Wild n Wacky Wednesday 06/26 Results
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl survived an extended rain shower from Mother Nature early its Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday racing program, but recovered to go on with the show and place four winners into Victory Lane. Picking up a win before the rain was Anthony Marvin of Colchester, winning the night’s INEX Bandolero feature. Brad Voglesong of Middletown checkered the 25-lap X-Car feature that spanned the rain, finishing off the final four laps after the delay. Nicholas Sowa wound up a surprise winner in a wild conclusion to the night’s INEX Legend Cars race and Jon Porter rallied late in the Super X-Car race to come away the winner. The night’s scheduled Wacky Race was postponed after the rain delay.
The 25-lap INEX Legend Cars feature had a problem getting started as several cars stacked up in turn four trying to race to the green flag. When the dust settled Michael Christopher Jr. and Carl Blandina were towed from the racing surface unable to start the event. Once the green flag flew, the remaining competitors ran through the checkered flag without further incident.
Sowa trailed a torrid battle for the lead between Michael Blaskey and Stephen Kopcik. Blaskey took the race lead from lap-1 with Kopcik in tow. Kopcik, the winner one week ago, tried nearly every trick in the book to find a way around Blaskey for most of the hotly contested affair. The two pulled ahead of Sowa by several car lengths over the long green flag run. Sowa ran alone in third position which proved to be a key position on the track as the laps counted down and the intensity picked up in the battle for the lead.
After several attempts to make a run in both the high and low grooves, Kopcik made contact with Blaskey’s rear bumper in turn three on lap-22, sending Blaskey’s car up the track. As Kopcik tried to shoot underneath the leader, more contact between the two saw Blaskey spin around off turn four and Kopcik duck to the grass. As Blaskey spun, Sowa rapidly closed and threaded the needle, steering through the commotion to take the lead.
Blaskey recovered without missing a beat and set chase on Sowa as Kopcik retired to the infield. Blaskey rallied, closing on Sowa to challenge him over the final lap. Sowa was narrowly able to hold back Blaskey’s final charge to his outside to take the win. Joey Ternullo rebounded from being involved in the caution flag at the initial start of the race to place third.
Voglesong won his second feature of the Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday season, finishing off his 25-lap victory after an extended delay following a rain shower. The race began with several cars making a run at the lead before C.P. Burdick settled into the position. Burdick led until Zach Thomas led lap-9 following an inside move. Burdick and Thomas came together in turn four on lap-9, sending Thomas around and Burdick to the rear of the field following the caution flag.
Voglesong inherited the lead for the restart, beating Nate Bryington to turn one when racing resumed. Voglesong went unchallenged in the lead as Wayne Shifflett trailed him until a lap-21 caution flag. During the delay, rain began to fall and the cars were removed from the racing surface.
After the track was dried up, nearly two hours later, Voglesong finished off his romp to victory. Shifflett was able to remain within two car lengths but could not find the handles to make a run. He finished in second, and Chris Thomas ran a solid race to place third.
Porter took the lead after a lap-22 caution flag to go on to the win in the 30-lap X-Car feature. He bested Eric Finkbein Sr. of Columbia and Ken Downing Jr. of Branford, however had to overtake a strong effort by Robert Goulet of Southington to take the lead. Goulet faded in the closing laps after a valiant effort.
The INEX Bandolero feature saw Marvin pull ahead to a convincing victory in the non-stop 20-lapper. Marvin pulled ahead on lap-2 ahead of a battle for second place that endured the entire race among several drivers. Ken Morin Jr. and David French used the outside lane to line up alongside Jacoby Perry and Corey Comeroski. That group raced in tight quarters lap after lap as Marvin was able to stretch his lead to over a full straightaway advantage. Morin battled alongside Perry for most of the race for second, finally able to overtake him in the closing laps. Marvin, the point leader in the division was way ahead and cruised to the checkered flag. Morin took second while Perry finished third.
Waterford Speedbowl Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday 6/26 Results:
INEX Legend Cars (25-laps): 1. Nicholas Sowa, Middletown; 2. Mike Blaskey, Bethany; 3. Joey Ternullo, Middletown; 4. Dennis Pantani, Branford; 5. Joe Ferrigno, East Hartford; 6. Jordan Churchill, Lisbon; 7. Joshua Zentek, East Haven; 8. Colin Haley, Ashford; 9. John O’Sullivan Jr., Salem; 10. David Lespinasse, Milford; 11. Stephen Kopcik, Newtown; 12. Carl Blandina, Milford; 13. Michael Christopher Jr., Wolcott; DNS – Angelo Belsito, Auburn, MA; DNS – Daniel Stolte, Northbridge, MA
INEX Bandoleros (20-laps): 1. Anthony Marvin, Colchester; 2. Ken Morin Jr., Old Saybrook; 3. Jacob Perry, Pawcatuck; 4. David French, Rome, PA; 5. A.J. Eastman, Fishers Island, NY; 6. Corey Comeroski, Lebanon; 7. Andrew Morin, Old Saybrook; 8. Jonathon Puleo, Branford
Super X-Cars (30-laps): 1. Jon Porter, Canterbury; 2. Eric Finkbein Sr., Columbia; 3. Ken Downing III, Branford; 4. Mike Maskell, Quaker Hill; 5. Kevin Moon, Exeter, RI; 6. John Yagmin, Tolland; 7. Robert Goulet, Southington; 8. Ed Ryan, Preston; 9. Ray Reed, Norwich; 10. Bill Reiman, Southington; 11. Jim Boyle, East Windsor; 12. Marc Shafter, Groton; 13. James Maher, Shelton; 14. John Kazersky, Niantic; 15. R.J. Cunningham, Clinton; 16. Dan Butler, Waterford; 17. Matt Carlson, Griswold; 18. Frank Alessio, Colchester; 19. John Brouwer Jr., Groton; 20. Ray Phillips, Canterbury; DNS – Justin Cook, Clinton; DNS – Ed Reed Jr., Groton; DNS – Peter Pollard, Old Lyme
X-Cars (25-laps): 1. Brad Voglesong, Middletown; 2. Wayne Shifflett, Preston; 3. Chris Thomas, Waterford; 4. John Bowes, Willington; 5. Scott Limkemann, East Lyme; 6. Mitchell Bombard, Willimantic; 7. Larry Loomis Jr., Moosup; 8. Zach Thomas, New London; 9. Mike Trask, Plainfield; 10. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 11. Randy Johnston, Westerly, RI; 12. Jordan Hadley, Quaker Hill; 13. Jeff Dombrowski, Oakdale; 14. Christopher Lee, Uncasville; 15. Melissa Clavette, Bozrah; 16. Eddie Loomis, Plainfield; 17. Kim Bickford, Griswold; 18. Chuck McDonald, Groton; 19. Garrett Kuhn, Waterford; 20. C.P. Burdick, Deep River; 21. Mark Tourville, Groton; 22. Matt Ryan, Groton; 23. Elizabeth Gaston, Vernon; 24. Aaron Sypher-Piper, Clinton; 25. David Gargaro Jr., Cranston; 26. Nate Bryington, Webster, MA; 27. Craig Tavernier, Moosup; 28. Matt Westover, Gales Ferry
Wacky Race: postponed/weather
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR