August 5, 2016

  Sixty five years ago in 1951 “Money Bags Moe” Gherzi was the Wednesday night winner at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. The Speedbowl also ran on Saturday night where Dave Humphrey would take the 25 Lap Modified win. Ed McAvoy was the Claiming Car winner on both nights.

  Sixty years ago in 1956 Gene White, who in later years reburnished fiberglass yachts at the Mystic River Marina, was the Wednesday night 25 lap Modified winner at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. On Saturday night, Wild Bill Slater was the 50 lap Mid-Summer Championship. Tony Mordino and Ray LeGary were the Claiming Car winners.

  Fifty five years ago in 1961, Ernie Gahan was the Friday night winner on the dirt at Stafford. At Old Bridge, NJ, Bill Slater took a 100 lap win. At the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Dick Beuregard was the Wednesday night Modified winner. Hank Stevens was the winner at the shoreline oval on Saturday night. Bomber winners at the Speedbowl were Fred Latham and Daring Dick Caso.

  Fifty years ago in 1966 Andy Romano scored a popular win at the Albany Saratoga Speedway on Friday night. Jerry Cook finished second with Bill Wimble, third. Wild Bill Slater and Pete Hamilton rounded out the top five. Pete Corey, who lived close to the Malta, NY oval, chose the dirt over the asphalt as he traveled to Stafford Springs where he won his third of the year on the dirt at the nutmeg oval.. Romano finished third to Irv Taylor and Lee Millington at Fonda on Saturday night. Doug McCarthy was the winner at Norwood on Saturday night. Charlie Webster was the Modified winner at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Eddie Bunnell was the Bomber winner and Lou Caso was the Daredevil winner.Utica Rome ran a 100 lapper on Sunday night. Bill Wimble took the win over Rene Charland, Elton Hill, Jerry Cook and Eddie Flemke.

  Forty five years ago in 1971, rain washed out racing at Malta and Thompson on Friday night, Stafford on Saturday night and the big open competition event scheduled for Pocono on Sunday. Fonda got their show in with Maynard Forette taking the win over Jack Johnson. Waterford also ran with Jerry Glaude taking the win over Walt Dombrowski. Fulton Raceway got their double program in with Richie Evans taking the 30-lap Modified win and Norm Mackereth winning in the Supermodifieds. At Utica-Rome on Sunday, Jerry Cook took the win over Fred DeSarro.

  Forty years ago in 1976, Plainville ran an open show on Wednesday. Eddie Flemke, who lived close by and had not raced there in years, took the event. New Egypt ran on Thursday night with Jerry Cook taking the win over Wayne Anderson and Fred Harbach. Rain wiped out everything else with the exception of Islip and Waterford the rest of the weekend. Fred Harbach was the winner at the tight 1/5 mile Long Island oval as Bob Potter won a 100 lapper at the shoreline oval. Big Mike Daignault made it three in a row in the Grand American Late Models.

  Thirty five years ago in 1981, Thompson ran a 40 lap-300 qualifier on Wednesday night. Geoff Bodine in the Taylor No.99 led from pole to pole to win the non stop event. Ray Miller finished second with Ronnie Bouchard, Bugsy Stevens and George Summers rounding out the top five. Stafford ran a 100 lapper on Friday night with a crowd announced to be 10,200.Richie Evans didn't disappoint his many fans as he beat back all of his competition to take the win. Ray Miller, Ronnie Bouchard, an overheating Geoff Bodine and Greg Sacks rounded out the top five. Allen Whipple won at Monadnock and Jerry Cook beat out Doug Hewitt at Spencer. Rain washed out Waterford, Seekonk and Riverside. At Westboro, Joe Howard held off Gomer Taylor for the win and at Danbury, Don LaJoie took the Modified checkers and Randy LaJoie, the Sportsman checkers. Richie Evans closed out the weekend with a win at Thompson on Sunday night. Bob Polverari finished second with Leo Cleary, third. Jeff Fuller was the late model winner.

  Thirty years ago in 1986, Ray Miller, driving for Billy Simons, won the Thompson 300 qualifier at Stafford on Friday night. George Brunnhoelzl finished second and was followed by Mike McLaughlin. George Kent won at Spencer over Tony Jankowiak. Rain washed out Waterford and Riverside. Mike Ewanitsko beat out Chris Young and Wayne Anderson to win the Thompson 300 qualifier at Riverhead. Tony Jankowiak won the Race of Champions qualifier at Lancaster. Richie Gallup won twin features at Thompson on Sunday night. Jerry Pearl suffered serious injuries including a punctured lung when he spun and hit the infield wall.

  Twenty five years ago in 1991, the Long Island Gang ruled at the Featherlite Modified Tour 201 at Riverhead on Wednesday night as Tiger Tom Baldwin and George Brunnhoelzl finished one-two. Mike Stefanik finished third with Jamie Tomaino, fourth. Racing at Stafford on Friday night was cancelled because of a tractor pull. The Mod Tour was at Richmond on Saturday night for a 200 lapper that saw Reggie Ruggiero take the top spot and the $18,000 first prize. Doug Hevron finished second with Tom Baldwin, third on the lead lap. Rounding out the top five were Mike Stefanik and Jan Leaty, one lap down. Jerry Marquis won at Riverside and Fred Harbach won at Riverhead while rain prevailed at Waterford.

  Twenty years ago in 1996, Mike Christopher took the Friday night win at Stafford after giving leader Lloyd Agor a nudge out of the way, with two laps to go. Agor retaliated and gave Mikey a shot on the cool down lap and was fined $100 for his actions. Steve Chowanski finished second with Jim Broderick, third. Jeff Pearl beat out David Gada and Jerry Pearl at Waterford and it was Richie Gallup over Dan Avery at Riverside. Mike Ewanitsko went pole to pole to win the Charlie Jarzombek Memorial 76 lapper at Riverhead. Chuck Steuer finished second. The Featherlite Modified Tour was at Thompson on Sunday. Steve Park, who finished 12th on Friday night in a Craftsman truck at Indianapolis Raceway Park, took the lead from Rick Fuller on lap 82 of the 150 lap event and went on to record the win. Jerry Marquis finished second and was followed by Fuller, Tim Connolly and Tom Baldwin. Park also beat out Ted Christopher to win the SK type race. NASCAR's Winston Cup division had its first ever event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a record race purse of $4.7 million. Dale Jarrett passed Ernie Irvan with seven laps to go to take the win. It was also announced on this weekend that the all but bankrupt Race of Champions promoter Joe Gerber had sold the rights to the event to New York promoters Andrew Harpell and Alex Friesen.

  Fifteen years ago in 2001 Jim Broderick survived a wreck fest at Thompson on Thursday night and took the win over Bert Marvin and Chris Jones. Of the 27 cars that started the 30 lapper, only nine were running at the finish. Stafford rained out on Friday night. The NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Series went to Riverhead on Saturday night for a 200 lapper. Mike Stefanik took the lead with four laps to go and held off Jerry Marquis for the win. Fred Vordermeir finished third with Mike Ewanitsko and John Blewett III rounding out the top five. A scheduled 100 lapper at Waterford was rained out. Kevin Harvick won the Grandnational 200 at the Indianapolis Raceway Park. Jeff Gordon won the Winston Cup Brickyard 400.

  Ten years ago in 2006 the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was at the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island on Saturday night. Forty-one Modifieds including 11 Riverhead regulars were on hand to try and grab one of the 28 starting spots that were available for the 200-lap contest. Ted Christopher was the top qualifier as he toured the ¼ mile oval in 12.027 seconds. Second fastest was Riverhead regular Ken Heagy.
  Tom Rogers, another local runner, qualified fifth and won the re-draw, which gave him the pole starting position. Rogers took the lead at the opening green and held it until lap 52 when Chuck Steuer, another Riverhead regular took the point. Meanwhile Christopher was methodically working his way to the front. Starting in eighth spot, the former Weekly Racing Champion broke into the top five on lap 20 and was in the top three by lap 53. Twelve laps later he was in the lead and never looked back. Chuck Hossfeld broke out of a season long slump as he finished second after starting seventh. Jerry Marquis started deep in the field in 18th spot and went on a determined march to the front, which rewarded him with a fourth place finish. Rounding out the top five was Mike Stefanik who came from provisional land, 24th starting spot. Sixth thru tenth were Mike Andrews, Chuck Steuer, Howie Brode, Todd Szegedy and Ed Flemke. Twelve caution periods for 85 laps kept the average speed at 41.929 MPH. Most of the cautions were for minor spins, which come with the territory of a short track. Fifteen of the original 28 starters were in the lead lap at the finish. The next stop for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series is this Friday night at the Stafford Motor Speedway.
  The Thompson Speedway fought off temperatures nearing 100 degrees and threats of rain on Thursday night. The sultry night produced four first time winners. Tommy Cravenho thrilled the crowd with a last lap pass to score his first of ‘06 in the Sunoco Modifieds. Marc Palmisano dominated in the Late Model division to win his first of the year. Former Pro Stock champion Jeff Connors also made his first visit to Pro Stock victory lane on Thursday night. It was a career first for TIS Mod man Chad Hancock. Repeat winners included Larry Barnett of Ledyard, CT in the Limited Sportsman division while Shelly Perry made it two in a row in Mini Stock competition.
  In the Sunoco Modifieds Cravenho made a last lap pass to the inside of Jeff Malave to ice the victory. The excitement got started even before the drop of the green flag and did not stop until the checkered flag flew. A flat tire at the start for Keith Rocco sent the pack scattering and the caution flying. Back under green the duo on the move were Marvin and Malave. Marvin moved around polesitter Buddy Charette to take the lead on lap two while Malave motored into the second spot. Ricky Shawn held the third spot but quickly had the company of Todd Ceravolo and Tommy Cravenho. A bid for the lead by Malave was halted when a spin by Geoff Gernhard brought out the event’s second caution on lap five. On the restart, Malave jumped into the lead while second-place runner Marvin was sent spinning after contact with Todd Ceravolo. Malave looked like he was shot out of a cannon on the ensuing single file restart. Cravenho took over the second position when Ceravolo got a touch out of shape in turn two. Cravenho quickly reeled in the leader Malave. Cravenho dove underneath Malave in a challenge for the lead on lap nine. Unable to make the pass stick he settled back in line. The lead duo began to get away form third place Ceravolo and a heated battle for the fourth spot between Woody Pitkat and Jimmy Blewett. The action cooled down when the caution flew for a spin by Earl Paulus. Malave was able to resume his place at the head of the pack with racing back under green. It only took a few laps for Cravenho to begin his chase for the lead. The battling inside the top-five between Ceravolo, Blewett, Piktat and Rocco was equally as exciting as that for the lead. A scary incident on lap 22 that involved Ricky Shawn, Gernhard and other slowed the action again. Back under green it was much of the same with Cravenho dogging Malave for the lead. Blewett had freed himself from Ceravolo, who now had his hands full with Piktat. Up front, Cravenho tried countless moves on leader Malave to no avail.until the final lap. Cravenho put his Falmouth Ready Mix #31 to the bottom-side of the track entering turn four, motored down the front stretch with the lead and under the checkers with the win. Malave had to settle for the second position. Blewett, Ceravolo and Piktat rounded out the top five.
