Champ Trail - May 12, 2015

  The Stafford Motor Speedway continued their Friday night NASCAR Racing Series. The highlight of the evening was the Late Model Xtra Mart Xtra D 50. Xtra Mart Convenience Stores put up a $1,000 bonus that was split evenly among the top-5 finishers in the extra distance Late Model feature event. Michael Bennett recorded his second feature victory of the 2015 season with a thrilling late race pass that saw him beat Adam Gray to the checkered flag by the length of the nose on his car. Among the missing from the Late Model field was Tom Fearn who was under suspension for unsafe conduct, on-track. Unsportsmanlike conduct, on-track and actions detrimental to the sport.

  Other feature winners included Keith Rocco holding off spirited challenges from Justin Bonsignore and Rowan Pennink in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Tony Membrino, Jr. won the SK Light feature, Austin Bessette won the Limited Late Model feature, Tyler Trott was a first time career winner in the DARE Stock feature, and Dana DiMatteo took his second consecutive win in the Legend Cars feature.

  With three laps to go on the SK Modified 40 lapper the crowd was on it's feet as Rocco and Bonsignore were side by side with Pennink glued to Rocco’s bumper on the restart. As they took the white flag, Rocco was clear in the lead with Pennink side by side with Bonsignore. Rocco kept the lead back to the checkered flag for his first win of the 2015 season. Bonsignore took second by a nose over Pennink, with Glen Reen and Ronnie Williams rounding out the top-5.

  Keith Rocco will have to wait one more week for immortality at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Rocco tied the all-time feature win record set by Phil Rondeau when he won the Late Model feature at the shoreline oval on Saturday night. Rocco's win gave him 106 combined victories there. A win in the SK Modified feature could have broke the tie but it wasn't meant to be as Tim Jordan scored his first open wheeled Modified win. Rocco had two things against him, first off he started in the rear because of his win on May 2 and was collected in a wreck on the first lap. Trying to make up for lost time, Rocco burned up his right rear tire which ultimately plagued him with handling problems. Rob Janovic was second with Ted Christopher Rocco ended up fourth with Tyler Chadwick, fifth. Sixth through tenth were Craig Lutz, 7. Ed Puleo, Diego Monahan, Joe Gada and John Montesanto.

  In other action at the Speedbowl, Ray Christian III won the 25-lap Mini Stock even, Corey Barry made it two in a row winning the 25-lap SK Light Modifieds race and Chris Meyer won the 25-lap Limited Sportsman race.

  A special awaits fans this coming week. Grandstand admission is $5 this coming Saturday for residents in towns starting I-Q with proof of residency. On Thursday, the second edition of Thursday Night Thunder will hit the track with eight dollar adult general grandstands admission and free grandstands admission for all youth ages 14 and under. More information on the 2015 season can be found online at www.speedbowlct.com.

  The Riverhead Raceway on Long Island ran twin 30 lap Modified events. Shawn Solomito won both of them. Tom Rogers Jr. was second in both events.

  Down in the southland, Burt Myers made it two for two at Bowman Gray Stadium, following up on his season-opening victory with another one in the rain-shortened Kevin Powell Motorsports 100 on Saturday night. Myers, who started third, took the lead from Dean Ward in the 37th lap and hung on from there.

  The race officially went 74 laps, being called after rain began soaking the track and led to a final caution period with 31 laps left. Ward finished second, and Randy Butner was third.

  On the speedway stock market scene last week two of the three speedway stocks had positive week ending results. The International Speedway Corporation went up 0.18 to 36.86 and Dover Entertainment went up 0.06 to 2.38 while Speedway Motorsports dropped 0.81 to 21.65. NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint dropped 0.45 to 4.77 and NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) dropped 1.88 to 56.70 while NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 1.03 to 29.43. Two of the three major car manufacturers were down for the week. Toyota went up 2.16 to 142.12 while Ford dropped 0.14 to 15.67 and General Motors dropped 0.10 to 35.32. In the home improvement sector, Home Depot went up 2.92 to 112.47 and Lowes went up 2.56 to 73.26. Big team sponsors were all green for the week. McDonalds went up 0.43 to 98.23, Coca-Cola went up 1.69 to 113.20, Target went up 1.09 to 80.74, Aarons Rentals went up 0.48 to 35.15 and FedEx went up 1.62 to 173.35.

On the tube this coming week:

  Wednesday, May 13
4:30 PM, NASCAR America - Scan All 43 Special, NBC Sports Net
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 2

  Thursday, May 14
4:00 AM, NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville, FS1
3:00 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Charlotte practice, FS1
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7:00 PM, NCWTS Charlotte final practice, FS1
9:00 PM, Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick, FS1
9:30 PM, 100,00 Cameras - Talladega, FS1
10:00 PM, NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville, FS1

  Friday, May 15
3:00 AM, Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick, FS1
3:30 AM, 100,00 Cameras - Talladega, FS1
4:00 AM, NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville, FS1
5:00 AM, The 10 Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History, FS1
11:00 AM, Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick, FS1
11:30 AM, 100,00 Cameras - Talladega, FS1
12:00 PM, NSCS Charlotte Showdown final practice, FS1
1:45 PM, NSCS Charlotte All-Star final practice, FS1
3:30 PM, NASCAR Race Hub - Weekend Edition, FS1
4:00 PM, NASCARSprint Cup Series Charlotte Showdown qualifying, FS1
5:30 PM, NCWTS Charlotte qualifying, FS1
7:00 PM, NSCS Charlotte Showdown, FS1
8:00 PM, NCWTS SetUp, FS1
8:30 PM, NCWTS Charlotte race, FS1

  Saturday, May 16
3:00 AM, NCWTS Charlotte race re-air, FS1
5:30 AM, The 10: Greatest Charlotte Moments, FS1
2:00 PM, NSCS Charlotte Showdown re-air, FS2
3:00 PM, 100,000 Cameras - Sprint All-Star Race, FS2
3:30 PM, The 10 NASCAR's Wildest Throw-Downs, FS2
4:00 PM, The 10 Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History, FS2
4:30 PM, NCWTS Charlotte race re-air, FS2
7:00 PM, NSCS Charlotte All-Star qualifying, FS1
8:30 PM, NASCAR RaceDay - All-Star, FS1
9:00 PM, NSCS Charlotte All-Star race, FOX

  Sunday, May 17
11:30 AM, NSCS Charlotte All-Star race re-air, FS1
1:30 PM, NASCAR Xfinity Series RaceDay, FS1
2:00 PM, NXS Iowa race, FS1
8:00 PM, The 10 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR History, FS2
8:30 PM, NSCS Charlotte Showdown re-air, FS2
9:30 PM, NSCS Charlotte All-Star race re-air, FS2

  Monday, May 18
10:00 AM, NSCS Charlotte Showdown re-air, FS1
11:00 AM, NSCS Charlotte All-Star 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: May 12, 2015