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08/17/2014 |
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WRENN STORMS
TO FIRST
VMRS WIN AT SEEKONK |
 It
took four years for Nashua, New Hampshire driver
Norm Wrenn to find victory lane with the Valenti
Modified Racing Series, but the wait came to an end
Saturday night, when ‘Stormin’ Norman stormed off
the fourth turn to the checkered flag to capture the
‘Seekonk 100’ in front of a cheering crowd at
Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, MA.
Wrenn started 11th in a 20-car field and gradually
worked his way to the top five settling into 3rd at
lap-51. Wrenn then engaged in a battle with Max
Zachem, of Preston, CT, point leader Justin
Bonsignore, of Holtsville, NY, race leader Richard
Savary, of Canton, MA, and a fast closing Rowan
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, PA, the series
reigning champion.
A series of late race caution flags on laps 80, 81,
and 88 made for intense race restarts and a flurry
of contact
resulting in Pennink, Bonsignore, and Wrenn making
great saves preventing spinouts or crashes to remain
in contention.
The lead changed hands 10 times with Savary leading
lap 98, Bonsignore lap 99, and Wrenn the
all-important lap 100.
Wrenn was running fourth entering the third turn on
the final lap. With Savary, Bonsignore, and Pennink
slowed by contact, Wrenn darted to the bottom of
turn four and drag raced Pennink to the finish by a
margin of 0.055 ahead of Pennink.
An emotional and teary-eyed Wrenn spoke to the crowd
in victory lane. “We have won championships in the
Pro Stocks, three championships in the Pro-Four’s,
this is an elite division and I have always wanted
to run up front. To win is awesome. My crew has been
with me since day one racing street stocks at Star
Speedway in 1990. I’m getting old. I’m glad I could
pull one off before I retire.”
When asked what went through the his mind as the
finish was nearing, Wrenn explained, “ I was
watching what was happening up front. Coming up
through the field I let a couple of cars go by
because of the banging.”
And for the final turn. “Oh My God I’m going to pull
this off,” Wrenn said smiling.
Bonsignore finished a strong third, with Savary
fourth, and veteran Rob Goodenough, of Swanzey, NH,
making his first start of the season, fifth.
Rounding out the top ten were Zachem, Carl Medeiros,
Rob Richardi Jr, Dylan Kopec, and Mike Willis Jr.
9 caution flags slowed the race for a race time of
56 minutes and 04 seconds. 13 of the 20 starters
finished on the lead lap.
Tom Abele Jr, Pennink, and Zachem won heat races.
The VMRS returns to New Hampshire this Saturday
night August 23, at Monadnock Speedway, for the
running of the ‘Victor Johnson Memorial 100.
Race Summary:
Seekonk Speedway
August 16, 2014
Race # 11
Entrants: (20)
Distance: 100-laps
Time: 50:04: 521
Margin of Victory: 0.055
Best Speed: 97.416 (Annarummo)
Best Lap Time: 12.306 (Annarummo)
Lead Changes: 10
Lap Leaders: 1-6 (Zachem) 7-50 (Annarummo) 51
(Zachem) 52 (Savary) 53-57 (Zachem) 58-60 (Savary)
61 (Zachem) 62-98 (Savary) 99 (Bonsignore) 100
(Wrenn)
Cautions: Laps 2, 5, 12, 50, 53, 60, 80, 81,
88
Unofficial Order of Finish: (1) Wrenn (2)
Pennink (3) Bonsignore (4) Savary (5) Goodenough (6)
Zachem (7) Medeiros (8) Richardi
(9) Kopec (10) Willis (11) Meservey (12) Abele (13)
Bakaj (14) Annarummo (15) Pasteryak (16) Vanasse
(17) Lashua (18) Fournier
(19) Houlihan (20) Hurley |
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Source: John Spence Sr / Valenti Modified Racing Series
Posted:
August 17, 2014 |
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