Thompson: Pennink & Casella Look to Repeat in VMRS 75
VMRS 75: Today’s Race Marks First of Three Visits to the Big T
THOMPSON, CT — Rowan Pennink is off to a fast start this season. A regular competitor with the VMRS and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Pennink enters Thompson as the points leader on both circuits. With a combined 4 starts across both series, Pennink has not finished worse than 5th. He was second in Thompson’s Icebreaker and won at Monadnock last month. Pennink has won three of his last five starts on the VMRS. He also picked up his first career win at Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday night.
The Valenti Modified Racing Series will run its third race of the season at Thompson International Speedway today. Pennink hopes to return to victory lane. “We’re going to Thompson this weekend with the 25 car,” Pennink said. “Hopefully we can put together a strong run up there and come home with a top-5, hopefully a win, and we’ll go on from there.” Pennink added, “Winning races always builds momentum and I think getting a win like that we can work off that win.”
Pennink in the Casella #25 has been the driver to beat lately in Thompson VMRS competition. In eight starts, Pennink has recorded three victories, five top-5s and five top-10s. Four of his last five starts have resulted in a 1st or 2nd. The one exception came last July when Pennink led 68 of 75 laps. He finished 17th, 1 lap down, after being black flagged for leaking. “Gary’s got his car really hooked up when we go there and Mike Pettit builds up a great motor for up there for that car. And I think the combination it just works out and it seems to always be on point up there.”
Thompson and Stafford are the only tracks a 1/2 mile or larger that the VMRS visits. This season will mark the first time that both venues host three races. “I definitely think we have a little bit of an advantage going to places like here at Stafford and up at Thompson and a couple of the other bigger tracks and just getting the experience that I have running the Tour car (#93) … (it) puts together for a stronger effort for Gary’s car.”
[Event Schedule] [Driver Points] [Owner Points]
Reigning champion Jon McKennedy will make his first start of the season Sunday. “You never want to see a championship team like that not come back. It will be good to have them back out there.”
Pennink was the runner-up in VMRS points last season. At one point, McKenedy and Pennink were tied in the point standings. “It was a little bit of a frustration last year. We had a real good chance at it a couple of races where we ended up having failures and didn’t end up finishing races. That’s what killed us, so hopefully we’re going to keep ourselves out of that situation this year and be there at the end of the season for the championship.”
In honor of the VMRS 10th season, a record $10,000 is due to the series champion at the end of the season. “I’d really like to win that deal for the 10th anniversary and love to do it for the whole 25 team.”
VMRS Notes – Thompson – 05/19/2013
There have been 10 Valenti Modified Racing Series races at Thompson.
3-time champion and all-time winningest driver Kirk Alexander won the inaugural race in 2006. Eight different drivers have won at Thompson, led by Rowan Pennink’s three. All other drivers have won once: Alexander, Louie Mechalides, Todd Owen, Andy Seuss, Les Hinckley, III, Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher. No drivers have won consecutive Thompson races.
Rowan Pennink is the defending race winner.
Thompson has hosted six VMRS races since 2010. Last season saw the VMRS visit Thompson 3 times in one season for the first time. In that span, Rowan Pennink has won three times and finished second once. Pennink also leads all drivers with 164 laps led. Mike Stefanik is 2nd at 148 with Ted Christopher in 3rd at 47. They account for 359 of 450 (79% of the laps led) and the last five VMRS victories at the Big T. Les Hinckley, III’s victory in June 2010 was the last time a driver other than Pennink, Stefanik or Christopher won at Thompson.
This is the first of three visits for the VMRS to Thompson this season. The other two 2 races will take place July 25th and October 19th as a part of World Series weekend.
Les Hinckley, III, Jon McKennedy and Rowan Pennink lead all drivers with five top-5s. Ted Christopher has four, while Stephen Masse, Louie Mechalides and Richard Savary have three.
Jon McKennedy leads all drivers with six top-10s. Les Hinckley, III, Louie Mechalides, Rowan Pennink and Richard Savary have five.
No drivers have won at Thompson and the VMRS championship in the same year.
Thompson never had a repeat winner through its first seven VMRS events. In this race last season, Rowan Pennink became the first driver to record multiple Thompson victories. Pennink’s three Thompson victories have been in an alternating pattern, winning every other race since August 2010.
Mike Stefanik holds the record for most laps led in a Thompson race at 75, leading every circuit in his 2011 victory.
The next race on the VMRS schedule is June 8th at Seekonk (MA) Speedway.
VMRS STATS:
Starts
1. Les Hinckley, III 133
2. Dwight Jarvis 127
3. Rob Goodenough 125
4. Jack Bateman 107
5. Kirk Alexander 93
6. Jon McKennedy 91
7. Jimmy Dolan 87
8. Andy Seuss 85
9. Mike Holdridge 84
10. Chris Pasteryak 82
11. Louie Mechalides 78
Wins
1. Kirk Alexander 31
2. Les Hinckley, III 17
3. Jon McKennedy 14
4. Rowan Pennink 9
5. Chris Pasteryak 7
6. Dwight Jarvis 6
6. Louie Mechalides 6
8. Andy Seuss 5
8. Stephen Masse 5
10. Jim Boniface 3 (Tied with Vinny Annarummo, Peter Daniels, Dave Pinkham and Tommy Barrett, Jr.)
Top-5s
1. Dwight Jarvis 71
2. Les Hinckley, III 64
3. Kirk Alexander 59
4. Jon McKennedy 45
5. Chris Pasteryak 35
6. Rowan Pennink 34
7. Rob Goodenough 27
7. Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. 27
9. Louie Mechalides 26
10. Andy Seuss 20 (Tied with Peter Daniels)
Top-10s
1. Dwight Jarvis 104
2. Les Hinckley, III 92
3. Kirk Alexander 73
4. Jon McKennedy 66
4. Rob Goodenough 66
6. Chris Pasteryak 64
7. Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. 49
7. Louie Mechalides 49
9. Rowan Pennink 47
10. Ed Dachenhausen 44
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com