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MCKENNEDY
WINS
WILD WINGS AND WHEELS VMRS RACE |
Valenti
Modified Racing Series hot-shoe Jon McKennedy,
despite slapping the wall during a lap-32 pileup,
notched his fifth win of the season Saturday night,
August 6, at the annual Wings & Wheels event at New
London-Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, CT.
The 100-lap event was part of the speedways annual
‘Open Wheel’ special.
McKennedy started sixth in a 29-car field, took the
lead on lap-72, and went to his third victory at the
famed Connecticut speedway. The win strengthened the
East Chelmsford, Massachusetts’ drivers point lead,
and moved him to second on the all-time VMRS win
list with 20 victories. Kirk Alexander is the
all-time series winner with 31 visits to victory
lane.
Pole-sitter Woody Pitkat, of Sturbridge, MA, led the
first 32-laps when the race had to be stopped for a
17-car pileup resulting in an almost 15-minute delay
while speedway personnel cleared the track of debris
and damaged race cars.
Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT, while running
third, wiggled and went into a spin in front of a
pack of cars exiting the second turn, all on the
throttle, resulting in the back straightaway
becoming totally blocked. When the speedway was
cleared, 10-cars were retired for the night with
19-drivers set to go back to racing.
Following a caution flag on the race restart, Keith
Rocco, of Berlin, CT, moved by Pitkat and took
command through lap-69.
Canton, MA, veteran Richard Savary, moved to the
lead on the restart for two circuits when McKennedy
took over (laps 73-100) and was never headed.
Savary finished runner-up, Pitkat settled for third,
Mike Willis Jr, of Grantham, NH, finished fourth,
with Dave Etheridge, of Portland, CT, rounding out
the top five.
Chris Pasteryak, Donnie Lashua, Geoff Gernhard,
Brandon Dion, and Rocco, rounded out the top ten.
Pitkat, Nick Ladyga, and Rocco won heat races. All
29-cars that entered the event started the 100-lap
race.
Race Summary: Race #
10
August 6, 2016
New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, CT.
Distance: 100 laps
Time of Race: 1:08:08
Margin of Victory: 0:529
Best Lap Time: 14.145 (Rocco)
Best Speed: 98.621 (Rocco)
Lap Leaders: Pitkat (1-32) Rocco (Lap 33-69)
Savary (70-72) McKennedy (73-100)
Lead Changes: 3
Cautions: Lap 32/32,69/69, 96
Unofficial Order of Finish: (1) McKennedy,
(2) Savary, (3) Pitkat, (4) Willis, (5) Etheridge,
(6) Pasteryak (7) Lashua, (8) Gernhard, (9) Dion,
(10) Rocco, (11) Ladyga, (12) Bakaj, (13) Medeiros,
(14) Schneider, (15) Gallup, (16) Nocella, (17)
Pennink, (18) Rameau, (19) Richardi, (20) Sherman,
(21) James (22) Christopher, (23) Perry, (24) Talman
(25) Patnode, (26) Hersey, (27) Fournier, (28)
Pearl, (29) Doucette.
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Source:
John Spence / Valenti Modified Racing Series
Posted:
August 7, 2016 |
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