Two SK Features Top Speedbowl Offering
Waterford, CT — Two 35-lap SK-Modified features head up Waterford Speedbowl’s six-feature offering Saturday night. In what is becoming a record-season for individual winners, point battles are heating up at the historic shoreline oval.
A 30-lap Late Model feature along with 20 lappers for the Sportsman, Mini Stocks and Legends are also on the docket. Gates open at 4:30 PM and qualifying begins at 5.
Victories and points possibilities are both doubled for the SKs. Stopping Keith Rocco and the Pane Family #57 SK is the objective. Although he is in the points picture both nationally and locally (currently second behind Dennis Gada), the second-generation driver leaves no about the team’s priorities.
“We come here, do our own thing, park in the back, mind our own business and go racing,” he told The Day of New London after his second straight and fourth overall win last Saturday . “I’m here to win races. I don’t come here to ride around. You’re either here to win races or chase points. You can’t do both. We’re here to win races.”
Rocco, a National Whelen All-American Series contender, is one of almost three dozen 2008 winners stretched over the five divisions. Eight have come in the SKs. Last Saturday’s Mini Stock winner Jeff Mehlenbacker was the latest addition to the list.
Gada, in pursuit of his seventh SK championship, has a 26-point bulge on Rocco. With almost 60 career victories including two this year, is the antithesis of Rocco’s theory. He frequently points out “playing catch up usually doesn’t work in short track racing.”
Win races and points take care of themselves” offers defending champion and current Late Model leader Bruce Thomas Jr. He is currently 38 better than Ron Yuhas Jr. and 54 up on Tim Jordan.
The Legends have the closest point battle – Jason Palmer and Shaun Buffington are tied with Michael Gervais only 16 back. Sportsman leader Al Stone III enjoys the biggest edge – 52 up on Ronnie Oldham Jr. Ken Cassidy Jr., still another defending champ, is 24 ahead of Randy Churchill in the Mini Stocks.
The point battles, however, don’t reflect the competition. There have been eight winners in the latter two divisions as well.
Sources:David Dykes/Waterford Speedbowl PR