The Chrome Horn - Champ Trail with Phil Smith

Champ Trail - July 26, 2016


  At the Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday night a real nasty thunder storm blanketed the area forcing track officials to pull the plug on the night's racing program.
  This coming Friday night, July 29th the track will have the Mid-Season Stretch feature events along with feature events for the Junior Outlaw and Senior Champ divisions of the Wild Thing Kart Series, Legend Cars, and fireworks. Tickets are priced at $17.50 for adult general admission, $5.00 for kids 6-14 and FREE for kids 5 & under. Reserved seating is $20.00 for all ages.

  While it rained cats and dogs in central Connecticut the skies remained clear in southern New Hampshire at the Lee USA Speedway on Friday night where the Valenti Modified Racing Series took center stage. Jon McKennedy, of East Chelmsford, MA, and Chris Pasteryak, of Jewett City, CT, shared top honors, each scoring a 50-lap win in the Valenti Modified Racing Series event at the New Hampshire oval.
  In the first 50 lap segment, McKennedy started fourth in a field of 22-cars, took the lead from early race leader Mike Willis Jr, late in the race, and went on to win his fourth race of the year, and his 19th career victory, tying Les Hinckley for second in most series wins. McKennedy was followed by Todd Patnode, of Swanzey, NH, Richard Savary, of Canton, MA, Willis, of Grantham, NH, and Anthony Nocella, of Woburn, MA.
In the second 50-lap race, Pasteryak, took the lead on lap-19 and held off McKennedy in the late stages to nab his second win of the season and 12th career VMRS win. Anthony Nocella, Jeffrey Gallup, and Savary rounded out the top five
The series is off now until August 6 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl.

  The ambient temperature was in the 90s and the track surface was over 130deg but it didn't hinder competitors at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl as they celebrated their annual Nostalgia Night with a former SK Modified division champion snapping a two-year plus winless streak in the SK Modified division. Rob Janovic Jr. drove away from the field in the closing stages to win the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature. Joey Gada was second and Todd Owen, third. It was the first victory for the 2007 division champion since Aug. 16, 2014. It marked Janovic’s 23rd career victory in the division since 2000.
  In other events, Al Stone III won the Limited Sportsman feature, Ray Christian III won the Late Model feature, Wayne Burroughs Jr. won the Mini Stock feature and Dana DiMatteo won the Legends feature.
  Following the Limited Sportsman feature Keith Rocco who finished third called out Ray Christian for his driving tactics in the closing stages. Rocco stated that he was intentionally run up by the winner causing him to lift before he crashed. Christian said it was a "Pay Back" from the qualifying heat. Needless to say, no action was taken by officials who felt, "Thats Racing".

  The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series was at the Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH for a Saturday night 200 lapper. The event was re-scheduled to Sunday because of thunder storms. Timmy Solomito served up his own brand of thunder as he led all 200 laps for a resounding victory. Rowan Pennink finished second with Jimmy Blewett, third. Eric Goodale and Justin Bonsignore rounded out the top five in the event that drew only 23 cars. Doug Coby, the last car on the lead lap, finished sixth. Max Zachem finished seventh and was followed by Woody Pitkat, Rob Summers and Donny Lia.
  The first 153 laps ran Sunday without a caution. Solomito, with Coby on his back bumper, set a blistering pace in the No. 16 Diversified Metals Ford and lapped all but the top five before the first yellow flag flew.
  Once again Melissa Fifield embarrassed herself with another performance that put the entire field at risk. Riding around at a slow pace she was lapped on lap 12 and again on lap 20. NASCAR had enough and told he to park it before she piled up the field or hurt someone. He past history is that of a slow turtle on the race track. NASCAR should mandate a minimum speed or time for competitors as this has now gotten out of hand.
  The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour's next stop is at Connecticut's Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday, Aug. 5, for the third of its four visits to the half-mile.

  The Norwich (Ct) Bulletin reported late last week that NASCAR has parked SK Light Modified driver Andrew Molleur while it waits for documents verifying his age. “The driver is not allowed to participate in a NASCAR-sanctioned event until the requested documentation is provided to the NASCAR office in Daytona,” NASCAR issued in a statement on Wednesday. July 20.
  Andrew earned his first feature win in the division at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl on July 2. Three days later, NASCAR announced it was investigating whether Andrew was his advertised age of 15. Several past media reports, including one from The Bulletin, pointed to the driver being 13 at the time of his SK Light Modified win.
  Drivers must be 14 years old to obtain a NASCAR learner's permit to compete in a NASCAR Weekly Racing Series event in Division II or lower, which includes SK Light Modifieds.

  At the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island there were no ocean breezes to cool the crowd. It was a hot & sultry summer night. With the NASCAR Modifieds off for the evening the Eagle Auto Mall Modified Crate drivers took center stage for a 40-lap main event with Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills scoring his second win of 2016. Slepian the 2015 INEX Legend Race Car champion went wire to wire for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series triumph.

  In Modified competition below the Mason-Dixon Burt Myers took the win at the Bowman Gray Stadium over Chris Fleming and Lee Jefferies.

  The Thompson Motorsports Park springs back into action this Wednesday with the 3rd Annual Sunoco Modified 20/20 Sprint. on Wednesday, July 27 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The Late Models, Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman, Mini Stock and Lite Modified divisions will also be competing on Wednesday’s event. Gates open at 4:30 PM and qualifying races will begin at 6:30 PM.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week, two of the three speedway stocks were down at weeks end. Dover Entertainment was the only gainer as they went up 0.06 to 2.16. The International Speedway Corporation dropped 1.20 to 34.50 and Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.28 to 18.48. NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint dropped 0.38 to 4.62 while NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 2.56 to 30.43 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.53 to 27.05. The auto manufacturers had a great week. General Motors went up 1.39 to 32.16 while Toyota went up 1.36 to 109.68 and Ford went up 0.27 to 13.84. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot went up 1.74 to 136.52 while Lowes dropped 1.02 to 80.65. In the area of big team sponsor's stocks it was also a good week except for Aarons Rentals which dropped 0.69 to 22.73. McDonalds went up 4.65 to 128.26, Coca-Cola went up 5.19 to 149.30, Target went up 1.88 to 74.92 and Fedex went up 0.18 to 160.77.

  On the tube this week:

  Thursday, July 28

7:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
8:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
5:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5:00 PM, NASCAR the List, NBCSN
5:30 PM, NASCAR the List, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN

  Friday, July 29
7:00 AM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
11:00 AM, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono practice, NBCSN
12:30 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pocono practice, FS1
3:00 PM, NCWTS Pocono final practice, FS1
4:00 PM, NSCS Pocono qualifying, NBCSN
5:30 PM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Iowa practice, NBCSN
7:00 PM, NXS Iowa final practice, NBCSN
8:30 PM, NSCS Pocono practice re-air, NBCSN
10:00 PM, NSCS Pocono qualifying re-air, NBCSN

  Saturday, July 30
9:00 AM, NCWTS Pocono qualifying, FS1
11:00 AM, NSCS Pocono final practice, NBCSN
12:30 PM, NCWTS SetUp, FS1
1:00 PM, NCWTS Pocono race, FS1
2:30 PM, NCWTS Post Race, FS1
4:00 PM, NXS Iowa qualifying, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NSCS Pocono qualifying re-air, NBCSN
7:30 PM, NXS Countdown, NBCSN
8:00 PM, NXS Iowa race, NBCSN
11:00 PM, NCWTS Pocono race re-air, 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: July 26, 2016

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