Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday 7/4 Results
Waterford, CT — A large July 4th holiday crowd turned out at the Speedbowl Wednesday evening as the track put on its Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday racing program. The night was capped off by an aerial fireworks display to celebrate the nation’s birthday on a beautiful summer night. Winners on the night in racing action included Dave Garbo Jr. of Stonington in the Legend Cars race, while Rachel Forte of Douglas, MA scored a popular come from behind win in the night’s Bandolero feature. Randy Johnston of Westerly, RI picked up the night’s X-Car win and Dan Butler of Waterford won his second consecutive Super X-Car race.
The 20-lap Legend Cars feature showcased another battle between Garbo and Dana Dimatteo. Nicholas Lascuola made the long trip home from competing at Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday night to arrive at the Speedbowl and race on Wednesday. He started the night on the pole and quickly jumped into the race lead. Trouble broke out near the back of the field with Michael Blaskey spinning, collecting John O’Sullivan for a wild ride into the turn one wall to quickly bring out a red flag. Both drivers were ok following the wreck.
Lascuola resumed his lead but a charging Garbo was already on the move through the top-ten. Dimatteo moved to second position on lap-3, bringing Garbo up to third position on lap-4. Joey Ternullo spun and stalled in turn four on lap-5, returning the race to caution.
Dimatteo raced to the front of the field after the restart, getting by Lascuola in the outside on lap-6. Garbo was hot on Dimatteo’s tail and chased him past the front runners to take second The yellow flag was not put away for long and on lap-7 it was back out for a three car melee in turns one and two, giving Garbo the opportunity to line up alongside Dimatteo for a restart.
Dimatteo and Garbo raced side-by-side for two laps when the green flag came back out. Dimatteo was unable to hold back Garbo, who streaked ahead in the outside groove. Once in the lead, Garbo was not seriously threatened. He did have to survive two final restarts before reaching his second Wednesday victory of the season. Dimatteo closed the race in second position with Lascuola scoring his best finish at the Speedbowl in third.
The 20-lap Bandolero feature did not lack in drama. Although the race ran caution-free from green to checkered flags, the racing by the Speedbowl’s youngest stars was entertaining throughout. Derek Debbis took the lead on lap-1 and moved out ahead of a battle for second among multiple cars. Jacob Urch took second and raced to Debbis’ inside on lap-3 to take the lead. Jacob Perry was on the move in the early going, using some dazzling moves on the bottom of the track to take the lead on the inside of Urch on lap-4. Once in the lead Perry stretched his advantage to several car lengths ahead of Urch.
Forte recovered from a hectic lap-3 that saw her make contact with Alan Eastman Jr., getting out of shape in turn four. She gathered her car back up without losing control, then stormed her way back through the competition. She sliced through the field one car at a time through the top ten until she made her way to second just before halfway at lap-10.
Forte then reeled in the leader slow and steady until she was positioned on Perry’s rear bumper on lap-16. She spent the next two laps testing Perry in both the high and low grooves before making an inside manuever down the back chute on lap-19 coming to the white flag. She cleared Perry and went on to a popular come from behind victory. Perry scored his best ever Bandolero finish in second and Urch finished third.
The 20-lap Super X-Car feature was wild at times, led by Ken Downing III In the early going. Jim Boyle took over on lap-5, leading through two more restarts including a caution and red flag period after a spectacular multiple car accident on lap-14. Downing, Jon Porter, Kevin Moon, Frank Alessio, and Mike Maskell were all part of the action involved in the mess. Porter had to be physically restrained after he exited his car.
Boyle held his lead through lap-16 when he gave way to Ed Ryan. Ryan used the outside lane to take the lead, however Boyle battled back in the inside lane to take the lead back on lap-17. Butler moved into contention into the top three in the closing laps, in line behind Boyle and Ryan on the track. Butler then got past Ryan’s inside on lap-18 one lap before Ryan spun from his third place position on the track to draw the final caution flag.
On the final resetart, Butler restarted on the front row to Boyle’s outside. Butler dominated the final two lap dash to beat Boyle to the checkered flag by one car length. John Yagmin of Tolland ran up front throughout the race and finished third.
A healthy turnout of X-Cars took to the three eighths mile oval for a 20-lap feature slowed by only one caution period. Mitchell Bombard took the race lead and pulled out to the lead ahead of Onie Pierce, Johnston and Craig Miner when the race began. Those four surged out ahead of a tussle for position by the rest of the pack that saw three and even four wide racing. The drivers kept things clean and sorted out the running order over the first thirteen circuits before Chuck McDonald spun in turn four leaving Javier Rivera with nowhere to go, tagging both McDonald and the wall.
