Chadwick Breaks into Winner’s Circle in SK Modifieds®; Puleo and Cassidy capture Street Stock and Mini Stocks; Rocco wins Trucks and Thomas wins X-Car Dash for Cash
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl returned to action Saturday night with a briskly paced NASCAR Whelen All American Series racing program. Tyler Chadwick of Ledyard checkered his first SK Modified ® feature of the year, scoring a popular win in the 35-lap main event. Ed Puleo of Branford was back in Victory Lane for the Street Stocks, his fourth win of the season and second straight. Lisbon’s Ken Cassidy Jr. returned to the winner’s circle in the Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks, and Keith Rocco of Wallingford scored his first ever A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Truck division win in impressive fashion. Groton’s Glen Thomas Jr. dominated the X-Car ‘Dash for Cash’ race.
The 35-lap SK Modified® race saw Glen Pressell III lead lap one from his pole starting position, but the battle for the top spot was underway from the drop of the green flag.Todd Ceravolo and Kyle James raced behind Pressell, with Ceravolo trying to make the outside lane work to his advantage when the first caution came out on lap two when several cars came together with Joe Perry, Jeff Pearl, and Doug Coby receiving the brunt of the damage. Point leader Keith Rocco also received damage and joined them on pit road for repairs. All but Pearl were able to resume.
Pressell was able to retain his lead on the restart, but James, Ceravolo, and Chadwick were all looking for racing room behind keeping the pressure on Pressell out front. After eight laps the story remained the same when the second yellow flag came out after Diego Monahan spun from the fifth position into the infield off turn four.
Just like the first restart, Pressell took back over at the front and the battle for second was now between Chadwick and James, as Ceravolo fell back to fourth. Chadwick was able to take second, then looked to challenge Pressell. Chadwick made his move on lap 11, and was able to find his way past to become the second leader on lap 12.After some impressive laps featuring great racing action around the three eighths mile oval, caution slowed the pace again when Monahan tangled with Tom Abele Jr. battling just outside the top ten on lap 17.
Chadwick held the lead throughout the remainder of the race and over the final restarts. Pressell’s great run came to an end on lap 24 when he spun exiting turn four. Ceravolo came back to life in the remaining laps, advancing his way back into second. He challenged outside Chadwick following a late restart, giving Chadwick a run to the outside for a lap before fading back and tucking in behind.
Chadwick went on to take his first win of the year. Ceravolo wound up second, however his season of misfortune continued when, after taking the checkered flag, sparks flew with a lapped car literally going up and over Ceravolo’s runner-up finishing machine off turn two on the cool down lap. Jeff Paul finished third to extend his consistent season. Rob Janovic Jr. and defending champion Ron Yuhas Jr. rounded out the top five.
The 25-lap Street Stock division race saw Steve Barrett take the lead as Josh Galvin made it through the pack to second place after the first lap. On lap 4, the battle for second heated up between Galvin and point leader Walt Hovey Jr. were battling for position with not much room between the two. Contact among those two sent the field scattering off turn two and down the back stretch of lap 8, creating the first caution flag of the race. . Both Galvin and Hovey were knocked from the front of the pack for the restart. Puleo and Al Stone III lined up behind Barrett for the restart.
When the green flag resumed Puleo was able to over the lead from Barrett. Hebuilt up a sizable lead, going on to the checkered flag as the race remained caution free from that point. Ed Gertsch Jr., the 2003 Track Champion, was able to gain second position in his first start of the season. He was well ahead of Hovey at the finish who wound up charging back through the field to finish third after his early altercation. Norm Sears was fourth and Stone rounded out the top five.
Greg Moran Sr. was the leader after lap one in the 25-lap Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock race, moving outside Jeff Cembruch to power out to the lead. Ian Brew emerged in second place following the opening, and point leaders Danny Field and Cassidy were among others on the move over the opening laps.
Cassidy found the bottom lane to his liking, making three wide maneuvers to advance his way up to fourth, challenging inside Field for third. Those two battled for a lap before Cassidy took over the spot. Louis Bellisle ran behind them in fifth. Brew began to close in on Moran for the lead, but Cassidy’s march to the front was still ongoing and he dove inside Brew to take second on lap seven. Cassidy wasted no time on Moran, making the move to his inside a lap later to become the race’s new leader on lap eight.
The race stayed under green as the competitors did a masterful job racing in tight and exciting formation. Several battles raged on through the field, with Mark Panaroni and Sean Caron slowly picking off the competition as they rose into the top five. Field slipped back as the race wore on, moving Bellisle and Panaroni to the top five. Cassidy was well out front and cruised to his second win of the year. With his win, he moved into the points lead over Field. Brew was second ahead of Moran, Panaroni and Bellisle at the finish.
Bill Leonard started off the 25-lap A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Truck race from the pole position but was overtaken by Rocco for first place just before turn one of lap one. Once in control, Rocco created a commanding lead he did not give up. Allen Coates took second from Leonard on lap two but was locked in a battle with Howard Payne. The pair swapped the position over the next several laps, with Coates finally able to take an advantage on lap 14.
Rocco was out front well ahead of Coates, who was able to build on his advantage over Payne after 19 laps completed. Payne remained comfortably in third, ahead of Leonard who found himself in fourth ahead of John Warren in fifth. The race would stay caution-free and the top five would finish in that order.
For the 15-lap X-Car “Dash for Cash” Brad Voglesong took the early lead, but Thomas was able to make some noise and started making life uncomfortable for Voglesong. After four laps of pressuring the leader, Thomas was able to take over the race lead using the inside lane.
Once out front, Thomas created a significant lead over Voglesong. Voglesong meanwhile hung on to second place for as long as he could but on lap 8 he had fallen back into the clutches of Pete Zaikarite. Zaikarite made his way past Voglesong, bringing Michael Marvin into third. Thomas never looked back taking the checkered flag. Zaikarite and Marvin battled to the checkered flag, with Zaikarite taking second. Marvin, Voglesong and Devin Widger completed the top five finishers.
Saturday 7/17 Results and standings:
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds® (35 Laps): 1. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard; 2. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry; 3. Jeffrey Paul, Ledyard; 4. Rob Janovic Jr., Waterford; 5. Ron Yuhas Jr., Groton; 6. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 7. Kyle James, Ashaway, RI; 8. Frank Mucciacciaro Jr., Milford; 9. Joe Gada, Salem; 10. Adam Gada, Bozrah; 11. Diego Monahan, Quaker Hill; 12. Mike Sweeney, Meriden; 13. Joe Perry, Ashaway, RI; 14. Jeffrey Gallup; Agawam, MA; 15. Stephen Zukowski, Middletown; 16. Glen Pressell III, Gales Ferry; 17. Tucker Reynolds Jr., Westbrook; 18. Matt Gallo, Kensington; 19. Doug Coby, Milford; 20. Tom Abele Jr., Norwich; 21. Jeff Pearl, Salem; 22. Paul Verriicchio Sr., Meriden
Unofficial Standings after 13 events (top 10): 1. Rocco, 611; 2. Yuhas, 589; 3. Janovic, 524; 4. Chadwick, 509; 5. Paul, 497; 6. Monahan, 406; 7. Pearl, 405; 8. Abele, 382; 9. J. Gada, 378; 10. James, 356
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Street Stocks (25 laps): 1. Ed Puelo, Branford; 2. Ed Gertsch Jr., East Haven; 3. Walt Hovey Jr., Chaplin; 4. Norm Sears, Andover; 5. Al Stone III, New Haven; 6. Josh Galvin, Franklin; 7. Steve Barrett, Preston; 8. Brandon Plemons, Uncasville; 9. Chris Meyer, North Franklin; 10. Greg Moran Jr., Preston; 11. Scott Young, Willimantic; 12. Paul Gaedeke, Southington; 13. Chris Kvaka, Stratford; 14. Nate Appell, Westbrook; 15. Shawn Monahan, Waterford.
Unofficial Standings after thirteen events (top-ten): 1. Hovey, 601; 2. Puelo, 560; 3. Stone III, 550; 4. Galvin, 522; 5. Plemons, 509; 6. Sears, 497; 7. Barrett, 496; 8. Meyer, 445; 9. Ronnie Oldham Jr., 425; 10. Moran, 372.
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks (25 laps): 1. Ken Cassidy Jr., Lisbon; 2. Ian Brew, Wood River Jct, RI; 3. Greg Moran Sr. Preston; 4. Mark Panaroni, Ivoryton; 5. Louis Bellisle III, Griswold; 6. Sean Caron, East Hampton; 7. Danny Field, Deep River; 8. Chris Williams, Waterford; 9. Bill Leonard, Wood River Jct, RI; 10. John Kelly, New London; 11. Ray Christian III, Noank; 12. Nick Pappacoda, North Branford; 13. Charles Canfield, New Haven; 14. Jeffrey Cembruch, Wallingford; 15. Ben Bargnesi, Norwich; 16. Alan Hall Jr., North Haven; 17. Steve Violette, Canterbury
Unofficial Standings after thirteen events (top-ten): 1. Cassidy, 596; 2. D. Field, 592; 3. Caron, 559; 4. Bellisle III, 474; 5. Brew, 449; 6. Williams, 435; 7. Moran, 428; 8. Canfield, 420; 9. Violette, 380; 10. Christian III, 320.
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Trucks (25 laps): 1. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 2. Allen Coates, Ledyard; 3. Howard Payne, Shelton; 4. Bill Leonard, Wood River Jct, RI; 5. John Warren, Chicopee, MA; 6. Keith Chapman, Mystic; 7. Corey Coates, Ledyard; 8. Christopher Correll, Old Lyme; 9. Vin Esposito, Seymour; 10. James Wray, Mystic.
Unofficial Standings after eight events (top-ten): 1. A. Coates, 408; 2. Payne, 375; 3. Leonard, 326; 4. C. Coates, 280; 5. Warren, 236; 6. Correll, 226; 7. Rocco, 211; 8. Chapman, 168; 9. Wray, 142; 10. Greg Butler Jr, 126.
X-Car ‘Dash for Cash’ (15-laps): 1. Glen Thomas Jr., Groton; 2. Pete Zaikarite, Niantic, 3. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 4.Brad Vogelsong, Middletown; 5. Devin Widger, Plainville; 6. Patrick Williams, Middletown; 7. Christopher Garside, Waterford; 8. Kim Bickford, Jewett City; 9. Arthur Phillips, Norwich; 10. Scott Limkemann, East Lyme; 11. Shawn Stula, Colchester; 12. Dan D’addario, Columbia; 13. Christopher Ivory, Oakdale; 14. Jeremy Violette, Canterbury; 15. Wayne Shiflett, Pretson
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR