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05/06/2014 |
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RICHARD SAVARY WINS FIRST
2014 VMRS RACE
AT SEEKONK SPEEDWAY
100 laps in
Twenty-Nine Minutes
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by
Denise DuPont
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 The
first Sunday in May the Valenti Modified Racing Series (VMRS) headed to
Seekonk Speedway for the inaugural “Sims Spring Classic 100”. The return of
the modifieds to the “Cement Palace” brought with them some fast and
exciting racing. In less than 30 minutes from start to finish, the mods
completed the 100 lap race with only three short cautions.
Richard Savary of Canton, MA was fastest in practice, won his heat race,
started the race third, passed for the lead on lap 45 and went forward to
win the Sims Spring Classic 100. This was Savary’s second VMRS career
victory and his first win in 2014. “When you are out front a 29 minute race
it is just awesome. If you are in the back you are not as happy. And we were
out front so I was just happy.”
Both Richard Savary and Todd Annarummo are second generation Seekonk
Speedway drivers. They also have a lot of experience, seat time and wins at
the Speedway. So when Savary passed Annarummo for the lead he never looked
back. “I thought that we had a better car. He knows the track well and he
was doing everything that he could do to cover the track, but we just had
the better car. A couple of times I got a little anxious and I maybe started
to overdrive. Then once I calmed down I just let the race come to us and we
went by him. I passed him three times. I passed him the first time on the
inside and the yellow came out. I then passed him on the outside and the
yellow came out. Then the third time I finally got him.”
“We have had a tough start the first two races,” said Savary from victory
lane. “It is a brand new car out of Brad Lafontaine’s shop. The chassis that
is. And it has been fast the last two races, but I have not been able to
show anything. I knew if we stayed in the race and stayed on the lead lap
that we could do something and today was the day. It is great to do it this
way. This is where I started racing – at Seekonk. I grew up here watching my
father race. So to come back here and win a modified race is great. I want
to thank everyone that made this happen. We banged it up good at Waterford
and the team fixed it up for the win.”
 Justin
Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y., started the race ninth and charged to the
front finishing one spot shy of the win. This was the second race in a row
that Bonsignore finished in second after starting in the top ten. “It
definitely does not help having to start that far back. But we had a good
car and we pick them off one by one. We were a little too neutral. We
probably should have been a little tighter to start the race. That may have
hurt us getting through traffic or it may have helped us get through
traffic. But it definitely hurt us at the end when we could not make a push
to go pass car #99 (Savary). All and all coming here for my first time I am
happy and it is another good finish for the guys. We have a little bit of
time off before the next one. It has been going good and I am really happy
to be a part of this team.”
“It was a good hard battle and we were just one adjustment away. It is the
same thing as Monadnock, we were just one adjustment away.” The #21 team
have updated their notebook and will update their adjustments for the next
race.
Anthony Nocella started the race eighth and knew that he had to head forward
fast if he had a chance for the win. “We planned on going to the front
somewhat quick because we thought the car might last. Then when there were
no yellows we kind of just had to keep going because the leaders were
starting to get out there a little and we had to move before we lost them.
We were decent until about half way
 and
then we were loose. But all in all the tires seemed pretty good to me. The
tire definitely seems a little slipperier but more durable. Which I think
gives you a better race.”
“We had a good run. We are happy with a podium finish,” said Nocella
reflecting on the race results. “We started a run at the end and might have
had something for the leader. We were close to setting up the #21
(Bonsignore) for second but we got a little loose. I still think that we
maybe could have had him and then we got caught up with a lap car. I do not
know what the lapped cars were doing. They were running too wide and then
would not get out of the way. Then we were stuck there and really had
nowhere to go. We had to wait so long until they singled out and then I
could get by them. I did not have very much left then. I kind of got pushed
up and then fell back. At the end Steve and I were right there together.”
Steve Masse knows that the laps click of fast at Seekonk. He also knows that
passing is hard so you want to start as close to the front as you can. “I am
mad that I drew number 10 in the pill draw. I wish I drew a little higher
but we started tenth and got up to about sixth. I then got shuffled back on
a restart. I had to pass everybody again. It really would have been nice to
have a caution at the end of the race. Other than that it’s good. The car is
in one piece with a fourth place finish.”
Todd Annarummo knew from the start of practice that he was going to have a
challenging day at his home track. The #12team is still in the process of
figuring out the new tire compound. The team finished their heat race third
where they normally dominate the front. Through the luck of the draw
Annarummo started on the pole but before half way he dropped to second. At
the end of the race Annarummo came across the finish line fifth. “We are
rolling the car in the trailer so it is not a bad day. But we just missed
the setup. The tires did come back and bite us a little like we thought. We
were just a little off and we blistered the tire pretty bad. So we were just
hanging on there at the end.”
VMRS teams now have a few weeks off and will return to racing on Thursday
May 29th for 75 laps of green racing at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
If you cannot join us at the track, please join us follow the action on
http://www.thechromehorn.com.
Notes from Seekonk Speedway:
Did the lapped traffic effect your race?
Richard Savary
“I did not have any lapped cars bother me at all when I came up on them. I
thought they all respected my lead spot. A couple were racing side by side
which when they were finished racing side by side they got right in line and
moved down for me. Maybe they were disrespectful for the second and third
place cars. But to me, I thought that the lapped cars were good today
compared to places where they have not been. But today as I came up it
seemed like they held their line.”
Car # 21’s front bumper was a caved in at the
end of the race. What happened?
Justin Bonsignore
“The lapped cars did not get out of the way.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: May
6, 2014 |
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