Giarratana wins Legends Cars; Ternullo, Yagmin, Zaikarite claim victores
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl persevered through a brief thundershower early in the evening before completing its scheduled Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday racing program. Newington native Giovanni Giarratana claimed the night’s Legends Cars feature, while Joey Ternullo of Middletown was victorious in the Bandolero race. In Super X-Car and X-Car feature action, repeat winners were the order of the night as John Yagmin of Tolland and Pete Zaikarite of Niantic each claimed their second consecutive feature wins on the season.
The 20-lap Legends Cars race began with Ed Field in the lead to open the race. Angelo Belsito took over from Field with an inside move on lap-2. Belsito’s move opened the door for Giovanni Giarratana to also move by Field’s inside, taking over second position on lap-4. Giarratana went right after Belsito for the race lead, and secured the position on lap-6. Giarratana then opened up a five length lead over the pack behind which battled for position. Joey Mucciacciaro and Field were locked in a battle, while Dana Dimatteo, Nick Ladyga and Chris Young were all moving up through the top ten.
The first caution finally waved on lap-12 when a car spun through turn four with threatening skies overhead. Under yellow a brief rain and hail storm pounded the race surface but quickly subsided. After track drying efforts, the race was restarted one hour later.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Giarratana resumed his lead over Belsito a lap following the return to green flag racing. Jason Palmer was streaking through the field in the outside lane, moving up to challenge Dimatteo for sixth position on lap-15. He eventually moved around Dimatteo, then battled Ladyga and Field for a top five position.
Up front time was running out on Giarratana’s challengers. Mucciacciaro was able to advance his way past Belsito in the final two circuits, but could not catch Giarratana in time. Belsito finished third behind Mucciacciaro, while Palmer rallied in the outside lane for fourth ahead of Field, who finished fifth.
Ternullo dominated the 20-lap Bandolero feature for his first win on the year. He powered outside of leader Jordan Lamothe on lap-3 to take command of the race. From there, Ternullo opened up a large lead before the only caution waved when both Taylor Martin and Rachel Forte retired from the event. After the yellow flag, Ternullo picked up where he left off and went on to an easy win. Lamothe finished second and Robby Jones was third.
Yagmin won his second consecutive Super X-Car feature moving by Mike Maskell by lap-10. After early caution periods plagued the event, the final 12-laps were completed in rapid and entertaining fashion. After the Yagmin and Maskell battle for the lead, Frank Alessio moved into the picture in second position, ahead of Maskell who had dropped back to third place.
Alessio chased Yagmin to the checkered flag, but was not able to muster the momentum to pull alongside. Without benefit of a final caution period, Yagmin was able to take the checkered flag unfettered. Alessio was second, with Maskell third at the finish.
The X-Car feature began with the first 11-laps being recorded before the first yellow flag waved. The action was fast and furious during that run of green flag racing as three lead changes occurred over the first half of the race. A great battle for the top spot broke out between Jeremy Bourbeau and Randy Johnston. Johnston raced to Bourbeau’s outside through lapped traffic, using the cars in the low lane as a pick, looking like a seasoned racing veteran in the process. Just moments after Johnston secured the lead, Robert Butler was stranded in turn three to draw the caution flag.
Bourbeau’s night hit a role reversal on the restart as contact in the front of the field created a melee in turn one collecting the early leader among other front-runners. On the following restart Zaikarite took over at the front. He used in the inside lane to race around the leaders by lap-13, and take over the lead.
While Zaikarite cruised to his second straight 20-lap victory, the battle for second position was hot over the final laps. Brad Voglesong tried valiantly to make a run using the low groove on Johnston, however lapped traffic provided little opportunity to advance. Voglesong had to settle for third at the finish. Chris Garside was also in striking distance at the end however was also unable to make a pass for position. Patrick Williams finished fifth.
For more information about Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday and the calendar of events, please visit www.speedbowl.com or contact track offices at 860.442.1585. The next event at the Speedbowl is Friday’s Show and Go at the ‘Bowl featuring 100 foot spectator drag racing and cruise show. Saturday, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing returns to the shoreline oval for a six division race program.
Waterford Speedbowl 6/1 Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday Results:
Legends Cars (20-laps): 1. Giovanni Giarratana, Newington; 2. Joey Mucciacciaro, Wolcott; 3. Angelo Belsito, Auburn, MA; 4. Jason Palmer, Berlin; 5. Ed Field, Deep River; 6. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown; 7. Dana Dimatteo, Farmington; 8. Chris Young, Calverton, NY; 9. Shaun Buffington, Plainfield; 10. Carl Blandina, Milford; 11. Alessandro Vitelli, Woodbridge; 12. Tom Gray, Sprague; 13. Dylan Izzo, Westport; 14. George Whitney, Westbrook; 15. Peter Cirilli, Farmington; 16. Joseph Parker, Weymouth, MA; 17. Taylor Martin, Windham, NH; 18. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA; 19. Dan Butler, Waterford; 20. Richard White, North Stonington; 21. Dave Garbo Jr., Stonington; 22. Dennis Pantani, Branford
Standings after four events: 1. Mucciacciaro, 182; 2. Dimatteo, 171; 3. Giarratana, 161; 4. Garbo, 153; 5. Blandina, 150; 6. Belsito, 140; 7. Vitelli, 131; 8. Field, 116; 9. Ladyga, 106; 10. Palmer, 90
Bandolero’s (20-laps): 1. Joey Ternullo, Middletown; 2. Jordan Lamothe, Woodstock; 3. Robby Jones, Waterbury; 4. Jordan Churchill, Lisbon; 5. Corey Dimatteo, Farmington; 6. Andrew Molleur, Shelton; 7. Jacob Urch, West Suffield; 8. Chace Wood, Danielson; 9. Rene Morgillo, Niantic; 10. Jacob Perry, Pawcatuck; 11. Rachel Forte, Douglas, MA; 12. Taylor Martin, Windham, NH
Standings after four events: 1. Ternullo, 187; 2. Churchill, 185; 3. Forte, 179; 4. Urch, 158; 5. Martin, 149; 6. Molleur, 148; 7. Dimatteo, 132; 8. Lamothe, 118; 9. Jones, 110; 10. Wood, 108
Super X-Cars (20-laps): 1. John Yagmin, Tolland; 2. Frank Alessio, Colchester; 3. Mike Maskell, Quaker Hill; 4. Jim Boyle, East Windsor; 5. Ed Ryan, Preston; 6. Robert Norman, Clinton; 7. Dan Moon, Exeter, RI; 8. Shawn Butler, Jewett City; 9. Ken Downing III, Branford; 10. Peter Pollard, Old Lyme; 11. Bill Reiman, Southington; 12. Shawn Perkins, Salem; 13. R.J. Cunningham, Durham
Standings after four events: 1. Alessio, 187; 2. Maskell, 183; 3. Downing, 176; 4. Pollard, 168; 5. (tied) Ryan, Moon, 146; 7. Reiman, 138; 8. Boyle, 130; 9. Butler, 126; 10. Yagmin, 110
X-Cars (20-laps): 1. Pete Zaikarite, Niantic; 2. Randy Johnston, Westerly, RI; 3. Brad Voglesong, Middletown; 4. Chris Garside, Waterford; 5. Patrick Williams, Middletown; 6. Scott Limkemann, East Lyme; 7. Shawn Stula, Colchester; 8. John Bowes, Willington; 9. Mike Trask, Plainfield; 10. Chris Ivory, Oakdale; 11. Wayne Shifflett, Preston; 12. David Amspacher, Uncasville; 13. Richard Mollo, Seymour; 14. Christopher Lee, Uncasville; 15. Robert Carlson, Rockfall; 16. C.P. Burdick, Deep River; 17. Kim Bickford, Griswold; 18. Josh Barrie, Voluntown; 19. David Lloyd, Mystic; 20. Robert Butler, Norwich; 21. Kristie Hamel, Jewett City; 22. Melissa Clavette, Bozrah; 23. Armand Banks, Charlestown, RI; 24. Jeremy Bourbeau, Taftville; 25. Michael Marvin, Colchester; 26. Javier Rivera, Willimantic; 27. Onie Pierce, Norwich
Standings after four events: 1. Zaikarite, 200; 2. Johnston, 184; 3. Garside, 162; 4. Voglesong, 160; 5. Glen Thomas Jr., 146; 6. Williams, 142; 7. Limkemann, 128; 8. Shifflett, 126; 9. Trask, 118; 10. Amspacher, 114
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR