Rocco Returns to Modified Victory Lane; Thomas, Hovey, Field also winners
Waterford, CT — The Waterford Speedbowl celebrated the nation’s birthday in grand fashion, hosting the 12th annual Pepsi 300 on a beautiful summer evening. The Speedbowl’s division points leaders in the four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions each performed up to their lofty status. Keith Rocco checkered the SK Modified race, Bruce Thomas Jr. won in the Late Models, and Danny Field was the Mini Stock winner. Ronnie Oldham finished in second in the Street Stocks, while it was Walt Hovey taking down the event win.
The SK Modified field was led to the green flag by Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. and Dennis Gada. The pair raced side by side before the seven-time Speedbowl champion moved to the lead on lap two of a cleanly run 100-lapper. The action was hot right from the start, with Rob Janovic Jr. making a nice save in turn four in front of the field after contact in the top three. The first caution waved on lap 12 for a spin in turn two by Mark Bakaj. On the restart Ron Yuhas Jr. powered to the lead outside Gada, with Keith Rocco in tow. Rocco didn’t wait to challenge Yuhas, applying pressure and making a low move in turn three to come out on top as the field completed lap 23. Groton’s Jeff Paul, who has been on a tear of late, moved to third and began to chase down the lead duo that had opened up a comfortable advantage. Caution waved on lap 31 when Jeff Rocco spun in turn two.
When racing action resumed Rocco still led over Yuhas at halfway, but couldn’t shake the two-time winner from shadowing his every move. Action could be found all over the racing surface. Paul moved to Yuhas’ bumper looking for more, Gada and Janovic battled hard for fourth, while Justin Gaydosh was looking strong advancing to sixth. Paul made a bid for second outside Yuhas, securing the spot on lap 55. Jeff Rocco caught the front stretch wall off turn four causing damage to the right front of his machine and brought out caution again on lap 66.
The clean racing continued when the field went green, with Rocco pulling away to a comfortable advantage over Paul and Yuhas. The field raced singled file over the latter stages of the event, with Rocco mastering lapped traffic with ease. Yuhas looked to rattle Paul for second in the closing laps to no avail. Rocco went unchallenged to the win, extending his points lead and picking up his first win in the Pepsi 300.
Rocco’s team debuted a Troyer chassis for the race, one which carried him to the 2006 Thompson Sunoco Modified championship. “The car was just awesome tonight” offered Rocco after his win. “This car stayed consistent the entire race.”
Joe Curioso and Tony Macrino brought the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model field to green, and the duo raced the first several laps side-by-side in a tussle to set the early pace in their 100-lap feature. Curioso, of Pawcatuck, would take the lead as the field settled in for an extended green flag run. Plainfield’s Tim Jordan was making his presence felt moving through the field and passing Curioso for the lead on lap 15. The action would continue uninterrupted until a spin on lap 33 by point leader and multiple feature winner Thomas. Tony Macrino brought out the second caution on lap 46 wrecking against the turn three Armco barrier.
Jordan continued to lead at halfway, while Thomas had already recovered from his spin to move into second over Ernie Bertrand, Rich Staskowski and Dennis Stampfl. Another extended green flag run enabled the leaders to open space over an intense battle for fourth between Stampfl, Allen Coates and Dennis Botticello, who was making his first Speedbowl start of the year. Meanwhile, Thomas darted outside Jordan down the backchute to take the lead as the field completed lap 64. The race remained green for the final 47 laps and Thomas went on to the win by a half straightaway over Jordan. Bertrand ran up front all night long to place third, Botticello finished fourth and Staskowski ended up fifth. The win was Thomas’ second consecutive Pepsi 300 triumph.
The Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks started the night off with an entertaining 50-lap main event. Lisbon’s Louis Bellisle started the event from the pole and would lead the first several laps of the event as the field settled in to green flag racing. By halfway, Bellisle had held off pressure from both Kyle James and Danny Field, while Chris Williams had moved to fourth after setting fast time during time trials. Field, from Deep River, moved outside Bellisle and took over the lead on lap 26. As Field slowly pulled away, James began applying pressure to Bellisle for second looking in both the high and low grooves. Williams, two-time defending champion Ken Cassidy, and Randy Churchill all followed close behind. The race remained green and Field pulled out to nearly a straightaway lead. James finally got under Bellisle with just 10 laps remaining to take the second spot. Once clear of Bellisle, James began tracking down and closing on Field when the first caution waved with just five laps remaining.
The restart lined up last week’s winner James alongside Field. James hung tough on the outside and the lead duo ran three laps of classic side-by-side Speedbowl action battling for the win. Exiting turn four on lap 47, James broke traction sliding across the track losing several positions, sending the field behind scattering. Nick Pappacoda and Sean Caron spun and remained stranded on the track apron, bringing out caution on lap 48. The restart pitted Field and Bellisle back on the front row, with Field claiming sole possession of the lead by turn one with a strong restart. The division point leader would go on to his second straight Pepsi 300 win and third overall in the event and 2009 season. Bellisle finished second over Cassidy, Williams, and James who recovered to finish fifth.
The Street Stocks lined up next for a 50-lap slugfest. Northford native Mark Cooper led the race from green, and began pulling away 10 laps into the race as green flag racing prevailed. Cooper raced a half-straightaway ahead of Ed Lamb, who raced a half-straightaway in front of a spirited battle for third between Walt Hovey, Al Stone, Jim Procaccini and Brandon Plemons. Caution waved for the first time on lap 19.
On the restart Cooper resumed at the point, but had close company in Hovey, Procaccini and Ronnie Oldham, who set a division track record earlier in the day during time trials. Hovey made an outside move stick on a lap 27 restart to take over the lead. Cooper suddenly dropped off the pace with mechanical failure, giving the second spot to Procaccini. Multiple cautions during the second half of the event jostled the running order. Hovey was tested over the restarts but prevailed for a strong win over Oldham, Al Stone who battled back from a mid-race pit stop, Plemons, and Steve Barrett. The win was Hovey’s first in an extra-distance race.
The Speedbowl returns to action with another doubleheader of two groove racing this week, with Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday on July 8th and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing program plus Legends Cars on Saturday, July 11th. For more information, please visit www.speedbowl.com or contact track offices at 860.442.1585.
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR
Speedbowl 7/4 finishers, hometown:
Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks (50-laps): 1. Danny Field, Deep River; 2. Louis Bellisle III, Lisbon; 3. Ken Cassidy Jr., Lisbon; 4. Chris Williams, Niantic; 5. Kyle James, Ashaway, RI; 6. Randy Churchill Jr., Niantic; 7. Glenn Colvin, Clinton; 8. Jeff Mehlenbacher, Groton; 9. Chris Correll, Old Lyme; 10. Ian Brew, Wood River Jct., RI; 11. Ken Lyke III, Orange; 12. Sean Caron, Hartford; 13. Joe Godbout, Hope Valley, RI; 14. Nick Pappacoda, N. Branford; 15. Christina Cunliffe, Stratford; 16. Greg Moran Sr., Preston; 17. Mark Caise, Gales Ferry; 18. Ryan Cipows, Seymour; 19. Ray Christian III, Norwich; 20. Alan Hall Jr.; 21. Dale Sherman, Charlestown, RI; 22. Charles Canfield, New Haven; DNS – Bill Leonard, Wood River Jct., RI
Time Trials (top ten): 1. Williams, 17.536; 2. Field, 17.577; 3. Caron, 17.600; 4. Cassidy Jr., 17.650; 5. James, 17.689; 6. Bellisle, 17.714; 7. Colvin, 17.731; 8. Moran Sr., 17.781;9. Churchill Jr., 17.792; 10. Pappacoda, 17.815
Street Stocks (50-laps): 1. Walt Hovey, Chaplin; 2. Ronnie Oldham, Old Saybrook; 3. Al Stone III, New Haven; 4. Brandon Plemons, Uncasville; 5. Steve Barrett, Preston; 6. Josh Galvin, Uncasville; 7. Jack Aquilina, Oakdale; 8. Ed Puleo, Branford; 9. Phil Smith, Waterford; 10. Jim Procaccini, Trumbull; 11. Ted Dupre, Westbrook; 12. Kevin Burr, Waterford; 13. John Bercham, West Greenwich, RI; 14. Chris Meyer, N. Franklin; 15. Kevin Talbot, Moosup; 16. Phil Evans, Uncasville; 17. Joe Nogiec, Bristol; 18. Joe Bavolacco, Stratford; 19. Mark Cooper, Northford; 20. Greg Moran Jr., Preston; 21. Ed Lamb, Shelton; 22. Nate Appell, Westbrook
Time Trials (top ten): 1. Oldham, 17.324 (* division track record); 2. Hovey, 17.364; 3. Stone III, 17.453; 4. Procaccini, 17.534; 5. Barrett, 17.562; 6. Plemons, 17.563; 7. Lamb Jr., 17.570; 8. Cooper, 17.610; 9. Galvin, 17.642; 10. Puleo, 17.658
Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models (100-laps): 1. Bruce Thomas Jr., Groton; 2. Tim Jordan, Plainfield; 3. Ernie Bertrand, N. Branford; 4. Dennis Botticello, Suffield; 5. Rich Staskowski, Hope Valley, RI; 6. Dennis Stampfl, Norwood, MA; 7. Jeff Smith, Old Lyme; 8. Larry Goss, N. Windham; 9. Mark Hudson, Norton, MA; 10. Robert Leblanc Jr., Norwalk; 11. Allen Coates, Ledyard; 12. Joe Curioso, Pawcatuck; 13. Vin Esposito, Seymour; 14. Tony Macrino, Waterford
Time Trials (top ten): 1. Bertrand, 15.514; 2. Jordan, 15.623; 3. Staskowski, 15.642; 4. Goss, 15.667; 5. Smith, 15.689; 6. Esposito, 15.706; 7. Macrino, 15.834; 8. Curioso, 15.689; 9. Botticello, 16.003; 10. Stampfl, 16.119
SK Modifieds (100-laps): 1. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 2. Jeffrey Paul, Ledyard; 3. Ron Yuhas Jr., Groton; 4. Dennis Gada, Salem; 5. Rob Janovic Jr., Waterford; 6. Justin Gaydosh, Newtown; 7. Jeff Pearl, Salem; 8. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard; 9. Tom Abele Jr., Norwich; 10. Joe Perry, Ashaway, RI; 11. Mark Bakaj, Lebanon; 12. Corey Hutchings, Salem; 13. Joe Gada, Salem; 14. Don Fowler, Clinton; 15. Frank Mucciacciaro Jr.; 16. Wendell Dailey, Gales Ferry; 17. Dennis Charette, Southington; 18. Rich Hammann, Tolland; 19. Wayne Arute, Berlin; 20. Jeff Rocco, Wallingford
Time Trials (top ten): 1. K. Rocco, 14.422; 2. Yuhas Jr., 14.439; 3. Pearl, 14.470; 4. Janovic Jr, 14.475; 5. Gada, 14.504; 6. Mucciacciaro, 14.517; 7. Hutchings, 14.520; 8. Gaydosh, 14.552; 9. Perry, 14.560; 10. Paul, 14.577
Point Standings following 7/4 event (top five):
Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks: 1. Field, 448; 2. James, 422; 3. Bellisle, 416; Cassidy, 400; 5.(tie) Moran; Brew, 336
Street Stocks: 1. Oldham, 402; 2. Plemons, 386; 3. Stone, 380; 4. Puleo, 362; 5. Hovey, 356
Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models: 1. Thomas, 438; 2. Staskowski, 382; 3. Esposito, 358; 4. Smith, 326; 5. Goss, 292
SK Modifieds: 1. K. Rocco, 376; 2. Janovic, 338; 3. Yuhas, 332; 4. Gada, 310; 5. Chadwick, 300