Ryan Preece Wins 3rd Annual Lincoln Tech 80 at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — The Valenti Modified Racing Series made its third and final visit of the 2013 season to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 3rd Annual Lincoln Tech 80. Ryan Preece took the lead at the green flag and led all 80 laps en route to a dominating victory.
Ryan Preece took the lead at the drop of the green and Ted Christopher moved into second as polesitter Dan Meservey fall back to fourth as Chris Pasteryak moved into third. Keith Rocco was fifth behind Meservey. Rocco was applying heavy pressure to Meservey and he made the pass for fourth on lap-10.
At the 20-lap mark of the race, Preece was still leading Christopher with Pasteryak right behind Christopher in a 3-car train for the lead. Rocco and Meservey were still in the top-5 and behind Meservey was Ken Barry, Jeff Rocco, Steve Masse, Rowan Pennink, and Richard Savary.
As the leaders began to encounter lapped traffic Preece began to stretch out his lead over Christopher. But the caution erased that lead with 35 laps complete as Tommy Barrett and Bobby Drown spun in the middle of turns 3+4. Under the caution, Ted Christopher’s car came to a stop in the infield and he was pushed behind the wall.
Preece took the lead back under green with Rocco moving into second. Chris Pasteryak settled in to third, with Meservey behind him in fourth. Barry and Masse were side by side for fifth place with Pennink, Savary, Max Zachem, and Norm Wrenn making up the top-10.
On lap-41 Rocco dropped out of line and began to slow, eventually pulling his car behind the wall. Pasteryak was now second behind Preece and Masse was up to third with Barry behind him. Pennink was beginning to come to the front and he worked his way into fifth and was applying heavy pressure to the back bumper of Barry. Pennink took over fourth on lap-49 and he had to make up nearly a full straightaway to catch up to Preece.
On lap-60, Masse’s car slowed on the backstretch and he limped back to the pits. This moved Pennink into third and right on his bumper was Savary as Preece and Pasteryak had pulled away by over a full straightaway as the leaders navigated the lapped traffic. Savary got around Pennink to move into third on lap-66 while Preece continued to lead Pasteryak.
Preece would not be caught and he led the field to the checkered flag to record a dominating victory, leading all 80 laps. Pasteryak finished second, with Savary, Barrett, and Pennink rounding out the top-5.
3RD ANNUAL LINCOLN TECH 80 (80)
1) Ryan Preece
2) Chris Pasteryak
3) Richard Savary
4) Tommy Barrett, Jr.
5) Rowan Pennink
6) Ken Barry
7) Dan Meservey, Jr.
8) Norm Wrenn
9) Dave Etheridge
10) Max Zachem
11) Louie Mechalides
12) Charlie Pasteryak
13) Jeff Rocco
14) Rob Goodenough
15) Dana Smith
16) Bobby Drown
17) David Schneider
18) Danny Cates
19) Dylan Kopec
20) Steve Masse
21) Brian Schofield
22) Keith Rocco
23) Ted Christopher
24) Mike Holdridge
25) Tom Bolles
26) Todd Owen
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR