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06/24/2014 |
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BOBBY SANTOS FLUSHES OUT
THE MR. ROOTER "161" FOR A WIN
Tinio Race Team Captures Second 2014 NWMT Victory
at Waterford Speedbowl
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by
Polly
Reid / Denise DuPont
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Bobby
Santos of Franklin, MA in the Tinio Racing/Imperialcars.com modified held
off a determined field including Coors Light pole winner Donny Lia and Ted
Christopher in a green white checker finale to score his second win of the
season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Mr. Rooter 161 at Waterford
Speedbowl.
“We just had a great car,” said Santos in victory lane. “Stevie Lemay, this
whole team, they gave me an awesome race car. I have to thank everyone who
put this show on, Mr. Rooter, everybody involved- it was a lot of fun
tonight.”
Santos started the Mr. Rooter “161” on the outside of pole winner Donny Lia
followed by Eric Goodale, Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore the top five. The
28 car field quickly settled into a green flag run with only one quick
yellow until lap 65 for a single car caution- it was under this yellow that
the red flag came out for an incident in the pits- two cars got together and
a crew member from another team was reported to have a minor injury.
However, NASCAR Officials held the field under red for a lengthy cleanup for
fluid on the track. Ted Christopher pitted along with several other cars
including Keith Rocco and Ron Yuhas, Jr.
The field came back to green at the half way point, Lia leading Santos, Ron
Silk, Woody Pitkat, Justin Bonsignore, Tommy Barrett, Doug Coby and Matt
Hirschman the top runners. Yellow then waved on lap 88 for Hirschman who
suffered a right front flat, closing up the field once again. Doug Coby saw
his night change when caught up in a turn one incident forcing the Dunleavy
Repair machine to restart on lap 116 from the back.
With
31 to go, eyes were glued to Lia and Santos as the duo raced bumper to
bumper. Santos continued to challenge for the lead and making a determined
move, drove low going into to turn three and emerged out of turn four the
new leader of the night on lap 133. “I was working the outside of him,
showing him the outside - showing him the outside,” repeated Santos
describing the pass. “Just saving it for the right time when I had the right
run, to give him a run on the bottom.” Meanwhile Barrett took over second
place, Lia slipped to third and Christopher was now a solid fifth.
Another caution on lap 145 for an incident in turn three involving Ron Silk
and Timmy Solomito turned to a quick red flag as track officials worked to
free Silk’s bumper from the Armco barrier.
The restart with 8 to go set up a dash for the checkers Santos leading
Barrett, Lia, Pitkat and Christopher was suddenly short lived when Barrett
suffered a right front flat on the restart and contact with the turn one
outside wall ending the night for the rookie contender.
The track cleared, the Mr. Rooter “161” was now going into overtime setting
up for a green, white, checker finish - Santos, Lia, Christopher,
Bonsignore, Emerling, Preece and Pitkat leading the way.
The packed house at Waterford Speedbowl watched Santos remain solid on the
restart capturing the checkers with Lia second, Christopher, Bonsignore and
Emerling the top five. Ryan Preece crossed for sixth with Woody Pitkat,
Keith Rocco, Ron Yuhas, Jr and Doug Coby rounding out the top ten.
It is the 12th career win for Santos, his first NWMT victory at Waterford.
“It’s awesome,” said Bobby about his first NWMT Waterford win. “Stevie
Lemay, Sully, all these guys, they work so hard to give me a great race car.
I’m pumped- it’s exciting – I’ve got to thank them a lot.”
“The long runs, we had the best car. The short runs, I think Donnie was
better. I felt like I got to him many times trying to race him clean, tried
multiple times to pass him without any contact - I mean, he was leading the
race and he didn’t want me to pass him. I mean I wouldn’t want anyone to
pass me if I was leading the race. In my opinion, it was hard racing.”
“We’re excited about tonight’s win,” said Lawny Tinio speaking for car owner
Sully Tinio. “It’s a tough race, tough to pass. We had a really fast car and
a lot of times, it might look like it’s a rough race but we just had a fast
car. Once we got around the leader we were able to check out and get it
done.”
“The car was good in practice,” said winning crew chief Steve Lemay. “We
went out on old tires then we went for a quick practice on new tires and the
car never changed. For time trials, we were good, Bobby thinks he just over
drove turn 3 a little bit, he thinks it cost us the pole but I don’t think
it did, Donny was a little quicker than us in time trials. I told him if we
have to give up the pole for the win, that’s what we’ll do- it just happened
to have worked that way.”
“The car was good right from the start- I asked him a couple of times during
the caution, he was real happy with the car.” Lemay continued, “We think we
can have a real good season. The luck keeps coming and if we can give him a
good car, he’ll drive this thing to the winners circle every time. It all
worked out today and we’re all happy. Anytime you have to come to tech -
first, fifth, it’s a good day. It’s always better when you win.”
“It’s not easy,” said Lawny Tinio about the efforts collecting a second win
of 2014. “Off track, there are so many hours put in at the shop to make sure
the car is right. Steve Lemay, our crew chief, spends countless nights
working on the car making sure we’re 100 percent perfect so that when we
come to the track, it’s an easier day at the track. Bobby makes it look easy
but he’s so comfortable behind the wheel – there is just not much you can
say, the kid is just unbelievable. Then with Billy the Kid giving us the
motors that he gives us- he spends countless hours in his shop making sure
that we have a perfect motor to get us around the track and make sure we
have enough power to get the job done.”
Santos is looking forward to next Saturday’s NWMT event at Riverhead
Raceway. “It’s the second time I’ll be back at Riverhead with this team and
we always seem to do better the second time around, I can’t wait.”
Jericho, NY., modified driver Donny Lia captured his first 2014 pole at
Waterford Speedbowl with an impressive time of 13.869. Lia was the only
driver to break into the thirteen second range even though it did not meet
the track record currently held by Jerry Marquis of 13.618. Continuing his
fast pace Lia lead 130 laps of the 165 lap race. He did not lead the most
important lap though - the final one.
On lap 133 Bobby Santos passed Lia for the top spot. Santos had conserved
just enough for the end to pass and hold off Lia. “.I was going to make a
run at Bobby there but he was real good at the end. We will see what happens
going forward in the future.”
“I had fun. This is what I do for fun and this is my hobby and that is all
that matters.” Lia confessed after the race had completed. “It was a good
race. He was just a little better than us at the end and they did not get
loose. But it was fun and that is all that matters.” And having fun with a
pole and solid second place finish, the Mystic Missile Racing Team of Bob
Garbarino can be proud of their efforts.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT. piloted the #13 J&R Pre-Cast/Cape Cod
Aggregates modified of Robert Katon, Jr. from the rear of the pack after
pitting to end the race in third. “We pitted, adjusted it, made it better
and came from last while everybody kept going backwards.” Christopher
stated. “The car ran good and like I said it is still a work in progress and
each week we keep getting better and better.”
Christopher is happy with his team, the car and the progress that they have
made so far this year. “I was happy enough to finish third. Considering what
we have gone through. But it gets better every week. And you do not know
until you keep trying. We will see what happens at Riverhead next week.”
Justin Bonsignore will return to his home turf the current NWMT point
leader - his fourth place finish edging him by two over Doug Coby. “It’s cool
and all but we’re only four races in. Obviously we want to be up there in
the points, that’s the name of the game, but we’re not looking at that yet.
We’d like to get through Riverhead and Loudon – let it play out, the summer
months are going to be tough. The 2 is going to be the team to beat it looks
like every race, we’re happy we’re up there but we’re not looking at it at
all right now.”
“This has been a great start. We’ve made a lot of changes during the off
season as everybody knows and it’s paying off.”
“At Stafford, we didn’t have restart that went our way tonight we did which
got us back in contention – the last restart worked in our favor,” said
Bonsignore. “That’s the game of racing, some days are going to go your way-
some days they aren’t. We salvaged another top five – that’s four in a row –
we didn’t have the best of cars, we were close, we’ll keep working at it –
it’s all part of the gelling process. Ten more.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be at Riverhead Raceway next Saturday
June 28th for the first of two visits this year to the fast New York
speedway.
Notes from Waterford Speedbowl Mr. Rooter
“161”:
What were your thoughts now that the race is over?
Bobby Santos
“Sully Tinio, Lawny, Daemon- those guys are awesome,” said Santos in victory
lane. “How about Stevie Lemay with this chassis, this car has been on rails
all year – the guys, they didn’t get to show their stuff because there was
no pit stop but these guys doing the pit stops, I’ve got to thank them-
Billy the Kid with the big horsepower, my family and my fans that are here,
I just have to thank everybody.”
What were your thoughts on the action that took
place during restarts?
Ted Christopher
“It was fun just watching them. The #44 is grinding the #22, then the #44 is
grinding the #4’ I am thinking - like I might get another couple spots here
if they keep doing this.”
Starting third on the last rest did you things
you would have a chance?
Ted Christopher
“If they keep banging the way that they were I figured as they drive into
turn one I will just drive underneath. I was just hanging in there and did
not want to make any waves. I just let them do what they were doing. I was
happy to finish third. It has been a work in progress right from the start
so it was a good finish.”
Your thoughts on leaving Waterford?
Ted Christopher
“I like Riverhead so it will be fun then following we go to Loudon in three
weeks. We have everything brand new for Loudon so it will be about when we
get going good it should be fun. We will have a spec motor for Loudon.
Everything is there it is just a matter of putting it in.” |
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Source: Polly Reid / Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: June
24, 2014 |
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