MOTOTOWNUSA BUD LITE 12 PACK RACING
SERIES
FEB. 24 RACE RESULTS / RUNDOWN
Matt Pupello, of E. Greenbush, N.Y., Joe Jacobs, of E. Hartford, Conn.,
and Jay Pepin, of Ridgefield, became the MototownUSA Bud Light 12 Pack
Series' latest upset victors Sunday afternoon. Marc Guerard, of
Hartford, Matt Norrie, of W. Suffield and Sherman Baumann, of Moodus,
meanwhile resumed their continuing winning ways on MototownUSA's indoor
clay one-quater-mile oval.
Pupello won his first 12 Pack 1,200cc feature by holding off
Anthony Nocella the last 12 laps of their 20-lap feature. They had
vaulted from their second row starting spots to demote polesitter Timex
Morgan and Ted Christopher earlier. The Mike Pupello Tire and Custom
Wheel No. 42 SB3-Suzuki GSXR driver, despite two cautions, pulled a car
length victory margin on Nocella and his "For Sale" No. 92
Dominator-GSXR. Timex Morgan, despite a racelong deflating right rear
tire. completed the podium after Christopher and Randy Cabral dropped
out.
Pupello credited SB3 builder Brett Schonley and divisional
points leader Lex Burritt, of Redding, CT, for their help. He was
wearing Burritt's spare driving suit while Burritt was watching from the
sidelines. "The track was getting dry and slick," said Pupello. "I've
been running SB3s at Whip City Speedway (Westfield, Mass.) last year."
"Matt's like a team mate - we share the same trailer," said Burritt. "I
crashed the No. 117 in Florida and took delivery of a new SB3 Friday."
J. Jacobs came from the scrapyard to his first 12 Pack four-cylinder
street stock feature victory within three weeks. The No. 33 1995
Infiniti G20 driver came from third place to battle and oust the Dodge
Neon of Brad Voglesong on lap eight.
Voglesong flattened his left front tire on a last-lap attempt
to retake the lead. The miscue allowed teammate Patrick William to take
second at the finish line. Unrelated divisional points leader Darren
Jacobs, of Springfield, Mass., had his VW Jetta towed off on lap 11 with
a broken tie rod. "I had been driving an Acura Integra but go tired of
getting beat," said J. Jacobs, who debuted his new car Feb. 15. "Someone
told me about the Infiniti at DiMilo's yard. I thank my wife, Kim, for
letting me do some welding and installing a roll cage and a fuel cell to
it on Valentine's Day."
Pepin would not be denied his first eight cylinder street
stock win from class leader Jonathan Routhier Sunday. He brought his
Village Earth Works No. 33, 1972 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 from ninth
starting spot to topple Routhier on lap 14 and nursed an overheating
condition the last six laps. He was leading his Feb. 15 debut before a
cut tire handed that triumph to Routhier. "I was sitting in the stands
during the first 12 Pack race (on Jan. 6) and thought this would be fun
to run," said Pepin. "I usually race at the Orange County Fairgrounds
Speedway in Middletown, N.Y."
Routhier and Bill Stockert split the two heats - a doubling
up due to the 13 car entry. Stockert, a veteran stock car driver, drove
a former 1973 Chevy Monte Carlo enduro car behind Dave Yardley II in the
main for fourth. Ted Chalmers ended his eight-year retirement by
finishing second in his heat but bowed out from second place with an
overheating condition. The Former Holyoke, Mass. Riverside Park Speedway
truck champion last raced and won at Claremont, N.H. in 2000 before
preparing a 2004 Monte Carlo-bodied late model last week.
Guerard kept his MototownUSA handle by winning the 750cc
micro sprint heat and feature. The Ciammella Contracting/Mark Guerard
Racing Engines No. 95 Henchcraft-GSXR pilot took advantage of Edward
Leclerc's lap 13 spin to take the lead and held off a charging
Carpenter. Leclerc took third among six finishers: Charles Hughes broke
his front axle in practice and Richard Savary failed to finish.
Norrrie nabbed his second 12 Pack 1,200cc mini sprint main by
keeping his Day Hill Automotive/K&S Power No. 16M Henchcraft-GSXR ahead
of Rich Wood. Jr., all 20 laps. Guerard came from last to third among 10
starters. Baumann won his fourth straight Modified Lite feature as well
as another heat. The Bar Hill Motor Service Baumann-GSXR No. 36 driver
rebounded from Jeremy Wilcox's early lead at the start to retake the
lead for good on lap three. MototownUSA officials halved the feature
distance due to the unusually light field; several regulars went to the
Feb. 20-23 Teams United Sanctioning Association Bilstein Winternationals
at East Bay (Fla.) Raceway Park.
"I'm getting to like winning," said the Modified Lite
hillclimb specialist. "My victories have had more people paying
attention to the division. Some of us went to the big race in Florida
this weekend."
The 12 Pack has its second and last Friday night race set for
6 p.m. March 7. The remaining five races are to start noon March 9 and
16 plus April 6, 20 and 27.
NEXT RACES:
6 p.m. March 7.
Noon March 9, 16; April 6, 20, 27
Noon April 19 Central New York Mini Sprint Association tour (wingless).
MOTOTOWNUSA BUD LITE 12 PACK RACING
SERIES RESULTS
1,200cc
MINI SPRINT
Heat Winners (10 laps): Marc Guerard, Doug Norrie
FEATURE (20 laps): MATT NORRIE, W. SUFFIELD, CONN.; Richard Wood,
Jr., marc Guerard, Paul Corazzo, Sr., Jimmy Broderick; Matt Gallo, Bill
Singer; (DNF) Doug Norrie, Glenn Sullivan, Justin Phillips.
750cc MICRO SPRINT
Heat Winner: Marc Guerard
FEATURE: MARC GUERARD, HARTFORD; Ted Christopher, Edward Leclerc,
Chester Hinkle, Matthew Brown; (DNF) William Eggimann, Richard Savary;
(DNS) Charles Hughes.
600cc MICRO SPRINT
Heat Winner: Anthony Nocella
FEATURE: MATT PUPELLO, E. GREENBUSH, N.Y.; Anthony Nocella, Timex
Morgan, Ted Christopher; (DNF) Randy Cabral.
MODIFIED LITE
Heat Winner: Sherman Baumann
FEATURE (10 laps): SHERMAN BAUMANN, MOODUS, CONN.; Jeremy Wilcox.
FOUR CYLINDER STREET STOCK
Heat Winner: Joe Jacobs
FEATURE (20 laps): JOE JACOBS, E. HARTFORD; Patrick Wiliam, Brad
Voglesong; (DNF) Darren Jacobs (no relation).
EIGHT CYL. STREET STOCK
Heat Winners: Bill Stockert, Jonathen Routhier.
FEATURE: JAY PEPIN, RIDGEFIELD; Jonathen Routhier, Dave Yardley
III, Bill Stockert, Victoria Bergenty, William Reiman, E.J. Le Geyt,
Duane Stonier, Cord Becher, Trevor Dyer, J.W. Gowan; (DNF) Ted Chalmers.
NEXT EVENTS:
12 PACK SERIES:
Noon March 9, 16; April 6, 20, 27.
6 p.m. March 7.
CENTRAL NEW YORK MINI SPRINT ASSOCIATION:
Noon April 19 (Wingless)
