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PREECE WINS
THE 3rd NIGHT OF TOUR TYPE MODIFIEDS AT NEW SMYRNA
Third Night is the Charm for the TS Haulers/East West
Marine Team
by
Denise DuPont |
 This
year at New Smyrna Speedway modified racing was
shortened to Tuesday through Friday night events due
to rain on Monday night. With a consolidated week of
competition teams worked hard to dial in their
modifieds all striving for the win. With the mixture
of short shoot-out races one night and switching to
longer endurance races the next night, teams had to
switch setups and strategy for each race.
On Thursday night when the green flag flew, Ryan
Preece from Berlin, CT quickly took the Eddie
Partridge #6 modified from sixth to fourth. On lap
8, Preece proceeded forwarded and passed Ron Silk of
Norwalk, CT. for the lead. Preece. From there
forward Preece dominated the race as he pulled away
from the field.
 Car
owner Eddie Partridge was all smiles when the
checkers flew for the race winner – Ryan Preece. The
#6 team came to New Smyrna with a brand new Troyer
car and they had a hard time dialing in the correct
setup for the track and driver. “I am happy with the
win, it is good. Ryan did a good job out there from
the back to the front of all the good cars.” stated
Partridge. “Once again it is a new car. It is the
same type of car we had here last year. We were
struggling even last year a little bit and we
finally got some ideas on what it needs to be good
for the whole race. We went overboard a little bit
the first night to free it then too tight the second
night. The third night we were right on. And
hopefully Friday we will be just as good. I think
that we have the setup kind of close now for the 100
lap race tomorrow night. We know what to do so we
should be all set.”
Preece had the fastest car in practice, topped the
charts in time trials, and after the redraw to
invert the field started the race sixth. The TS
Haulers/East West Marine #6 team definitely figured
out the cars setup on the third night so that their
driver could bring the car to the front and keep it
there. “We were really good tonight and we are
finally getting a hold on it,” expressed Preece. “I
am really liking what the car is doing – This TA2
modified was handling very well. Everything on this
car is the best of everything and that is all
because of the car owners Eddie and Connie
Partridge. They give us everything to win these
races.”
“Last year we had this type of car and we almost
gave up on it and now I really understand why,”
confessed Preece. “This time we have been working on
it to find a way to make the car feel good. We were
always loose before last year and then we got the
thing tight enough. And now I am creeping up on what
this car needs to go fast not just for 35 laps but
100 or 150 laps. I think we are really creeping up
on that. So when we do these tour races I am going
to be really confident that we have a really solid
car.” So after days and nights of practice and
tweaking, the #6 believes they have the car they
need to go the long run and win the Richie Evans
Memorial 100 race on Friday night.
 As
the laps clicked off and Justin Bonsignore and Ron
Silk challenged Preece, Preece was able to pull away
and make the win happen. “I never was really
worried, I had a really good car. The only thing was
that we got a little tight and that was what I was
worried about.” Preece was worried that the car was
going to revert back to the tight beast that it was
on Wednesday nights 76 lap feature. “On the last
restart we pulled away from Ronnie and I knew Justin
was all over Ronnie so I was just curious to see
what he had for us. But we had such a good car on
entry and then on forward drive the car was flawless
so I am really happy with the car when I am driving.
And If I am happy with the car I am not too worried
about the others.”
From Victory lane Preece expressed his delight to
finally be in victory lane He was much more
confident that the team had finally zeroed in on the
magic combination required to the setup for the new
Troyer. “It feels really good to finally be in
victory lane. It has been a lot of work. We just
have been fine tuning the setup and really learning
this car. I have a pretty good handle on it now. If
anything we got tight there. I was a little bit
nervous about lap 20 to 25 that it was not freeing
up. I think that we have a really good car for the
100 lapper tomorrow.” So Preece is now more
confident that the modified is not far off from
where it needs to be for the longer races versus the
short sprints. “I wish that we didn’t have to change
tires because we really got a hold of this thing.
But I am really excited to get to victory lane,
tonight. The car is really very sporty so we will
see what happens tomorrow.” (Note: Preece will not
be able to practice with the #6 modified Friday
because he will be a Daytona practicing and
qualifying for the Xfinity race.)
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y. was fifth in
practice and qualified fourth so he had a solid
fifth place car to start the race. After the invert
he started the race in third and did not stray from
the top three positions during the entire race. On
the last restart Bonsignore was behind Preece in
third and he remained here until lap 31 when he
passed Silk for second. Bonsignore held on to his
position and crossed the finish line in second. “I
was going to give it everything that I had at the
end, but I am not going to wreck the guy. If I could
have gotten to him I may have move him up the hill a
little bit but they have a really good car,” stated
Bonsignore about the last restart. “We were not
really happy after practice so we change a few
things. I think that what we ran may be something
for the long distance race. I did not have enough up
off the corner to run with these guys in a short
sprint. So it should be exciting tomorrow night. It
should be a good race. Temperatures are seeming to
get a little up there it seems but it is what it is
and we will come back again tomorrow night and
hopefully we will get the Richie Evans Memorial
win.”
 So
what does Bonsignore think that he will need to
finally capture a win at New Smyrna Speedway for the
M3 Technology team? “We have a good package for the
long distance races. And maybe Ryan is not as strong
on the long races. We just have to do what we did
tonight again tomorrow. Hopefully we can get a good
pit stop and get some tires on it and then that will
be our short sprint to the end. It will definitely
be exciting that is for sure. It has been a good
race every night, so we will try again tomorrow.”
JR Bertuccio from Centereach, NY, was second fastest
in practice and qualifying. After the redraw he
started fifth and definitely made his presence known
in the top five during the race. He did a last
minute charge he got pass Eric Goodale for third and
crossed the finish line there for a solid night’s
finish. From the podium position in victory lane
Bertuccio summarized his night. “We had a problem
with the left front here. We are just happy to have
the night we had. It is a shame, we had a real good
race car.”
After passing inspection the top three teams secured
their race finishes. Now the tour type modified
teams will prepare for the final night of racing
capped off with the Richie Evans Memorial 100.
So join us back Friday night for more modified
racing and great racing action from New Smyrna
Speedway!
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Source:
Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted:
February 19, 2016 |
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