Chris Pasteryak Wins Shark Cycle 80 Modified Racing Series Feature at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — The Modified Racing Series made its second visit of the 2011 season to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 2nd Annual Shark Cycle 80. Chris Pasteryak was the big winner of the night, taking the lead on lap-2 and leading the rest of the way to pick up his first victory at Stafford Motor Speedway and his family’s first modified victory at Stafford.
The Shark Cycle 80 took the green flag with Ken Barry taking the point, but he was only able to lead the first lap as Chris Pasteryak moved to the lead on lap-2. Barry held second behind Pasteryak until lap-15 when Doug Coby took the position. Keith Rocco was now up to fourth after starting seventh, and Max Zachem was in fifth. Steve Reed was in sixth, Matt Hirschman was seventh, Todd Owen was eighth, Tom Bolles was ninth, and Rowan Pennink was tenth after starting from the 24th position.
Pasteryak and Coby were separated by only a car length or two and they were beginning to pull away from Barry in third place. Barry remained in third until lap-31 when Rocco went by to take the spot. Pasteryak had stretched his lead out from several car lengths to nearly a half straightaway over Coby on lap-35 and Rocco wasn’t making up any ground on the two lead cars, but that lead was all erased with 42 laps complete as Bolles spun in turn 2 to bring the race’s first caution flag out.
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Pasteryak took the lead back under green with Coby in second. Rocco was third, with Hirschman fourth, and Ted Christopher was now up to fifth. Pennink was in sixth behind Christopher, with Barry, Rob Goodenough, Reed, and Les Hinckley rounding out the top-10.
While Pasteryak and Coby continued to occupy the top two spots, Hirschman was all over the back of Rocco looking to take away the third position. But that fight for third was halted by the caution flag with 59 laps complete as Tommy Barrett, Jr. spun in turn 4.
On the restart, Hinckley and Jack Bateman made contact with both cars spinning backwards into the turn 1 wall and Hinckley’s car ended up on top of Bateman’s car, which brought the red flag out. As the race went back to green, Tom Bolles spun in turn 2 to bring the caution back out before a lap could be completed.
Pasteryak took the lead back under green with Coby and Pennink behind him. Hirschman settled into line in fourth, just ahead of Rocco and Christopher. Pennink went to the outside groove on lap-65 to move around Coby and take over second place. Pennink closed the gap to Pasteryak and he was right on Pasteryak’s bumper with 10 laps to go.
The action was slowed with 77 laps complete for a spin by Tom Bolles in turn 4, setting up a three lap dash to the finish. Pasteryak took the lead on the restart and he led Pennink around for the final 3 laps to take the victory. Rounding out the top-5 behind Pasteryak and Pennink was Coby, Hirschman, and Rocco.
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR