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8/16/2009
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ROWAN PENNINK
CLEANS UP A TRUE VALUE
FOR THE MONKS HAND CLEANER TEAM
First True Value Win for the PA
Native
by
Denise DuPont |
Summer finally came into full swing as the ‘Wing ‘N Wheels’ night took
flight at the Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday August 15th. There was a good
field of cars that showed up for all of the open wheel divisions. The
grandstands were packed and Mother Nature herself set the stage for a great
night of racing as there was no rain in sight.
Rowan Pennink had lady luck on his side as he drove passed Mike
Stefanik on lap 93 to go forward and win the 100 Lap True Value Modified
Racing Series (TVMRS) at Waterford.” I was tight the whole race. I was
trying to drop off the corner and it was killing my runs. When the right
rear started to wear the thing started to cut in good. I was killing him
getting in. After that last re-start I felt I felt I had a shot getting
underneath him (Mike Stefanik). I was getting under him pretty good. I also
saw that he was smoking so I backed off because I did not want him to blow
up and I would run right into the back of him.”
Just after half-way, Mike Stefanik had passed TVMRS regular Ed
Dachenhausen for the lead. Dachenhausen had qualified well and took of the
lead on lap six of the race. He had a dominate
 car and just when it looked
like he had a run for the win, lady luck dealt the team another dose of bad
luck. The #10x car was running up front when his car started to slow down
and stopped on the back stretch ending the teams night and quest for victory
73 laps into the race.
Then just when it looked like Modified Champion Mike Stefanik had victory
within his grasp; lady luck turned to deal him a blow. He lost the lead to
Rowan Pennink as his car started to blow smoke from the headers. He pulled
the car into the infield on lap 97 of the 100 lap race another victim of
what appeared to be the ‘Curse of Bowl’. “It was blowing smoke out of both
of the headers,” said Pennink about driving behind Stefanik as they competed
for the lead spot. “Actually I saw it on the restart. (This was about lap
86). When he shifted, I saw the car blow a big puff. And then after that
every time he got on the gas it (the Car) was puffing more and more.”
Pennink won his heat race and started the feature on the pole. He
quickly slipped into second and as the cautions kept coming out, his
thoughts of a win started to fade. “I kept saying OK settle in for second
(position) there. Then the cautions kept coming out. I just wanted to get
some green laps under it and see what we had for Mike (Stefanik). It was a
good car the whole race. The
cautions were very frustrating”
Chris Pasteryak came back to Waterford Speedbowl with the TVMRS
hoping that a return to his hometown track would bring him the same luck as
he has so many times in the past. But as the checkered flags flew he had to
settle for a second place finish. “Almost another one (win) in front of the
hometown crowd,” said Pasteryak after the race. “We had about a second or
third place car tonight. Probably even a fourth or fifth place car before we
pitted, then a third or fourth after we pitted. Then Mike broke and we ended
up second.”
 Kenny Horton came to the Waterford turf with a new car, new number
(01) and new race plan for the 2009
year and beyond. Obviously Horton’s plan was right on track as the #01 team
held on for a podium finish. “The car was unbelievable. It is a brand new
car. I raced it once down at New Smyrna. I really do not have much
experience in driving a tour type car, but the car was very good. You know
it is all in the car. If the car goes your go, if the car does not go, you
do not go any where. I was hoping to get up to second there and I tried to
make a move to the outside, but #15 car (Chris Pasteryak) was able to get by
me and it end that was.”
Rob Goodenough had a tough beginning to the night and the #1nh team
just could not zero in the car for practice or his heat race. The team did
manage to pull things together enough though to qualify for the race through
the consi race. It was a tough night but Goodenough held on and in the end
he had a good fourth place finish.. “The car was just really strange all
night. The cautions were actually helping us tonight. During the caution in
turn one around lap five, they had that tangle
down in turn one and I got hit in the right front wheel and that bent in the
inner tie rod end so I had all kinds of toe in. So we were just kind of
hanging in there trying to decide whether to pit or not. Things seemed to be
working our way so we just stayed out there and kept going. Then I started
over heating and picked up a pretty good vibration so I think that we have a
motor that just started to go bad. Getting a fourth place out of this
tonight I am really, really happy. It was a good night for us and I am not
sure how we headed up there but things were in our favor for a change.”
Turning around such a tough night shows why the team has managed to run up
there second in points
Rookie, Jacob Dore, had another impressive run in the TVMRS. The
day was tough day in he beginning but the team managed to get all the bad
luck out of the way early on in the race. The youngster came from the back
of the pack twice to reward his efforts with a fifth place finish. “We
almost loaded the car up before the feature because we had the rear end lock
up when we went over to pre-tech. We found the problem just before the
feature started so we go lucky there.”
Sometimes running a race hard and not knowing where you are ends up
to your benefit in the end. For Dore it was a sweet surprise to find out he
finished the race in fifth spot. “Tonight we were just kind of riding
picking off a few cars at a time. I really did not think that we were that
far forward until the end.”
The TVMRS will return to Eastern MA and “The Action Track of the
East” - Seekonk Speedway, for the Del’s Lemonade TVMRS 100. Racing action is
planned for 6:00 PM
Waterford Speedbowl Race Notes August 15, 2009
Rowan Pennink
Unlike Thompson and Stafford Tracks, Rowan Pennink has spent little
time racing at Waterford Speedbowl. “I have run at this track a couple of
times before. I have always liked this place. It has a lot of grip, up high
and down low. I had a feeling that we were going to run good today. Last
time we were here we ended up with a bad tire, but I knew that we were going
to have a good time tonight
Did Pennink ever expect a TVMRS win to happen at Waterford, in
Pasteryak’s home playground?
I was sure hoping that I would be my night .I like the it (TVMRS).
It is a good series. Everyone runs real clean. Gary and all the guys are fun
to come to the track with. We have a great time and tonight we had the car
to beat.”
Does it take anything away from the race win after not really
getting to race for the win with Mike Stefanik?
“Maybe a little bit. We did get a little racing in. He passed me in
the beginning and I feel back a little bit. I will take it anyway I can get
it.”
Rowan Pennink has been traveling up from Pennsylvania to get as
much seat time as he can in the SK, TVMRS and the NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour.
“The more that you run in these cars – SK or True Value or even on
the tour, every time you are driving any kind of race car it like makes you
a better driver. So I am trying to drive as many as I can. This car and my
car are a little different but overall just driving this car and the #31 SK
helps our effort on the tour.”
Chris Pasteryak
The Pasteryak team has been doing their homework and trying to
tweak the teams cars for a good run on all the tracks. One of the major
nemeses for the team has been trying to tame the “Cement Palace”. Next week
they will have the opportunity to head back to Seekonk and once again make
the challenge. “We will see at Seekonk if the car is any better or not. It
was running good here the first race too and it succeeded in advancing
backwards. We will see if we go in the right direction this time.”
The Pasteryak family has had a lot of experience and time on the
3/8th mile track and each time they return they find it a challenge.
Chris has watched his dad and uncle race at Waterford and then took
the reigns of one of the families racing cars to try his hand at taming the
beast. “The track is fast, narrow and you run out of room here. Things
happen right in front of you. It is just that you get going pretty good on
such a little track. And what happens is the guy on the bottom moves up not
even intentionally. He just has to wash up a little bit and the guy on the
outside runs out of room. Then he bounces off the guy on the inside. Then
you cut a tire because the wall is pretty jagged. That is normally what
causes it (incidents on the Waterford track). Normally it is not anything
intentional. The track surface was fine. It cleans up good, there is plenty
of grip. You are just going really fast for a little track”.
Kenny Horton
Kenny Horton was very pleased and excited with his finish in the
TVMRS race at Waterford Speedbowl. “I entered couple of tour races with a CD
(Chassis Dynamics) car and I decided if we are going to go tour racing, try
to get the best of everything. We bought a Hutter motor last year and we
ended up buying a brand new Troyer car. Brad from the Northeast did a great
job with us. “
Horton has been doing his homework this year. He has kept his eyes
open and learned a lot of helpful tips about racing from fellow competitors.
“The car was very good up high. It is funny because down in New Smyrna Jimmy
Blewett went by me and I was driving the car like an SK car, down low. When
Jimmy Blewett went by me he was running up high. I learnt a lot with him
just driving around me one day. Then the same thing happened tonight with
this kid, McKennedy. I do not really know him and I have never raced with
him before but when he drove by me on the outside, I said “That is
unbelievable.” He was driving on the high line out there; I have got to move
my line up. I moved my line up and I passed four of five cars. From watching
that kid race and hopefully he is a clean race car driver. I watched his
line. Then his car went away form him, and mine came to me. I used his line
and I was flying up there on the outside.
I am really excited about it. It is great racing, very clean and
professional racing. When the guys are passing you they give you a couple of
shots and you just let them go by.”
“This is something that we are going to be doing next year,” said
Horton about racing in the TVMRS. “When you have somebody like me that is a
43 year old and beginner as I tell people. I did not start racing until I
was about 35 years old. I was racing up at Stafford Motor Speedway for years
and enjoyed it up there and then I just decided I wanted to get into a
little bit longer races. With the bad economy this is a great series so I
said you know what, let’s go up there and just start racing. We are talking
about going to Seekonk already as well.”
Did the cautions affect Horton’s race?
“No, I thought they were,. Then on that last re-start, I was down
on the inside I let it (the car) drift up into turn one and then again in
turn two I let it go up a little and I thought that I was going to sneak
passed Pennink and #66 car of Stefanik, But when I put it up a little bit,
the #15 car of Pasteryak just threw it in there. He threw it in pretty hard.
He got into e a little bit sideways, but it is racing and he is going for
the race win as well. “
Jacob Dore
When rookie Dore lost his spotter on the radio it was at first like
bring up the creek with out a paddle. It was scary for a while and then
things just fell into place. “We lost the spotter sitting out in turn three
so it was a little harder for him to call the race. Then his radio started
to go at the end of it (the race). So, we were just kind of guessing a
little bit. He came back just enough to say clear when ever it was open.”
Next week the Dore Team plans to head to Seekonk. “The plan is to
attempt to go to Seekonk. We are going to go through the car and see if
anything is bad.”
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Source: Denise DuPont
Posted: August
16, 2009 |
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