  The Stafford Motor Speedway returned to action on Friday night, with a NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series program consisting of its five weekly divisions. Stafford competitors followed the trend set at Thompson the previous night as there were three first time winners as John Blewett, III won the SK Modified feature, Ed Ricard won the Late Model feature, and Dan Flannery was the DARE Stock feature winner, while Chris Matthews and George Nocera were both repeat winners in the SK Light and Limited Late Model feature events.
  In the 40-lap SK Modified feature, John Blewett, III, driving the Eddie Partridge No. 12, picked up his first SK Modified feature win of the 2006 season. Kenny Horton took the lead from the pole and he led the first 23-laps of the race. But contact between Horton and Frank Ruocco while battling for the race lead sent both cars spinning and brought out the caution flag. This put Jeff Baral out front, but he was overtaken by Blewett on lap-29. Once into the lead, Blewett was never headed as he held off a hard charging Ted Christopher over the final laps to capture his first SK Modified feature win of the 2006 season. Christopher finished second, with Baral, Curt Brainard, and Woody Pitkat rounding out the top-5. Unofficial SK Modified® second place finisher Ted Christopher was disqualified from the official order of finish. Christopher's car was found to have an illegal flywheel, and thus he was disqualified from the official August 4, 2006 SK Modified® finishing order. Unofficial SK Light Modified feature winner Chris Matthews was disqualified from the official order of finish. Matthews' car did not meet the minimum frame height requirements, and thus he was disqualified from the official August 4, 2006 SK Light Modified finishing order. Unofficial DARE Stock feature winner Dan Flannery and second place finisher Vince Gambacorta were disqualified from the official order of finish. Both Flannery's and Gambacorta's cars were found to have illegal rear suspension parts, and thus both drivers were disqualified from the official August 4, 2006 DARE Stock finishing order.
  Jeffrey Paul was all but born in the grandstand of the Waterford Speedbowl. His dad, Gary and his grandfather, Arthur have been sponsors there for years. Gary Paul worked on cars driven by Todd Ceravolo and at one point owned one of his championship cars. Jeff spent many a Saturday night watching his dad’s cars before moving up to a legend car after many successful years in a quarter midget. Last Saturday night Jeffrey Paul made a dream come true for himself along with his father and grandfather as he won his first SK Modified feature. Paul grabbed the lead at the start and then held off Tom Fox for 30 laps en route to his first-ever 35-lap SK-Modified feature Saturday night at the Waterford Speedbowl. Only a restart with four laps to go in interrupted the 18-year olds ride. Fox moved into second on the green and stayed right there until the checkered flag. Tim Jordan won for the fifth time in the Late Models. Other winners included Joe Curioso III (Sportsman), Richard Brooks (Mini Stocks) and Mike Keeler (Midgets) Kevin Harvick led the final 117 laps Saturday night en route to his fifth Busch Series win of the season in the Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Harvick overtook pole-sitter Denny Hamlin on lap 83 and never looked back. On the final restart on lap 188, he sped away from Reed Sorenson and cruised to the checkered flag. Jimmie Johnson ended a career of frustration at Indy on Sunday by winning a race, the Brickyard 400, that had derailed his championship hopes the past two seasons.

