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MASSE ROCKETS
TO $10K TRI TRACK OPEN MOD WIN
AT THE SPEEDBOWL |
Steve
Masse captured his first career NorthEast Race Cars
and Parts Tri Track Open Modified Series checkered
flag on Thursday at New London-Waterford Speedbowl,
rocketing into victory lane behind the wheel of his
No. 13 and collecting the big prize of $10,000.
The Bellingham, Massachusetts driver started in
fifth position, but was a threat all night long. He
pitted early and took a fresh tire, then drove
through the entire field and eventually drove around
race leader Richard Savary on a lap 88 restart in
order to take down his first ever series win.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen there at the
end,” Masse said. “The heat cycles killed (Richard)
Savary’s tires and I was able to get around him. I
got a good restart and was able to stay to the
outside of him going into turn one — which is
important here at Waterford. It all worked out in my
favor.”
Masse had decided he was going to step away from the
sport at the start of 2016 and spend time with
family and friends, but things changed quickly when
June came around. Masse felt that urge to go back
onto the track and he elected to return to the
Speedbowl on Thursday chasing the glory and the big
bucks.
“This is only the third race of the year so it feels
really good,” Masse said. “Earlier (this year) I
just didn’t feel like racing and I didn’t feel like
competing. The fire all of a sudden came back and
here I am.”
Richard Savary and Mike Holdridge brought the field
of 27 modifieds to the green flag Thursday and
Savary took command early. Behind him, Masse made
early ground from his fifth place starting spot to
second and the two drove away from their challengers
— brining Rowan Pennink along with them.
The first caution of the event flew on lap 35, when
Tommy Barrett spun his No. 44 at the end of the
frontstretch and quickly left the scene without
damage. During the yellow, many drivers took
advantage of the stoppage and went down pit road —
including Masse and Pennink — who gave up top-three
runs to make adjustments.
A second caution on lap 35 also slowed the action
when Les Hinckley got into the outside wall in turn
four, then another yellow flew on lap 49 when Andy
Jankowiak spun in turn one. Geoff Gernhard spun on
the backstretch on lap 52, drawing a fourth caution
of the event while those on the track took advantage
and came down pit road. Among those pitting under
the caution included Jeff Rocco and Calvin Carroll.
At the lap 52 green, Savary had a tough challenge
from Woody Pitkat, who worked the outside and took
over the advantage at lap 53. Just as Pitkat got the
lead, Dylan Kopec and Carl Mederios Jr. got together
and crashed, allowing Pitkat to hold the bottom for
the restart on lap 54. Pitkat held the advantage
over Savary until lap 60, when Savary took back
command with a bottom line move off turn two.
A pileup in turn one drew a caution on lap 61, then
before long Eric Berndt spun from the top-10 down
the frontstretch on lap 66. Cautions also stopped
the race on lap 77 and then on lap 88 twice, but the
crucial point of the race came on the restart on lap
88.
Savary, — who had been leading much of the race —
was on the bottom for the restart but didn’t get the
start he needed to hold the advantage. Masse cleared
him from the outside and Savary was left chasing him
in the final laps, trying everything he could to get
back to the bumper.
“We took the strategy of staying out and not pitting
at all because we started on the pole,” Savary said.
“It was good racing. We weren’t going to give up the
track position it was going to be too hard to come
from the back. It just came down to a few yellows
and Steve having a better tire than us.”
Sitting third at the conclusion of the 100 lap event
was Pitkat, who said post-race that he thought he
had something for the top-two if the car didn’t
tighten up in the final laps.
Pitkat did lead a few laps in the second half of the
race, but ultimately, third was the position of
finish for the Stebbins Racing driver.
“I led for a little while there,” Pitkat said. “We
just got a little bit tight there in the center in
the last 40 laps and it just never went away. I
tried to do whatever I could to get it to rotate
through the center. I’m just happy for my guys. It’s
a good momentum builder for us.”
Matt “Money” Hirschman finished fourth and Ted
Christopher came on strong late to round out the
top-five. Six through ten was Justin Bonsignore,
Tommy Barrett, Eric Goodale, Dennis Perry and Rowan
Pennink.
The NorthEast Race Cars Tri Track Open Modified
Series returns to action right back at the Speedbowl
on Oct. 23 as part of the Bemer’s Big Show weekend,
the final race of the 2016 season. Lap sponsorships
are available immediately and can be purchased by
contacting the series on Facebook or by email.
For more information, fans are encouraged to visit
www.tritrackopenmodifiedseries.com.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: NorthEast Race Cars Tri Track
Open Modified Series; August 25, 2016:
Steve Masse, Richard Savary, Woody Pitkat, Matt
Hirschman, Ted Christopher, Justin Bonsignore, Tommy
Barrett, Eric Goodale, Dennis Perry, Rowan Pennink,
Ron Silk, Andy Jankowiak, Dwight Jarvis, Shawn
Thibeault, Mike Holdridge, Dylan Kopec, Geoffrey
Genhard, Chris Pasteryak, Jeff Rocco, Calvin
Carroll, Roger Coss, Jeff Gallup, Eric Berndt, Todd
Annarummo, Troy Talman, Carl Mederios Jr., Les
Hinckley
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Source:
Kyle Souza / Tri-Track Open Modified Series
Posted:
August 25, 2016 |
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