At the Fall Final, I got the chance to sit down with one of the main cogs in the Modified racing community. He has driven and owned racecars, promoted events, managed facilities and is one of the most familiar voices one might hear over a public address system at a northeast race track. Let’s meet Ben Dodge.

WN: How did it all start for you?
BD: You’re asking me to go back light-years or something. Actually, my dad ran a car here on dirt. I have to emphasize the point that he raced here at Stafford when it was dirt to make some extra grocery money for the family. I don’t think that people would realize today that I come from a pretty poor background. Unfortunately in those days, I couldn’t afford to come to the races. So the gentleman who was in charge of the concessions, offered me the opportunity, at a very young age, I was seven years old, to pickup papers and do things here in order to get into the racetrack. I used to do that and then when I was done I’d come up and sit on the steps of the announcer’s tower and listen to the announcers. I think being a kid in those days: the announcers kind of took a liking to me. So, before you know it, all kinds of doors were opening and I was getting to do things that other kids, my age, never had the opportunity to do.

WN: Where are you from?
BD: I literally live twenty minutes away from here in Vernon [CT] and I’ve lived in that town most of my life.

WN: Where did you progress from? Where was your first real job in racing?
BD: Well I had so many different jobs in racing from doing different things. At an early age, I worked with the Custom Quarter Midget Club, the Little T Speedway at Thompson Speedway. I was one of those individuals, and not many could do it in the old days, that I was able to work at different race facilities all at the same time. And that was kind of something that was taboo. It was like territorial. You didn’t work at Stafford, Thompson and Riverside all at the same time. There were many, many years that I was doing that. I never really had the same job, every time. At Riverside, I was the promoter, the guy who was in charge and ran the facility. I’d come to Stafford and I’d be the announcer. I’d go to Thompson and I was the guy who was running the program, from a different perspective. I adapted, went everywhere and worked just about every racetrack I can think of in different capacities and enjoyed every bit of it.

WN: How did you get involved in car ownership?
BD: Because my dad had racecars. I actually drove here at Stafford back in 1972. I drove in a division called the All-American Sportsman Division, which would be like the Late Models today. I drove one season; it wasn’t really my “thing” to do. So, I decided that I could make more money talking about it and working at the facility than being a racecar driver. In 1976, I owned the track champion car in that division here at this Speedway. It progressed. I got out for a while and got back in. I owned Modified cars that drivers like Bob Polverari, Jerry Marquis, Eric Beers, Eddie D’Hondt, Bruce D’Alessandro and others drove for me. My philosophy was always simple. If I was going to be a lawyer, I would have a library full of books on law. The best way for me to understand what the competitors were going through was to own a racecar. Then if the cost of tires went up or fuel went up or whatever the case was, I knew it first-hand what it was like. I knew what it was like to lose a racecar. I knew what it was like to have friends injured and hurt in racing and that was kind of my education.

WN: Who were some of the people that influenced you along the way?
BD: Oh, boy! That’s a real tough one. There were so many people that were influential to me. One of the people that helped me a great deal when I was young and understood my background and so forth was Bill Slater. He was an amazing man that kind of directed me and led me through doors that most people didn’t have the opportunity to get to. I would have to say also that Jack Arute, Sr. was one of those people. Don Hoenig was instrumental. You know I worked at Thompson Speedway in the ‘70s. I left there to go and do bigger and better things. Which was to take over and run Riverside Park Speedway and then I came back to Thompson Speedway years and years later. Those were key individuals who were really, really supportive and helpful to me over the years and they were kind of the foundation of northeast racing.

WN: Tell me, who are the brightest young stars we have around today?
BD: There are so many talents that we are seeing coming up through the ranks today. Matt Hirschman I think is a very talented driver. He is showing a great deal of potential. Woody Pitkat is not on the Whelen Modified Tour yet. This kid has got so much talent. He’s a brilliant marketing guy. He knows how to sell Woody Pitkat. He knows how to throw the light switch on and turn it off. He’s got a ton of talent and I think you’re going to see him as an outstanding competitor next season. There is big talk of Bobby Santos, III taking over a permanent ride in this series. He’s a talented driver. Then you go to some of those [drivers] who have been here [on the Tour] a while. Maybe they haven’t had [much] success yet. The Zach Sylvesters, Ronnie Yuhas I think has done an awesome job in this season and here’s an independent runner, no money to speak of and he’s run up front, he’s time trialed well, he’s raced well, he’s a nice guy and I think you’re going to see him do amazing things as well. I have to tell you the truth, what I don’t like is that there are so many parents that are pushing their kids, just funneling money into their race teams and into their efforts. That I’m not big on to be very honest with you but there are young drivers that are talented that are coming up.

WN: What do you see in the racing business today from a track operator’s perspective, from a car owner’s perspective and from the competitor’s perspective?
BD: I have to tell you this: the one thing that has happened in the world of auto racing, and I’m not sure if it is for the good or for the worse, to be truthful with you is the fact that the sport of auto racing is changed so much. In order to fill these grandstands, which doesn’t often happen these days, we have to market ourselves as “entertainment” not as auto racing. What has happened is the population of auto racing as we knew it; the generations of our father’s, our grandfather’s those people have gotten older. That generation has gotten older and older and today’s youthful market is different. Today’s youthful market, today’s youth doesn’t own a full-bodied car. They don’t always relate to a Modified type car. When I was a young kid the greatest car in the world was a ’55 or a ’56 Chevy. Today these kids don’t have any idea what that is about. Their cars are Hondas and cars of that nature and type and they’re high tech, they’re computer oriented and everything else and we have to think of ourselves as entertainment and focus on that. One of the big issues that we deal with is that the majority of the people that control all of the facilities in the northeast and control the stage let’s say, the racetracks, they have been in that business for a very, very long time. Some might say that’s a great thing but some might say that’s not a great thing. Because when you’re in a business for a very long time, you don’t always look at it with wide open eyes. You don’t always keep up to date with what’s going on. You take a facility, like Thompson, its sixty-plus years old. It’s been owned and operated by the same family. Oh, they’ve leased it out for a year or two but it is always is under their direction. That’s very unique. Most businesses are not like that. If you’re in the entertainment business, you own a football team or whatever; you don’t own it for a lifetime. You own it for a short time and somebody else takes it over, steps in and does their thing. I think that is an important part of some of this. It’s harder and harder to sell tickets. It’s harder and harder to get first-time people to come. Once they come here, we have something that is unique and special and it’s awesome. We know that. But it is hard to get the new people in to really get a feel for it.

WN: If you could be the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Director and you could make one change, what would it be?
BD: I think the biggest change, that would make the biggest difference in all of this would be to get the powers to be at NASCAR to take a serious look at the value of this series and what this series can offer on a national and a local level. I’m not talking about just television. I’m talking about the whole package. If there is an injustice and it’s not an intentional one by NASCAR, is the fact that the competitors at this level prepare their operations and their race teams to be professional and big time but they don’t get recognized always and I underline the word always, as big time divisions of NASCAR. That’s the injustice. If there was a way we could wave the magic wand and I could be a part of making NASCAR and the big picture of auto racing, see the value, the entertainment and the talent that we have, I think I could leave this sport and say I did good.

WN: What do you see for the future of the Modified Tour?
BD: The popularity of Modified racing is growing and growing. I think what scares me a little bit is the cars as we see them now, they could be going into an identity crisis. There is no more Cavalier on the street. You say this car has a Corvette body, well it’s unique and a Corvette is a popular car and people relate to the name Corvette but in reality, we’ve got to watch these things and make sure that they have that value that people can relate to. Change is sometimes good.

WN: What’s the future for Ben Dodge?
BD: I have to tell you, I’ve been in this business a very, very long time. I’ve experienced tremendous highs and experienced tremendous lows in this business. I do realize that I’m not the youngest guy on the block anymore. I can honestly tell you that I’m one of those people that have given a lot of people the opportunity and the chance to be a part of this business. I’ve helped a lot of people become announcers. I’ve helped a lot of facilities to grow and expand and do things. I guess I just really want to always be a part of it in one way or another. I don’t care if it’s just taking tickets at the gate. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’ve spent my whole life doing this and I’ve made a lot of personal sacrifices in doing it. The sport has been very, very good to Ben Dodge and I’d like to think that I’ve been good to the sport. I really don’t know. I don’t want to be a part of it and not carry my weight. I want to be a part of it and making things happen to motivate it. Because I’m that kind of a person, I’ve never been shy to stay away from controversy or speak my peace.