SOPHIA, N.C. — For many race fans, Todd Szegedy will always be remembered as one of the premier drivers of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
A series champion, Rookie of the Year and 19-time Tour winner, Szegedy was also a familiar face at the North-South Shootout, making five starts in the prestigious event between 2003 and 2008.
Today, while the fire suit may spend more time on the shelf, the competitive spirit remains very much alive.
For the past 26 years, Szegedy has worked for Montanari Fuels, one of his longtime sponsors, where he progressed from oil delivery driver to HVAC technician. Ironically, he says the job isn’t all that different from racing.
“Every day is different,” said Szegedy. “Every job presents a different challenge that you have to figure out.”
These days, his racing outlet comes on two wheels instead of four.
An avid cyclist, Szegedy competes in road, gravel and mountain bike events. Recently, the 50-year-old completed a 50-plus-mile mountain bike race in just one hour and 29 minutes, winning by eight minutes.
“Amateur cycling is my racing fix,” he said.
Leaving racing also gave him something he didn’t have very often during his driving career—time.
“Once I stopped racing, I realized there’s so much more out there to do,” said Szegedy. “When you’re racing, you have tunnel vision. You need to. Now there’s freedom to spend time with my wife and family, take vacations and enjoy life.”
Despite stepping away from full-time competition, Szegedy still follows Modified racing closely and keeps in touch with many in the sport, including NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Teddy Hodgdon, whose family continues the Montanari Fuels racing tradition.
Looking back, one accomplishment stands above the rest.
“Winning the Whelen Modified Tour championship with Don Barker, the Barker family and Phil Moran,” he said. “Everything has to go right. Everyone has to work together and have chemistry. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
Szegedy also looks back fondly on his five North-South Shootout starts.
“The whole experience was a great memory,” he recalled. “Concord was such a unique racetrack. It was great racing against competitors from all over and getting to meet guys like Tim Brown and Burt Myers. They were competitors, but always approachable.”
As for whether fans might ever see him back behind the wheel?
“I miss the art of driving,” Szegedy admitted. “I’d love to drive again.”
While a return to Modified racing hasn’t materialized despite a few opportunities, he hasn’t completely stayed out of the driver’s seat. Recently, he joined his father and sister for a track day at Lime Rock Park, where he enjoyed putting their Corvette and Mustang through their paces. The experience only fueled his desire to own a dedicated track-day car.
And, if the right opportunity in a Modified came along, though, he knows exactly where he’d like it to happen.
“I’d have to say Stafford to get back to my roots,” he said. “I wouldn’t say no to the right opportunity.”
The North-South Shootout’s “Where Are They Now?” series reconnects fans with many of the drivers who helped build the event’s legacy while celebrating where life has taken them after racing.