  Five years ago in 2011, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour traveled to Long Island for the Lighthouse Mission 200 at the Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway on Saturday, July 30. Justin Bonsignore converted his home-track advantage into his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory. The 23-year-old from Holtsville, N.Y., drove away with the Lighthouse Mission 200 Saturday at Riverhead Raceway.
  Bonsignore, who started on the outside pole of the 175 lap event, took the lead from pole sitter Howie Brode on lap 18 of the slam-bang event that produced 11 caution periods for 100 laps. Todd Szegedy finished second, followed by Ron Silk, Ryan Preece and Doug Coby. Rowan Pennink rebounded from an early wreck to finish sixth. Jamie Tomaino, Patrick Emerling, Bobby Santos and Richie Pallai rounded out the top 10. The finish allowed Silk to take the points lead by five over Pennink with nine races remaining.
  Fourteen of the original 28 starters finished on the lead lap. Among the notables who were down laps were Ted Christopher who started fourth and ended up seventeenth after an accident, Mike Stefanik completed only 85 laps, finishing 22nd and was listed as having a radio problem? Pole sitter Brode was eliminated on lap 69 after an accident as was Eric Rudolph. Other accident victims were Bryon Chew, Donny Lia and George Brunnhoelzl III.
  The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour now heads to Connecticut, Aug. 5 for the Town Fair Tire 150 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
With all that has been written about the recent disqualification of Ryan Newman at Loudon its plain to see that no one will admit that they actually cheated. In reality they did, as a matter of fact Newman and his team attempted to steal money that many teams of the Whelen Modified Tour Series desperately need. The main thing is, they got cough and paid the price, period!
  In Thursday Night Thunder action at the Thompson Speedway the Mini Stocks took top billing with the running of the annual Mini Stock Northern Challenge. Danny Field continued his winning ways in the regular weekly division portion of the Challenge. Mark Panaroni scored the victory in the Mini Stock Northern Tour (MSNT) leg of the challenge. Chad Baxter scored one for the ‘home team’ as the overall winner of the Mini Stock Northern Tour Challenge.
  In regular NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action, Danny Cates held back some stiff competition to score his first Sunoco Modified victory of the season. Larry Gelinas won a barnburner in the Super Late Models. Rick Gentes was back to form in the Late Models; scoring the feature win. A dominating performance in the Limited Sportsman found Scott Sundeen in victory lane. What a difference a week made for TIS Modified winner Glenn Boss of Danielson, CT.
  With five laps remaining, Keith Rocco had caught the back bumper of Cates while Woody Pitkat ran tight to Rocco’s bumper. Exiting turn four Pitkat could get a run on Rocco but could not get the run up onto the straightaway. Cates entered heavy lapped traffic with two laps to go. The lead trio was nose-to-tail. Coming to the checkers, none of the cars would step out of line. Cates crossed the stripe for his first win of the season. Rocco finished second over Pitkat. In the closing laps, Rick Fuller was able to get by Ryan Preece for fourth. Preece had to settle for fifth.
  The Stafford Motor Speedway management cancelled Friday night's races because of impending rain.
  At the Waterford Speedbowl Keith Rocco made it five in a row, nine for the season, in SK Modified action at the shoreline oval. Jeff Smith claimed his second win of the year in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model feature, Al Stone III scored his fourth win of the year in the Street Stocks and Chris Williams found victory lane following a late race incident in the Mini Stocks. Keith Botehlo of North Attleboro, MA was the NEMA Midget winner in a special Shane Hammond Memorial event, while Andy Barrows of New Ipswich, NH took the counterpart NEMA Lite feature win.
  In the 35 lap SK Modified feature Glenn Pressel took the early lead from his pole starting position. The action was hot from the drop of the green flag and by lap-3 contact was made in turn three among several cars, resulting in Joe Perry getting crossed up into the infield and Nichole Morgillo to become disabled on the backchute of lap-4 with suspension damage to her machine, drawing the first caution flag.
  Tyler Chadwick raced around the outside of Pressel on the restart, bringing Rocco ahead in the outside lane up to second position. Caution was back out on lap-5 after Randy Churchill and Perry both got together on the frontstretch ending with Perry disabled in turn one. Tight racing between Chadwick, Rocco and third place Rob Janovic ensued on the next stretch of green flag racing through lap-11. During that time, Rocco dogged Chadwick who defended against each attempt. Rocco made a stellar move entering turn three on lap-11 to challenge the inside of Chadwick and powered ahead off turn four to lead the lap. Matt Gallo spun off the backstretch as the field raced lap-12 to return the race under caution with Rocco scored as the new leader.
  Janovic’s top run ended on lap-13 when a flat right rear tire sent him spinning in turn two, creating another yellow situation. Rocco restarted well to get out front for an extended run of green flag racing. He distanced himself ahead of a battle for second between Chadwick, Tom Abele Jr. and Kyle James. Chadwick ultimately claimed the spot in the final ten laps, and had enough to keep with but not challenge Rocco. They went that way to the finish with Rocco taking his fifth consecutive win by a car length over Chadwick. Abele held off Mark Bakaj over the closing laps to take third, while Bakaj had to make a great save exiting the final corner to claim fourth. James was fifth.
  The Valenti Modified Racing Series was scheduled to complete a recently started event at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Impending rain forced Stafford to pull the plug on the event. In some sad news VMRS Director John Hoyt passed away on Friday.
  The Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC was the scene of twin 50 lap NASCAR Modified action. In the first Modified race, Jonathan Brown took the lead from Burt Myers with a bump on Lap 43 and led the final seven laps for his first win of the year. Randy Butner won the second 50-lap Modified Division race Saturday night for his first win at Bowman Gray since 2007. Butner won the second race after starting second in the Madhouse Scramble draw. Kevin Wilson started on the pole and finished ninth. Butner had to hold off Danny Bohn, who finished second, and points leader Burt Myers, who finished third in the second race and second in the first. Burt Myers came all the way from 16th to finish third in the second race. Myers had to avoid a crash between Jason Myers and Joseph Brown on Lap 35 of 50. Joseph Brown got out of his car, walked down the front straightaway and held a fist toward Jason Myers' car. Myers swerved toward Brown, but nothing more came of it. Also, Burt Myers had to avoid a crash between Austin Pack and Tim Brown on Lap 36. Through it all, Burt Myers moved into third place.
  In Sprint Cup racing, Paul Menard became NASCAR’s newest first-time winner with an upset victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In Nationwide Series racing, Brad Keselowski stayed close to the leaders all night and then got the luck he needed when a late accident tightened the field and he ran strong on the two green-white-checkered laps at the end to win the NASCAR Kroger 200.

