Palmer’s Streak Continues in Legends Car action; Beal, Williams and Christensen take wins
Waterford, CT — Beautiful weather prevailed for the Speedbowl’s May 13 Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday race program. Jason Palmer took yet another checkered flag in the early season, while Charles Beal won the Super X-Car war, Patrick Williams moved in late to win the X-Car event, and Dean Christensen landed in Victory Lane for the X-Modified race.
John Weaver led the Legends Car event to the stripe to lead lap one before fourteen year old Tony Flannery moved in to challenge on the bottom to take the lead. Caution flew on lap 6 for a front stretch fracas that sent Ed Field hard into the wall, riding the aarmco before his #30 came to rest in turn one. Veteran George Whitney went wheel-to-wheel with the young gun Flannery to take the lead on the restart.
At halfway Whitney’s lead was growing over Flannery, while John Beatty looked strong in third and Jason Palmer was rocketing his way towards the front on the high side when caution waved with seven laps remaining. Whitney jumped out front on the restart while Palmer moved past Flannery for second with his radar set on Whitney. Whitney and Palmer raced even to the white flag lap, Palmer in the low lane and Whitney up high. Whitney went wide out of turn for giving Palmer the win by a half-car length at the checkered flag. Flannery finished third, with Dennis Pantani and Beatty rounding out the top-five.
Michael Caprio took the lead from his pole starting spot in the Super X-Car event. Caprio and Ken Dowling III would pull away from the rest of the field that battled two and three-wide behind, until caution waved five laps in. When racing returned to green flag conditions, Rob Corey closed in to take the lead with an inside move at the events halfway point, bringing Charles Beal along. Caprio found trouble spinning in turn 3 and getting tagged by front-runner Mike Maskell III, bringing out caution. Steve LaRose worked his way to the front using the ‘Bowl’s outside groove, picking off competitors one by one until he found himself on Corey’s bumper for a restart with four laps to go. Corey would get the jump with Beal in pursuit on the restart, edging ahead on the outside as the field took the white flag. Beal went on to win over Steve LaRose who made a daring final lap maneuver over Corey to take second.
In the X-Car’s 20-lap feature ‘Pistol’ Pete Zaikarite jumped out to a commanding early lead when on lap two Brad Voglesong took a trip against the turn four tire barrier, forcing the former champion and opening night X-Car winner to restart from the rear. Rich Hurne would chase Zaikarite when racing resumed in an entertaining duel, while Voglesong and Curt D’addario Sr. picked their way through the field and into the top five. After two late cautions realigned the field, Patrick Williams worked inside Zaikarite and the pair battled alongside until Williams edged ahead with just two laps remaining. Zaikarite hung tough on the high side until the checkered to finish in second, with Rich Hurne third, Voglesong recovering for fourth and John Bowes fifth.
The X-Modified race kicked off the night with birthday boy Dean Christensen out to the early event lead when last’s weeks winner Rob Gallaer spun off the frontstretch as the race approached halfway to bring out caution. On the restart, Bubby Brouwer applied pressure to Christensen both high and low, but would bobble in turn two allowing Christensen to go on to the win. Jeff Amaral finished second in his first X-Modified start with Brouwer recovering for third.
Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday returns next on May 20, while on Saturday May 16 the Speed bowl celebrates Little League Night with any youth in their team jersey admitted free. The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will run regular distance events and be joined by the Legends Cars. All the information can be found on www.speedbowl.com, or by contacting the track office at 860.442.1585.
Speedbowl Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday 5/13 finishers, hometown:
Legends Cars (20-laps): 1. Jason Palmer, Berlin; 2. George Whitney, Westbrook; 3. Tony Flannery, E. Hampton; 4. Dennis Pantani, Branford; 5. John Beatty, Merrick, NY; 6. Johnnie Gloor IV, Flanders, NJ; 7. Giovanni Giarrantana, Newington; 8. Roger Coss, Lafayette, NJ; 9. Kevin Nowak, Medford, NY; 10. Carl Blandina, Milford; 11. Richard White III, N. Stonington; 12. John Weaver, Ashland, MA; 13. Christian Pedersen, New Canaan; 14. Justin Rau, Farmington; 15. William Munro, N. Branford; 16. Alessandra Vitelli, Woodbridge; 17. Tom Pinson, Colchester; 18. Dylan Liseo, E. Hartford; 19. Peter Portante, Plainville; 20. Brian Ouimette, Chaplin; 21. Mike Alcaro, Newton, NJ; 22. Ed Field, Deep River, CT
X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Patrick Williams, Middletown; 2. Pete Zaikarite, E. Hartford; 3. Rich Hurne, Groton; 4. Brad Voglesong, Middletown; 5. John Bowes, Willington; 6. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 7. Mike Trask, Plainfield; 8. Steve Violette, Canterbury; 9. Daniel Madore, Sterling; 10. James Ruddock, Oakdale; 11. David D’allesandro, Coventry; 12. David Amspacher, Groton; 13. Wayne Shifflett, Preston; 14. Richard Gullage, Rockfall; 15. Christopher Garside, Waterford; 16. Wilson Tenrreiro, Griswold; 17. Danny Gervais, E. Hartford; 18. Josh Barrie, Voluntown; 19. Nicole Harris, Groton; 20. Jeffrey Lee, Norwich; 21. Arthur Phillips, Norwich; 22. Paul Smith, Clinton; 23. Kim Bickford, Griswold; 24. Randy Johnston, Westerly, RI; 25. Gary Stone Jr., Northford; 26. Curt D’addario Sr., Columbia; 27. Neal Phillips, N. Grosvenordale; 28. Dustin Gage, Madison; 29. Shawn Butler, Jewett City; 30. Bruce Hall, Ledyard; 31. Onie Pierce, Norwich; 32. Aaron Hillbush, Norwich
Super X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Charles Beal, Ledyard; 2. Steve LaRose, Griswold; 3. Rob Corey, S. Windsor; 4. Jon Porter, Canterbury; 5. Alex Canestrari, Ledyard; 6. John Yagmin, Tolland; 7. James Consalvo, E. Hartford; 8. Al Potter, Waterford; 9. Dan Moon, Exeter, RI; 10. Jim Lynch, Wood River Jct, RI; 11. Shawn Perkins, Groton; 12. Ken Dowling III, Branford; 13. Mark Boisvert, Uxbridge, MA; 14. R.J. Cunningham, Clinton; 15. Peter Pollard, Old Lyme; 16. Dale Treadway III, Griswold; 17. Michael Caprio, New Haven; 18. Mike Maskell III, Quaker Hill; 19. Paul Sheldon, Guilford; 20. Taylor-Marie Moran, Preston; 21. C.J. Mello, Cranston, RI; 22. Chris Bissell, Jewett City; 23. Tyler DiFrancesca, Lisbon; 24. Kevin Moon, Exeter, RI; 25. Thomas Messore, Uncasville
X-Modifieds (15-laps): 1. Dean Christensen, Granby; 2. Jeff Amaral, Bristol, RI; 3. David Flammia Jr., Waterbury; 4. Rob Gallaer, Sherman; 5. Bubby Brouwer, Waterford; 6. Brian Rondeau, Blackstone, MA
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR