The Chrome Horn - Champ Trail with Phil Smith

Champ Trail - June 6, 2016


  The Stafford Motor Speedway hosted The Exit Realty Modified Touring Series in addition to its NASCAR weekly venue. Jon McKennedy passed Ryan Preece with 4 laps to go to take the win in the Mod Touring Series 125 which drew 20 cars. Matt Galko won his first SK Modified® feature victory after 6 seasons, Tom Fearn won in the Late Model division, Joey Ferrigno won in the SK Light feature, Duane Provost won in the Limited Late Model feature, and Travis Hydar was a first time career winner in the DARE Stock feature.
  In the MTS 125 McKennedy’s persistence behind Preece finally paid off on lap-121 as he was able to make a move entering turn 3 to take over the race lead. Preece wasn’t able to get back to McKennedy as McKennedy took the checkered flag. Chris Pasteryak finished third with Richard Savary and Keith Rocco rounding out the top-5. Sixth was Woody Pitkat who was followed by Mike Holdridge, Dylan Kopec, Les Hinckley and Ted Christopher.
  Galko took the lead following a restart on lap 38 of the 40 lap contest from Chase Dowling who was still on his outside when they took the white flag side by side. Preece was right on the leaders’ bumpers if one of them slipped up but Galko was able to get a slightly better run coming out of the last corner and he beat Dowling to the checkered flag by a half car length to pick up his first career SK Modified® feature victory in his fifth season in the division. Preece finished third with Ron Williams and Rowan Pennink rounding out the top-5.

  In weekly action at the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island, defending Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified champion Shawn Solomito took full advantage of a rare pole starting position to race his way out of an early season slump posting a wire to wire victory in the 40-lap NASCAR Modified feature Saturday night. In the NEMA Midget Allan Cantor Memorial presented by IGA Food Markets former NASCAR Modified champion Justin Bonsignore scored a popular first career NEMA victory in their 25-lap main event.
  Howie Brode came home second while John Fortin Sr. crossed the line third. Tom Rogers Jr. and point leader Vinny Biondolillo completed the top five.

  When the New London-Waterford Speedbowl failed to open because of track owner Bruce Bemer’s personal problems it left a lot of competitors high and dry including all time winner Keith Rocco. Rocco has 135 wins at the Connecticut shoreline oval, 80 of those in an SK Modified. Rocco entered a late model at the Seekonk Speedway this past Saturday night and finished a solid third behind local runners Charlie Rose and Vinny Arrenegndo. Ryan Morgan who formerly ran in the Sunoco Modifieds and now in the Late Models at Thompson also planned on racing at the Speedbowl but was also left without a place to go on Saturday nights. Morgan took his family owned late model to Seekonk. Where he started 13th and went forward for the first 7 laps then got stuck on the outside and went backwards because of a bad lane. A determined Morgan was not to be denied as he missed some pretty wild wrecks and ended up coming back up to a 4th place finish. Other winners at the track they call the cement palace were Rick Martin in the Pro Stocks, Barry Shaw in the trucks and Vinny Panglelinan in the Sportsman.

  The NEW Exit Realty Modified Touring Series rolls into Seekonk Speedway for its first race at the famed 1/3 mile oval this coming Saturday night, June 10. The Seekonk Speedway is located on Route 6 in Seekonk, Mass at the Gateway to Cape Cod.

  Down in the south land, Burt Myers waited for his chance, and then he took advantage late in 100-lap Modified Division race on Saturday night at the Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.
  Myers, the points leader, passed Chris Fleming on lap 84 on a restart and held on from there to win for the third time this season. Showing patience after starting from the third row, Myers worked his way up and was content to stay behind Fleming for nearly half the laps. With the double-file restarts in play, it was Myers who used that to his advantage.
  After qualifying, the field was determined by a blind draw and Myers was in the sixth position. He said it was a good spot to be in because it’s such a long race.
  Fleming, a veteran driver at Bowman Gray, was driving in his fourth race of the season and was coming off a second-place finish last week in one of the twin 25-lap races. He finished second again and was in no mood to talk afterwards.
  Fleming did an outstanding job of staying in front through five of the eight caution flags. Randy Butner, who wound up fourth, led for the first 30 laps before Fleming overtook him on a restart.
  Tim Brown, who is second in the points behind Myers, worked his way up from 15th to finish third.
  The final caution came on lap 94, and Myers was able to withstand a challenge from Fleming during one more restart. Myers stayed in front for the final five laps and increased his points lead ever so slightly over Brown.

  Congratulations to Bob Mueller who retired from Troyer Race Cars after 29 years of service. “The last 29 years have been a real ride”, he said. “There have been good times and bad times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Not everyone has the opportunity to turn their hobby and passion into a living. My thanks to Bill Colton and all my co-workers at Troyer Race Cars for a great 29 years”.
  Among those on hand at the Spencer Speedway in New York last Friday to wish Bob well in retirement was Troyer Engineering founder Maynard Troyer.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week all three speedway stocks finished the week on the plus side. Leading the way was the International Speedway Corporation which went up 3.50 to 35.75. Speedway Motorsports went up 0.39 to 27.57 and Dover Entertainment went up 0.05 to 2.10. NASCAR cup sponsor Monster Beverage went up 0.37 to 51.27 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 1.67 to 34.27 while NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) dropped 1.16 to 21.65. The car manufacturers were all on the plus side. Ford went up 0.42 to 11.35 while General Motors went up 1.38 to 34.45 and Toyota went up 2.27 to 109.37. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot went up 0.45 to 155.35 while Lowes dropped 0.69 to 80.22. The big team sponsors stocks were all positive. McDonalds went up 3.88 to 153.74, Coca-Cola went up 6.08 to 231.75, Target went up 1.12 to 55.52, Aarons Rentals went up 3.22 to 39.15 and Fedex went up 8.85 to 203.11.

  On the tube this week:

  Wednesday, June 7

7:30 AM, NASCAR Xfinity Series Dover race re-air, Fox Sports 1
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

  Thursday, June 8
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

  Friday, June 9
11:00 AM, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono practice, FS1
12:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
1:00 PM, NXS Pocono practice, FS1
3:00 PM, NXS Pocono final practice, FS1
4:00 PM, MENCS Pocono qualifying, FS1
7:30 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SetUp, FS1
8:00 PM, NCWTS Texas race, FS1

  Saturday, June 10
3:00 AM, NXS Pocono final practice re-air, FS1
4:00 AM, MENCS Pocono qualifying re-air, FS1
7:30 AM, NCWTS Texas race re-air, FS1
9:30 AM, NXS Pocono qualifying, FS1
11:00 AM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
11:30 AM, MENCS Pocono final practice, FS1
12:30 PM, Beyond the Wheel 2017, FS1
12:30 PM, NXS RaceDay, FOX
1:00 PM, NXS Pocono race, FOX

  Sunday, June 11
8:30 AM, MENCS Pocono final practice re-air, FS1
1:30 PM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
3:00 PM, MENCS Pocono race, FS1

  Monday, June 12
6:30 AM, MENCS Pocono race re-air, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, 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 6, 2017

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