The Chrome Horn - Champ Trail with Phil Smith

Champ Trail - October 25, 2016


  It took two long days but the season ending Bemers Big Show at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl was not completed but it wasn't because track management and competitors didn't try. Heavy rain and wind all but washed out the scheduled racing for Saturday. Late in the day the Granite State Pro Stock 75 lapper was run but that was it as rain again fell on the shoreline oval shutting activity down. The other 14 features that we were scheduled to run on Saturday will be run next Saturday, Oct. 29.In the Pro Stock event, Dave Farrington took the win after DJ Shaw, who had led from the start, pitted with tire problems with seven laps remaining.
  Forty one cars were in the pit for the Tri-Track Modified Series Finale. It was windy and cool and a good day for racing. Ron Silk took the lead following a restart on lap 15 and won the first of two 35 lap qualifying heats which carried a $3,000 payday. Justin Bonsignore finished second with Woody Pitkat, third. John Keivman, Dennis Perry and Ted Christopher followed. Tommy Barrett Jr. has been all but invisible since his arrest for driving under the influence came back in a big way as he won the second 35 lap qualifying heat. Barrett passed pole sitter Keith Rocco following a restart on lap 15 and never looked back. Rocco finished second and was followed by Les Hinckley, Ryan Preece and Eric Berndt. Barrett started ninth. Steve Masse won the 25 lap consolation event.
  The entire starting field redrew for starting spots in the 65 lap main event. Jeff Gallup drew the pole with Mike Holdridge on the outside. Holdridge led the early going. The first yellow was displayed on lap 41 when Gallup spun on the home stretch. Shortly after, Woody Pitkat and Dwight Jarvis made contact in turn three with Pitkat taking a hard into the wall. Another quick caution slowed the race for a spin by Dennis Perry in turn two on lap 43 and then a final caution came out when Keith Rocco spun in turn two. Matt Hirschman, who started fifth was waiting in the wings took over from there and was never headed. Les Hinckley moved into the second spot just past the 40 lap mark but was unable to mount a challenge and at the checker was the runner-up. Hirschman received $5,000 for his efforts. Silk was able to come home in third spot after starting back in 22nd. Holdridge was able to hang on for a fourth place finish, while Richard Savary captured a fifth place finish. Rowan Pennink, Steve Masse, Ryan Preece, Andy Jankowiak and Rob Summers completed the top 10.
  The Waterford SK Modifieds were also part of the program. Internet web site RaceDayct reported that their feature, called the Nationals was scheduled for 75 laps but was cut short when Diego Monahan clobbered the pit gate to the extent that it was impossible to repair. Ted Christopher had just taken the lead from Ryan Preece after a bump and run and was declared the winner. The win was worth five grand but Christopher never got to spend it as he was disqualified when track officials found illegal fuel in his tank. Paul Kusheba IV, who finished fourth, was also disqualified for using illegal fuel. Both claimed they bough the fuel at the track. Maybe they should take legal action against the fuel company who sold them the illegal fuel. John Holland, president of New England Racing Fuels told internet site Speed51 that there was nothing wrong with his fuel.
  In the end, Preece got the big check. Ronnie Williams was moved from third to second and Keith Rocco from sixth to third. Todd Owen finished fourth. Steve Masse, who finished fifth in the original finish, was penalized two positions as he had a weight issue, but he still finished fifth because of the disqualifications. Rowan Pennink ended up sixth with Matt Hirschman seventh and Dennis Perry, eighth.
  Keith Rocco won the division championship with Dennis Perry finishing second. As a result of Christopher's disqualification Joey Gada ended up third behind Perry in the standings and Tyler Chadwick moved to fourth. It was Rocco's fourth consecutive SK Modified championship and sixth title in the division overall. Rocco's father-in-law former track champion Todd Ceravolo who is fighting cancer was the Grand Marshal of the event.

  In action below the Mason-Dixon line Burt Myers won at Caraway in North Carolina as he took the final feature and the season championship for the Southern Modified Racing Series. Brian Loftin finished second with Jason Myers, third. Tim Brown and LW Miller rounded out the top five in the 13-car field. It was sort of a triple crown achievement for Burt Myers as he also won the track championship at Bowman Gray Stadium and the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified championship.

  The Modified Touring Series organized by principal Gary Knight of Charlestown, NH has announced three races for 2017 at the Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH. The MTS held one race this year at that same track during the summer which paid $15,000 to the winner. Teams will be racing the 2017 season for a $40,000.00 point fund and a per race event of $3000.00 to win. MTS will also be introducing an exciting points chase that will ensure that each race will keep competitors and fans on the edge of their seats every time the drivers hit the track. Knight is currently in talks with other tracks for more dates for the upcoming season. Meanwhile the Tri Track Modified Series has issued the following: TTOMS wishes to thank all sponsors, teams, media, fans and competitors for their hard work and dedication to the racing for the 2016 season. At this point, the future of the series is unknown.

  On the speedway stock market scene this week, two of the three speedway stocks ended the week on a positive note. The International Speedway Corporation went up 1.35 to 32.30 and Speedway Motorsports went up 0.43 to 17.85 while Dover Entertainment dropped 0.06 to 2.35. NASCAR cup sponsor Sprint dropped 0.48 to 6.55 while NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco (Energy Transfer) went up 1.71 to 37.01 and NASCAR tire supplier Goodyear went up 0.34 to 31.60. The car manufacturers were all positive. Ford went up 0.11 to 12.02, General Motors went up 0.17 to 32.04 and Toyota went up 0.18 to 115.27. In the home improvement sector Home Depot went up 0.18 to 126.60 while Lowes dropped 0.70 to 70.65. In the area of big team sponsors stocks McDonalds dropped 0.16 to 113.93 and Fedex dropped 0.78 to 170.20 while Coca-Cola went up 2.81 to 143.16, Target Department Stores went up 0.12 to 68.23 and Aarons Rentals went up 0.57 to 23.23.

  On the tube this week:

  Thursday, October 27

5:30 PM, NASCAR America, NBC Sports Net
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1

  Friday, October 28
11:00 AM, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Martinsville practice, NBCSN
12:30 PM, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Martinsville practice, FS1
1:30 PM, Masters of the Clock - Legends of Martinsville, FS1
2:30 PM, NCWTS Martinsville final practice, FS1
4:30 PM, NSCS Martinsville qualifying, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN
10:30 PM, NSCS Martinsville qualifying re-air, NBCSN

  Saturday, October 29
9:00 AM, NSCS Martinsville practice, CNBC
10:00 AM, NCWTS Martinsville qualifying, FS1
10:00 AM, Undercover Boss - NASCAR, Oprah Winfree Network
12:00 PM, NSCS Martinsville final practice, NBCSN
1:00 PM, NCWTS SetUp, FS1
1:30 PM, NCWTS Martinsville race, FS1

  Sunday, October 30
6:30 AM, Classic NASCAR - 1993 Daytona 500, FS1
11:00 AM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
12:00 PM, NASCAR America Sunday, NBCSN
12:30 PM, NSCS Countdown, NBCSN
1:00 PM, NSCS Martinsville race, NBCSN
5:00 PM, NSCS Post Race Show, NBCSN
5:30 PM, NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
6:30 PM, NASCAR The Season, NBCSN
10:00 PM, NASCAR The Season, NBCSN

  Monday, October 31
12:30 AM, NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1
12:00 PM, NASCAR 120 - NSCS Martinsville race re-air, NBCSN
6:00 PM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7:00 PM, NASCAR America, NBCSN

   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: October 25, 2016

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