Rocco Scores Bowl Finale, Gada Becomes 7-Time Champion
Waterford, CT — Keith Rocco won the 100-lap SK Modified Town Fair Tire Finale feature at the Waterford Speedbowl on Sunday, while it was Dennis Gada prevailing for a record-breaking seventh modified championship.
Other feature winners were Randy Cabral (NEMA Midgets), Bruce Thomas Jr. (Late Model), Brandon Plemons (Sportsman) and Ken Cassidy Jr. (Mini Stock).
As the green dropped it was brothers Shawn and Diego Monahan leading the pack. In short-order, Diego pulled ahead, building a commanding lead. The duo was soon pressed by heavy-hitters Dennis Gada, Rob Janovic, Jeff Paul and Ron Yuhas Jr. The running order stayed largely the same until a multi-car pileup in turn-2 involving several frontrunners (including the championship-seeking Gada), scattered the field. Laps-later, contender Shawn Monahan dropped-out of the event with mechanical difficulties. Following several restarts in the messy and caution-plagued event, defending champion Janovic found himself in the lead followed by Monahan, and Gada. With only fourteen-remaining the lead-pack tangled yet-again, this time sending several careening into the wall, including Monahan and Tyler Chadwick. With a scant ten-laps left, Keith Rocco resumed the lead followed closely by Janovic and Ron Yuhas Jr. At the flag, it was Rocco edging-out Janovic, followed by Yuhas Jr., Gada, and Frank Ruocco.
Scheduled to race a Late Model in the 100-lapper next on the schedule, Rocco was short and direct in expressing exuberance in nailing-down his seventh victory of the season.
“The car got better as the race went-on,” he stated. “We had time to work our way to the front as we started pretty far-back. It’s been a great season, and this was the perfect way to end it.”
Dennis Gada had but two words in explaining his feelings about becoming the Speedbowl’s only seven-time modified champion. As usual, he was humble in the realization that his name would forever be etched into the Speedbowl record books as a driver that had truly accomplished something special.
“It’s a relief, and it’s certainly gratifying, stated the champ. “The car was great tonight until that deal in turn-2 when everybody piled-in there. A lot of people were really good to us on the track tonight, and it’s appreciated. The good Lord was smiling-down on us tonight like he does every day, and it worked-out. It’s a relief getting over this milestone just like it was when I up against the records of great drivers like Dick Dunn, Bob Potter and Phil Rondeau. This means a lot to my family because of all the years we’ve spent at Waterford. It feels great because this is a record I can call my own, but then again, it’s not all mine. Without the help and support of my family, sponsors, and crew, I’d not be able to accomplish this.”
Reigning supreme in the 100-lap Late Model contest was Bruce Thomas Jr. Vin Esposito led for several laps before overtaken by a fast Tim Jordan. A restart with 19-laps remaining set the stage for a classic duel between Jordan and recently-crowned Late Model champion Thomas Jr., the latter getting the advantage as the pair rounded turn-three. At the checkers, it was Thomas notching his tenth win of the year followed by Keith Rocco, Jordan, Allen Coates, and Tom Fox.
Fifty-lap Sportsman action saw Brandon Plemons rocket into the lead at the drop of the green. A wild affair, Plemons managed to hang-on to the top-spot thru several restarts while an intense battle brewed behind him between Ronnie Oldham Jr. and Josh Galvin. Oldham moved past Plemons with fifteen remaining, but it was short-lived. Following the final restart, Plemons again moved to the front, finishing a scant distance ahead of Oldham to score the event. Galvin, Jack Aquilina, and Dave Trudeau completed the top-5.
In the 50-lap Mini Stock feature it was Jeff “Soup” Civardi leading the pack to green in his farewell as a driver. Continuing in the lead until a lap-eleven caution bunched the field, Civardi was passed first by Kyle James, then Phil Evans who had worked his way through the pack having starting at the rear. Yet another yellow flew in the midst of a torrid 3-way battle between Evans, Kyle James and Danny Field. On a late-race restart, the Evans car failed to accelerate, reportedly out of fuel. Field then inherited the lead, shortly joined by Kyle James and Ken Cassidy. Following another 3-way battle, Cassidy prevailed over Field, James, Ray Christian III, and Lou Bellisle to capture the event, as well as his second-consecutive Mini Stock championship.
Randy Cabral passed early leader Erica Santos with fourteen-remaining to post his fourth 25-lap Speedbowl NEMA Midget victory of the season. Cabral teammate Jeremy Frankoski moved-past Santos for second in the late stages to claim second. Following Santos was Adam Cantor and Jeff Abold.
Winners of the “2008 Fred Fuzzy Baer Most Popular Driver Contest” as presented by Sid’s Vault were Keith Rocco (SK Modified), Bruce Thomas Jr. (Late Model), Walt Hovey Jr. (Sportsman), Ken Cassidy Jr. (Mini Stock), and Ryan Morgan (Legends).
Next on the Speedbowl agenda is “Smacktoberfest” scheduled for Sunday afternoon, October 12.
For more information visit www.speedbowl.com.
SK MODIFIED (100); 1. Keith Rocco, 2. Rob Janovic Jr., 3. Ron Yuhas Jr., 4. Dennis Gada, 5. Frank Ruocco, 6. Jeff Paul, 7. Corey Hutchings, 8. Wendell Dailey, 9. Frank Mucciacciaro Jr., 10. Henry Stampfl, 11. Mike Sweeney, 12. Ed Reed Jr., 13. Don Fowler, 14. Diego Monahan, 15. Tyler Chadwick, 16. Rich Hammann, 17. Mark Bakaj, 18. Joe Krawiec, 19. Shawn Monahan, 20. Dillon Moltz, 21. Matt Gallo, 22. Glenn Griswold, 23. Todd Ceravolo, 24. Glenn Pressel III, 25. Kevin Shea, 26. Wayne Arute, 27. Jeff Pearl, 28. Brian Rondeau, 29. Walt Hovey Jr., 30. Anthony Burr.
NEMA MIDGETS (25); 1. Randy Cabral, 2. Jeremy Frankoski, 3. Erica Santos, 4. Adam Cantor, 5. Jeff Abold, 6. Greg Stoehr, 7. Joey Payne Jr., 8. Bobby Santos III, 9. Mike Keeler, 10. William Wall, 11. John Zych Jr. 12. Jeff Horn, 13. Abby Martino, 14. Doug Cleveland, 15. Bim Miller, 16. Brian Cleveland, 17. Andy Shlatz, 18. Lee Bundy, 19. Matt O’Brien, 20. Barry Kittredge, 21. Paul Luggelle, 22. Nokie Fornoro, 23. Paul Scally, 24. Ronnie Yuhas Jr. 25. Aaron Wall.
LATE MODEL (100); 1. Bruce Thomas Jr., 2. Keith Rocco, 3. Tim Jordan, 4. Allen Coates, 5. Tom Fox, 6. Jeff Pearl, 7. Jeff Smith, 8. Marc Curtis Jr., 9. Rich Staskowski, 10. Phil Rondeau, 11. Jeff Miller, 12. Kyle Casper, 13. Robert LeBlanc Jr., 14. Vin Esposito, 15. Joe Curioso III, 16. Larry Goss, 17. Brian Andronaco, 18. Mark Hudson, 19. Mike Kluczinsky, 20. Rich Duranti, 21. Tony Macrino, 22. Dan Holben, 23. Corey Hutchings, 24. Rick Nelson, 25. Ed Reed Jr.
SPORTSMAN (50); 1. Brandon Plemons, 2. Ronnie Oldham Jr., 3. Josh Galvin. 4. Jack Aquilina, 5. Dave Trudeau, 6. Walt Hovey Jr., 7. Al Stone III, 8. Chuck Rogers, 9. Joseph Nogiec, 10. Nate Appell, 11. Sean Curtis, 12. Kevin Gambacorta, 13. Mark Lajoie, 14. Phil Smith, 15. Tim Fogg, 16. Kevin Talbot, 17. Ken Woodward Jr., 18. Jon Porter, 19. “Grandpa Jim” Procaccini, 20. Randall Waterman, 21. Mark Cooper, 22. John Puglisi, 23. Jesse Smith.
MINI STOCK (50); 1. Ken Cassidy Jr., 2. Danny Field, 3. Kyle James, 4. Ray Christian III, 5. Lou Bellisle, 6. Andrew Becker, 7. Randy Churchill Jr., 8. Glenn Colvin, 9. Jeff Mehlenbacher, 10. Nick Pappacoda, 11. Chris Correll, 12. Charles Canfield, 13. Jack Aquilina, 14. Sean Caron, 15. Jeff “Soup” Civardi, 16. Jackie Wolfram, 17. Ryan Cipows, 18. Phillip Evans, 19. Christina Cunliffe, 20. Ian Brew, 21. Ben Bargnesi, 22. William Leonard, 23. Thomas Silva, 24. Jeff Miller, 25. David Sylvia, 26. Mark Panaroni.
FINAL SATURDAY POINT STANDINGS (TOP-10);
(SK MODIFIED); Dennis Gada (936), Rob Janovic Jr. (928), Keith Rocco (924), Ron Yuhas Jr. (862), Jeff Paul (842), Tyler Chadwick (840), Jeff Pearl (780), Doug Coby (680), Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. (506), Wendell Dailey (506).
(LATE MODEL); Bruce Thomas Jr. (950), Tim Jordan (880), Vin Esposito (800), Ed Reed Jr. (676), Rich Staskowski (660), Joe Curioso III (578), Larry Goss (564), Jeff Smith (564), Robert LeBlanc Jr. (562), Ron Yuhas Jr. (534).
(SPORTSMAN); Al Stone III (982), Walt Hovey Jr. (926), Ronnie Oldham Jr. (874), Mark Cooper (778), Jack Aquilina (778), Josh Galvin (778), Brandon Plemons (716), John Puglisi (710), “Grandpa Jim” Procaccini (662), Nate Appell (634).
(MINI STOCK); Ken Cassidy Jr. (970), Randy Churchill Jr. (914), Lou Bellisle (884), Ray Christian III (752), Kyle James (720), Jack Aquilina (710), Mark Panaroni (689), Phil Evans (684), Ben Bargnesi (678), Jeff Melenbacher (630).
(LEGENDS); Shawn Buffington (540), Michael Gervais Jr. (538), Jason Palmer (534), Adam Gada (452), Ryan Morgan (414), Mark Esposito (338), Carl Blandina (306), Max Zachem (300), Tom Gray (284), Dab Bisgignano (272).
Sources: Dave Dykes/Waterford Speedbowl PR