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RICHARD SAVARY WINS HIS FIRST 2015 VMRS RACE AT SEEKONK
SPEEDWAY
Being In The
Front At The End Is All That Matters
by
Denise DuPont |
 The
Valenti Modified Racing Series (VMRS) headed to
Seekonk Speedway Saturday June 6th for the “VMRS
Seekonk 100”. The return of the modifieds to the
“Cement Palace” brought with them some fast and
exciting racing. In just over one hour from start to
finish, the mods completed the 100 lap race with
seven cautions.
Richard Savary of Canton, MA won his heat race,
started the race third, passed for the lead on lap
43 and went forward to win the VMRS Seekonk 100.
This was Savary’s first 2015 VMRS win. “It is great
to be here in victory lane with all the help we have
had from the crew and sponsors. We did not have the
best car but we did what we had to do to get to the
front and that is what matters.”
Todd Szegedy and Kirk Alexander finished second and
third respectively.
Savary had Woody Pitkat, Kirk Alexander and Todd
Szegedy all waiting in the wings for the right
moment to pass him for the lead.
 One
time Pitkat was able to get by for the top spot but
lost it as quickly as he got it when a caution soon
followed. “I have been here a lot of times.” Stated
the second generation driver Savary. “I watched my
dad race here a long time and you just have to
protect the bottom. So I was just protecting the
bottom. If they were going to be there they had to
go to the outside. And that was what I did was put
them on the outside and you have to work here for
that. I ran the bottom and gave them as much as they
needed out there and nobody made it by me.”
There were a lot more spins and cautions for the
VMRS race teams than is normally seen at Seekonk
Speedway. Whether the track was slick as it got cold
or the new tire compound, seven cautions has to be
close to, if not a record for the series at the
“Cement Palace”. Race winner Savary was included
with the drivers had an issue with tire grip as the
race unfolded. “I think that everybody had a little
bit of an issue trying to get the grip in the right
front tire. I know I did at the end of the race,”
confessed Savary. “I think that I used the car to
much too early in the race trying to run with some
of the younger guys and that was a mistake on my
part. But we were lucky at the end of the race I
just covered the bottom. If Woody Pitkat, Kirk
Alexander, or Todd Szegedy were faster than me, I
just showed them the outside. There I gave them as
much room as they needed while I just roiled the
bottom. And that seemed to be the best thing for
us.”
 Todd
Szegedy from Ridgefield, CT ran a consistent race
crossing the finish line second after passing
Alexander for the position with just 9 laps to go.
“This is my best finish here. For me that is a big
accomplishment. Every track that I go to I want to
score a win at some point in time before I end my
racing career and this is one of them. And tonight I
came close. Second place is a great finish.”
Szegedy started ninth and cautiously made his way up
to fifth by lap 25.“It was tough out there,”
expressed Szegedy about the race. “Once these tires
wear it tough to stay off each other. You are
bumping and all you have to do is touch people and
they will spin. It is a tough place. It is
challenging and frustrating but I had a good time.”
Kirk Alexander of West Swanzey, NH, passed Szegedy
for fifth on lap 30 and stayed within the top five
until the checkers flew. A late race caution allowed
Szegedy to pull by him for the runner up spot and he
slid back into third. “Being able to race with these
guys is a lot of fun with great racing. I enjoyed
tonight’s racing against Todd Szegedy. It was just
good racing and fun rubbing. I am glad we got a
podium finish. We are gaining and we will get it!”
Rowan Pennink finished fourth and Anthony Nocella in
fifth. Woody Pitkat, Charlie Pasteryak, Norm Wrenn,
Dennis Perry and Donny Lashua rounded off the top
ten finishers for the VMRS Seekonk 100.
VMRS teams will return to racing on Friday June 19th
for Twin 50 lap features at Lee USA Speedway.
Notes from Seekonk
Speedway
During the second half of
the race it appeared that you were somewhat losing
momentum and were being challenged for the lead.
Your thoughts.
Richard Savary
“I thought that the fans were going to like the
last ten laps of the race. Woody Pitkat was not done
and I was not done. He hit me and got by me and I
hit him and I was going to go back by him and the
yellow came out. Then we raced two more restarts
side by side so I did not have any problem with
that. That is just racing. You want to race against
the good guys and Todd (Patnode) and Kirk
(Alexander) are good guys and good racers So there
was no slouchers. I do not know how welt Todd was
doing or how well his car was. But I think that
Woody had a good car. So we did not catch any breaks
from anybody. I thought a good break was one break
was when we made contact and they stated green and
they told us that we had about a ten car length lead
with ten to go and I was like “wahoo that is great!”
then the yellow came out so we were right back where
we started.”
Savary won the spring
race last year at Seekonk. Thoughts on his repeat
win this year:
Richard Savary
“I hope that it brings us the luck that it did last
year. Last year this was the first race that we won
ad then we went on and won more. So hopefully this
is the same thing, the beginning of something”.
Back behind a VMRS
modified for competition at Seekonk Speedway for the
first time since early 2000, what are your thoughts
being back in the seat here at the “Cement Palace”?
Kirk Alexander
“We have had a lot of success here at Seekonk. I
love racing at this track. It is a great facility.
It is just an awesome place.”
Your thoughts on 2015
race year and the A-Team?
Kirk Alexander
“I had to build a whole new team. We are making
small gains and getting better each week. Being able
to race with these guys is a lot of fun with great
racing. I would like to thank all my guys. We put
this team together over this winter and we are
slowly learning and gaining. Every week we are
getting better and better”.
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Source:
Denise DuPont /
TheChromeHorn.com
Posted:
June 7, 2015 |
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