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TED
CHRISTOPHER SCORES VALENTI MODIFIED RACING SERIES VICTORY
IN 6TH ANNUAL VMRS 80 AT STAFFORD SPEEDWAY |
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Valenti Modified Racing Series made its second of
three visits during the 2016 season to Stafford
Motor Speedway for the 6th Annual VMRS 80. Taking
the checkered flag was Ted Christopher in the #00
Brady Bunch machine.
At the start of the race, Ted Christopher and Keith
Rocco banged wheels in the first corner with
Christopher emerging out of turn 2 with the race
lead. Dan Meservey, Jr. was third behind the lead
duo with Carl Medieros, Jr. in fourth and Woody
Pitkat was fifth.
Pitkat got around Medieros for fourth on lap-3 and
then went by Meservey for fourth on lap-4. Chris
Pasteryak was up to fifth as he got around Medieros
but he surrendered that position to a hard charging
Dave Etheridge. Etheridge took fourth on lap-8 from
Meservey as Christopher continued to lead the race.
Etheridge went by Pitkat for third on lap-10 in
turns 1+2 and he went by Rocco in turns 3+4 to move
up to second.
Etheridge was hounding Christopher for the lead and
he made a move in turns 1+2 on lap-16 to move to the
lead. Pitkat was still in third, with Rocco fourth
and Chris Pasteryak fifth. Medieros, Branden Dion,
and Colbey Fournier all spun in turn 1 to bring the
caution out with 18 laps complete.
Christopher rocketed his way by Etheridge on the
restart to move into the lead with Rocco also
getting by Etheridge to move into second. Rocco went
to the outside of Christopher to move into the lead
on lap-21 and Pitkat then took to the high line to
get by Christopher for second and hen then took the
lead from Rocco on lap-22. Etheridge was back on the
move and he got back by Christopher and then Rocco
on lap-24 to move back into second behind Pitkat.
Etheridge continued his charge to the front by
taking the lead from Pitkat on lap-26 with a pass in
turns 1+2. Pitkat was now second with Christopher,
Rocco, and Jon McKennedy making up the top-5.
McKennedy made a move to the inside of Rocco on
lap-28 to take over fourth place as Christopher and
Pitkat continued to chase after Etheridge.
Pitkat went by Etheridge in turn 3 on lap-30 to move
back into the lead with Christopher also getting by
Etheridge for second. At the halfway point of the
race Pitkat was still in the lead with Christopher
giving chase. Etheridge was third with McKennedy
fourth and Rowan Pennink was up to fifth with Rocco
in sixth.
By lap-50 things were beginning to get tight up
front with Pitkat, Christopher, and Etheridge nearly
in a 3-car train with McKennedy closing in fast on
the lead trio. Pennink was also starting to close in
on the top-4 cars to make it a 5-way fight for the
lead.
Christopher made a move to the inside of Pitkat to
move back out front on lap-56. Rocco and Anthony
Nocella touched with Rocco spinning in turn 2 to
bring the caution out with 56 laps complete. Nocella
was black flagged by the VMRS officials for making
contact with Rocco.
Christopher got the jump on the restart to move into
the lead with Pennink also getting by Pitkat to take
over second. The caution came back out with 57 laps
complete for a spin in turn 4 by Medieros.
Christopher took the lead on the restart with
Pennink and Pitkat behind him. The caution came back
out with 59 laps complete for spins in turn 1 by
Dion and Nocella.
Christopher took the lead on the restart with
Pennink slotting into second. Pitkat and McKennedy
were side by side for third with Pasteryak in fifth.
McKennedy got by Pitkat for third on lap-62 as they
raced down the backstretch and Pennink’s strong run
came to a premature end as he dropped off the pace
on lap-63. The caution came out with 63 laps
complete as Roy Seidell came to a stop in the middle
of turns 3+4.
Christopher took the lead on the restart with Pitkat
streaking into second. McKennedy was third with
Etheridge in fourth and Rocco was back up to fifth
after his earlier spin. Just as Pennink did several
laps prior, Pitkat dropped off the pace on lap-67
with mechanical issues which ended his good run.
McKennedy was now in second behind Christopher and
his lap times were fractionally faster than
Christopher and with 6 laps to go, he was right on
Christopher’s back bumper. McKennedy hounded
Christopher and he took the lead in turn 3 on
lap-77. Christopher came right back in turn 1 on
lap-78 as they were navigating their way around a
lapped car and he retook the lead from McKennedy.
McKennedy made a strong move through turns 3+4 on
the final lap to get back to Christopher’s bumper,
but he couldn’t make a pass as Christopher took the
checkered flag for his second win of the night as he
won the SK Modified® feature earlier in the night.
Etheridge finished third with Rocco and Pasteryak
rounding out the top-5.
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VMRS 80 (80)
1) Ted Christopher, Plainville;
2) Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass.;
3) Dave Etheridge, Portland;
4) Keith Rocco, Wallingford;
5) Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon;
6) Mike Willis Jr, Grantham, N.H.;
7) Rob Richardi, Easton, Mass.;
8) Dan Meservey Jr., Brewster, Mass.;
9) Brandon Dion, Taunton, Mass.;
10) Matthew Mead, Richmond, N.H.
11) George Sherman, Framingham, MA
12) Geoff Gernhard, Bozrah
13) Roy Seidell, Easthampton, MA
14) Carl Medieros, Jr., Westport, MA
15) Woody Pitkat, Stafford
16) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA
17) Anthony Nocella, Woburn, MA
18) Kyle James, Ashaway, RI
19) Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA
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Source:
Scott Running / Stafford Motor Speeedway
Posted:
June 24, 2016 |
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