Woody Pitkat, Stan Mertz Racing Look for the Trophy in Big Money Tri Track Action at Star Speedway
WHITINSVILLE, Mass. — After some time off to regroup, Stan Mertz Racing and driver Woody Pitkat are ready to get back to work this weekend at Star Speedway in Epping, New Hampshire. Set to compete in the 10th annual SBM special, a 125-lap race sanctioned by the Tri Track Open Modified Series, Pitkat will drive the No. 6 Twisted Tea machine in one of the largest paying and most prestigious races of the year.
The event is the second of the season at Star for the team — as Pitkat wheeled the car to an eighth-place finish at the short track on May 22. In the opener of the Tri Track season at Monadnock Speedway on May 1, Pitkat finished seventh. With two top-10 finishes to open the year, Pitkat is hoping Saturday’s event at Star will be the teams first top-five finish of the year, as he enters the race sixth in Tri Track driver points, just 16 points from the top.
“With the different engines and different people coming from different states and different series, the competition at the Tri Track events is no joke,” Pitkat said. “To be able to just qualify is a big deal. Once you get in the race, you have a plan, but things can change in the blink of an eye if you don’t qualify in the heat race, or bend the car up. We’re looking forward to getting back to Star, I like going there. We had a few things go wrong the last time we went, but we had a decent finish. With the extra purse that is on the line, it just shows the love and passion for the Modifieds that Kevin Rice and Bobby Webber have for what they are doing for the drivers. It looks like it will be a good day. We’ve had a little bit of time off to go over the car and we’re ready to go.”
Sponsors of the team include Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Axis Engineering Group, Black and White Grille (Spencer, MA), TowBoatUS, Cape Towing & Salvage, J&S Motors, Pomfret Wine & Spirits, Mike Holmes & Son Excavating, Earnest Performance Shocks & Kenneth Blackmer Transport.
A full race day schedule includes one practice session from 1:30-2:30 p.m., with qualifying heat races set to begin just after 3:30 p.m. The feature race is estimated to take the green flag at approximately 6:30 p.m., though that time is subject to change. Tickets will be available at the track, but for those who can’t make it, the race will also air live on Speed51.TV.
The team will have a quick turnaround following Star — as the schedule includes a visit to Stafford Motor Speedway for another Open Modified 80 on July 30.
For more information on the Tri Track Open Modified Series, visit them at tritrackmodifieds.com or follow them on social media. For more information on Stan Mertz Racing, visit StanMertzRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Sources: Souza Media/Kyle Souza
Dick Ayers Racing Images photo