Patnode Scores On Home Turf Winning Victor Johnson Memorial 100
Winchester, NH. — Veteran New Hampshire racer Todd Patnode, of Swanzey, rolled to his first series win of the year, and his second Swanzey Oil sponsored ‘Victor Johnson Memorial 100’ victory in three years, as the Valenti Modified Racing Series closed out three race dates at Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, NH, before a large crowd Saturday night. August 20.
Speedway management held a ceremony remembering the late Hall of Fame car owner Mario Fiore prior to the race program. Fiore passed away in June.
Patnode chased early race leader Russ Hersey, also of Swanzey, before taking the lead on lap-71 taking and capturing his first VMRS victory since August 24,2013.
Hersey jumped into the lead at the drop of the green flag and set a torrid pace until the first of 9-caution flags on lap-67 would change the race dramatically for half of the 24-car starting field.
Drivers caught up in race accidents but able to return to competition, worked their way to respectable finishes. Richard Savary, of Canton, MA, finished runner-up. Ironically, Donnie Lashua, of Canaan, NH, and Chris Pasteryak, of Jewett City, CT, came together, pitted, rejoined the field, and raced to a solid third, (Lashua) and fifth, (Pasteryak) at the finish. Pasteryak won the season opener at Monadnock in April.
For Lashua, it was a series best finish for the long-time New Hampshire racer
The race was slowed eight times between laps-67 and 83 with only 11-drivers on the lead lap at the checkered flag.
Sixth through tenth at the finish were, Matt Mead, Brandon Dion, George Sherman, Joe Doucette, and Colbey Fournier.
Reigning champion Woody Pitkat started 24th and finished 12th after a motor change earlier in the day.
Point leader Jon McKennedy dropped out of the race while making a charge to the front suffering a broken (upper) A-frame.
Heat Winners: (1) Dylan Rock, (2) Hersey, (3) Carl Medeiros Jr (Consi) Savary
Next event: Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway August 27, 2016.
Saturday August 20, 2016
Monadnock Speedway
Distance: 100-laps
Entries- (28)
Cautions: Lap 67,68,68,72,74,79,82,83,83
Time of Race: 58:49:826
Average Speed: 25:582
Best Lap Time: 12:721 (Hersey)
Best Speed: 70.749 (Hersey)
Unofficial Order Of Finish: (1) Patnode, (2) Savary, (3) Lashua, (4) Willis Jr (5) Pasteryak, (6), Mead, (7) Dion, (8) Sherman, (9) Doucette, (10) Fournier, (11) Richardi, (12) Pitkat, (13) MacMichaels (14), Schneider, (15), Alexander, (16) Hersey, (17) Kopec, (18) Masse, (19) McKennedy, (20) Medeiros, (21), Gernhard, (22) Rock, (23) Pearl, (27) Ianarelli
Sources: John Spence, Sr./VMRS PR