Waterford, CT — While Groton’s Ron Yuhas Jr. and New Hampshire competitor Joey Polewarczyk Jr. were the big winners on the day at the Speedbowl, 2010 Street Stock champion Al Stone III of New Haven and Dana Dimatteo of Farmington also closed the season the best way possible, by reaching victory lane. Yuhas won the 150-lap Budweiser Modified Nationals and Polewarczyk took the win in the 150-lap ACT Tour Late Model event. Stone wound up the winner in the 50-lap Street Stock race, while Dimatteo recorded his first career win at the Speedbowl in the 25-lap Legends Cars feature.
Past champion Corey Hutchings was the leader early in the Street Stock event. Stone chased him through the race’s first 17 laps.
The battle for third was a tight one as several drivers were looking for the spot. Josh Galvin, Brandon Plemons, Walt Hovey Jr. and Shawn Monahan were among those jockeying for position. Hovey went spinning off the front stretch on lap-10 to bring out the caution flag and cool off the action.
[Sat. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Sun. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Al Stone and Dana Dimatteo win Street Stock and Legends Cars races’
Waterford, CT (October 10, 2010) – Groton’s Ron Yuhas Jr. won Sunday’s Budweiser Modified Nationals at the Waterford Speedbowl, earning $5,000 for the victory. Yuhas led the final 10 laps, capitalizing on a late race caution to assert himself in the middle of an exciting battle for the lead between Ted Christopher of Plainville and Keith Rocco of Wallingford. Yuhas withstood two restarts in the final two laps of the race to hold on to the victory, his second consecutive in the Modified Nationals event.
After his win, Yuhas was quick to praise his crew following a lap-85 pit stop that included a tire change and adjustment. “The car was off early. It wasn’t going to be a winning car. We gambled on the setup and ended up with too much stagger and were too loose.” He surrendered his third place position on the track at the time to make the changes. The pit stop, which included right side tires and stagger change, netted results. “The car got better and better as the race went on and at the end, we had the fresher tires.”
The 150-lap race got underway with Shawn Solomito and Keith Rocco leading the field to green. Saturday’s top six time trialers redrew for starting position prior to the race putting Christopher, the $500 Bud Pole winner, in starting position number five.
[Sat. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Sun. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Ron Yuhas Jr. Wins 14th annual Budweiser Modified Nationals’
Seekonk, MA — When Russ Wood Sr. pulled into victory lane following the NEMA Lites feature at Seekonk Speedway’s DAV Memorial Festival of Racing, it marked somewhat of a milestone for the class which debuted in 2008.
Wood, subbing for his son Russ Jr. (forced to opt out of the event due to a foot-injury), bested a field that included both seasoned veterans and racers still relatively-new to the rigors of competing in one of the country’s premier short track divisions.
Following an early-season “exhibition run”, the first official NEMA Lites feature was ran on June 11, 2008 at Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl and saw Jesse State taking the win. The starting field consisted of 13 entries. Since then, fields have grown substantially along with interest in the division amongst New England’s open-wheel contingent.
Continue reading ‘NEMA Lites Season Concludes on High Note with Russ Wood Sr. Taking Seekonk Checkers’
Seekonk, MA – Keith Botelho, took the lead on a lap 10 restart and went on to capture the Northeastern Midget Association’s 25-lap feature Sunday at Seekonk Speedway’s D.Anthony Venditti Memorial. Botelho’s first win since 1998 came in the Russ Stoehr-owned #25 and qualifies as NEMA’s upset of the season.
Starting third, Botelho followed John Zych Jr. (Zych 9), the only other leader, until caution fell for the second time. He beat Zych into the first turn and then battled Zych and Greg Stoehr (Stoehr 26b), who took second on lap 13, before claiming his third career win, the second at Seekonk. It the third race for the car.
Zych held on for third followed by Chris Leonard (Leonard 22) and Chris deRitis (deRitis 75).
Continue reading ‘Botelho Upsets NEMA DAV Field’
Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., a.k.a. Joey Pole, continued his American Canadian Tour hot streak with a dominating win in the final ACT Late Model Tour event of the 2010 season. Pole led 137 laps of the Waterford 150 at Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT. The 21 year old has now won his last three ACT events including the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September and the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road last week (Oct. 3).
Williston, VT’s Brian Hoar finished second and claimed his record tying seventh ACT Late Model Tour Championship. Hoar also leads the all-times ACT Late Model Tour wins list with 28 including three during the 2010 season. Hoar was also the only competitor to finish inside the top ten in all 13 Tour events this season.
Glen Luce finished third after qualifying on the outside pole position. He was followed by Joey Laquerre and Brad Babb completing the top five. Babb’s fifth place finish earned him the 2010 ACT Late Model Tour Rookie of the Year Award. Brent Dragon and Randy Potter finished sixth and seventh, respectively, the final two cars on the lead lap. Lee USA Speedway Champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. took eighth followed by John Donahue and Jason Palmer rounding out the top ten.
[Sat. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Sun. Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
Continue reading ‘Brian Hoar Claims Seventh ACT Tour Title; Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Dominates Waterford 150′
