LIA USES TWO MODIFIEDS TO FINISH IN THE TOP FIVE AT NHMS

It's Three Rides in One Afternoon for Former Tour Champion

It's not very often anymore when NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Donny Lia gets to return to his racing roots and can compete on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.  Lia loves racing on the Tour and is the 2007 champion, so whenever he does get the opportunity to return home and race - he makes it count.

In Saturday's event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, that meant running two cars in one race.

Lia entered the event as the driver of the #96 H&H Motorsports Troyer.  He qualifying 10th with that car, but the team had to change engines at the last minute when a problem was discovered during he final practice session on Saturday morning.

“I've got to say what a good job those guys did,” said Lia.  “They worked their tails off changing a motor in that thing. “ 

But the engine wasn't the only problem on Saturday.  A clutch failure dropped Lia out of the race early and left him with an official finish of 32nd.

“Then we had a problem with the clutch in the race.  But when it rains, it pours.  One problem turns into another problem.  But those guys kept their heads up and I have to thank Billy Colton, John Holland and Al Heinke at H&H Motorsports.”

With the #96 retired, Lia then turned his focus to his Randy Moss Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado and ran that machine in the top 10 of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.  Lia was taken out in a wreck with David Starr though and finished back in the 29th position.

“We had a good truck and I have to thank David Dollar, Randy Moss and the whole crew.  That is a first class team and it shows.  The equipment is all there and they gave me an awesome truck today.  I just wish that we could have had a good finish instead of wrecking a Truck.  I definitely have to thank them for the opportunity.”

But Lia's racing day wasn't over.  Because the Modified race had so many stoppages, it was split into two portions.  The final 38 laps were run after the Truck race, so Lia picked up a ride relief driving for Robbie Summers in the TG Racing #1 Modified owned by Bill Frasco and Guy Ronzoni.  Lia restarted that int he 10th position at the break and went on to earn the team a fourth-place finish.

“This thing was good.  Robbie left to race a Supermodified, so Guy asked if I would jump in it to finish the race out.  We got fourth, so that's pretty good.

“I'm glad that I got to do it again because our day was cut short with the other car.  There's nothing like running a Modified at Loudon.  If we were just a little tighter, I think we would have been racing up there for the lead.”

Lia had no trouble adjusting to the #1 Modified despite not practicing it.

“It's the same thing.  It's a Troyer with the same stuff.  I actually fit into the car, so that was good.”

So even though Lia's day was far from perfect, he was still satisfied with the way things worked out in the end.

“It was a fun day to run in the top 10 in the Truck race and finish in the top five in the Modified race.”

The H&H Team Changes Engines.

(Jim Dupont Photo)

The #96 Troyer at Speed.

(51 Photo)