McKennedy Wins Wild Wings and Wheels VMRS Race
Waterford, CT – Valenti Modified Racing Series hot-shoe Jon McKennedy, despite slapping the wall during a lap-32 pileup, notched his fifth win of the season Saturday night, August 6, at the annual Wings & Wheels event at New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, CT.
The 100-lap event was part of the speedways annual ‘Open Wheel’ special.
McKennedy started sixth in a 29-car field, took the lead on lap-72, and went to his third victory at the famed Connecticut speedway. The win strengthened the East Chelmsford, Massachusetts’ drivers point lead, and moved him to second on the all-time VMRS win list with 20 victories. Kirk Alexander is the all-time series winner with 31 visits to victory lane.
Pole-sitter Woody Pitkat, of Sturbridge, MA, led the first 32-laps when the race had to be stopped for a 17-car pileup resulting in an almost 15-minute delay while speedway personnel cleared the track of debris and damaged race cars.
Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT, while running third, wiggled and went into a spin in front of a pack of cars exiting the second turn, all on the throttle, resulting in the back straightaway becoming totally blocked. When the speedway was cleared, 10-cars were retired for the night with 19-drivers set to go back to racing.
Following a caution flag on the race restart, Keith Rocco, of Berlin, CT, moved by Pitkat and took command through lap-69.
Canton, MA, veteran Richard Savary, moved to the lead on the restart for two circuits when McKennedy took over (laps 73-100) and was never headed.
Savary finished runner-up, Pitkat settled for third, Mike Willis Jr, of Grantham, NH, finished fourth, with Dave Etheridge, of Portland, CT, rounding out the top five.
Chris Pasteryak, Donnie Lashua, Geoff Gernhard, Brandon Dion, and Rocco, rounded out the top ten.
Pitkat, Nick Ladyga, and Rocco won heat races. All 29-cars that entered the event started the 100-lap race.
Race Summary:
Race # 10
August 6, 2016
New London-Waterford Speedbowl
Waterford, CT.
Distance: 100 laps
Time of Race: 1:08:08
Margin of Victory: 0:529
Best Lap Time: 14.145 (Rocco)
Best Speed: 98.621 (Rocco)
Lap Leaders: Pitkat (1-32) Rocco (Lap 33-69) Savary (70-72) McKennedy (73-100)
Lead Changes: 3
Cautions: Lap 32/32,69/69, 96
Unofficial Order of Finish: (1) McKennedy, (2) Savary, (3) Pitkat, (4) Willis, (5) Etheridge, (6) Pasteryak (7) Lashua, (8) Gernhard, (9) Dion, (10) Rocco, (11) Ladyga, (12) Bakaj, (13) Medeiros, (14) Schneider, (15) Gallup, (16) Nocella, (17) Pennink, (18) Rameau, (19) Richardi, (20) Sherman, (21) James (22) Christopher, (23) Perry, (24) Talman (25) Patnode, (26) Hersey, (27) Fournier, (28) Pearl, (29) Doucette.
Sources: John Spence, Sr./VMRS PR