Pasteryak and Twin 50’s Both Winners at Lee
Chris Pasteryak’s 21 points garnered in the first half of the Valenti Modified Racing Series sanctioned ‘Stratham Tire 100,’ and 23 more points in the second 50-lap segment, put the two-time series champion in victory lane Friday night at Lee USA Speedway, Lee, NH.
The Jewett City, Connecticut driver, the fourth different competitor to win this season in four races, ended a four-year drought with the VMRS. Friday’s race was his seventh series win and his second at the Lee track. Pasteryak’s last series win was in 2011.
Steven Masse, of Bellingham, MA, substituting for Rowan Pennink, amassed enough points to finish second followed by Jon McKennedy, of East Chelmsford, MA, Woody Pitkat, of Stafford Springs, CT, and Richard Savary, of Canton, MA.
Sixth through tenth were; Mike Willis Jr., Dennis Perry, Norm Wrenn, Todd Patnode, and Donnie Lashua.
Most saw the Lee race as an experiment while others thought it might be the answer. VMRS officials and Lee owner Red MacDonald agreed this past winter a change was needed to create interest in the two races staged at Lee, stop the so called ‘sandbagging’ seen the last two years, and develop a race fans would talk about heading to the parking lot.
If Friday night’s race was any indication, those responsible may have found the answer.
Twin 50-laps races, an inverted line-up for the 2nd half segment, points garnered Friday going toward the series championship, and combined points earned by drivers in each 50-lap race determined the outcome of the main event. All of it created an interesting night.
Competitors, fans, and track management warmly received the concept. “That was a pretty good race,” said track owner Red MacDonald long after the checkered flag dropped on race winner Pasteryak. “I’d like to see them do that again. Maybe at Oktoberfest.”
The Valenti Modified Racing Series closes out the month of June with a return to Stafford (CT) Motor Speedway, Friday, June 26.
The month of July finds the series at Monadnock, July 4, a return to Claremont Speedway, July 10, and a first ever visit at Devil Bowls Speedway, Fairhaven, VT, July 24.
Unofficial Order Of Finish (1.) Pasteryak (2). Masse (3). McKennedy ( 4) Pitkat (5.) Savary (6). Willis (7) Perry (8) Wrenn (9) Patnode (10.) Lashua(11) Schneider (12) Hersey (13) Kopec (14). Ianarelli (15) Doucette (16). Alexander (17) Szegedy (18) Mead (19) Dion (20) Medeiros (21) Leclerc (22) Sherman (23). Kay
Sources: John Spence, Sr./VMRS PR