Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – The Monaco Ford Tri-Track Series visited the Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday night.
Over 25 Modifieds were in competition for the $10,000 to win event. Qualifying heat winners were Doug Coby, Matt Swanson and Sam Rameau. A near capacity crowd all but filled the cement palace to the brim.
Austin Beers sat on the pole with Kyle Bonsignore on the outside. Pre-race favorite Matt Hirschman started sixth with eventual winner Matt Swanson, eighth. A wreck at the three quarter mark involving Sam Rameau and Jake Johnson worked to Swanson’s advantage as he was able to sneak by and assume the lead. Matt Hirshman took over second spot at that point but his car’s handling dropped off as he gave up the runner-up spot to Austin Beers.
At the finish it was Swanson taking the win over Beers and Hirschman. Richard Savory and Doug Coby rounded out the top five. Coby ran around the bottom of the top-five for much of the first half of the race until the wreck off turn two on lap 49 left him no where to go. During the caution period, the team worked to repair the car and Coby returned to the track, restarting from 19th. He was able to pass 14 cars up into fifth before the finish.
At Stafford on Friday night, Cory DiMatteo was a first time winner in the SK Modified® feature, Kevin Gambacorta became the first repeat Late Model feature winner of the 2023 season, Tyler Chapman scored his second win of the year in the SK Light feature, and Devon Jencik was a first time winner in the Limited Late Model feature event. Stafford Speedway’s Street Stock division took center stage on Friday, June 30 with their lone extra distance feature event of the 2023 season, the Midstate Site Development 30. Ryan Waterman continued his dominant ways in 2023 by picking up his fifth win of the season in seven races.
In the SK Modified 40 lapper Cory DiMatteo driving a car designed and built by Eddie Flemke Jr at RaceWorks Fabrication took a hotly contested win. After starting sixth, DiMatteo powered his way into the lead on the outside of Keith Rocco on a restart following a caution on lap seven. Marcello Rufrano was now third behind DiMatteo and Keith Rocco with David Arute, fourth and Jimmy Blewett fifth.
At the halfway point of the race, it was still DiMatteo out front with Rufrano, Rocco, Arute, and Blewett giving chase. Teddy Hodgdon was up to sixth with Jon Puleo, Mikey Flynn, Anthony Bello, and Michael Gervais, Jr. making up the top-10. Arute took third from Rocco on lap-23 and that move opened the door for Blewett to take fourth and drop Rocco back to fifth in the order. Rocco spun going down the backstretch and into turn 3 to bring the caution out with 27 laps complete. DiMatteo took the lead on the restart with Rufrano right behind him in second. Arute got loose in turn 4 and he slid back several spots to ninth place as Flynn was now third, Hodgdon fourth, Troy Talman fifth, Anthony Flannery sixth, Stephen Kopcik seventh, and Blewett eighth. Blewett took seventh from Flannery on lap-32 while Rufrano was applying heavy pressure to DiMatteo in the fight for the lead. The caution came back out with 33 laps complete for Wesley Prucker, who spun coming out of turn 4.
DiMatteo streaked back into the lead on the restart with Rufrano still holding second place. Flynn was third with Hodgdon fourth and Kopcik fifth. Kopcik went by Hodgdon on lap-37 to move into fourth while Rufrano was still searching for a way to get around DiMatteo. Rufrano took a look to the outside of DiMatteo on the final lap but he couldn’t make a move as DiMatteo took down his first win of the 2023 season. Rufrano finished second with Kopcik, Hodgdon, and Flynn rounding out the top-5.
The smoke from the Canadian fires was evident off the second turn but it didn’t deter the racers or the fans. Kevin Gambacorta was the Late Model winner. Jacob Perry started on the pole and led most of the event until he was dumped by Adam Gray. Perry restarted and finished third. Amanda West turned in an outstanding performance as she led 17 of the 20 lap distance in the SK Lights. West was passed by Tyler Chapman on lap 17 and ended up 4th at the finish.
The long awaited 2023 SRX Series season opens on Thursday, July 13 at the Stafford Speedway. It marks the third consecutive year the series will run at Stafford and has sold out. The series will run for six consecutive Thursday nights at 9:00pm, with all events broadcast on ESPN. The division is making its first appearance at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT on July 20. Other venues include Motor Mile Speedway in Fairlawn, Va (July 27), Berlin Raceway in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Aug. 3), Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Oh. (Aug. 10) and Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. (Aug. 17).
Ken Schrader joins a full-time lineup that already includes Marco Andretti, Hallie Deegan, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Paul Tracy.
Down on the Connecticut shoreline at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl Todd Owen raced to his first victory of 2023 in the 35-lap SK Modified feature. Andrew Molleur was second with Anthony Flannery, third.
The Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina was silent. The southern action moved to the SMART venue at the Caraway Speedway where Burt Myers took the 99 lap win over Tim Brown. Ronnie Williams showed the SMART troops how the northern guys do it as he came from scratch (24th) starting spot to finish third. Williams drove a car owned by Jamie Tomaino. Joey Coulter finished fourth with Brian Loftin rounding out the top five.
Tom Rogers Jr scored his Modified 63rd NASCAR Modified win at the Riverhead Raceway on Long Island. The victory by Rogers tied the all-time record formerly held by the late great Charlie Jarzombek. When the checker flag waved history was made with Tom Rogers Jr. who won his first Modified race May 8th, 2004 notched career win 63 in the Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm Chevy. “I don’t care if I win another race being up there with Charlie now” Rogers commented. Tom pulled his winning car up just short of the winner’s circle, he explained, “I did that because legends like Charlie and Freddy belong there”. Rogers and car owners Denise & Kenny Darch earned a $900 bonus from the Harbach family.Kyle Ellwood pocketed $600 in bonus money for his second place tally in the Buzz Chew Chevrolet entry, while Matt Brode in the Steven’s 112 Ford machine was third earning $300 in bonus dollars. Justin Brown and John Beatty Jr. were fourth and fifth.
In the Racers Supporting Racers 100 at the Star Speedway in Epping, New Hampshire Todd Patnode went pole to pole to take the win. Matt Hirschman passed Matt Swanson with two laps to go. Swanson finished third with Teddy Hogdon, fourth. Patnode was the only driver in contention who did not make a tire stop.
Hirschman was buried back in 17th place after tangling with another car on lap 68. Four laps later, a major wreck occurred after Brian Robie was hit and spun out in front of the field in turn four. Donnie Lashua and Matt Kimball were also eliminated in the melee after their cars ended up under the car driven by Mark Bakaj. Because of the fact that he was not involved Hirschman was able to gain nine positions without passing a car. Hirschman broke into the top five on lap 76. Three laps later he was third.. With ten to go the pressure was on with Hirschman on Patnode’s bumper.
The block was on. A yellow on lap 96 set the stage for a race ending sprint. On the restart Hirschman got the bite and got half way by. The two made contact with Hirschman dropping to third before regaining control as Matt Swanson took over second. Hirschman got back by Swanson when the white flag was displayed but ran out of time to get his hands on the $10,000 winners check.
The Racers Honoring Racers 100 was a joint effort between MDP Motorsports Promotions and promotional team The Racing Guys to pay tribute to the contributions and successes of New England’s racing legends. Supermodified star Bentley Warren, Modified racer Butch Perry, car builder and owner Art Barry, and former Star Speedway patriarch Bob Webber, Sr who. were all recognized in Saturday’s second running of the event.
MDP Motorsports Promotions and The Racing Guys thank their longtime supporters for making these events possible, including Ron Bouchard Auto Stores, Key Auto Group, Maurice Enterprises of Claremont, N.H., Hoosier Tire East, and Fuller RV Sales & Rental.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rolls into the Wall Stadium in New Jersey for the Jersey Shore 150 this coming Saturday night. In some good news it was learned that Anthony Noscella will be back on the Whelen Modified Tour driving the Russel Goodale No.46.
. The green flag will fly at 8 p.m. ET with FloRacing providing the coverage.