  Last year, 2015, Race fans, competitors and speedway officials endured 95 plus degree temperatures, oppressive humidity and a full moon as the Thompson Motorsports Park returned to oval track racing on Wednesday night, July 29 with the Sunoco Modified 20/20 Sprint which started with two 20-lap point races, with the second being inverted based upon finishing position in the first race. The final race was a 10-lap sprint, and the best combined finish determined the overall winner. The night also featured the return of the track's annual Whelen Night.
  Eric Berndt coupled a second in the first 20 lap event with wins in the second 20 lap event and a win in the final 10 lap sprint to score the overall win. Berndt, who was driving the Ceravolo family team car for the first time, turned in a precise performance. Coming from the rear of the 14 car starting field Berndt finished on the bumper of Ryan Preece who finished second. Woody Pitkat finished third with Adam Norton, fourth. Rookie Ryan Morgan continues to impress as he finished fifth. Preese had high hopes for a winning night but his car lost power after only four laps in the second segment. Berndt took the lead from Woody Pitkat on lap 16 with Keith Rocco in tow. Rocco finished second with Pitkat third and Kerry Malone, fourth. Ryan Morgan recorded his second fifth place finish of the night. Morgan was headed for another top five when a skipping motor negated him to a ninth place finish in the final 10 lap segment. Berndt started on the pole and led the entire ten lap distance. Rocco, in the Ceravolo team car, finished second with Pitkat, Preece and Cam McDermott rounding out the top five.
  The combined over-all finish saw Berndt the winner, Woody Pitkat, second, Keith Rocco, third, Ryan Preece, fourth and Kerry Malone, fifth. Sixth through tenth overall included Ryan Morgan, Cam McDermott, Adam Norton, Jason Sundeen and Andrew Charron.
  In other action at Thompson, the Late Models, which ran caution free for a 25-lap feature, was dominated by Mark Curtis who started on the front row. The race featured bumping and banging by several drivers as they worked their way to the front, however Curtis never blinked in his quest for his second Thompson victory of the season. Curtis was later disqualified after Tech inspection, giving Jeff Rocco the win for the night, followed by Keith Rocco as well as Rick Gentes and Brian Tagg. The Xtramart Limited Sportsman Series, was full of action as the 20-lap feature saw an intense battle for the lead through much of the race. The biggest battle of the race saw eventual winner Jesse Gleason and runner-up Larry Barnett side by side or nose to tail for much of the race and a battle for second in the first five laps became a battle for the lead after early leader Joshua Wood lost control coming out of turn four. Gleason inherited the lead with Barnett close behind. Eric Bourgeois was the Mini-Stock winner and Scott Quinn was the Vintage Modified winner. The entire program was completed by 8:15pm.
  At the Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday night the heat wasn't quite as bad as it was at Thompson on Wednesday. Taking down NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly feature wins on the night were Ronnie Williams in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Tom Fearn in the Late Model feature, Joey Ferrigno in the SK Light feature, Andrew Hayes in the Limited Late Model feature, Phil Evans in the DARE Stock feature, and Devin O’Connell in the Legend Cars feature.
  Williams picked up his second consecutive and fourth overall SK Modified win of the 2015 season. In the closing moments, Rowan Pennink nearly got his nose under Williams in turn 1 on lap-36 but was able to maintain the lead. Williams held Pennink off to the checkered flag. Ryan Preece finished third, with Mike Christopher, Jr. fourth and Berndt rounding out the top-5. Sixteen cars went to post for the 40 lap feature.
  Keith Rocco keeps rolling along at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl as he continues to build on his record setting feature win total. Rocco recorded a win in the Late Model division at the shoreline oval bringing his track win total to 115 wins. The win also took Rocco over the top to a career overall total of 203 wins which also include victories at Thompson and Stafford. Rocco wasn't as fortunate in the SK Modifieds as he was involved in a wreck just shy of the half way mark and finished the event in 14th spot.
