Mike Stefanik

Competitor
CLASS OF 2018

A native of Coventry, Rhode Island, Mike Stefanik got his start in the Late Model Sportsman division at Stafford Speedway in the mid-1970’s. He would win 11 races in the division and the 1979 track championship. Eventually moving up to the open-wheel cars, Stefanik was the last Modified Championship (1986) at Stafford before the SK Modifieds became the headlining division in 1987. He won 34 races at the Connecticut half-mile oval during his career.

At Riverside Park Speedway, where Mike’s older brother Bob Stefanik was a 6-time champion, Mike would earn 23 wins during his career. He won the 1982 Pro Stock Championship and the 1987 Modified Championship at the Agawam, MA bullring.

Stefanik began competing on the NASCAR Modified Tour when it first began in 1985 and would become the most accomplished driver in the history of the series. His 7 tour championships (1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006) are more than any other driver. He won 2 championships driving for his father-in-law Sonny Koszela (1989, 1991), 2 with Peter Beal & Charlie Bacon (1997-1998), 2 more with Art Barry (2001-2002) and his last one came driving for Eric Sanderson (2006).

He also has a record 74 wins on the tour. A model of consistency, Mike finished in the Top 5 in nearly half of his 453 starts (223) and in the Top 10 in nearly 2/3 of his starts (301).

Stefanik also competed simultaneously on the NASCAR Busch North Series, winning both NASCAR Modified and BNS Championships in 1997 and 1998. He also finished runner-up to the title in 1995, 2003 and 2005. His 9 total championships tie him with Richie Evans for the most in NASCAR history.

In 1999, he competed full-time on the NASCAR Truck Series, where he earned 9 Top 10’s, 1 Top 5 and Rookie of the Year honors.

Some of the marquee modified events Stefanik won over his career include the 1990 Modified Race of Champions 250 at Pocono Raceway, 4 Stafford Spring Sizzler wins (1989-1990, 1997-1998) and an incredible 8-time Fall Final winner (1990, 1992-1993, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007-2008). Mike also won 8 NASCAR Modified races at New Hampshire Speedway between 1991-2012, the most of any competitor on the NASCAR tour. Stefanik also won back-to-back Winston Classics at Martinsville Speedway in 1991-1992.

At Thompson Speedway, Mike won 3 Ice Breakers (1998, 2006, 2013), 3 World Series (1995, 1998, 2004), 3 Thompson 300‘s (1988, 1989, 2002) plus another in 1997 when it was a Busch North Series race

Other New England tracks where he visited victory lane include Monadnock Speedway, Thompson Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Star Speedway, Seekonk Speedway and Lime Rock Park. He also won at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN), Richmond Raceway (VA), Riverhead Raceway, Watkins Glen Park, Oswego Speedway & Holland International Speedway (NY), Flemington Raceway (NJ) and Pocono Raceway, Jennerstown Speedway & Nazareth Speedway (PA).

Mike retired from racing fulltime after the 2013 season. During retirement, he took up flying. Tragically, Stefanik died while flying a single-engine, single seat Aerolite 103 that crashed near a local airport in Sterling, CT on September 15, 2019. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021.