Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – The next stop for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be the series’ most prestigious venue, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, for the running of the Mohegan Sun 100 on June 22 at 6:40 p.m. ET.
FloRacing will provide live flag-to-flag coverage.
Rising Modified competitor Luke Baldwin will make his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 22. Driving the Pace-O-Matic No. 7VA for Sadler-Stanley (SS) Racing, Baldwin will compete with NASCAR’s best during the only NASCAR National Series weekend of the New England racing season.
It was 34 years ago that Loudon opened it’s doors thanks to the efforts of Bob Bahre.
Ron Silk continues to lead the point standings with a 16 point edge over Justin Bonsignore. Jake Johnson sits in the third spot, 29 points in arears of the leader. Austin Beers and Patrick Emerling round out the top five. Sixth thru tenth include Craig Lutz, Kyle Bonsignore, Trevor Catalano, Matt Hirschman and Tommy Catalano.
Stafford Speedway Stafford Speedway has all good intensions of running the Casella Open 80 until heavy rain stepped in postponing the event after lap 5; The event will resume this coming Friday, June 14. The speedway even rescheduled the event earlier in the evening but to no avail. Qualifying heat winners were Dana DiMatteo, Chris Pasteryak and Woody Pitkat. Southern invader Carson Loftin made his Stafford debut but had no luck as his car suffered a mechanical problem which placed him at the rear of the starting field. Loftin will return to try again this week.
The Casella Waste Open 80 took the green flag with Woody Pitkat taking the lead with Anthony Bello right behind him in second. Teddy Hodgdon and Michael Christopher, Jr. were wheel to wheel for third place with Chris Pasteryak in fifth. Hodgdon moved into second on lap-4 and lap-5 Christopher took third with Bello fourth and Pasteryak fifth. The caution flew with 5 laps complete as Pasteryak went around coming out of turn 2, which collected the cars of Keith Rocco, Anthony Flannery, Nick Salva, George Bessette, Jr., and Eric Goodale. Under the caution flag, rain again started to fall and postponed the completion of the event.
Other Friday night winners were Connor Jencik who was a first-time Stafford feature winner in the Limited Late Model feature and Jason Lafayette who notched his first Street Stock feature victory of the 2024 season.
Kevin Rice reported that Matt Hirschman continued his New England hot streak as he took home the huge payout that went to the winner in the Winchester Open 100 Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. Matthew Kimball , the 2023 winner of the event, was second. Jon McKennedy. was third. It was Hirschman’s 251st career win.
Hirschman traveled from Pennsylvania to pocket a $9,053.88 winner’s share with his 251st career Modified win despite the best efforts of three Granite State drivers who gave area fans plenty to cheer about. Hirschman worked his way to the lead on lap 47 from a sixth starting position in the 2nd Annual Winchester 100, which paid a purse of $54,292.76. It was far from over, however, as 22-year-old Matthew Kimball of Bennington took control of second place by lap 55, and then he chased the veteran Hirschman to the end.
Earlier in the race, Brian Robie had local fans on their feet as he raced for the lead against Connecticut star Ronnie Williams. The lead duo raced even, with Robie on the outside for many laps but unable to complete the pass because of having a 604 crate motor in his car, which is a horsepower disadvantage.
“Really surprised at how well it ran,” Robie said. “Started ninth and I think we were in second on lap five. We were going pretty good. Had a nice battle there for the lead. We just got screwed up when I think the 66 (Austin Kochenash) lost an engine. We were able to go back out and start tail and drive back up to seventh. It exceeded my own expectations, being under-powered.”
The story of the final race of a 36-year-career for Kirk Alexander was one for the books. He had a fast car, but the race leader in his heat race crashed hard into the back stretch wall and Alexander found himself wrecked, with the entire right front ripped off of his car after just one lap on the track. He thought his career was done there, but his crew and others who worked on other cars in the pit area wouldn’t let that happen. They spent the next couple of hours putting the car back together, and with a chain taken off of their hauler holding the exhaust pipe on the car, Alexander was able to start his final race, albeit from the 24th position.
By lap 37, Alexander was in seventh place and well on his way to making history one more time at his home track. Then disaster struck again, as two cars slowed on the front stretch. It put Alexander into a melee that involved several cars in turn one. He pitted and returned to make his final laps, despite having a car damaged for a second time, finishing in position 12 to earn the Hard Charger Award for gaining the most positions in the event.
The feature payoff was very healthy to say the least. In addition to Hirschman’s $9,053.88, Matt Kimball received $3,425, McKennedy received $2,550, Andy Jankowiak received $3,153.38 for fourth spot and Teddy Hodgdon, $2,050 for fifth. Sixth thru tenth included Max Zachem $2,475, Brian Robie $2,525, Nate Wenzel $1,600, Ronnie Williams $4,064.50 and Jeffrey Battle $2,100.
At the New London-Waterford Speedbowl , Timmy Jordan became the first repeat winner in five SK Modified events this season at the shoreline oval. Jordan got his first win of the season on May 11. Todd Owen was second and Andrew Molleur third.
Down in North Carolina at the Bowman Gray Stadium twin 25’s were on tap for the Modifieds. Lee Jeffreys won the opener with Tim Brown, second, Chris Fleming, third and Burt Myers, fourth. The top ten were inverted for the second 25 lapper. Brandon Ward went pole to pole to win the second 25 lapper over Kyle Southern, Jason Myers, Randy Butner and Burt Myers.
Bowman Gray modified driver Daniel Beeson had his eyes on the Mystic Missile hauler for years before its owner, Bob Garbarino agreed to part ways with the truck. Garbarino owned the Mystic Missile Racing team, hauling the NASCSR Modified up and down the east coast for years with a slew of highly successful drivers. Beeson finally convinced Garbarino to let him get the truck back on the road to haul his modified that he races mostly at Bowman Gray.
In NASCAR Modified action at the Riverhead Raceway John Beatty waited until the closing laps to take the lead and ultimate win.in the Oval Speed Unlimited Bubba 150. Timmy Solomito the new race leader with Justin Brown alongside for the restart, Timmy just 27-laps away from a potential $10,000 plus payday. When the race resumed on lap 124 Solomito led Brown, but right behind them was a very fast JB Fortin sitting third. Fortin, looking for a second straight win worked his way past Brown on lap 126 for second, quickly setting sail for leader Solomito. The car on the move, however, was that of John Beatty Jr. who quickly caught and passed Fortin for second on lap 140. With just ten laps to go, question became could Beatty catch leader Solomito in time. As the laps moved along Beatty was right on Solomito’s rear bumper when the yellow flew for a JR Bertuccio spin on lap 144.
With the field lined up for a six-lap shootout business was about to pick up in a hurry. After the green waved Chris Rogers who made his way to third saw an opening and took it briefly passing both Solomito and Beatty with a bold three wide maneuver. Before Rogers could lead a lap, Beatty was able to duck under both he and Solomito exiting the second turn to take the lead with just four laps left. Solomito was the odd man out losing several spots in the jingle while Rogers moved to second.
With the dueling checker flags waving in the air, a victory that seemed to be get away from him late in the race with his worn right rear, came back to John Beatty Jr. in the MSM Elite Motorsports Chevy. “It’s truly an honor to win Bubba’s race, I know how much he meant to Dennis Freese of Oval Speed and Team Park” Beatty offered post-race, “I was really wondering if we gave one away with our pit strategy, but it all worked out in the end.” As to the wild ending he added, “Timmy is one of the best here, things got wild for a second and we put ourselves in a position to win, would have been fun to battle him. I am especially happy for my owner Mark Mina and my team and family who sacrifice so much so that we can do this”.
In victory lane Beatty was presented the $5,000 Race Winner bonus from the family of Bob “Bubba” Patanjo. Then Rich Gerbe of HighMark Building announced since his challenge was not won by Solomito, he would take the $5,000 and award $1,000 to each of the top five teams because as he put it, “the best Modified drivers race right here at Riverhead Raceway. what a race” Gerbe proclaimed. Additional bonus money earned by the Elite Sound Studio driver included $1,105 in lap money, Natural Designs Most Laps Led, $250, Ryan Preece Racing Halfway Leader $200, Ryan Preece Racing Lap 40 & 41 Lap Leader $100
Chris Rogers turned more than a few heads with his runner-up showing in the Coors Light Chevy, earning the $200 Steve Park Hard Charger Award. Chris also won the Luck of the Draw $200 bonus from Dennis Freese & Wayne Anderson. Mark Stewart of Riverhead was in the mix all race long before placing third in the Cromer’s Market entry. CJ Lehmann impressed with a fourth-place effort after a two-year layoff, Owen Grennan was a solid fifth.
The up coming Tri-Track Series event that will honor Vinnie Annarummo is slated for Wednesday, June 26 at the Seekonk Speedway. Management of the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series will double the winner’s share for the event – making the race $20,000 to win.
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).
