The Chrome Horn - Champ Trail with Phil Smith

Champ Trail - June 14, 2016


  NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour action resumes this Wednesday, June 15 at the Thompson Motorsports Park Speedway. Doug Coby, who has won two of the four WMT races so far this year is the odds on favorite.

  In weekly racing at Stafford, Xtra Mart Convenience Stores put up a $1,500 bonus that was split evenly among the top-5 finishers in the extra distance SK Modified® feature event. Woody Pitkat was the big winner of the night, taking his second win of the season in the 45-lap SK Modified® feature, Tom Fearn scored his third win of the year in the Late Model feature, Tony Membrino, Jr. continued his strong performance with his fourth win of 2016 in the 20-lap SK Light feature, Robert Bloxsom scored his very first feature win in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Brandon Michael won the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, and Noah Korner was the Legend Cars feature winner.
  In the SK Modified feature, Eric Berndt was able to pull alongside Pitkat in the outside groove on lap-43 and they took the white flag side by side. They were neck and neck down the backstretch and stayed that way through turns 3+4. As they came off turn 4, Pitkat had just enough to pull Berndt down the frontstretch and he took the checkered flag by a nose. Ted Christopher finished third, with Michael Gervais and Ronnie Williams rounding out the top-5.

  Heavy rain showers washed out the racing action at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. The Town Night promotion that had been scheduled that offered free admission to anyone from towns or cities beginning with the letters A through M will now be held on Saturday July 16. The Town Night for the letters N through Z will be held as scheduled this coming Saturday night on June 18. In a related matter, former Speedbowl Modified Champion Bob Potter was inducted into the Norwich (Ct) Sports Hall of Fame.
  At the Speedbowl Potter won six track titles, three in the Modified division (1976, ’80 and ’83) and three in the SK Modified division (1986, ’87 and ’89). His 93 career victories rank him third all-time at the shoreline oval. At the Stafford Motor Speedway he won five SK Modified championships and ranks fourth all-time on the track’s SK Modified win list with 24 career victories. His last win at the track came in 1999. He won titles in the division in 1988, ’91, ’92, ’94 and ’95.At Thompson he has 30 wins.
  Also falling victim to the weather was the much anticipated Tri Track Racing Series scheduled on Saturday night at the Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH. This event was slated to be the Ron Bouchard Tribute race

  The NASCAR Modifieds ran a 100 lapper at the Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. Tim Brown took the win over Burt Myers and Jason Myers. Joe Ryan Osborne and John Smith rounded out the top five.

  The Riverhead Raceway on Long Island saw owners Eddie & Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz out wait two rain storms to present the Mullet Madness 100 which featured Twin 50 events for the NASCAR Modifieds. One driver especially happy the new owners pushed forward with the program was NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regular Timmy Solomito who swept both ends of the doubleheader.
  Vinny Biondolillo of Farmingville was quickest in qualifying with a lap of 12.019 with Timmy Solomito second with a lap of 12.024. A lucky fan drew the #1 pill after qualifying meaning the field would start straight up from time in the first 50 which was contested first on the race card. At the drop of the green flag Solomito on the outside would get the early race advantage moving out front on Biondolillo who ran second. A long green flag run allowed Timmy to open up a comfortable lead until a lap 29 caution for a Cory Midgett spin. With the field bunched up for the restart the race went back to green with Solomito picking up where he left off as the race leader and pulling away. Biondolillo meantime had Howie Brode breathing down his neck for second which further allowed the race leader to pull away. Brode would sneak by Biondolillo with an inside pass exiting turn four on the 39th lap. At the checker Timmy Solomito was a popular winner with Howie Brode runner-up and Vinny Biondolillo third. Tom Rogers Jr. and point leader Shawn Solomito rounded out the top five.
  The second 50 lapper found John Fortin Sr. on the pole with Timmy Solomito to the outside and when the race went green Solomito once again getting good bite off the corners was able to race his way out front with Fortin tucking into second. Like the first race Timmy was able to put some distance between himself and second place John Fortin who later in the race was under pressure from Shawn Solomito for second. On lap 19 Shawn was able to work his way by Fortin for second and was left with the task of reeling in his younger brother. Shawn's efforts were aided by a lap 30 caution flag for a David Schneider spin in turn one. On the ensuing double file restart the Solomito boys lined-up side by side and when they hit the first and second turn Timmy drifted up the hill forcing Shawn to lift losing a few positions in the exchange. John Fortin Sr. was able to reclaim second in the shuffle but could only watch as Timmy Solomito drove off to victory. John Fortin Sr. was runner-up in the second race while Shawn Solomito after falling back as far as sixth on the lap 30 restart roared back for third in his Eastport Feeds entry. Howie Brode and John Fortin Jr. rounded out the top five in the second 50.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week, all three speedway stocks ended the week on a positive note. Leading the pack was the International Speedway Corporation which went up 0.39 to 33.54. Speedway Motorsports went up 0.32 to 17.93 and Dover Entertainment went up 0.03 to 2.24. NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 0.93 to 37.97 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.30 to 27.42 while NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint dropped 0.07 to 3.71. The auto manufacturers with the exception of Ford were down for the week. Ford went up 0.06 to 13.10 while Toyota dropped 0.30 to 103.20 and General Motors dropped 0.54 to 29.06. In the home improvement sector, Lowes dropped 9.70 to 78.31 and Home Depot dropped 2.91 to 128.83. With the exception of McDonalds which went up 1.01 to 122.36, the big team sponsors stocks were down. Coca-Cola dropped 2.38 to 121.91, Target dropped 0.77 to 67.88, Aarons Rentals dropped 1.36 to 23.70 and Fedex dropped 2.95 to 160.87.

  On the tube this week:

  Thursday, June 16

6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net

  Friday, June 17
7:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
8:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
5:00 PM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa practice, FOX Sports 1
6:00 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Iowa practice, FS1
7:00 PM, NXS Iowa final practice, FS1

  Saturday, June 18
7:00 PM, NXS Iowa qualifying, FS1
8:30 PM, NCWTS Iowa race, FS1

  Sunday, June 19
1:00 PM, NASCAR RaceDay: XFINITY, FS1
1:30 PM, NXS Iowa race, FS1

   That’s about it for this week from 11 Gardner Drive, Westerly, and R.I.02891. Ring my chimes at 401-596-5467.
E-mail: smithpe_97_97@yahoo.com.

Phil Smith has been a columnist for Speedway Scene and various
other publications for over 3 decades.
 

Source: Phil Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: June 14, 2016

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