Todd Szegedy Nails Down the VMRS Monadnock Firecracker 100
Winchester, NH — In a rare Valenti Modified Racing Series appearance , Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield, CT started mid-pack and powered his way to the lead to win the Monadnock Firecracker 100 in front of a packed grandstand.
At the start, Mike Holdridge in the #0 of Madison, CT shot from his pole position and ran away from the field, making it look like it was going to be an easy payday. On lap 43, Norm Wrenn spun in turns three and four, bringing the field under caution. The field was bunched up for the restart with Holdridge leading, Louie Mechalides #85 in second, Chris Pasteryak #5 third, and Todd Szegedy #02 in fourth.
During the restart Brian Shumway #05 spun in turn one, causing a chain reaction of eight cars, eliminating Larry Barrett #73 and Anthony Nocella #86. The next restart of lap 43 saw more action with Holdridge squeezing Mechalides against the front stretch wall, causing Mechalides’ right front to go flat. The yellow was brought out again.
[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape
The next restart of lap 43 saw Chris Pasteryak #5 start outside of Holdridge. Pasteryak got the advantage and was the new leader with Szegedy in hot pursuit. A lap 63 caution for Geoff Gernhard in the #21 bunched the heavy hitters up for another thrilling restart. Pasteryak was still leading, Szegedy second. Third through tenth kept changing with bumper to bumper, side by side racing. The final caution came on lap 80 making the last 20 laps a dog fight for the lead position. On lap 95 Pasteryak got loose off turn two. Szegedy slipped by as did Dwight Jarvis #28, Todd Patenode #24 and Les Hinckley in the #06, dropping Pasteryak to fifth.
At the finish it was Todd Szegedy in the Dunleavys’ Repair Service #02 taking the win. Dwight Jarvis in the Andys’ Speed Shop/Jarvis & Sons Construction #28 finishes second. Todd Patenode in the Swanzey Oil/Tim Smalls’ Advantage Real Estate #24 finished third.
Heat winners were Rob Goodenough, Todd Owens and Rowan Pennink.
Sources: Jim Snape