On the race’s lone restart, Bombard continued to lead but had Pierce trying his outside. After two laps he held back Pierce but Johnston was also able to race past Pierce into second. Once behind Bombard, Johnston went to the top of the track and was able to successfully make the pass for the lead with the laps winding down. He stayed ahead and took his first checkered flag of the year. Bombard wound up in second for his best ever finish. Wayne Shifflett placed third.
John Yagmin of Tolland won the night’s Wacky Race, which saw four Super X-Car competitors compete on the track and in a mandatory “pit stop” in the infield to devour two hot dogs before finishing the event. Yagmin was as fast polishing off his hot dogs as he was on the track to beat out Peter Pollard and others.
The Speedbowl is off from its NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing program on Saturday, July 7 for summer break and will return to action next Wednesday, July 11 with another Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday racing program. Details are on the all new Speedbowl.com.
Waterford Speedbowl Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday 7/4 Results:
Legends Cars (20-laps): 1. Dave Garbo Jr., Stonington; 2. Dana Dimatteo, Farmington; 3. Nicholas Lascuola, Brockton, MA; 4. Angelo Belsito, Auburn, MA; 5. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown; 6. Cory Dimatteo, Farmington; 7. Tim Heath, Lebanon; 8. Stephen Kopcik, Newtown; 9. Peter Cirilli, Farmington; 10. Nicholas Sowa, Middletown; 11. Joey Ternullo, Middletown; 12. Robert Hyer, South Amboy, NJ; 13. Art Marrero, Baltic; 14. Daniel Stolte, Northbridge, MA; 15. Jordan Lamothe, Woodstock; 16. Dennis Pantani, Branford; 17. John O’Sullivan, Salem; 18. Michael Blaskey, Waterbury
Bandoleros (20-laps): 1. Rachel Forte, Douglas, MA; 2. Jacob Perry, Pawcatuck; 3. Jacob Urch, West Suffield; 4. Derek Debbis, Oakdale; 5. Corey Comeroski, Lebanon; 6. Ken Morin Jr., Old Saybrook; 7. Rene Morgillo, Niantic; 8. Alan Eastman Jr., Fishers Island, NY; 9. Andrew Morin, Old Saybrook
Super X-Cars (25-laps): 1. Dan Butler, Waterford; 2. Jim Boyle, East Windsor; 3. John Yagmin, Tolland; 4. Peter Pollard, Old Lyme; 5. Taylor-Marie Moran, Preston; 6. John Brouwer Jr., Groton; 7. Ken Downing III, Branford; 8. Shawn Perkins, Salem; 9. Ed Ryan, Preston; 10. Kevin Moon, Exeter, RI; 11. Ray Reed, Norwich; 12. Matt Carlson, Griswold; 13. Mike Maskell, Quaker Hill; 14. Shawn Gaedeke, Southington; 15. Robert Norman, Clinton; 16. Frank Alessio, Colchester; 17. Justin Cook, Clinton; 18. R.J. Cunningham, Clinton; 19. Paul Turcotte, East Hartford; DNS – Ken Cassidy Sr., Lisbon; DQ – Jon Porter, Canterbury; DQ – Eric Finkbein, Colchester
X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Randy Johnston, Westerly, RI; 2. Wayne Shifflett, Preston; 3. Mitch Bombard, Willimantic; 4. Glen Thomas Jr., Groton; 5. Onie Pierce, Norwich; 6. Craig Miner, Higganum; 7. Scott Limkemann, East Lyme; 8. John Bowes, Willington; 9. Chris Thomas, East Hampton; 10. Pete Zaikarite, Niantic; 11. Mike Trask, Plainfield; 12. Brad Voglesong, Middletown; 13. Larry Loomis, Moosup; 14. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 15. Christopher Lee, Uncasville; 16. Nate Bryington, Webster, MA; 17. Henry Lavallee, Uncasville; 18. Kim Bickford, Griswold; 19. Richard Mollo, Seymour; 20. Eddie Loomis, Plainfield; 21. Zach Ezzell, Plainfield; 22. Josh Barrie, Voluntown; 23. Kristie Hamel, Jewett City; 24. Chuck McDonald, Groton; 25. Javier Rivera, Willimantic
Wacky Super X-Car Hot Dog Race: 1. John Yagmin, Tolland; 2. Peter Pollard, Old Lyme; 3. Jeffrey Lee, Uncasville; 4. Victoria Finkbein, Colchester
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR