RGeeProductions
05-15-2008, 06:37 AM
All-Star Speedway hosted the first big event of the 2008 season on Saturday night, with the WaterSnoGo Modified Showdown 150 presented by Laticrete took center stage.
Many of the top names in the Modified business were in the pits for the first round of the four-race All-Star Modified Showdown, with Ted Christopher, Mike Stefanik, Jimmy Blewett, Bobby Grigas, Ronnie Silk and a host of other big names looking to take home the big bucks.
Last year’s race winner, Rob Summers, was knocked out of action during practice, when he made hard contact with the turn three wall to end his day with a racer that was too heavily damaged to repair.
Andy Seuss got out of shape and drilled the frontstretch wall a bit later, putting his crew to work making repairs. But his night turned out a whole lot better than Summers’, as the crew got him back in action.
A trio of qualifying heats started out the night’s action, and it was Matt Hirschman, Jimmy Kuhn and Louie Mechalides taking down the wins. Tony Ricci held of a persistent Jon McKennedy to pick up the win in the consolation round.
When the 30-car field thundered to the green flag, there was some hot action throughout the field, but the early laps saw both Jim Storace and Christopher headed to the pits for good on lap 13.
By that point, Louie Mechalides had moved to the front of the pack, and he stayed there for nearly 50 laps. Matt Hirschman took over the point from there, and Mechalides got tangled with a lapped car on lap 66 to knock him from contention.
Mike Stefanik followed Hirschman to the front, and he soon moved in to challenge for the lead. At halfway, it was Hirschman, Stefanik, Kuhn, Seuss and Ronnie Silk sitting in the top five. Hirschman held on to the point for another 35 laps, but Stefanik took over from there.
Seuss was running like a man possessed however, slicing his way up through the field after starting 25th on the grid. He got to Stefanik’s back bumper at the white flag, but Stefanik held on to score the win, and Seuss had to settle for runner-up honors.
Silk was scored with a third place finish for his efforts, followed by Tommy Cravenho, Jon McKennedy, Chris Pasteryak, Hirschman, Kuhn, Jim Boniface and Eric Beers filling out the top ten.
Modified Finish
1 66 Michael Stefanik
2 70 Andy Seuss
3 79 Ronnie Silk
4 31 Tommy Cravenho
5 73 Jon McKennedy
6 15 Chris Pasteryak
7 59 Matt Hirschman
8 72 Jimmy Kuhn
9 88 Jim Boniface
10 46 Eric Beers
11 77 Kenny White Jr.
12 71ME Josh Cantara
13 99 Bruce Batchelder
14 98 Pete Brittain
15 0 Danny Sammons
16 19 Jimmy Blewett
17 28 James Civali
18 75 Carl Pasteryak
19 4 Tony Ricci
20 09 Bobby Grigas III
21 26 Butch Perry
22 34 Rusty Smith
23 40 Louie Mechalides
24 21 Ken Barry
25 43 Kirk Alexander
26 51 Brett Gonyaw
27 83 Gene McClain
28 25 Rowan Pennick
29 00 Ted Christopher
30 47 Jim Storace
Many of the top names in the Modified business were in the pits for the first round of the four-race All-Star Modified Showdown, with Ted Christopher, Mike Stefanik, Jimmy Blewett, Bobby Grigas, Ronnie Silk and a host of other big names looking to take home the big bucks.
Last year’s race winner, Rob Summers, was knocked out of action during practice, when he made hard contact with the turn three wall to end his day with a racer that was too heavily damaged to repair.
Andy Seuss got out of shape and drilled the frontstretch wall a bit later, putting his crew to work making repairs. But his night turned out a whole lot better than Summers’, as the crew got him back in action.
A trio of qualifying heats started out the night’s action, and it was Matt Hirschman, Jimmy Kuhn and Louie Mechalides taking down the wins. Tony Ricci held of a persistent Jon McKennedy to pick up the win in the consolation round.
When the 30-car field thundered to the green flag, there was some hot action throughout the field, but the early laps saw both Jim Storace and Christopher headed to the pits for good on lap 13.
By that point, Louie Mechalides had moved to the front of the pack, and he stayed there for nearly 50 laps. Matt Hirschman took over the point from there, and Mechalides got tangled with a lapped car on lap 66 to knock him from contention.
Mike Stefanik followed Hirschman to the front, and he soon moved in to challenge for the lead. At halfway, it was Hirschman, Stefanik, Kuhn, Seuss and Ronnie Silk sitting in the top five. Hirschman held on to the point for another 35 laps, but Stefanik took over from there.
Seuss was running like a man possessed however, slicing his way up through the field after starting 25th on the grid. He got to Stefanik’s back bumper at the white flag, but Stefanik held on to score the win, and Seuss had to settle for runner-up honors.
Silk was scored with a third place finish for his efforts, followed by Tommy Cravenho, Jon McKennedy, Chris Pasteryak, Hirschman, Kuhn, Jim Boniface and Eric Beers filling out the top ten.
Modified Finish
1 66 Michael Stefanik
2 70 Andy Seuss
3 79 Ronnie Silk
4 31 Tommy Cravenho
5 73 Jon McKennedy
6 15 Chris Pasteryak
7 59 Matt Hirschman
8 72 Jimmy Kuhn
9 88 Jim Boniface
10 46 Eric Beers
11 77 Kenny White Jr.
12 71ME Josh Cantara
13 99 Bruce Batchelder
14 98 Pete Brittain
15 0 Danny Sammons
16 19 Jimmy Blewett
17 28 James Civali
18 75 Carl Pasteryak
19 4 Tony Ricci
20 09 Bobby Grigas III
21 26 Butch Perry
22 34 Rusty Smith
23 40 Louie Mechalides
24 21 Ken Barry
25 43 Kirk Alexander
26 51 Brett Gonyaw
27 83 Gene McClain
28 25 Rowan Pennick
29 00 Ted Christopher
30 47 Jim Storace