra distance races at the local level.

Matt Hirschman knows what it’s like in Victory Lane and on the championship stage on the WMT. Matt has been the co-crew chief on his father Tony’s back-to-back title winning teams. The legacy is a rising star in Modified racing. Matt nailed down the 2005 RoC overall asphalt championship and will drive Ed Bennett’s #59 in his WMT ROTY campaign.

Eric Berndt will drive the #64 this season. Eric has been a stout competitor in the SK and Sunoco Modifieds at Stafford, Thompson and Waterford. Berndt is a favorite competitor of the folks over at Chassis Dynamics.

Jon McKennedy isn’t a name that many with which many of us were familiar before the start of this season. After the Icebreaker, everyone wanted to know from where did this driver come? McKennedy was driving Supers, on the local level until last season when he joined the ISMA Tour earning Rookie-of-the-Year honors. Jon will drive the #73 in his attempt to nail down a second major ROTY crown in as many seasons.

In addition to the Rookie-of-the-Year candidates, there is another name that adds some flux to this season. Jimmy Blewett could be the Carl Edwards of the WMT. As in the case of Carl in NEXTEL Cup in 2004, Jimmy participated in too many events in 2005 to remain eligible for ROTY honors this season. The younger brother of WMT regular John, III will drive the #12 for Eddie Partridge.

Of the drivers listed above, Charette and Tyler are those that might not be certain of a full WMT campaign at this point. Both of these teams look like they are sticking their toes in the water to see how things are. I am sure that both of these teams would be regulars were it not for financial concerns.

Also there were several other ROTY eligible drivers at the Icebreaker. Joey Hartmann, Ken Heagy and Joe Mongeau all attempted and failed to qualify for the WMT opener. Hartmann and Heagy have been regulars at Riverhead Raceway for several years. Mongeau calls Wall Township Speedway his home track.

Hartmann in the #05 car owned by Wayne Smith and Heagy in the #38 owned by Deb Fleming are among the entries for the Spring Sizzler. In addition, Richard Savary, a regular competitor at Stafford Motor Speedway, will attempt to qualify a #20 field entry from the Art Barry stables with John Lombardi, Jr. from Inside-Out listed as the owner.

A couple other young guns will are scheduled to appear at the Sizzler. Frank Ruocco is entered as the driver of the #91 of Steven Butova. Defending True Value Modified Series champion, Kirk Alexander will drive the #71 for owner Rick Czarnecki, Kevin Konopka is slated to return in his family owned #51 and Jimmy Horton will try to qualify the #29 Modified. Like Savary, Ruocco and Horton have been regulars at Stafford.

There are a dozen or so drivers that are eligible to compete for ROTY honors on the Whelen Modified Tour. At the same time there are no less than eight teams that have Tour plans this season that were not a regular part of the Tour at the start of last season. Despite the loss of the Don Barker and Tony Ferrante, Sr. teams from regular competition in 2006, the Tour has continued to grow. Who will be the next young gun to step up and win on the WMT out of the latest wave? It probably won’t take long to find out.