Savary Fulfills Dream with Valenti Modified Racing Series Win at Stafford
Stafford Springs, CT. — Canton, MA, race driver Richard Savary, after many years trying, scored his first ever tour-type modified win at Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford, CT, Friday night August 31. Savary dominated the Valenti Modified Racing Series sanctioned ‘Lincoln Tech 80’ to win not only his first at the famed speedway, but his first VMRS race of the 2018 season. Savary last won June 6, 2015. Savary is the seventh different winner this season.
Driving the Alloy Wheel Repair / Holstein Roofing # 99, the 54-year old Savary passed race leader Chase Dowling, of Roxbury CT, on lap-26 and was never headed.
Said Savary, “The guys did a great job – had a great car under me. Just tried to pace ourselves. My spotter did a great job slowing me down. I thought there would be cautions so I really was saving as best I could in case there would be cautions.” Savary recognized engine builder Bob Bruneau, Chassis man Joey Kourafas, and the entire crew for their efforts.
Savary admitted a win at Stafford in a tour-type modified was on his bucket list. Something he’d been chasing for a long time.
“We talked about it today. We’ve come close- been fast but never finished the deal so this feels great.” Savary has won in Pro-4 modified competition at Stafford.
A solid run, his best of the season saw, Jeffrey Gallup, of Feeding Hills, MA, finish second, with Portland CT’s, Dave Etheridge finishing third.
Eric Goodale, of Riverhead, NY, and Woody Pitkat, of Bellingham, MA, rounded out the top five.
Ron Silk, Mike Willis Jr, Joey Cipriano, Sammy Rameau, and Andrew Moeller, finished sixth through tenth.
Cipriano, Dowling, and Etheridge won qualifying races. Steve Masse won the consi race.
Reigning champion Anthony Nocella was sidelined with mechanical issues. Sammy Rameau, who entered the race 18-points behind Nocella in the chase for the series title finished ninth.
Andrew Molleur made an impressive showing in Ted Anderson’s # 1 car finishing 10th; his best VMRS finish to date,
14 of the 26 drivers finished on the lead lap. Only one caution flag was needed on lap-9. The race was completed in 34 minutes 39 seconds.
The next event is the rescheduled race on Saturday September 8, at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, ME. The race was rained out last month.
Race Summary
Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Springs CT
August 31, 2018
Race # 10
Entrants: 31
Distance: 80-laps
Lap Leaders: Dowling (1-25) Savary (26-80)
Cautions Flags: (1) Lap- 9
Margin of Victory: 0.622
Best Lap: Jeff Malave
Best Lap Time: 19.013
Best Speed: 94.672
DNS: Nocella
Unofficial Order of Finish: (1) Savary, (2) Gallup, (3) Etheridge, (4) Goodale, (5) Pitkat, (6) Silk, (7) Willis, (8) Cipriano, (9) Rameau, (10) Molleur, (11) Meservey, (12) Rocco, (13) Patnode (14) Malave, (15) Perry, (16) Rock, (17) Lashua, (18) Schneider, (19) Bolton (20) Sontag, (21) Robbie, (22) Dowling, (23) Doucette, (24) Flannery (25) Masse (26 DiMatteo
Sources: John Spence Sr./VMRS PR