THE MOTOTOWN USA BEAT
SUNDAY 3/16
by Polly Reid
It was a good day and a not so good day for Hartford, CT’s
Marc Guerard who pulls double duty
every race day at Mototown USA in Windsor, CT competing in the 750 and
1200 sprint divisions. Guerard leads the 750 division in points and with
three races in April remaining on the winter schedule, Guerard is still
a threat in the 1200’s making Sunday’s event all that more important.
But an incident in the 1200 heat race found the Ciammella Construction
sprint suddenly on its side. “It was just racing,” explained Guerard. “I
was going underneath someone on the back straight away. We got tangled a
little bit, enough to get me sideways and put me into the wall. It
looked like it was going to be a pretty hard hit, and actually all the
safety devices worked pretty well and cushioned it, thankfully. The car
looked pretty bad but it was a lot of bolt on stuff so we able to hammer
it back together and get the car back out there for the main event. It
wasn’t perfect but it was close enough to be competitive.” Indeed,
Guerard was able to rally in the
main and finish a respectful 4th.
There was a bright part of the day for Guerard who cruised to another
victory in the 750 main where he holds a 26-point lead over Ed Leclerc.
“I’m going along to have fun and not worry about the points- I’m here to
support the club,” said Guerard. “I’ve been fortunate and lucky that
everything is working out in the 750 class. And I have to thank a lot of
friends and even competitors after the 1200 accident. They all came over
looking for any help that I needed and spare parts, it’s a good group of
guys out here, it’s fun racing them. It gets pretty competitive out
there, but when you need help in the pits, they’re there.”
Hats off to Justin Phillips of West Suffield, CT taking down
his first 1200 win holding off team car and division point leader Matt
Norrie.
A new face in the 600 division at Mototown USA,
Ryan Smith
of Kunkletown, PA scored his first victory at the Windsor, CT oval
diving under Timex Morgan of Rochester, NY in the closing circuit for
the checkers. Running nose to tail with Morgan the entire feature,
Smith, the 2007 ARDC Rookie of the Year made his move and has added his
name to the Mototown USA record books, the debut of his new PMP Chassis
a solid one. “I was waiting,” said the 19-year-old Smith, “and finally I
was able to set up to make that pass.” Morgan or one of his Lafler
Chassis sprints has been the car to beat in the 600’s. “I’m not sure why
I changed my line,” said Morgan smiling about the last lap pass. “It had
worked for me for 19 laps, but he got me. He raced me clean.”
Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT made
it 2 for 4 today, the Thompson International Speedway SK Champion
winning his second feature in the 8 cylinder main in four tries. But not
after dicing it up, swapping the lead and working lap traffic with last
week’s winner Jay Pepin of
Ridgefield, CT.
“Jay’s a good guy,” said Rocco. “He’s from the same neck of
the woods where I work, he stops in every now and again where I work,
but we never got to race against each other until here. Jay, he’s a dirt
guy, I followed him in practice a little bit, I think he showed me a few
tricks. He tries to help me out, I try to help him out, but I think it’s
him
more helping me. It was good, we swapped the lead back and forth once or
twice.”
A healthy car count, it didn’t take long for the leaders to
encounter lap traffic “I was a little nervous,” confessed
Rocco who had at one time a lap car
sideways in front of him coming out of turn two. “I knew we had a little
bit better car but when it comes to running on dirt and lap traffic,
Jay’s got a lot more experience, but we managed to hold on.” Rocco will
be back for the one remaining race that does not conflict with his SK
modified schedule at the Thompson Icebreaker and Stafford Spring
Sizzler. But he’ll have his car ready for Mototown just in case of
inclement weather, Rocco adding as he left Mototown, “Who knows, I might
pray for rain!”
By the way, Ted Chalmers is still working at figuring out the
dirt with his 8 cylinder, “But I’m learning it,” said Chalmers. Several
adjustments to help get rid of the push earlier in the day, Chalmers is
getting closer- he claimed a top five finish today.
ESPN/ABC Reporter Jack Arute will be hanging up his Mototown
USA helmet for now as he gears up for the Indy Racing Series season.
Arute has been and no doubt will continue, as his schedule allows, to
support Mototown USA. And of course, we have the 2009 Jack Arute’s
Chowder Bowl to look forward to also.
As reported on The Chrome Horn message board, we got the news
at Mototown today that Ryan Preece will be in the Boehler #3 Whelen
Modified Tour ride for the 2008 season. The Boehler legend lives on.
A couple of weeks off, the next Bud Light 12 Pack Racing
Series event at Mototown USA is Sunday April 6th. The remaining schedule
can be found at www.mototownusa.com.
Other winners photos:
1200 Winner
Mod Lite Winner
Justin Phillips
Ryan Charland
Slingshots Winner
4 Cylinder Winner
Anthony Perrego
Darren Jacobs