  Diego Monahan jumped into the lead early on in the SK Modified feature and never looked back until taking the checker. Tyler Chadwick finished second with Craig Lutz, third. Ted Christopher and Wendell Dailey rounded out the top five. Other Saturday night winners at the Connecticut shoreline oval were Corey Barry in the SK Lites, Noah Korner in the Legends,Ken Cassidy in the Mini Stocks and Alan Coates in the Limited Sportsman.
The NASCAR Modifieds returned to action after a week off at the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island. Vinny Biondolillo took the win over Ron Silk and TomRogers Jr.
  Down in the southland at the Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem NC competitors were afforded two nights of racing at the historic oval. On Friday night twin 50's were on tap. Jason Myers held off his brother Burt for the win and collected his fifth checkered flag of the year. He also won his 23rd race at Bowman Gray, breaking his grandfather Billy Myers’ record for 19th place, all-time at Bowman Gray. Jason Myers drew 16 after the race for the Madhouse Scramble, which meant they inverted the field starting with Jason Myers at 16. Danny Bohn defeated Chris Fleming for the second 50 lap win.
  New Jersey racer Danny Bohn capped off a successfull weekend at the famed quarter-mile track by defending his NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified 199 title Saturday night after holding off pole-sitter Ryan Preece. Bohn gained the lead from George Brunnhoelzl III for the final time on Lap 155 and held on through three restarts. Polesitter Ryan Preece rallied from a flat tire early in the event to cross the finish line second while Jeremy Gerstner grabbed his first career podium in third place. Burt Myers, Bobby Measmer Jr., Andy Seuss, Joe Ryan Osborne, Kyle Ebersole, JR Bertuccio and Jason Myers rounded out the top 10. There were 21 cars on hand.
  The Valenti Modified Racing Series ventured to the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine last Saturday for twin 50's. Nocella started the first 50-lap feature 4th in a 24-car lineup and raced around the front of the field showing a strong car that landed in victory lane. Jon McKennedy settled for second, followed by Mike Holdridge, Todd Szegedy and Woody Pitkat.
  The second 50-lap race was hotly contested at the front of the field from the drop of the green flag. Once in front, Richard Savary set a torrid pace until a late race caution created a restart with Pitkat now in second place from his 16th starting position. Pitkat, on the restart, made a daring cross-over move exiting the second turn to take the lead but contact with Savary thwarted that effort with both drivers forced from the front of the field and Todd Patnode, inherited the lead and took the win. Dennis Perry finished a strong second with Norm Wrenn, Todd Annarummo and Chris Pasteryak rounding out the top five.
  The final point standings between the two races showed Nocella coming out on top of the final tabulations. Todd Szegedy was second overall with McKennedy, third. Chris Pasteryak, Mike Holdridge, Norm Wrenn, Todd Patnode, Russ Hersey and Dennis Perry rounded out the top ten overall.
  Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, stretched his fuel enough to inherit the lead on the final lap of Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at   Pocono Raceway. Busch, who’d gained the lead after Joey Logano ran dry with three laps left, came up half a lap shy of four straight wins. He wound up 21st. In NASCAR Xfinity Series Racing at Iowa Speedway Ryan Blaney put on a dominating performance, surviving two green-white-checkered restarts to score his first XFINITY Series victory of the year and the third of his career. Blaney had the dominant car all night, taking the lead at the start from polesitter Daniel Suarez and leading unchallenged throughout most of the race.

  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.

Looking Back Archive
 

Source: Phil Smith / Looking Back A Bit
Posted: August 5, 2016