“Buiding Year” Nets Three Victories and a Bud Pole Award
When Donny Lia and his #18 Lia Motorsports, Inc. team wanted to make the 2004 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series season to be their breakout year, they did not mess around.
Crowley formerly worked with this year’s Featherlite Modified Series champion, Tony Hirschman. Being able to coach a young driver like Lia using some of the traits that he learned from a veteran like Hirschman has proven to be a success.
“Watching someone like Tony Hirschman has enlightened me to things that were already right in front of me, but that I hadn’t seen,” said Lia. “I learn from watching him how to be
smooth and patient and know when it’s time to race.”
Just a few years ago, the LMI team did not even exist. Lia is very proud of the fact that his young team has been able to show the chemistry and cohesiveness of an established operation in such a short amount of time.
“The wins, the poles and the good runs are all a product of what we have become as a team,” said Lia. “How we are able to work together really shows on the track. I think that we have become a team that people know they will have to beat to win poles and races in the Modified Series.”
In only their second full-season touring with a Modified, the record that the team left was impressive. In fact, picking out a highlight for the team is tough. There were five poles in the Modified Series which led to Lia winning the season-long Bud Pole award. There was a Modified Series victory at Riverhead. There was a Race of Champions Modified Series victory at Thompson (CT). And to finish up the year, Lia registered a win in the North-South Shootout at Concord Motorsports Park (NC) and a runner-up finish in the Turkey Derby at Wall Township Raceway.
While Lia’s name might be in the record books for those accomplishments, he defers the credit to the entire #18 team - even when it comes to his own driving style.
“I’m probably twice the driver that I was at this point one year ago,” said Lia. “I’m more focused and a lot
Donny lef the Modified Series in poles in 2004. (Hodge photo)
more comfortable in the car. I learned a lot about myself as a driver. Part of that is having more seat time. I’ve only been racing a Modified on any level for four years, so every lap that I get to drive is huge. It means more to me at this point in my career than other drivers who might already have 10 or 15 years of experience.
“I learned a lot, but I didn’t do it myself. I owe a lot to [crew chief] Kevin Crowley and the entire team. Kevin came along and pointed things out to me that have made me better. He’s shown me who to watch and what to watch to learn.”
Lia was one of the front runners of this year's Modified Series.
Lia and the #18 team finished eighth in the point standings after what could be described as a roller coaster year. They started out the season with run of bad luck that left them outside of the top 15 in points heading into the summer. A strong stretch in the summer months rocketed them into the top 10 of points. The team flirted with a top-five points finish, but lapped cars, flat tires and a few racing incidents in the final handful of races kept them from a few of the top finishes that they were capable of.
“We had a terrible first few races of the year,” said Lia. “After our RoC win at Thompson, we turned a corner and then we had an awesome middle part of the season. That pulled us back into the points chase, but at the end of the year we just couldn’t get any luck. We were still there and we were running strong, but we didn’t have the finishes.”
Donny won at Riverhead earlier this year. (Hodge photo)
Looking back on 2004, Lia knows where his team has been and has a pretty good idea of where it is going.
“No matter what, every team needs a building year,” said Lia. “This was ours. We have now set ourselves up perfectly for a run at the championship next season.”
In 2005, Lia and the LMI team will return to action in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series. For more information on Donny and the team, please contact Matthew Dillner at (704) 231-7613 and be sure to visit DonnyLia.com.