On a sad note, Ken Meisenhelder, one of the true pioneers in capturing racing content through his KGM Video, passed away last Wednesday, June 28.. Before his video work, Ken was a driver, competing on the NASCAR Cup circuit from 1969-1971, scoring a trio of Top 10 finishes.
But it’s his work behind the camera that he will probably most be remembered in New England racing circles. With that challenging last name, we always called him “KGM Ken” and he couldn’t have been more generous with other media over the years in letting them use his footage. Ken was a pioneer in capturing content, his archives are seemingly endless. Not only with decades of events at Riverside Park Speedway and Stafford Speedway, but he also recorded races throughout New England, New York and Pennsylvania tracks, both on dirt tracks and asphalt. He was also proficient in format transfers, taking film reels from people like Howie Hodge and Dan Pardi and converting them into video form (which was no easy task back in the day and the quality is top shelf for its time). He’s right up there with the like of Paul ‘Tremaine’ Trowbridge as someone who was ahead of their time using media to promote & preserve our sport.
It was just three years ago that the ownership and management of the Thompson Speedway didn’t care about the weekly competitors after they announced that only the top ten in each division gets paid, the rest get what the cow left behind after jumping the fence.
From the way it looked on the sign-up sheets the weekly competitors got the message of the purse reductions. As the beginning of the season got closer only 11 Sunoco (SK type) Modifieds had signed up. Of the 11 cars signed up one is a Keith Rocco spare car and one is a car registered to Matt Hirschman. Ten Late Models, 12 Limited Sportsman, 13 Mini Stocks and 12 SK lights are also signed up. It looks like the competitors got the message that the track does not want them.
It’s a shame that the present promotors are paying the price for the direction the track owner chose to take.
In 1967 the Stafford Motor Speedway was paved. The NASCAR Modifieds were the headline division. For 20 years thru 1986 Stafford would host and provide competition from the best in the busines from throughout New England, New York State, Long Island and from the south. Names like Eddie Flemke, Bugsy Stevens, Fred DeSarro, Reggie Ruggerio, Ray Miller, Richie Evans, Maynard Troyer, Geoff Bodine, Charlie Jarzobeck, Greg Sacks, Wayne Anderson, Jamie Tomaino, Satch Worley and Ray Hendrick would be in the line-up and would record victories.
The all new book, The Modified Years At Stafford, by the Grace of God and 600 hp, is gaining interest and has become a must have in race fans and competitors library. Race by Race, Year by Year, it’s all there. Read all about it! Books are now available on Amazon.com and Coastal 181 (877-907-8181 toll free) and are available thru Stafford’s web site in their store. Order yours now. Makes a great gift!
With the cooperation of the Arute family another book has been published with pictures and biographies of the 50 Greatest Drivers at Stafford.
The Stafford Motor Speedway had become the epicenter of NASCAR Modified racing in the northeast by the late 1980’s. From its dirt beginnings to its lightning-fast asphalt, Stafford had become the toughest and most gratifying track to score a victory. The Arute family which has owned and guided the destiny of the facility commissioned their thousands of loyal fans to name their favorite drivers. In alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:
Tom Baldwin, Gene Bergin, Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Ron Bouchard, Mario “Fats” Caruso, Rene Charland, Ted Christopher, Leo Cleary, Tim Connolly, Jerry Cook, Corky Cookman, Pete Corey, Fred DeSarro, Richie Evans, Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke, Sr., Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Ernie Gahan, Bill Greco, Bo Gunning, Ray Hendrick, George “Moose” Hewitt, Tony Hirschman, George Janoski, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Buddy Krebs, Randy LaJoie, Jan Leaty, Jerry Marquis, Mike McLaughlin, Ray Miller, Steve Park, Bob Polverari, Bob Potter, Brian Ross, John “Reggie” Ruggiero, Greg Sacks, Ollie Silva, “Wild” Bill Slater, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Carl “Bugsy” Stevens, George Summers, Jamie “The Jet” Tomaino, Maynard Troyer and Satch Worley.
Books are priced at $17.95 each and be purchased at the track at the Novelty Booth or at the Stafford Motor Speedway on line store. Books are also available at Amazon.com and at Coastal181 (877-907-8181).
