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.
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Source: Phil
Smith / Champ Trail
Posted: October
25,
2016 |
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