Mark Bakaj wins first career Modified race; Puleo, Brew, Coates and Flannery other winners
Waterford, CT — A steamy day graced Waterford Speedbowl fans who came out for a quick paced and exciting night of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series motorsports Saturday. Mark Bakaj earned his first career SK Modified® win, looking impressive in route to victory. Ed Puleo returned to Street Stock victory lane for his second win of the season. Ian Brew won his first Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock race of the year in dominating fashion, while Allen Coates won another A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Truck race. Anthony Flannery continued his early season mastery of the Legends Cars division, picking up another win.
Thunder rolled at the start of the 35-lap SK Modified® feature with Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. leading from his pole starting position. Joe Perry, Bakaj, Glenn Pressell III and Tom Abele Jr. raced single file behind. Caution waved on lap seven for Joe Gada who spun in turn one. The second caution waved shortly after racing resumed on lap eight for Adam Gada when he crashed into the turn four wall.
Bakaj and Jeff Paul got by Perry following the restart. Bakaj immediately began to test out a strategy to get around Mucciacciaro. He first looked low, then pulled outside the leader entering turn one of lap 11. Paul filled the gap beneath Bakaj, forcing him to remain in the outside groove. He did, and found his way by Mucciacciaro to take over the lead two laps later on lap 15. The final caution waved when Victoria Bergenty, making her first Speedbowl start, found the turn four tire barrier with 16 laps complete.
Mucciacciaro struggled on the ensuing restart, dropping the outside lane back several positions. The new top five behind Bakaj consisted of Paul, Tyler Chadwick, Ron Yuhas Jr. and Keith Rocco. Rocco made a move under Yuhas for fourth on lap 19. At the front Paul stalked Bakaj looking for a way around. That was short-lived when Bakaj was given relief from Paul as Chadwick pestered him for second. Yuhas hung tight outside Rocco for the battle for fourth for four laps before tucking behind and settling into fifth.
With ten laps to go Bakaj and Paul had pulled away briefly from Chadwick. Bakaj slowly eased away to a car length lead over Paul with the laps counting down. Rocco had nothing for Chadwick in third. With two laps to go Paul was back to contend with Bakaj. Paul got to his back bumper once in turn one of the final lap, but could not challenge for the win. Bakaj, former champion in the Legends Cars at the track, took down his first career SK Modified® victory. He bested Paul, Chadwick, Rocco and Yuhas who rounded out the top five finishers.
Norm Sears bolted out to a healthy lead in the early going of the Street Stock race. Points leader Walt Hovey settled into second over a battle for third amongst Puleo, Greg Moran Jr. and defending champion Brandon Plemons. Puleo took the spot and closed in on Hovey’s bumper for second. Plemons went around the outside of Moran for fourth position on lap six. The first caution waved on lap eight when Jack Aquilina put fluid onto the track and spun in turn three, erasing Sears’ advantage.
Sears resumed at the front with Puleo taking over second from Hovey when racing went green and the race reached halfway in the 25-lap event. Josh Galvin moved into fifth and was looking for a way around Plemons for fourth. On lap 17 Plemons found his way inside Hovey for third, bringing Galvin past Hovey as well. Up front Puleo peeked outside Sears for the lead with seven laps to go. He pulled even down the backstretch and ahead of Sears to take command of the race with six circuits remaining. Caution with three laps remaining set up a final restart.
Puleo got a good one and held off two more runs by Sears to his inside. He fought them off and got his second race win of the year. Sears was second after an impressive race. Plemons finished third over Galvin and Hovey.
Coates took over the race lead in a caution free 25-lap A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Truck race on lap two, powering outside Howard Payne through turns three and four. Payne fought valiantly to hang on to the position but couldn’t hold off Coates, one of the Speedbowl’s all-time best.
Keith Rocco moved to second past Payne as the field worked lap five, and quickly pulled away from Payne with his radar set on Coates. Coates was comfortable out front. Rocco tried several grooves that would best suit his machine, but could make not headway on the five length lead of Coates. Further back Payne was third, and a torrid battle for fourth between Phil Evans and Corey Coates was on-going lap after lap.
Up front Coates controlled the race. He won his 75th career event at the track. Rocco and Payne were second and third, with Evans winning the battle for fourth over Corey Coates.
The opening lap of the 25-lap Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock race did not get off without trouble, as Jeff Cembruch spun in the top group of cars collecting Christina Kellerman. When racing got going, Ray Christian III was the race leader. He led the first three laps before Brew made a strong move to his inside to take over as the new leader. Brew was running very strong and raced out to greater than a straightaway advantage over Christian as the race stayed caution free.
Ed Field caught and got by Christian for second position with just three laps to go. The battle for fourth position behind was hot and heavy between Greg Moran Jr., Sean Caron, Mark Panaroni, points leader Danny Field as well as Ken Cassidy Jr. Moran held them off in the final lap for the position but Caron got crossed up contending for the fourth spot and spun, crossing the finish line backwards. He was credited with fifth.
A six car incident in turn three of the opening lap slowed the 20-lap Legends Cars race. Among the drivers involved were Carl Blandina, Troy Talman, Dylan Izzo, Nick Ladyga, Peter Cirilli and Alessandro Vitelli.
Dana Dimatteo took the lead on the attempt to restart the race from polesitter Dave Garbo Jr. Flannery moved to second around Garbo on lap three and didn’t take long to close in on Dimatteo. He then moved to the inside of Dimatteo for the lead on lap seven. Once by Dimatteo, Flannery opened up a five car lead as the race moved past halfway.
