RGeeProductions
05-04-2014, 04:19 PM
Waterford Speedbowl fought Mother Nature
with a six division racing card on Saturday night. Josh Galvin of
Franklin took top honors as he scored the NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series Street Stock Showdown race, an extra-distance event for the
division shortened by rain. Keith Rocco of Berlin continued his hot
streak in the Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, winning for the fourth time
in as many events on the season. Rocco won his first SK Modified® race of
the year following a brief rain delay, picking up the victory after an
exciting late race battle. Ken Cassidy Jr. of Lisbon was back in Victory
Lane following the Mini Stock race and Randy Churchill of Oakdale
checkered the SK Light Modified feature. Quaker Hill’s Jordan Hadley won
his first career race in the X-Car division.
The 35-lap SK Modified® feature was another down to the wire involving
Rocco. He battled Tim Jordan for the final fifteen laps before taking the
lead with a power move to Jordan’s inside on lap-32. The last time the
division raced two weeks ago, Rocco settled for second after a spirited
duel with Tyler Chadwick over the second half of the race. Against Jordan
he didn’t settle.
The race was brought to the green flag with Nichole Morgillo and Joe Gada
on the front row. Gada took the lead outside of Morgillo to lead lap-1
and held the top spot until the first caution flag waved on lap-4 when
Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. spun off the front chute into a soggy infield.
Jordan lined up second and used a good restart to take the lead from Gada,
using the top of the track to wrestle away the lead for good on lap-6
after running two laps side-by-side. Gada moved in behind Jordan and
rallied, trying to make a comeback on the top of the track. He got
outside of Jordan but as the pair exited turn two on lap-8, something in
Gada’s car went amiss and triggered a chain reaction behind him that sent
the field scattering into turn three. Several cars made contact and Kyle
James got spun around to return the race to caution.
Gada remained on the track and lined up to Jordan’s outside for the
ensuing restart. Jordan powered ahead to resume his lead as Diego Monahan
and Morgillo each moved past Gada’s inside into the top-three. Ted
Christopher was next to get by Gada and the top group of cars raced nose
to tail in single file formation. Christopher pulled out of line to
pressure Morgillo for third, resulting in both spinning into turn one on
lap-16 to end the green flag run. A tight pack of cars battling behind
the two saw Ed Puleo and a charging Chadwick get collected into the turn
one wall.
The running order behind Jordan and Monahan was shuffled for the restart.
Rocco began to make his presence felt for the first time in the event
after halfway, pulling into the top three after starting deep in the pack.
The next green flag run featured some exciting racing by the top three
cars.
Rocco darted inside Monahan on lap-20 to snatch away second, then spent
the next three laps pestering Jordan for the lead. Monahan stayed with
the two and made an inside bid to reclaim second that Rocco fended off.
Rocco continued to press Jordan looking in both the high and low grooves
while James had recovered from his earlier spin to march back into
contention, getting past Monahan for third on lap-26.
James joined the battle at the front over the final seven laps. While
Rocco continued looking outside Jordan, James got underneath Rocco and the
top three raced in tight quarters for three laps. James took second
position from Rocco on lap-29 just ahead of the final yellow flag on
lap-30 for a three car incident in turn one, setting the stage for a final
five lap shootout by the top three.
Jordan got a good start over James and Rocco was able to get inside of
James to reclaim second. That set up his pivotal move on Jordan for the
race lead on lap-32. With the laps winding down Rocco slid inside Jordan
in turn one and came away with the lead off turn two. Jordan reached
Rocco’s rear bumper over the next two laps but Rocco hung on. Jordan
finished second while James ended up placing third. Craig Lutz finished
fourth and Monahan rounded out the top-five.
Galvin won a rain-shortened Street Stock feature after 44 of the
originally scheduled 50 laps were completed. A passing shower ended the
race putting Galvin in the winner’s circle. Lloyd Anderson Jr. led from
the drop of the green flag through lap-13 when Al Stone took over command.
Galvin worked through the top five cars until he took second on lap-22
ahead of a caution flag. That enabled Galvin to line up outside Stone for
the restart where he fought hard in the outside lane to lead lap-23 by a
nose. Caution returned with Galvin scored as the leader, giving him the
inside over Stone for the next restart. Galvin pulled ahead and never
trailed from there as late race caution flags mounted. The final came on
lap-44 when the rain began to fall. The race was red-checkered and cars
taken off the track before track drying efforts began. Ryan Waterman
finished in second and Joe Arena was third.
Rocco’s run in the Valenti Auto Mall Late Model feature tied a 43-year old
record. It marked his fourth straight win in the division to begin the
season, equaling the benchmark set by Mike Daigneault in 1971. Rocco
trailed an early battle for the lead between Jason Palmer and Jeff Smith.
Those two cars came together which sent both spinning between turns three
and four on lap-8. Rocco got tagged from behind in the incident, which
drew the yellow flag, but was able to drive through the spinning cars into
the race lead. Once out front Rocco was never seriously challenged.
Bruce Thomas Jr. finished second and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver
Tommy Barrett Jr. was third in his first start in the division.
(continued)
with a six division racing card on Saturday night. Josh Galvin of
Franklin took top honors as he scored the NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series Street Stock Showdown race, an extra-distance event for the
division shortened by rain. Keith Rocco of Berlin continued his hot
streak in the Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, winning for the fourth time
in as many events on the season. Rocco won his first SK Modified® race of
the year following a brief rain delay, picking up the victory after an
exciting late race battle. Ken Cassidy Jr. of Lisbon was back in Victory
Lane following the Mini Stock race and Randy Churchill of Oakdale
checkered the SK Light Modified feature. Quaker Hill’s Jordan Hadley won
his first career race in the X-Car division.
The 35-lap SK Modified® feature was another down to the wire involving
Rocco. He battled Tim Jordan for the final fifteen laps before taking the
lead with a power move to Jordan’s inside on lap-32. The last time the
division raced two weeks ago, Rocco settled for second after a spirited
duel with Tyler Chadwick over the second half of the race. Against Jordan
he didn’t settle.
The race was brought to the green flag with Nichole Morgillo and Joe Gada
on the front row. Gada took the lead outside of Morgillo to lead lap-1
and held the top spot until the first caution flag waved on lap-4 when
Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. spun off the front chute into a soggy infield.
Jordan lined up second and used a good restart to take the lead from Gada,
using the top of the track to wrestle away the lead for good on lap-6
after running two laps side-by-side. Gada moved in behind Jordan and
rallied, trying to make a comeback on the top of the track. He got
outside of Jordan but as the pair exited turn two on lap-8, something in
Gada’s car went amiss and triggered a chain reaction behind him that sent
the field scattering into turn three. Several cars made contact and Kyle
James got spun around to return the race to caution.
Gada remained on the track and lined up to Jordan’s outside for the
ensuing restart. Jordan powered ahead to resume his lead as Diego Monahan
and Morgillo each moved past Gada’s inside into the top-three. Ted
Christopher was next to get by Gada and the top group of cars raced nose
to tail in single file formation. Christopher pulled out of line to
pressure Morgillo for third, resulting in both spinning into turn one on
lap-16 to end the green flag run. A tight pack of cars battling behind
the two saw Ed Puleo and a charging Chadwick get collected into the turn
one wall.
The running order behind Jordan and Monahan was shuffled for the restart.
Rocco began to make his presence felt for the first time in the event
after halfway, pulling into the top three after starting deep in the pack.
The next green flag run featured some exciting racing by the top three
cars.
Rocco darted inside Monahan on lap-20 to snatch away second, then spent
the next three laps pestering Jordan for the lead. Monahan stayed with
the two and made an inside bid to reclaim second that Rocco fended off.
Rocco continued to press Jordan looking in both the high and low grooves
while James had recovered from his earlier spin to march back into
contention, getting past Monahan for third on lap-26.
James joined the battle at the front over the final seven laps. While
Rocco continued looking outside Jordan, James got underneath Rocco and the
top three raced in tight quarters for three laps. James took second
position from Rocco on lap-29 just ahead of the final yellow flag on
lap-30 for a three car incident in turn one, setting the stage for a final
five lap shootout by the top three.
Jordan got a good start over James and Rocco was able to get inside of
James to reclaim second. That set up his pivotal move on Jordan for the
race lead on lap-32. With the laps winding down Rocco slid inside Jordan
in turn one and came away with the lead off turn two. Jordan reached
Rocco’s rear bumper over the next two laps but Rocco hung on. Jordan
finished second while James ended up placing third. Craig Lutz finished
fourth and Monahan rounded out the top-five.
Galvin won a rain-shortened Street Stock feature after 44 of the
originally scheduled 50 laps were completed. A passing shower ended the
race putting Galvin in the winner’s circle. Lloyd Anderson Jr. led from
the drop of the green flag through lap-13 when Al Stone took over command.
Galvin worked through the top five cars until he took second on lap-22
ahead of a caution flag. That enabled Galvin to line up outside Stone for
the restart where he fought hard in the outside lane to lead lap-23 by a
nose. Caution returned with Galvin scored as the leader, giving him the
inside over Stone for the next restart. Galvin pulled ahead and never
trailed from there as late race caution flags mounted. The final came on
lap-44 when the rain began to fall. The race was red-checkered and cars
taken off the track before track drying efforts began. Ryan Waterman
finished in second and Joe Arena was third.
Rocco’s run in the Valenti Auto Mall Late Model feature tied a 43-year old
record. It marked his fourth straight win in the division to begin the
season, equaling the benchmark set by Mike Daigneault in 1971. Rocco
trailed an early battle for the lead between Jason Palmer and Jeff Smith.
Those two cars came together which sent both spinning between turns three
and four on lap-8. Rocco got tagged from behind in the incident, which
drew the yellow flag, but was able to drive through the spinning cars into
the race lead. Once out front Rocco was never seriously challenged.
Bruce Thomas Jr. finished second and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver
Tommy Barrett Jr. was third in his first start in the division.
(continued)