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TODD PATNODE ENDS WINLESS STREAK
AT VICTOR JOHNSON MEMORIAL 100 EVENT AT MONADNOCK SPEEDWAY
Patnode Captures Win for Home Town Fans in of Honor Fellow
Competitor
by Denise
DuPont |
The
Valenti Modified Racing Series (VMRS) returned to
Monadnock Speedway on Saturday August 20th for the
‘Victor Johnson Memorial 100’ sponsored by Swanzey
Oil Company. The annual race was established to
honor a local racer who lost his life five years ago
in a house fire. Teams also came together to pay
tribute to legendary modified car owner Mario Fiore.
When the green flag flew, Russ Hersey of Swanzey, NH
took the lead and it really looked like it was going
to be smooth sailing for the local racer at his home
track. The circuits clicked off quickly with Hersey
dominating the field. He had a commanding lead when
the first caution occurred on lap 67. The yellow was
brought out when mid-pack competitors made contact.
When the group exited turn two, they spun to
ignite what would be the first of many cautions for
the night.
Cautions
continued to generate on the same lap after each
attempt of a restart. Then when it looked like we
were out of the yellow flag mode, Hersey himself
brought out a caution on lap 73. He had stopped on
the high groove in turn four. Pulling to an abrupt
stop, it appeared he may have broken something but
he was able to pull away and pit. Hersey rejoined
the race at the rear of the field and the race was
underway. Todd Patnode from Richmond, NH, had who
just made his way past Hersey for the top position
so he led the field around for the green.
Then as the saying goes: “Cautions breed cautions”.
The field went back to green and was soon under
yellow. Steve Masse of Bellingham, Ma, had tried a
move for the lead on the restart. As cars rounded
turn two they were three wide, collected and spun.
The modified field went back to racing with the next
caution ending point leader, Jon McKennedy’s night.
Something broke and the #29 came to a stop just
after the starter stand. McKennedy pulled into the
infield under his own power and drivers went back
racing without him in their ranks.
Hersey brought out two more cautions over the next
fifteen laps. The second of the two on lap 81
finally ended his night. Hersey was towed into the
infield with a broken rear end on the #88 modified.
Two
laps later, the final caution of the night occurred
on lap 83 when two hard chargers, Woody Pitkat and
Scott MacMichaels, made contact and spun on the back
stretch. A victim of the melee, David Schneider,
sustained severe damage and was towed off the track.
Pitkat and MacMichaels pitted on their own.
With only eleven of the original starters on the
track the field went to green and completed the 100
lap feature event without incident. Patnode scored
the win while Richard Savary from Canton, MA.
crossed the finish line second followed by Donny
Lashua of Canaan, NH who captured his best ever
finish with a podium spot.
At the beginning it was a long green race and then
it was as though the wheels came off. Patnode
started the race in the top five and was settled in
there as the green flagged laps continued. “At the
beginning I was riding. I knew Russ was stretching
it out because I could not see him anymore” Patnode
said about the lead that Hersey commended in the
first 60+ laps of racing. “I knew that we would end
up with some type of caution eventually and then it
would get real chaotic after that.” And yes
turbulent it was. “I was even hit by one car that
was trying to retaliate against another car while we
were under caution.” Patnode stated. “This actually
towed us in quite a bit and completely junked the
right front wheel. The last 20 laps it just vibrated
up and down. I was not pleased with the hit. I knew
that guy he was trying to hit. But regardless, he
hit us.”
Todd Patnode does know his way to victory at
Monadnock Speedway. He has spent a lot of time there
over the years. This though was only his second VMRS
win and securing it finally ended his winless
streak. “Trust me I want to win any race that we
can. It has been a long time since I have won a tour
race and this is only our second one. So winning
feels good.”
This
was a very special race running in honor of Victor
Johnson. “Victor was a just a great all around guy
and nobody will ever forget him so the race means
quite a bit to us.” acknowledged Patnode. “The car
was really good tonight. The guys did a lot of work
on it and we have been getting more familiar with
the Troyer car. I cannot say enough about my crew
and sponsors.”
Richard Savary made his way from the rear of the
field twice to secure a second place finish. At the
end there were just enough green laps left to hold
Savary where he would complete the race. “When I
made my way to him for the second time,” confessed
Savary,” I did not have enough to catch him. I felt
like when I got to second the last time coming from
nineteenth that I still had enough car to race him.”
Savary had a solid run and finish. He qualified off
pace, won the consi event and started the race
eighteenth and completed his run with a firm runner
up position. “We had to come from the back,
nineteenth, so we tried to be patient and take what
the race gave us. The long run was a lot longer than
I thought.” The initial green sustained for 67 laps
of racing. “So I started going. The leader had gone
all the way around and was on the same straight
away. So we just started picking off cars one at a
time while I bit my time. We got to the front and I
was turned around. I had to go to the back and start
over. I did not think that we would make it but we
pitted, made some adjustments and the car came in.
The crew did their job tonight. They gave me a great
car to drive back to the front. I could not be
happier for them. This being a special race -if I
could not have won tonight’s race-- he (Todd
Patnode) would be my first choice tonight. I am glad
that he won the race because I know it means a lot
to him and his family”.
Donny
Lashua had his best finish with the VMRS series with
a third. “It is the best finish that I have
currently. I drove for Jack Bateman a long time ago
and we had one better finish, but this tops it right
here with all the guys we are racing against.”
Lashua had been collected up in a late race caution
and fell back in the field. He made his way back to
the front passing on the outside to get back in a
podium position. “At that point I was getting real
loose. The right rear was going away so I added some
right brake into it. I felt bad when Chris
(Pasteryak) and I got together there. He caught my
tire and turned me. I tried to stay off of him to
allow me to get by me but I could not. So I
apologize to him. We both had pretty good cars right
then and it would have been good to have stayed
right up there and see what we had at the end rather
than having to come back from the back. “
Mike Willis Jr, and Chris Pasteryak rounded off the
top five followed by Matt Mead, Branden Dion, George
Sherman, Joe Doucette and Colbey Fournier to
culminate the top ten finishers.
The VMRS will head to Oxford Plains Speedway for
another 100 laps of short track racing next
Saturday, August 28th.
Notes from
Monadnock Speedway:
What went through your mind when you rounded turn
two to come face to face with Hersey, a sitting
target on the backstretch?
Todd Patnode
“It is really dark back there, darker than what I
thought now that I have seen a car stopped there. I
really did not see him (Hersey) until I was half-way
down the straight away because there were no lights
on. I am just glad nobody hit him because that would
have been horrific. I was really surprised on how
hard it is to see on that particular part of the
track.”
What are your thoughts
on tonight’s race?
Richard Savary
I am happy for our guys to come through the
adversity of coming through the field and get taken
out. And coming through the field again was pretty
cool. The car was that strong, plus we also had to
run the consi which meant I had fifteen more laps on
my tires than any of the cars that were running up
front at the end of the race. That says a lot about
our guys and the car that they gave me. We pitted
they made some adjustments and I came out again. And
to be honest I was surprised on the last five laps
when I went to the outside and the car stuck. I
thought being in fourth at race end would be great
after coming from the rear. So I said we have
nothing to lose, let’s seal it in. So I went (on the
outside) and it stuck again and the next I know we
were in second.”
Did you see that Patnode
may have sustained a bent wheel on the last caution?
Richard Savary
“I saw that incident where somebody was upset with
him and saw them make a swerve at them. I did not
know if he (Patnode) sustained damage. He obviously
had a good car because he was able to pull away from
everyone else”.
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Source:
Denise DuPont /
TheChromeHorn.com
Posted:
August 21, 2016 |
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