Everything stayed clean on the race track over the remaining laps. Ed Field raced in third and closed in on Dimatteo for second position. He was unable to pose a challenge for the spot and the top three finished nose to tail. Flannery won his eighth straight Legends Cars race, Dimatteo was second, Field third, Garbo fourth and Giovanni Giarratana finished fifth. Flannery took over the points lead from Giarratana with his win.
The Speedbowl returns to action this week with Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday on June 9, and another five division NASCAR Whelen All-American Series on Saturday, June 12. Friday evening marks another ‘Show & Go at the ‘Bowl event, featuring free car cruises and spectator drags. All the information is available at Speedbowl.com
Saturday 6/5 Results and standings:
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds® (35 laps): 1. Mark Bakaj, Lebanon; 2. Jeff Paul, Ledyard; 3. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard; 4. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 5. Ron Yuhas Jr., Groton; 6. Rob Janovic Jr., Waterford; 7. Joe Gada, Salem; 8. Jeff Pearl, Salem; 9. Dennis Charette, Southington; 10. Tom Abele Jr., Norwich; 11. Joe Perry, Ashaway, RI; 12. Shawn Solomito, Islip, NY; 13. Frank Mucciacciaro Jr., Milford; 14. Mike Finkeldey, Clinton; 15. Kyle James, Ashaway, RI; 16. Jeff Gallup, Agawam, MA; 17. Diego Monahan, Quaker Hill; 18. Victoria Bergenty, Plainville; 19. Glenn Pressell III, Gales Ferry; 20. Adam Gada, Bozrah; DNS – Jimmy Smith, Woodstock; DQ – Justin Gaydosh, Newtown;
Standings after nine events (top-ten): 1. Rocco, 425; 2. Yuhas, 409; 3. Janovic, 344; 4. Paul, 331; 5. Chadwick, 326; 6. Charette, 312; 7. Pearl, 302; 8. Monahan, 282; 9. Bakaj, 273; 273; 10. J. Gada, 260
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Trucks (25 laps): 1. Allen Coates, Ledyard; 2. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 3. Howard Payne, Shelton; 4. Phil Evans, Uncasville; 5. Corey Coates, Ledyard; 6. Bill Leonard, Wood River Junction, RI; 7. Harold Burdick, Dayville; 8. Chris Correll, Old Lyme; 9. Keith Chapman, Mystic
Standings after five events (top-ten): 1. A. Coates, 250; 2. Payne, 233; 3. Leonard, 196; 4. C. Coates, 162; 5. Correll, 146; 6. Greg Butler Jr., 126; 7. Rocco, 124; 8. John Warren, 116; 9. Brad Caddick, 104; 10. Chapman, 88
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Street Stocks (25 laps): 1. Ed Puleo, Branford; 2. Norm Sears, Andover; 3. Brandon Plemons, Uncasville; 4. Josh Galvin, Franklin; 5. Walt Hovey Jr., Chaplin; 6. Steve Barrett, Preston; 7. Ronnie Oldham Jr., Westbrook; 8. Greg Moran Jr., Preston; 9. Chris Meyer, North Franklin; 10. Nate Appell, Westbrook; 11. Kevin Talbot, Moosup; 12. Paul Gaedeke, Southington; 13. Jack Aquilina, Oakdale; 14. Al Stone III, New Haven; DNS – Shawn Monahan, Waterford
Standings after nine events (top-ten): 1. Hovey, 410; 2. Oldham, 367; 3. Puleo, 366; 4. (tie) Stone, Barrett, 364; 6. Plemons, 362; 7. Galvin, 358; 8. Sears, 343; 9. Meyer, 311; 10. Aquilina, 284
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks (25 laps): 1. Ian Brew, Wood River Junction, RI; 2. Ed Field, Deep River; 3. Ray Christian III, Noank; 4. Greg Moran Sr., Preston; 5. Sean Caron, East Hampton; 6. Mark Panaroni, Ivoryton; 7. Ken Cassidy Jr., Lisbon; 8. Danny Field, Deep River; 9. Chris Williams, Waterford; 10. Charles Canfield, New Haven; 11. Ben Bargnesi, Norwich; 12. Chuck Rogers, Quaker Hill; 13. Steve Violette, Canterbury; 14. Jeff Cembruch, Wallingford; 15. Christina Kellerman, Stratford; 16. Jack Aquilina, Oakdale; 17. Nick Pappacoda, North Branford; 18. Louis Bellisle III, Griswold
Standings after nine events (top-ten): 1. (tie) D. Field, Cassidy, 373; 3. Caron, 394; 4. Williams, 335; 5. Violette, 306; 6. Canfield, 292; 7. (tie) Brew, Bellisle, 289; 9. Moran, 280; 10. Pappacoda, 224
Legends Cars (20-laps): 1. Anthony Flannery, East Hampton; 2. Dana Dimatteo, Farmington; 3. Ed Field, Deep River; 4. Dave Garbo Jr., Stonington; 5. Giovanni Giarratana, Newington; 6. Angelo Belsito, Auburn, MA; 7. Joey Mucciacciaro, Wolcott; 8. Joey Campbell, Berlin; 9. Joe Bavolacco, Stratford; 10. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA; 11. Carl Bohn, Waterford; 12. Kyle Rogers, Waterbury; 13. Alessandro Vitelli, Woodbridge; 14. Carl Blandina, Milford; 15. Dylan Izzo, Monroe; 16. Peter Cirilli, Farmington; 17. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown; DNS – George Whitney, Westbrook
Standings after five events (top-ten): 1. Flannery, 235; 2. Giarratana, 227; 3. Vitelli, 190; 4. Field, 178; 5. Dimatteo, 172; 6. Belsito, 160; 7. Bavolacco, 138; 8. Garbo, 136; 9. Blandina, 128; 10. Mucciacciaro, 126.