Tommy Barrett, Jr. Wins 5th Annual VMRS 80 at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — The Valenti Modified Racing Series made its third and final visit of the 2014 season to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 5th Annual VMRS 80. Taking the checkered flag was Tommy Barrett, Jr., who used a bold three-wide move to take the lead for the first time on a lap-58 restart and he led the rest of the way.
At the drop of the green flag, Justin Bonsignore took the lead with Max Zachem in second. Rowan Pennink quickly moved past Zachem for second on lap-2 and Keith Rocco followed Pennink by Zachem to take third. Behind Zachem, Chris Pasteryak got around Tommy Barrett, Jr. to move into fifth place.
Rocco got around Pennink for second and he then took the lead from Bonsignore on lap-6. Pennink was now third, with Zachem fourth and Pasteryak was fifth. Bonsignore went back by Rocco for the lead on lap-8 and then Rocco retook the lead from Bonsignore on lap-9.
Ryan Preece moved around Pasteryak to move up to fifth on lap-11 while Bonsignore was all over Rocco’s bumper at the front of the field. Preece was now applying heavy pressure to the back bumper of Zachem for fourth place while Rocco and Bonsignore continued to lead the field.
Rocco held the lead until lap-22 when Bonsignore went back to the front. Bonsignore’s lead was extremely short lived as Rocco went back by Bonsignore in the next set of corners. Things then began to settle in as the top-9 cars of Rocco, Bonsignore, Pennink, Zachem, Pasteryak, Preece, Barrett, Ted Christopher, and Woody Pitkat were all in close contact with each other. Preece’s run came to an end on lap-36 as his #31 dropped off the pace and he slowly made his way back to pit road. Zachem took a look to the inside of Pennink for third, but he was unable to make the pass stick and he settled back into line in fourth behind Pennink.
Chris Bakaj came to a stop on the backstretch infield to bring the caution out with 49-laps complete.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Bonsignore in second. One lap after the restart, contact between Barrett and Pennink sent Pennink up the track and into the path of Zachem to bring the caution back out.
Rocco took the lead on the restart but behind Rocco, Charlie Pasteryak, Mike Willis, Jr., and Carl Medieros, Jr. came together and spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out.
Rocco again took the lead back under green with Bonsignore in hot pursuit. Christopher was third with Barrett and Pasteryak making up the top-5. Christopher’s car dropped off the pace on lap-54 and he slowly made his way to pit road. Bonsignore was all over the back of Rocco when the caution came back out with 57 laps complete for a spin by Bakaj.
The next restart was a bonanza as Barrett went 3-wide to the inside of both Rocco and Bonsignore to take over the race lead. Rocco and Bonsignore settled into second and third with Pennink back up to fourth after his earlier misfortunes. Woody Pitkat was up to fifth behind Pennink, his first appearance of the night in the top-5 with 20-laps to go in the race.
Barrett pulled away from Rocco in the closing laps to pick up his third Stafford VMRS victory. Rocco finished second, with Bonsignore, Pennink, and Pitkat rounding out the top-5.
VMRS 80 (80)
1) Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, MA
2) Keith Rocco, Berlin
3) Justin Bonsginore, Islip, NY
4) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA
5) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
6) Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon
7) Richard Savary, Canton, MA
8) Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH
9) Mike Holdridge, Madison
10) Eric Goodale, Wading River, NY
11) Carl Medieros, Jr., Westport, MA
12) Donnie Lashua, Caanan, NH
13) Dan Meservey, Jr., Brewster, MA
14) Matt Galko, Meriden
15) Chris Bakaj, Colchester
16) Roy Seidell, Jr., Easthampton, MA
Dave Etheridge, Portland
17) Max Zachem, Preston
18) Ted Christopher, Plainville
19) Dylan Kopec, Palmer, MA
20) Charlie Pasteryak, Lisbon
21) Mike Willis, Jr., Grantham, NH
22) Jeff Malave, Manchester
23) Ryan Preece, Berlin
24) Steve Masse, Bellingham, MA
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR