RGeeProductions
08-04-2014, 08:39 AM
Waterford Speedbowl overcame a slow start
Saturday due to early rain, but rebounded for another night of NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series action. The racing was highlighted by an
extra-distance feature for the SK Modified® division, which was claimed by
Keith Rocco of Berlin, who turned in a record setting performance. A pair
of drivers picked up their ninth wins of the year, Rocco again in the
Valenti Auto Mall Late Model division and Franklin’s Josh Galvin in the
Street Stocks. Joining them in the winner’s circle were Corey Barry of
Plainfield and Ken Cassidy Jr. of Lisbon, each winning for the fifth time
of the season in the respective SK Light Modified and Mini Stock
divisions. Dan Meservey Jr. of Brewster, MA won the Pro 4 Modifieds of
New England feature.
Rocco’s SK Modified® win was the 63rd of his career. More significantly,
that makes him the division’s all-time wins leader in the track’s 64-year
history. Rocco dodged early incidents which plagued the 40-lap feature,
eliminating multiple cars from competition. The race began with Jeff
Gallup and Craig Lutz on the front row but only one lap was completed
before Shawn Monahan was collected in bumper tag throughout the field,
bringing out the yellow flag.
Gallup briefly led before Lutz got around him on lap-3. Tim Jordan moved
into second position and Ed Puleo third before Ted Christopher got caught
up in a skirmish on the backstretch to bring out the caution flag on
lap-8. A major incident occurred after the restart among cars battling
for a spot among the top five. Several cars wrecked in turn one on lap-9
including Nichole Morgillo, Kyle James, Rob Janovic Jr., Jeff Rocco and
Jeff Goodale, who were each done for the evening with considerable damage.
Keith Rocco also received damage in the wreck, however he stayed on the
race track.
Jordan got by the outside of Lutz on the next restart, leading lap-10.
Lutz and Puleo made contact entering turn one on lap-12 battling for
second sending Lutz around, dropping both from the lead cars as caution
waved again. Rocco jumped up to third for the ensuing restart, then moved
to second on lap-13 inside Paul Kusheba. He stayed on Jordan’s rear
bumper until he found room to his inside on lap-15, pulling into the lead.
The remainder of the race ran without another yellow flag and the field
fired off the final stretch of laps under the green flag. Jordan finished
runner-up and Tyler Chadwick was third. Kusheba and Diego Monahan
completed the top five.
With the win, Rocco moved ahead of Dennis Gada to ascend to the top of the
SK Modified® division’s win list. Gada, the only seven time champion in
track history, dominated the division in the late 1990’s through recent
years prior to his retirement as a driver. The SK Modifieds® have been
the weekly headline at the track since 1985.
Rocco also checkered the 30-lap Valenti Auto Mall Late model feature, his
third in a row in the division. He had to find a way around Jason Palmer,
who had led since lap-5. Rocco moved to second position that lap but
didn’t have enough car to make an outside move. He patiently waited for
an opportunity to get inside of Palmer, which came on lap-13. He spent
two laps on the bottom of the track with Palmer racing hard to his
outside, before finally taking the lead on lap-15. Palmer chased Rocco
the rest of the way but was unable to make a comeback. He finished in
second, and Vin Esposito was third. Bruce Thomas, second in the standings
to Rocco entering the race, took a vicious hit into the turn two wall on
the second lap of the race. Thomas was evaluated and released by track
safety crews after his wreck, which drew the red flag.
Barry was victorious for the fifth time of the season to pad his lead in
the championship standings in the SK Light Modified feature. He was the
benefactor of a rough and tumble 25-lap event, riding in third when
leaders Paul Buzel and Randy Churchill encountered trouble midway through
the race. Buzel and Churchill were locked in a great battle for the lead,
racing side-by-side when a slower car interfered. Churchill and Buzel
came together exiting turn four trying to navigate the car, and Churchill
slammed the front stretch wall. Under the yellow flag, Buzel had a tire
go flat from the contact and had to pit for repair, giving Barry the lead.
He cruised to the win from there. First year driver Calvin Therrien
recorded his best ever finish in second and Rick Williams was third.
Galvin rolled to his ninth win with an impressive drive to the front in
the opening half of the 25-lap Street Stock race. His pit crew was pushed
following a broken transmission after their qualifying race, repairing it
just in time before the start of the feature. Galvin came from the
twelfth starting spot to become a contender ten laps in, rising to the top
three when a caution flag waved on lap-10. A lap later, he was in second
when another yellow flag came out, enabling him to restart outside of
leader Ryan Waterman. Galvin took the lead from Waterman to lead lap-12,
but Waterman briefly took it back on lap-15 with a power move to the
inside. In the end Galvin prevailed, taking command for good on lap-16.
Waterman wound up second and Ed Gertsch ran a strong race to finish third.
Cassidy captured his fifth Mini Stock triumph of the year in the
division’s 25-lap race, but not before a tough battle with Larry Loomis.
Loomis, a first year competitor, looked strong leading the first twenty
circuits. Cassidy used an outside maneuver to inch his way into the lead,
however a caution flag on lap-22 kept the two cars side-by-side through
the finish. Loomis nearly rallied after the restart, but his efforts came
up a half car length short. He registered his best finish coming in
runner-up, and Garrett Denton was third.
Meservey Jr. returned to the Speedbowl to race for the first time since
1988 and walked away a winner in the 25-lap Pro 4 Modified feature. He
was fast from the start but had to come through the pack. He tracked down
leader Norm Wrenn III and overtook him on lap-16 to claim the win.
Next Saturday Wings & Wheels hits the asphalt at the Speedbowl, combining
the fastest divisions to visit the shoreline oval all summer. The Valenti
Modified Racing Series races for 100-laps of green flag racing, joined by
a 50-lap ISMA Supermodified race. The NEMA Midgets will compete in a
25-lap feature and the NASCAR Whelen All American Series SK Modifieds® and
SK Light Modifieds round out the card. Pit gates open at 11:00 with
practice beginning at noon. Grandstands open at 1:00pm and qualifying
races are set to begin at 5:00pm. Advance tickets are available for
purchase, along with a detailed event schedule, online at Speedbowl.com.
(continued)
Saturday due to early rain, but rebounded for another night of NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series action. The racing was highlighted by an
extra-distance feature for the SK Modified® division, which was claimed by
Keith Rocco of Berlin, who turned in a record setting performance. A pair
of drivers picked up their ninth wins of the year, Rocco again in the
Valenti Auto Mall Late Model division and Franklin’s Josh Galvin in the
Street Stocks. Joining them in the winner’s circle were Corey Barry of
Plainfield and Ken Cassidy Jr. of Lisbon, each winning for the fifth time
of the season in the respective SK Light Modified and Mini Stock
divisions. Dan Meservey Jr. of Brewster, MA won the Pro 4 Modifieds of
New England feature.
Rocco’s SK Modified® win was the 63rd of his career. More significantly,
that makes him the division’s all-time wins leader in the track’s 64-year
history. Rocco dodged early incidents which plagued the 40-lap feature,
eliminating multiple cars from competition. The race began with Jeff
Gallup and Craig Lutz on the front row but only one lap was completed
before Shawn Monahan was collected in bumper tag throughout the field,
bringing out the yellow flag.
Gallup briefly led before Lutz got around him on lap-3. Tim Jordan moved
into second position and Ed Puleo third before Ted Christopher got caught
up in a skirmish on the backstretch to bring out the caution flag on
lap-8. A major incident occurred after the restart among cars battling
for a spot among the top five. Several cars wrecked in turn one on lap-9
including Nichole Morgillo, Kyle James, Rob Janovic Jr., Jeff Rocco and
Jeff Goodale, who were each done for the evening with considerable damage.
Keith Rocco also received damage in the wreck, however he stayed on the
race track.
Jordan got by the outside of Lutz on the next restart, leading lap-10.
Lutz and Puleo made contact entering turn one on lap-12 battling for
second sending Lutz around, dropping both from the lead cars as caution
waved again. Rocco jumped up to third for the ensuing restart, then moved
to second on lap-13 inside Paul Kusheba. He stayed on Jordan’s rear
bumper until he found room to his inside on lap-15, pulling into the lead.
The remainder of the race ran without another yellow flag and the field
fired off the final stretch of laps under the green flag. Jordan finished
runner-up and Tyler Chadwick was third. Kusheba and Diego Monahan
completed the top five.
With the win, Rocco moved ahead of Dennis Gada to ascend to the top of the
SK Modified® division’s win list. Gada, the only seven time champion in
track history, dominated the division in the late 1990’s through recent
years prior to his retirement as a driver. The SK Modifieds® have been
the weekly headline at the track since 1985.
Rocco also checkered the 30-lap Valenti Auto Mall Late model feature, his
third in a row in the division. He had to find a way around Jason Palmer,
who had led since lap-5. Rocco moved to second position that lap but
didn’t have enough car to make an outside move. He patiently waited for
an opportunity to get inside of Palmer, which came on lap-13. He spent
two laps on the bottom of the track with Palmer racing hard to his
outside, before finally taking the lead on lap-15. Palmer chased Rocco
the rest of the way but was unable to make a comeback. He finished in
second, and Vin Esposito was third. Bruce Thomas, second in the standings
to Rocco entering the race, took a vicious hit into the turn two wall on
the second lap of the race. Thomas was evaluated and released by track
safety crews after his wreck, which drew the red flag.
Barry was victorious for the fifth time of the season to pad his lead in
the championship standings in the SK Light Modified feature. He was the
benefactor of a rough and tumble 25-lap event, riding in third when
leaders Paul Buzel and Randy Churchill encountered trouble midway through
the race. Buzel and Churchill were locked in a great battle for the lead,
racing side-by-side when a slower car interfered. Churchill and Buzel
came together exiting turn four trying to navigate the car, and Churchill
slammed the front stretch wall. Under the yellow flag, Buzel had a tire
go flat from the contact and had to pit for repair, giving Barry the lead.
He cruised to the win from there. First year driver Calvin Therrien
recorded his best ever finish in second and Rick Williams was third.
Galvin rolled to his ninth win with an impressive drive to the front in
the opening half of the 25-lap Street Stock race. His pit crew was pushed
following a broken transmission after their qualifying race, repairing it
just in time before the start of the feature. Galvin came from the
twelfth starting spot to become a contender ten laps in, rising to the top
three when a caution flag waved on lap-10. A lap later, he was in second
when another yellow flag came out, enabling him to restart outside of
leader Ryan Waterman. Galvin took the lead from Waterman to lead lap-12,
but Waterman briefly took it back on lap-15 with a power move to the
inside. In the end Galvin prevailed, taking command for good on lap-16.
Waterman wound up second and Ed Gertsch ran a strong race to finish third.
Cassidy captured his fifth Mini Stock triumph of the year in the
division’s 25-lap race, but not before a tough battle with Larry Loomis.
Loomis, a first year competitor, looked strong leading the first twenty
circuits. Cassidy used an outside maneuver to inch his way into the lead,
however a caution flag on lap-22 kept the two cars side-by-side through
the finish. Loomis nearly rallied after the restart, but his efforts came
up a half car length short. He registered his best finish coming in
runner-up, and Garrett Denton was third.
Meservey Jr. returned to the Speedbowl to race for the first time since
1988 and walked away a winner in the 25-lap Pro 4 Modified feature. He
was fast from the start but had to come through the pack. He tracked down
leader Norm Wrenn III and overtook him on lap-16 to claim the win.
Next Saturday Wings & Wheels hits the asphalt at the Speedbowl, combining
the fastest divisions to visit the shoreline oval all summer. The Valenti
Modified Racing Series races for 100-laps of green flag racing, joined by
a 50-lap ISMA Supermodified race. The NEMA Midgets will compete in a
25-lap feature and the NASCAR Whelen All American Series SK Modifieds® and
SK Light Modifieds round out the card. Pit gates open at 11:00 with
practice beginning at noon. Grandstands open at 1:00pm and qualifying
races are set to begin at 5:00pm. Advance tickets are available for
purchase, along with a detailed event schedule, online at Speedbowl.com.
(continued)