Speedbowl’s NASCAR point battles rage during heat of summer
Waterford, CT — With the season recently moving past its halfway mark, the point battles in Waterford Speedbowl’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions show no signs of letting up. Overall, nearly 30 different competitors have taken the checkered flag so far this season among the track’s five NASCAR divisions translating into yet another competitive season at the shoreline oval sure to send championship battles down to the wire.
The SK Modifieds® once again are emerging as a two-man race between NASCAR’s national point leader Keith Rocco of Wallingford and defending division champion Ron Yuhas Jr., from Groton Rocco has used seven victories to move 22 marks ahead of Yuhas in the Speedbowl standings, but Yuhas has been in this position as recently as last year. He used consistency to overtake Rocco in the second half of the season a year ago and once again has been a model of consistency, posting all top-five finishes except one – a sixth place finish back on April 3. Waterford’s Rob Janovic Jr., himself a past champion in the Speedbowl’s premier division, is within distance of the two 87 points back should the battle for the top intensify. In total, seven SK Modified® drivers have tasted victory in 2010 making the championship drive a tough one every week for each of the top competitors.
The tightest championship battle resides in the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model division where no less than the top eight drivers are within a victory’s worth of points of one another. The 2006 division champion, Tim Jordan of Plainfield, sits atop the standings. Three-time defending champion of the division Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton is currently 40 points back in fourth. Third-year competitor and second-generation racer Jeff Smith of Old Lyme is second behind Jordan by a scant 13 points, with Seymour’s Vin Esposito third in the standings. Each of the four has found Victory Lane so far this season. A missed step by any could prove costly in the long run.
The Street Stock division wages weekly wars on the track. Those battles have seen the top six drivers all scoring wins to remain within 100 points of eachother. Current standings leader Walt Hovey Jr. is another that has used consistency to buoy his efforts. He’s the only competitor in a very competitive division to finish among the top-five in every race staged thus far. Hovey, of Chaplin, is 41 points ahead of a tight pack of racers including Ed Puleo of Branford, Al Stone III of New Haven, Josh Galvin of Franklin and defending champion Brandon Plemons of Uncasville.
Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock competitors Danny Field and Ken Cassidy Jr. have spent the past several seasons battling each other on a weekly basis. Between them, they’ve captured the past five division titles and show no sign of stopping their tussle for supremacy. With a win last week Cassidy, of Lisbon, has moved back out to a 4 point advantage over Field, of Deep River. Field’s four wins on the year lead the division. Veteran racer Sean Caron of East Hampton has put together his most complete season at the Speedbowl, winning three times and only 37 points off Cassidy’s total.
Allen Coates of Ledyard has already proven to be one of the track’s best full-fendered racers in its 60-year history. This year he’s moved into fourth on the track’s all-time win list bolstered by five A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Truck race triumphs. He leads the division standings by 33 over Shelton’s Howard Payne. Payne has kept pace with one win and no finish worse than fifth on the season, which occured way back in March.
Four of the ‘Bowl’s five NASCAR divisions see action this week at Saturday’s Nostalgia Night event. The track will host all but the A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Truck division. The NEMA Midgets, NEMA Lites and vintage racing groups NEAR, STAR and ACOT will join the four NASCAR divisions. Vintage racecars will be on display and on the track racing once again. For more details on this event and the Speedbowl’s 60th anniversary season, visit Speedbowl.com or call the track info line at 860-442-1585.
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR