Defending True Value Modified Racing Series champion Kirk Alexander, Swanzey, NH., made his first visit to Thunder Road International Speedbowl an impressive one as he captured the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 for modified racers Sunday afternoon, May 25. in front of a huge sun-drenched crowd. Alexander passed race leader Peter Jarvis on lap 84 to win his 29th career feature race in five years and his third victory of the 2008 season. Sundays win was the 11th different New England race track Alexander has finished first at, in TVMRS competition. The 100 lap grind was the second in a series of eight Sunoco Race Fuel qualifying events for “Mod Mania” weekend at Thompson , CT , in September.
   25 race cars started the event with front row drivers Dale Evonsion and Peter Jarvis staging a torrid battle at the drop of the green flag racing side by side until lap four when Jarvis, the 2007 rookie of the year, snuck by only to turn the top spot back over to Evonsion on lap eight. Jarvis re-inherited the lead on the 10th lap and held it until lap 68 when Evonsion took it back. The second generation driver continued to battle with P. Jarvis and then Chris Pasteryak until the 80th circuit when Pasteryak got into Evonsion resulting in a five car incident. Two of those were a hard charging and very fast David Pinkham, and Jonathan McKennedy . Neither driver made contact or suffered damage but a forward motion rule resulted in both drivers being sent to rear of the field. Prior to the lap 80 slowdown, seven cars were closely bunched together often inches apart at speeds by radar gun at 100 miles per hour on the high banked quarter mile speedway.
   When the race resumed, Alexander moved to the front on lap 83, was never headed, and won by four car lengths over Vermont veteran Dwight Jarvis. Peter Jarvis finished a strong third. Eddie Dachenhausen, a consistent effort throughout the race, finished fourth, and Pasteryak finished fifth.
   Ever the outdoorsman, Alexander was highly complimentary of the famed speedway in post race interviews. "I just happened to be on the bottom when the leaders got into it, this is a great facility with great fans. I had never been here before and when I saw it set here in the beautiful hills, I thought, this is my kind of place"
   Veteran Jack Bateman had a solid run and finished sixth after being involved in a practice crash on Saturday requiring a return to his Canaan , NH, shop for repairs. Sean Bodreau had another strong top 10 finish with a seventh, followed by Pinkham, Mike Holdridge, and McKennedy, rounding out the top 10 positions.
   Qualifying heats were won by Evonsion, P. Jarvis, and Pinkham. By series rule, Pinkham started last (25th) as he won the last race at Waterford , CT , May 3.

Race Summary:
Thunder Road International Speedbowl
Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100
May 25, 2008

   Finish / Start / Car # / Driver
  1. 24  43  Kirk Alexander
  2.   8  28  Dwight Jarvis
  3.   2    9  Peter Jarvis
  4.   9  10  Ed Dachenhausen
  5. 11  15  Chris Pasteryak
  6. 12  17  Jack Bateman
  7.   3    1  Sean Bodreau
  8. 25  22  David Pinkham
  9. 19    0   Michael Holdridge
10. 15  73  Jon McKennedy
11. 10  12  Vinnie Annarummo
12. 13  23  Mike Douglas Jr.
13. 21  55  Joe Doucette
14.   5  70  Andy Seuss
15. 14  25  Jon Paul Cyr
16. 18  27  Kevin Iarnnarelli
17. 22  77  Kenny White Jr.
18. 16  76  Shelly Perry
19.   1  35  Dale Evonsion
20. 20  79  Kenny Vogel
21.   4  13  Stephen Masse
22.   6  06  Les Hinckley
23.   7  69  Jimmy Dolan
24. 23  04  David Berube
25. 17    6  Rob Goodenough

Race Time: 55:45:930
Fastest Lap: Alexander: 12.35
Fastest Lap for New Track Record: 12.24 (Saturday) Rob Goodenough
Race Leaders: Evonsion Laps 1-3, P.Jarvis: Laps 4-7, Evonsion: 8-9, Jarvis: Laps 10-67
Evonsion: 68-79 Jarvis: 80-83 Alexander: 84-100
Caution Periods: (6) Laps, 31, 52, 67, 78, 80, 83
Black Mountain Painting Half-Way Leader: P. Jarvis
Sunoco Hard Charger Award: Alexander

The next event for the New England racing series will be June 14 at Seekonk , MA Speedway.

THE END