Anthony Flannery wins ninth straight Legends Cars Race; Martin, Moran, Voglesong and Brouwer also winners
Waterford, CT — ‘Taylor-mania’ took over at Waterford Speedbowl for Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday, as Taylor Martin of New Hampshire and Taylor Marie-Moran of Preston bested the boys to take the checkered flags in the 20-lap Bandolero and Super X-Car races respectively. Anthony Flannery won his ninth straight Legends Cars race, Brad Voglesong won his first X-Car race of the year and Bubby Brouwer won the X-Modified feature event. Voglesong also won the Exhibition Flag Pole race.
Carl Blandina and Dave Garbo Jr. battled for the lead at the start of the Legends Cars 20-lap feature when just one lap was completed before a three car incident on the front stretch eliminated Joey Campbell, Mike Beebe and Jake Spillers. Blandina was able to take the lead when racing resumed. Dana Dimatteo moved under Garbo for second and peppered the back bumper of Blandina looking for a way around.
Dimatteo dived under Blandina exiting turn four to lead lap five, opening the door for Ed Field and Flannery to move under Blandina as well. On lap nine Field moved by Dimatteo on the bottom groove of turn two to become the third leader of the race. His reign at the front was in jeopardy when Flannery pulled outside to challenge him just a lap later. Field still hung on out front when the red flag was brought out when two cars tangled in turn one on lap 11.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
After a brief delay, racing got back underway with Field and Flannery dueling for the top spot. Flannery prevailed after a lap back under green. He slowly pulled out to a five-car length lead over Field, Dimatteo, Blandina and Giovanni Giarratana as the laps counted down. Giarratana and Blandina bumped racing for fourth position on lap 18, with both drivers hanging on to their position. Flannery went on to his ninth straight victory at the checkered flag. He bested Field and Dimatteo behind. Giarratana got the best of Blandina for fourth on the final circuit.
Martin overcame a lap one incident to storm through the field in the 20-lap Bandolero feature to take over the race lead on lap two. Corey Dimatteo ran in second with Nick Sowa in third. The lead trio completed the event under green in nose-to-tail fashion at the checkered flag. With her win, Martin stretched her lead in the championship point standings. The event had just one caution after some exciting action throughout the opening laps.
The 20-lap Super X-Race got underway with James Consalvo taking the race lead over Moran. Moran looked strong in the early laps, closing to the back bumper of Consalvo. Michael Caprio moved to third, while further back three and four wide racing highlighted an intense battle among several competitors trying to enter the back half of the top ten.
Up front Moran dipped underneath Consalvo in turn one of lap six to challenge for the lead. After two laps battling side-by-side with Consalvo, she was able to take command of the event. As the race progressed caution-free to the halfway flag Caprio moved under Consalvo to take over second position. Frank Alessio raced his way to third as Consalvo slipped back into fourth place.
Caprio turned up the pressure on Moran for the race lead. He looked both high and low on Moran but was unable to pull alongside. Alessio poked the nose of his machine under Caprio to contend for the second spot in turns one and two with six laps remaining when trouble broke out. The pair made contact, sending Caprio spinning in front of the field exiting turn two. Several cars were collected and the first caution flag of the race waved. Alessio and Caprio were eliminated along with Ken Downing III.
Moran resumed her lead following the restart. Rob Corey moved to second with Charles Beal third. With Corey looking for a way by Moran on the bottom of the track, Beal jumped outside of Corey to not only contend for second position, but also for the lead. The leaders reached the white flag bunched up battling for the win. Beal pulled alongside Moran but the second-year competitor held on for her first career victory. Beal was second over Corey, but post-race inspection disqualified Corey from his second position. That moved Shawn Perkins to third, Consalvo fourth and Steve LaRose into fifth position.
Three-wide racing broke out as the field took the green flag on the 20-lap X-Car feature. Voglesong made a daring three-wide maneuver to the bottom of the track in turn three to take the race lead as the field worked lap two. Rookie competitors Jeremy Bourbeau and Scott Limkemann tangled racing for second position on lap two, sending both hard into the barrier between turns one and two to draw a red flag. Both drivers were ok following the incident.
Voglesong restarted strong and moved out to a big lead when the next caution waved on lap seven when Kim Bickford and Arthur Phillips tangled in turn four. After one more brief yellow flag, Voglesong again moved well out front of the competition but the action behind him was picking up. Onie Pierce, Glen Thomas Jr., Devin Widger and others were battling hard for the top five positions behind the leader. Widger emerged from the pack of cars in second and began running down Voglesong. Mike Marvin came out in third, Rich Hurne was fourth, while a three car battle for fifth was on display between Dan Madore, Thomas and Randy Johnston.
Back up front Widger was coming on like gangbusters. He carved up Voglesong’s lead and was on his bumper as they reached two laps remaining in the race. Widger had the faster car over the final two laps but Voglesong’s experience prevailed and the past division champion was able to hold on for the win. Widger was second, Marvin finished a distant third over Hurne, with Johnston in fifth.
Brouwer awaited opportunity to make his move on early leader Paul French in the 15-lap X-Modified race. After testing French several times, Brouwer pulled inside down the backstretch and made a power move entering turn three on lap eight to take over the race lead. He went on to a several car length victory over French in the caution free race. Teenager Kevin Shea finished third.
For more information about Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday and the calendar of events, please visit www.speedbowl.com or contact track offices at 860.442.1585.
Waterford Speedbowl 6/16 Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday Results:
Legends Cars (20-laps): 1. Anthony Flannery, East Hampton; 2. Edward Field, Deep River; 3. Dana Dimatteo, Farmington; 4. Giovanni Giarratana, Newington; 5. Carlo Blandina, Milford; 6. Dave Garbo Jr, Stonington; 7. Dennis Pantani, Branford; 8. Angelo Belsito, Auburn; 9. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown; 10. Peter Portante, Plainville; 11. Joey Mucciaeciaro, Wolcott; 12. George Whitney, Westbrook; 13. Tom Pinson, Colchester; 14. Matthew Carpenter, Auburn; 15. Richard White III, North Stonington; 16. Peter Cirilli, Farminton; 17. Jake Spillers, Ashburnham; 18. Mike Beebe Sr, Old Saybrook; 19. Joey Campbell, Berlin
Point Standings after six events: 1. Flannery, 330; 2. Field, 264; 3. Dimatteo, 252; 4. Giarratana, 248; 5. Blandina, 234; 6. Pantani, 200; 7. White, 198; 8. Garbo, 188; 9.(tie) Spillers, Mucciacciaro, 176
Bandolero’s (20-laps): 1.Taylor Martin, Windham; 2. Corey Dimatteo, Farmington; 3. Nicholas Sowa, Middletown; 4. Kaz Grala, Westborough; 5.Jordan Lamothe, Woodstock; 6. Rachel Forte, Douglas; 7. Andrew Carpenter, Auburn; 8. Daniel Stolte, Northbridge; 9. Garrett Denton, Hope Valley; 10. Joey Ternullo, Middletown; 11. Chace Wood, Danielson; 12. Jordan Churchill, Lisbon; 13. Nicholas Metera, Warwick; 14. Tyler Chalue, Dudley; 15. Chris Lomartire, Milbury
Point Standings after six events: 1. Martin, 309; 2. Chalue, 243; 3. Forte, 232; 4. Grala, 226; Lomartire, 222; 6. Denton, 182; 7. Carpenter, 180; 8. Sowa, 178; 9. Ternullo, 174; 10. Morin, 172
X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Brad Vogelsong, Middletown; 2. Devin Widger, Plainville; 3. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 4. Rich Hurne, Groton; 6. Randy Johnston, Westerly; 7. Glen Thomas Jr, Groton; 8. Mike Trask, Plainfield; 9. Wayne Shifflett, Preston; 10. Jeremy Violette, Canterbury; 11. Christopher Garside, Waterford; 12. Onie Pierce, Norwich; 13. Bruce Hall, Ledyard; 14. Jeffrey Lee, Uncasville; 15. Todd Nadeau, North Franklin; 16. Michele Cicio, Baltic; 17. Arthur Phillips, Norwich; 18. David Lloyd, Mystic; 19. Scott Limkemann, East Lyme; 20. Kim Bickford, Jewett City; 21. Patrick Williams, Middletown; 22. Shawn Stula, Colchester; 23. Jeremy Bourbeau, Taftville; 24. Robert Butler, Plainfield
Point Standings after six events: 1. Widger, 278; 2. D. D’addario, 243; 3. Johnston, 242; 4. Voglesong, 237; 5. Shifflett, 222; 6. Thomas, 221; 7. (tie) Violette, Trask, 196; 9. Madore, 184; 10. Hall, 176
Super X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Taylor Marie-Moran, Preston; 2. Charles Beal, Ledyard; 3. Shawn Perkins, Groton; 4. James Consalvo, East Hartford; 5.Steve LaRose, Griswold; 6. Mike Maskell II, Quaker Hill; 7. Dan Moon, Exeter; 8. John Robidouz, Fall River; 9. Peter Pollard, Old Lyme; 10. Michael Caprio, New Haven; 11. Al Potter IV, Waterford; 12. Mark Boisvert, Uxbridge; 13. Shawn Butler, Jewitt City; 14. Frank Alessio, Colchester; 15. Ken Downing III, Branford; 16. John Yagmin, Tolland; 17. Kevin Moon, Exeter; 18. Tylor DiFrancesca, Lisbon; 19. Jon Porter, Canterbury; 20. Robert Carlson, Rockfall; 21. Paul Sheldon, Guilford ; DQ Rob Corey, South Windsor
Point Standings after six events: 1. Corey, 230; 2. Caprio, 225; 3. Maskell, 224; 4. Beal, 223; 5. Moran, 215; 6. Perkins, 210; 7. Alessio, 200; 8. Downing, 197; 9. Consalvo, 192; 10. Boisvert, 190
X-Modifieds (15-laps): 1.Richard Brouwer, Waterford; 2. Paul French, Andover; 3. Brenden Shea, Mystic; 4. Rick Ceravolo, Groton; 5. Rob Gallaer, Sherman; 6. Steve Skenyon, S. Windsor; 7. Rich Schlegel, Griswold
Point Standings after four events: 1. Brouwer, 204; 2. French, 197; 3. Ceravolo, 187; 4. Shea, 174; 5. Schlegel, 158; 6. Gallaer, 132; 7. Skenyon, 84; 8. Corey Larson, 78; 9. Brian Dimartino, 36