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8/22/2010 |
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TODD ANNARUMMO
DEFENDS HIS "CEMENT PALACE" HOME TERRITORY
“Little Who” Races
to First MRS Win in 2010
by
Denise DuPont |
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 The
Modified Racing Series (MRS) went to Seekonk Speedway Saturday, August 21st
for the first time this year. Filling his father’s shoes and continuing the
family legacy, local track favorite, Todd Annarummo, was running in second
spot before lap 20 at the “Cement Palace”. He then took his race up a notch
when he passed Jon McKennedy for the lead on lap 28. “I did not have the car
that I had for the $10,000 Open Race. This race we definitely had to work a
little harder for it. It is my home track. I went into the race knowing that
it was my race to loose. I felt that I need to win this race because it is
my home track. I had to defend it, so here we are.”
Annarummo remained dominate during the race keeping second place runner Les
Hinckley at bay as best as he could. “I knew that he (Les Hinckley in #06)
had a pretty good car. I knew we had a good car and my spotter kept me real
calm. I did not know how good he (Les Hinckley) was back there. He kept
saying he was back about a half a car. I knew that he was with me but it was
going to take a lot to get by.”
For a while the track was slick for the leader had all he could do to hold
off hard charger Les Hinckley. Hinckley was able to pass for the lead and
maintain it for only two laps before Annarummo regrouped and took the lead
back. “The #79 car (Max Zachem) was leaking oil for the about fifteen laps
and he kept ignoring the black flag. So we hit the oil a few times, but we
kept it going. So we were a little skeptical on what the car was doing”.
“I did not know anything about the #79 car dumping oil,” Said second place
finisher Les Hinckley. “The guys did not tell me there was any oil and I did
not see any oil and did not feel any oil so there was no effect on out
part.”
 Les
Hinckley started the race in eighth and being the hard charger that he is,
he was in the top five by lap 20. He was right their behind the leader right
until the end of the race look for a chance. “We definitely would have liked
one more spot but Todd did a very good job. He protected the lead well. The
last caution did not work well for us. I think if we stayed green we
definitely would have had something for him because it looked like he was
backing up a little bit. But not everything plays out your way.”
During the race Hinckley was one of those drivers that was able to have his
car take advantage of the outer line on the track to pass and maintain his
position. So the upper part of the track was Hinckley’s place to be. “The
outside groove was what I expected it to be up there. The outside thing is
what we have encountered before. We have lost a little bit on the outside.
Todd kind of moved up on the track to protect the lead. He did not do move
me out of the groove by any means, but he moved us out of the “ideal” spot
on the top. So it made it a little harder off. You loose a lot of momentum
when you are that high up.”
Hinckley has done well at Seekonk even though it is not a track he can call
home like Annarummo. Hinckley has taken his racing knowledge and developed a
strategy that seems to work at Seekonk for him. “This is a really tough
place. When you are on there outside and you are trying to pass somebody you
really have to do it gradually. If you try to make a monster move in a lap
or a lap in a half you are really beating the tires and it will come back
and haunt you in the end. You really half to get up on the top and almost
get him inch by inch. You have to do it over four, five, six or even seven
laps without beating up the tires. It sounds weird but if you are up there
longer and you can stay up there you can pass without beating up the tires.
That works better for me. Maybe that is why I have had some luck up there
and other people have not.”
Point Leader Dwight Jarvis finished the race third and afterwards expressed
the same frustration as most drivers had with their cars during the race
about his car. “The car got free in and tight out. It (the car) was better
than I thought that it was going to be because before the race Brad
Lafontaine from Northeast (Race Car Parts) came over and helped us. She (the
car) was pretty screwed up before the main (race) so we changed a lot of
stuff.”
Like others running the MRS events, Jarvis has not found anything magical
that improved performance with the new tires. “The tires have not really
made a difference. I have not been here to practice (Seekonk Speedway) as
much as Todd (Annarummo) has. I guess he practices here a lot, because it is
his home track. But I was happy with the car with the other tires that we
had. I do not think that we have improved any with this tire myself.”
 2009
MRS champion, Jon McKennedy continued his on-going car struggle at Seekonk.
Every time he thinks he has a chance or the right formula to overcome an ill
handling car, it is back again. “The car just got way too tight again. We
were good in the beginning. Then during the long green flag runs we just
charred the front tires. It was like I was turning the wheel and the car was
going straight. It is getting frustrating now because it is the same thing
every race.” Having the challenge continue at Seekonk, McKennedy was able to
capture only a fourth place finish, one spot behind the Series current point
leader. Dwight Jarvis. So the race is still close.
In 2010 the series started to run a new tire compound and the change has not
been a move in the right direction for all teams. The new tires have added
an extra challenge for the McKennedy team.” The tires are a little bit
different tire. It has thrown us a little curve for whatever reason on these
long green flag runs the cars keeps getting tighter. It is three quarters
into the season and we are still struggling.”
 Jimmy
Kuhn, Jr. has not been running with the MRS full time, but when he has run
he has been consistently there in the top five. Seekonk was no different as
the pristine prepared #72 car crossed the finish line fifth. “It was a good
run for us. It was our first time here on these tires. We have not been
running too many of the Modified Racing Series shows. We have not run these
(tires) here yet. We just need to be a little but tight at the end.”
“I tried to run hard early for position and then try to just ride for a
while.” But Kuhn was a little bit overly caution or conservative and he rode
out the race a little too long. “Then in the end I waited. I should have
gone a little bit earlier. Running for position there I lost the back of the
car a little bit. We were good but not good enough to go any further then
this. We will take it. A top five is good. The last three shows we have had
a top five so we cannot complain.”
 2008
MRS Champion Chris Pasteryak returned to run Seekonk in his dad’s #52 car.
The second generation driver has been side lined since the Lee USA race in
early July where he broke a wrist during a heat race incident. He was all
smiles as he climbed from the car. “We do not have to make an appointment
with the surgeon on Monday or go to the emergency room tonight.”
Pasteryak continued the theme of the evening among drivers with his
confirmation on the general consensus that the cars were just tight. “The
car was pretty good for the first fifty laps then it was OK for the next
thirty, then after the caution it was so tight I could not steer it or spin
to bring out a caution if I wanted to. It was OK but not great. We will
take. We learned something here and we will go on to the next one.”
The last race caution occurred on lap 75 when Rowan Pennink got loose and
spun in turn four. After fifty laps of green racing the cars were not the
same after the final restart. Pasteryak expressed his summary of what his
car did: “The car ran well up until the last caution. After that I just
could not go anywhere. It did not just happen to me. It happened to a couple
of us. I think in the long run what we are trying to do might be a little
bit wrong. Everyone just seemed to get tight which is weird because at
Waterford everyone got loose. We are all scratching out heads a little bit
trying to get it.”
Teams now will have a short week as the head home and prepare their cars for
Thursday night racing at Thompson Speedway, August 26th.
Race Notes from Seekonk Speedway:
The Modified Racing Series head to Thompson
International Speedway next. What are the driver’s thoughts on heading to
Thompson?
Todd Annarummo
The last time I was at Thompson was the first time that I have ever been
there. We crashed early then we put it back together and went back out
there. But we did not have a very successful run there. My goal for Thompson
is to try to get out of there with a top ten. And to keep the wheels pointed
in and keeping the sunny side up!”
Les Hinckley
“We look forward to going back to Thompson. We ran well there last year. So
we have a short week. We have quite a bit of work to do to get ready for it.
Fortunately we are in one piece. We have had a few weeks where we have not
been. We put on a clip last week and a motor. We will get it done and we
will be there.” “It is little aggravating sometimes, but I feel a lot better
about tonight then I did about last week. So we will go home and get ready
for Thompson.”
Dwight Jarvis
“Yes we have to Head to Thompson! It is a bigger track. We have a setup for
the car for down there. The car will be good we will just have to see if I
can grow into it.”
Jimmy Kuhn, Jr
“We decided if we got out of here in one piece that we would try Thompson. I
think that we are under powered for there. A lot of the guys have bigger
motors for there. We have the same motor that we have had for a while. I
hate not to go because we run good there every time we go even though we do
not think that we have enough power. We are going to go and give it a shot.
We will find out what we have. Hopefully we will get them in the end the
motor will not make mush a difference. That is the plan.”
Chris Pasteryak
“Dad (Charlie Pasteryak) will drive at Thompson and we will be back driving
at Waterford (Speedbowl). We will hopefully come up with some different
ideas before then.”
Thought on how the MRS division is doing?
Todd Annarummo
“We ran a lot of green flag laps tonight, there we only a couple of
cautions. There was a lot of good racing. The cautions that occurred were
not very much. There is a lot of competitiveness in this division. We had
close to thirty cars show up. We are getting good cars, good drivers and we
are putting on some good shows for the fans.”
Thoughts on the 2010 MRS Point race?
Dwight Jarvis
“We came into the race ahead by three points but I try not to look at it. I
have been there enough that I try not to let it bother me. But it will
bother me more when it comes towards the end. Jon (McKennedy) is a tough
competitor. It is a real cool driving kid. He will be tough to beat.”
Jon McKennedy
It has been an up and down year for the McKennedy team in their run for the
point 2010 lead. “We are still trailing in points by about six behind. (The
actual tally after the race shows McKennedy 5 points behind leader Dwight
Jarvis.) The points will all fall out at the end of the year. With only six
races left so we need to improve on something. It is the same thing at the
end of every race. Thompson is a good track for us so we will see what
happens.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: August
22, 2010 |
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