Rocco back in SK Modified® Victory Lane; Thomas takes Late Models ;Puleo, Pappacoda, French and Williams other winners
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl completed an action-packed NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program Saturday evening, with multiple repeat winners on the season returning to Victory Lane. All five of the track’s NASCAR divisions were in action plus a Saturday Showdown Series feature race for the X-Car division. Visiting the winner’s circle were Keith Rocco of Wallingford in the SK Modifieds®, his third straight win in the division, while former track champion Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton won his fourth feature in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models. Ed Puleo of Branford rallied late in the Street Stock s to win his fifth race of the year, but in the Mini Stocks it was the first of the year for Nick Pappacoda of North Branford who wound up taking the checkered flag. Paul French of Andover was victorious in the SK Light Modifieds, his second in three events for the division. Patrick Williams of Middletown won the X-Car feature.
Joe Perry jumped out to the race lead at the drop of the green flag in the 35-lap SK Modified® field. Tom Abele got crossed up off turn four as lap-1 was completed, with everyone able to stay pointed in the right direction. Abele dropped several positions gathering his car. Nichole Morgillo got around the inside of Glenn Pressel for second position and Tucker Reynolds Jr. moved up to third when Kyle James spun on the front stretch with four laps complete, drawing the first caution period of the race.
Reynolds was able to power inside of Morgillo for second on the restart, opening a hole that Rocco, Tyler Chadwick, Jeff Pearl and Rob Janovic also scooted through before Morgillo tucked back in line on lap-7. Rocco was all over Reynolds back-bumper, using the smallest of openings to dive underneath Reynolds in turn three, taking second position on lap-9. Rocco caught Perry by lap-11, and executed a power move underneath the leader as they raced to turn one with 12 laps scored complete. The move was for naught when caution waved for Adam Gada who crashed in turn two.
Perry got a good restart to lead the field back to turns one and two with Rocco regrouping in the outside lane. Rocco edged ahead to lead lap-13 with the field tight behind the top two. As the competition thundered down the back chute of lap-14, Reynolds and Chadwick came together battling side-by-side for third place, crashing hard into the wall. The impact lifted Chadwick’s car airborne, riding the backstretch wall on the car’s side until coming back to rest on its wheels between turns three and four. Janovic, Morgillo and Abele were also included in the incident which drew the red flag. Reynolds and Chadwick’s cars received heavy damage.
Rocco led the next restart after the cleanup bringing Jeff Pearl to second and Kyle James to third. While Rocco opened up a four length advantage over Pearl, James kept pressure Pearl on for second. The field settled in for racing with the best battle on the speedway for sixth position between Morgillo and Matt Gallo, with Gallo making a great save on lap-24 out of turn four. Out front it was much of the same as the laps ticked away. Rocco’s lead remained the same over Pearl; while James continued to shadow Pearl waiting for an opportunity to contend for the second spot. Perry held fourth position by two lengths over Frank Mucciacciaro.
The leaders approached lapped traffic over the final two laps, however any threat was averted as they successfully navigated the tail of the field. The top-five finished in order with no further changes. With Rocco’s win, his third straight, he takes the lead by 1-point over Pearl in the standings.
The 30-lap Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model feature began with Vin Esposito taking command. Esposito charged out to a healthy lead, nearing a full straightaway advantage over the first half of the race which ran without delay. Behind Esposito Joe Curioso and rookie Anthony Flannery were locked in a tight battle for second position. The pair swapped the position multiple times before caution finally waved on lap-17.
Esposito continued his lead following the restart with Curioso and Flannery resuming their pursuit of second place. Behind them, Thomas had picked up one position at a time during the race and was up to fourth. Rich Duranti spun on lap-23 to bring out the second caution period, setting up a chain of events that impacted the running order.
The first restart attempt saw Esposito spin out of the lead as the green flag was unfurled on the field. After Esposito resumed from the rear of the field, Curioso led the next restart attempt. That came undone in turn two when Flannery spun from second position to keep the race under caution. That moved Thomas up to second outside Curioso. After a lap battling side-by-side with Curioso, Thomas moved to the lead all by his lonesome on lap-25.
From there, Thomas went unchallenged to the win. Jason Palmer came on strong late in the race to challenge Curioso for second, but Curioso hung on to the spot to complete a fine run. Palmer, Rich Staskowski and Jeff Smith rounded out the top-five.
French wired the 25-lap SK Light Modified feature, the division’s third on the year at the ‘Bowl. He had to hold back the challenges of open-wheel veteran Bo Gunning over much of the event after Gunning applied his skills early to take the second position. Two early cautions slowed the pace in the first four laps, and the restarts gave David Webb opportunity to move past Gunning into the runner-up position behind French. Caution waved again on lap-7 for a three car accident in turn three that collected Corey Larson, Tyler Jackson and Alan Benincaso.
French beat Webb on the next restart, allowing Gunning to take back over behind French. Gunning stayed within striking distance of the leader for nine laps until the final caution waved on lap-16 when Jackson cut a tire and ended up in the turn two wall. French mastered the final restart over Gunning, then kept the veteran at bay over the remaining circuits. Behind French and Gunning, David Webb, Chris Correll and Chris Ignazio completed the top-five.
Nate Appell was the early leader in an action packed 25-lap Street Stock feature when past champion Brandon Plemons took over on lap-4. Josh Galvin followed suit to second position, with Ed Puleo up to third and Al Stone in fourth by lap-7. The heavy hitters had advanced to the front of the pack looking to dazzle the crowd with some classic full-fendered Street Stock racing at the ‘Bowl. They delivered cleanly, with a caution-free race that culminated in a fantastic finish.
Galvin waited for an opening on Plemons. That chance came on lap-XX when he found room to Plemons’ inside, taking over the race lead. Stone came with Galvin into second spot, and the defending champion eventually tried working over Galvin. He continually pressured the leader looking for an opening on the inside. They raced several lengths ahead of Puleo who moved to third ahead of Plemons on lap-14. Puleo was slowly cutting into the lead duo’s cushion as Stone turned up the heat on Galvin over the final laps.
As the leaders raced to turn one with two laps remaining Galvin and Stone made contact. Galvin hung on through the corners as Stone tried to pull alongside. Galvin defended Stone’s inside bid, with both cars breaking momentum. Puleo was the benefactor, rolling up the outside of both. Coming to the white flag Puleo was by Stone and alongside Galvin. Stone was still in contention in third. On the final lap both Galvin and Puleo raced even. As they raced out of turn four for the final time, Puleo won a drag race to the checkered flag by .026 seconds over Galvin. The win was Puleo’s second consecutive and fifth on the season. Stone settled for third while Plemons and Chris Meyer completed the top-five.
Pappacoda led every lap on the way to his first triumph of the year in the 25-lap Mini Stock feature. He dominated the race, pulling ahead early while the competition behind was racing hard to advance their position. Both Pappacoda and Charles Canfield, who ran second behind Pappacoda for nearly the whole distance, were both recently forced to backup cars after the tolls of the season have worn on. Each looked comfortable in their new rides.
A late caution erased Pappacoda’s advantage, putting Canfield on his bumper over the final laps. The leaders raced eachother cleanly, and Canfield did not have enough to pull alongside Pappacoda to contend. Pappacoda went on to his first win on the season over Canfield, points leader Glenn Colvin, Jeffrey Cembruch, and Phil Evans, the latter rallying after a late race pit stop.
Williams earned his trip to Victory Lane after a hard fought 20-lap race in the X-Cars. The race, which went green-to-checkered flags, began with Chris Garside and Pete Zaikarite battling for the lead in the opening laps. They made contact, sending both dropping back in the field, giving the lead to Williams on lap-4. From there, he held off both Jeremy Bourbeau and Michael Marvin in nip-tuck fashion. Both pressured the veteran, but he had enough to come out on top.
Waterford Speedbowl 7/16 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series results:
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds® (35-laps): 1. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 2. Jeff Pearl, Salem; 3. Kyle James, Ashaway, RI; 4. Joe Perry, Ashaway, RI; 5. Frank Mucciacciaro, Milford; 6. Nichole Morgillo, Wallingford; 7. Glenn Pressel, Gales Ferry; 8. Matt Gallo, Kensington; 9. Wendell Dailey, Gales Ferry; 10. Brent Sweet, Monroe; 11. Bo Gunning, Bethlehem; 12. Greg Moran Sr., Preston; 13. Victoria Bergenty, Plainville; 14. Rob Janovic Jr., Waterford; 15. Tucker Reynolds Jr., Westbrook; 16. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard; 17. Tom Abele Jr., Norwich; 18. Adam Gada, Bozrah; 19. Mike Sweeney Jr., Meriden; 20. Jimmy Smith; 21. Paul French, Andover
Standings after twelve events: 1. Rocco, 517; 2. Pearl, 516; 3. Janovic, 470; 4. Chadwick, 466; 5. James, 464; 6. Abele, 432; 7. Morgillo, 410; 8. Pressel, 405; 9. Reynolds, 392; 10. Perry, 374
NASCAR Whelen All-American Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models (30-laps): 1. Bruce Thomas Jr., Groton; 2. Joe Curioso, Pawcatuck; 3. Jason Palmer, Berlin; 4. Rich Staskowski, Hope Valley, RI; 5. Jeff Smith, Old Lyme; 6. Beryle Herman, Middletown, NY; 7. Jeffrey Paul, Groton; 8. Vin Esposito, Seymour; 9. Anthony Flannery, East Hampton; 10. Ed Gertsch Jr., East Haven; 11. Mike Sweeney, Meriden; 12. Dennis Botticello, Suffield; 13. Brian Andronaco Jr., Wilton; 15. Rich Duranti, Quaker Hill
Standings after eleven events: 1. Thomas, 524; 2. Smith, 499; 3. Staskowski, 495; 4. Andronaco, 455; 5. Curioso, 450; 6. Palmer, 419; 7. Flannery, 417; 8. Esposito, 413; 9. Sweeney, 336; 10. Duranti, 282
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Street Stocks (25-laps): 1. Ed Puleo, Branford; 2. Josh Galvin, Franklin; 3. Al Stone III, New Haven; 4. Brandon Plemons, Uncasville; 5. Nate Appell, Westbrook; 6. Chris Meyer, North Franklin; 7. Michael Caprio, New Haven; 8. Steve Barrett, Preston; 9. Ryan Morgan, Mystic; 10. Paul Gaedeke, Southington; 11. Charles Beal, Ledyard; 12. Ed Gertsch Jr., East Haven; 13. Chris Kvaka, Stratford; 14. George Miller, Colchester
Standings after twelve events: 1. Puleo, 591; 2. Stone, 555; 3. Galvin, 526; 4. Meyer, 521; 5. Plemons, 476; 6. Barrett, 462; 7. Appell, 370; 8. Beal, 366; 9. Norm Root Jr., 353; 10. Caprio, 306
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Mini Stocks (25-laps): 1. Nick Pappacoda, North Branford; 2. Charles Canfield, New Haven; 3. Glenn Colvin, Clinton; 4. Jeffrey Cembruch, Wallingford; 5. Phil Evans, Uncasville; 6. Chris Williams, Niantic; 7. Garrett Denton, Hope Valley, RI; 8. Christina Kellerman, Stratford; 9. Sean Caron, East Hampton; 10. Ben Bargnesi, Norwich; 11. Joseph Fogarasi, Columbia; 12. Dale Sherman, Charlestown, RI; 13. Joey DeGregorio, East Haven; 14. Ken Cassidy Jr., Lisbon; 15. Ray Christian III, Preston; 16. Ian Brew, Wood River Junction, RI; 17. Jeff Mehlenbacher, Plainfield; 18. Jeffrey Lee, Uncasville; DNS – Doug Curry, Groton
Standings after twelve events: 1. Colvin, 554; 2. Cassidy, 492; 3. Williams, 480; 4. Evans, 471; 5. Cembruch, 463; 6. Brew, 448; 7. Christian, 446; 8. Canfield, 408; 9. Kellerman, 400; 10. Pappacoda, 341
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Light Modifieds (25-laps): 1. Paul French, Andover; 2. Bo Gunning, Bethlehem; 3. David Webb, New Milford; 4. Chris Correll, New London; 5. Chris Ignazio, Colchester; 6. Greg Moran Sr., Preston; 7. Richard “Bubby” Brouwer, Waterford; 8. Richard Schlegel, Griswold; 9. Tyler Jackson, Milford; 10. Victoria Bergenty, Plainville; 11. Alan Benincaso, Westport; 12. Corey Larson, Bolton; 13. Jeff Parker, New London
Standings after three events: 1. French, 156; 2. Correll, 124; 3. Brouwer, 116; 4. (tie) Bergenty, Larson, 114; 6. Moran, 112; 7. Benincaso, 102; 8. Gunning, 96; 9. (tie) Parker, Webb, 84
X-Cars Saturday Showdown Series (20-laps): 1. Patrick Williams, Middletown; 2. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 3. Jeremy Bourbeau, Taftville; 4. Chris Garside, Waterford; 5. John Bowes, Willington; 6. Christopher Ivory, Oakdale; 7. Danny Gervais, East Hartford; 8. Onie Pierce, Norwich; 9. Melissa Clavette, Bozrah; 10. Dave MacIntosh, Old Lyme; 11. Rick Mollo, Seymour; 12. Christopher Lee, Uncasville; 13. Josh Barrie, Voluntown; 14. Michael Pierce, Windsor; 15. Kristie Hamel, Jewett City; 16. Chuck McDonald, Groton; 17. Kim Bickford, Griswold; 18. Shawn Stula, Colchester; 19. Pete Zaikarite, Niantic
Standings after three events: 1. Williams, 32; 2. Marvin, 27; 3. Glen Thomas Jr., 24; 4. Bourbeau, 19; 5. Garside, 18; 6. Stula, 17; 7. Shifflett, 14; 8. Ivory, 10; 9. Bickford, 9; 10. Bowes, 7
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR