Palmer wins another nail biter in Legends Cars; Corey, D’addario, Flammia reach victory lane
Waterford, CT (August 5, 2009) – The Speedbowl dodged mother nature on Wednesday evening to record another Wild ‘n Wacky race program in the books. Jason Palmer notched his 13th victory of the year in a great Legends Car event, Rob Corey captured the Super X-Car event, Curt D’addario championed a fast paced X-Car race, and David Flammia was the winner of the X-Modifieds. Lisa Voglesong and Tyler Chalue returned to the winners circle, and Steve Wlodarczyk was the king of the 100 foot spectator drags.
Woodbridge driver Alessandro Vitelli led the Legends Car field to green in a 20-lap event that played host to a spirited battle for the win. When the race commenced, teenagers Giovanni Giarratana of Newington and Tony Flannery of East Hampton got together in turn three to bring out caution before a lap was complete.
Justin Rau was the man on the move when racing resumed, moving through the top five in the ‘Bowl’s outside groove. Jason Palmer of Berlin was hot on his tire tracks in the outside lane while Rau, from Farmington, peppered Vitelli for the race lead. Palmer was quickly becoming a major factor, moving outside Rau on lap nine for second. Vitelli, just thirteen years old, was doing a veteran job at holding the contenders at bay. The pressure from both Rau and Palmer eventually proved too much for Vitelli, and as the field completed lap 12 Rau moved past with an inside move. Palmer followed through the hole and the pair stretched out their advantage.
Palmer was able to close to Rau’s bumper and look underneath the teenager with just five laps remaining. Rau was able to hold his ground in the outside and the leaders raced side by side. The pair swapped the lead over the next few laps in an entertaining battle, each temporarily grabbing the momentum to move ahead. As they took the white flag they were at a dead heat. Rau edged ahead down the backstretch, with Palmer rallying in turns three and four in a drag race to the finish line. Palmer won the photo finish by just .012 seconds over Rau. Vitelli secured his best finish of the year in third, Giarratana rebounded from his first lap skirmish to end up fourth, with Branford’s Dennis Pantani in fifth.
Mike Marvin of Colchester and Devin Widger of Plainville jumped out to lead the X-Car field in their action-packed 20-lap event. An intense battle for third was underway between several competitors two and three wide when caution waved on lap four for East Lyme driver Geoffrey Burdick. Points leader Patrick Williams ducked into pits under caution and would resume at the tail end of the field.
Action could be found all over the track when racing returned to green. Pete Zaikarite of East Hartford and Middletown’s Brad Voglesong were making their way to the front and pressured Marvin. Zaikarite bobbled looking outside Marvin, enabling Voglesong to move by and challenge the leader. Voglesong took and a lap later Marvin came together with Zaikarite, eliminating either’s chance for a podium finish.
Green flag conditions prevailed through the checkered flag. Curt D’addario, John Bowes, and Rich Hurne all were making their way through traffic trying to catch Voglesong who had opened up a sizable lead. The field stretched out around the three-eighths mile ‘Bowl with battles all over the racing surface. D’addario, from Columbia, caught Voglesong and used an outside move to take over the lead shortly after halfway. Voglesong finished in second, while it was Bowes of Willington, Hurne of Groton, and Rhode Island’s Randy Johnston completing the top five. The win was D’addario’s second straight – he won last Saturday’s 20-lap non-points event.
The Super X-Car race rolled out for a 20-lap all out war for the top five spots. Ken Downing III of Branford was the early leader and benefitted greatly by a slugfest for the top five positions behind him. He moved out to a comfortable lead while Taylor-Marie Moran of Preston was holding off Mike Maskell of Quaker Hill, John Yagmin of Tolland, Rob Corey of South Windsor, and Mark Boisvert from Massachusetts.
Maskell was eventually able to wrestle his way to second place over Corey and Yagmin, and further back a great battle for fifth was taking place between Mike Caprio of New Haven, Charles Beal of Ledyard and others. Meanwhile, Downing had checked out to nearly a straightaway lead. Corey slipped past Maskell who then fell back into the clutches of Yagmin to battle for third. The tussle for the spot reached its boiling point on lap 15 when Maskell got crossed up off turn two, spinning to bring out caution and erase Downing’s lead.
When the green flag waved on the restart, Downing was challenged and got out of shape in turn four to surrender the lead to Corey. Downing dropped back to fourth but saved his machine from further catastrophe. Corey went on to win over Yagmin, while Downing reclaimed third at the checkered over Beal and Caprio.
Granby, CT competitor Dean Christensen led the 15-lap X-Modified race through the early stages, with the largest field of the season sorting out the running order behind. Massachusetts driver Brian Rondeau emerged in second place and began chasing down Christensen through halfway with “Bubby” Brouwer of Waterford in third.
Disaster struck the leaders in turn one on lap 17. Rondeau moved in to contend for the lead, but the two cars came together with Rondeau riding the left rear of Christensen’s car hard into the wall between turns one and two. Brouwer inherited the lead briefly but went pitside under caution, handing the lead to Waterbury’s David Flammia who had been in the fourth position just moments earlier. Flammia went on to another victory this year and bolstered his points lead in the process. David O’Leary, Paul French, Jeremy Caswell and Corey Larson all put in season best efforts to finish second through fifth.
Tyler Chalue was a repeat winner in the 10-lap Bandolero race. For more information about the affordable, turn-key “spec” Bandolero racecar, please visit www.600racing.com.
Lisa Voglesong of Middletown was the winner of the Women on Wheels race, and Salem native Steve Wlodarczyk captured the first HDRA 100 foot drag racing event of the season, besting several in the single elimination format.
The Vintage Midget Racing Club was also on hand and put on an exhibition event giving Speedbowl fans a look at the racing action the historic Speedbowl race surface hosted decades ago.
For more information, please visit www.speedbowl.com or contact the track office at 860.442.1585.
Official Speedbowl Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday 8/5 finishers, hometown:
Legends Cars (20-laps): 1. Jason Palmer, Berlin; 2. Justin Rau, Farmington; 3. Alessandro Vitelli, Woodbridge; 4. Giovanni Giarratana, Newington; 5. Dennis Pantani, Branford; 6. Carl Blandina, Milford; 7. Dana DiMatteo, Farmington; 8. Ed Field, Deep River; 9. William Munro, N. Branford; 10. John Weaver, Ashland, MA; 11. Dave Garbo, Stonington; 12. Arthur Maurero, Baltic; 13. Peter Cirilli, Farmington; 14. Tony Flannery, Waterbury; 15. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA
X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Curt D’addario Sr., Columbia; 2. Brad Voglesong, Middletown; 3. John Bowes, Willington; 4. Rich Hurne, Groton; 5. Randy Johnston, Westerly, RI; 6. Devin Widger, Plainville; 7. Dan D’addario, Columbia; 8. Daniel Madore, Sterling; 9. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 10. Wayne Shifflett, Preston; 11. Patrick Williams, Middletown; 12. David Dallesandro, Coventry; 13. Chris Garside, Waterford; 14. Mike Trask, Plainfield; 15. Bruce Hall, Ledyard; 16. Onie Pierce, Norwich; 17. Bill Giles, Stratford; 18. Jeremy Violette, Canterbury; 19. James Tirrell, Stonington; 20. Gary Stone Jr., Northford; 21. David Amspacher, Groton; 22. Shawn Butler, Jewett City; 23. Arthur Phillips, Norwich; 24. Jeffrey Lee, Norwich; 25. Pete Zaikarite, East Hartford; 26. Rick Mollo, Ansonia; 27. Dustin Gage, Madison; 28. Geoffrey Burdick, East Lyme; 29. Paul Smith, Clinton
Super X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Rob Corey, South Windsor; 2. John Yagmin, Tolland; 3. Ken Downing III, Branford; 4. Charles Beal, Ledyard; 5. Michael Caprio, New Haven; 6. Steve LaRose, Griswold; 7. Shawn Perkins, Groton; 8. Taylor-Marie Moran, Preston; 9. Frank Alessio, Colchester; 10. Mark Boisvert, Uxbridge, MA; 11. Al Potter, Waterford; 12. Robert Norman, Clinton; 13.. James Consalvo, E. Hartford; 14. Dan Yagmin, Wethersfield; 15. Paul Sheldon, Guilford; 16. Mike Maskell, Quaker Hill; 17. Chris Bissell, Jewett City; 18. Kevin Moon, Exeter, RI; 19. Dan Moon, Exeter, RI; 20. Jon Porter, Canterbury; 21. Alex Canestrari, Ledyard; 22. Tylor DiFrancesca, Lisbon; 23. Ken Woodward Jr., New Haven
X-Modifieds (15-laps): 1. David Flammia Jr., Waterbury; 2. David O’Leary, Putnam; 3. Paul French, Andover; 4. Jeremy Caswell, Groton; 5. Corey Larson, Bolton; 6. Damon O’Palich, Enfield; 7. Dean Christensen, Granby; 8. Brian Rondeau, Blackstone, MA; 9. Bubby Brouwer, Waterford; 10. Rich Schlegel, Griswold; 11. Jeff Amaral, Bristol, RI; 12. Jeffrey Gallup, Agawam, MA
Bandoleros (10-laps): 1. Tyler Chalue, Dudley, MA; 2. Nicholas Matera, Warwick, RI; 3. Dylan Duhaime, Loudon, NH; 4. Jordan Churchill, Lisbon; 5. Chris Lomartire, Millbury, MA
Women on Wheels – 4 cylinder (10-laps): 1. Lisa Voglesong, Middletown; 2. Nicole Harris, Groton; 3. Kim Bickford, Griswold; 4. Allison Maskell, Oakdale; 5. Michele Cicio, Baltic; 6. Kim Parker, Manchester; 7. Kristen Wells, Clinton,
Sources:Waterford Speedbowl PR