Pearl claims first of year in SK Modifieds®; Smith, Plemons, Bellisle and Flannery also reach Winner’s Circle
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl was in action with a five division NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program on Saturday evening that saw veteran Jeff Pearl of Salem return to victory lane, his first win of the year in the 35-lap SK Modified® feature. Jeff Smith of Old Lyme won his first career feature taking the 30-lap Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model race. Defending Street Stock champion Brandon Plemons of Uncasville found the checkered flag for the first time of the year while Griswold’s Louis Bellisle was the Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock winner. Anthony Flannery of East Hampton continued to tear up Legends Cars competition, taking his record 11th straight win in the division, a new Speedbowl record.
Diego Monahan led the opening laps of the SK Modified® feature ahead of a hungry field of competitors. Pearl moved to second from his third place starting position on the initial start, bringing Jeff Paul to third behind him. The first caution flew on lap two when dirt was kicked up onto the racing surface in turn two. Caution waved again on lap three when Joe Perry spun off turn two.
Monahan continued to lead on the restart. Pearl pressured him for the lead with Ron Yuhas Jr. and Paul racing side-by-side for third. Pearl shot to the inside of Monahan entering turn three on lap 10, taking over the lead with Ron Yuhas Jr. in tow as he advanced his way past Paul. Tom Abele Jr.slipped by Monahan for third, with Paul and Keith Rocco also moving by Monahan as he slipped back in the outside lane on lap 12. A lap later Glenn Pressell III spun off turn two to bring out the caution flag and slow the action on lap 13.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Pearl restarted strong to maintain the pace over a middle stage of the race plagued by caution flags. He bested Yuhas over each of them, including one that saw Keith Rocco give up his fifth place position on the track to head to the pits for service on the #57 on lap 15.
Yuhas challenged Pearl following a lap 22 restart, his best chance at the lead. The pair raced even battling hard for command of the race for four circuits. Paul and Rob Janovic Jr. were behind the top two waiting for racing room ahead. Janovic cleared Paul on lap 27 and peeked inside Yuhas, making slight contact with him just as Pearl squirted away back into sole possession of the lead. The field momentarily settled down with Yuhas back on Pearl’s bumper when caution waved on lap 29 for several cars stranded in turn four.
Pearl got the restart advantage one final time, leaving Yuhas in the clutches of Janovic. Janovic moved by his inside to claim second with five laps to go. He closed in on Pearl, but was unable to challenge him over the remaining laps. Pearl claimed his first win of the season and 32nd of his career over Janovic and Yuhas in the podium finishing positions. Paul ended up fourth with Abele fifth.
Ernie Bertrand led from the green flag in the 30-lap Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Model race. Smith secured himself to Bertrand’s rear bumper when the only caution of the race waved for a quick spin in turn two by Brian Andronaco Jr. on lap-three. Smith and Bertrand raced even on the restart with Dennis Botticello and Tim Jordan tucked in behind. The outside lane proved to be the fast way around the Speedbowl, with Smith taking over at the front on lap five and Jordan using the same lane to move into third position by Botticello. Jordan continued using the outside lane to pull outside Bertrand for the second spot. He edged ahead of Bertrand for the spot on lap eight, with Bertrand hanging under him fighting for position.
Smith had opened up a sizable lead over the battle for second as the laps counted off. Jordan finally cleared Bertrand to focus his chase on the leader on lap 11. Bertrand stayed third with Botticello continuing to hold down fourth. Rich Staskowski rounded out the top five as the race stayed under green through halfway.
Action in the back half of the top ten was exciting among Vin Esposito, Jeff Paul, Jason Palmer and Diego Monahan, the latter subbing as a relief driver for an ill Bruce Thomas Jr. Monahan took over seventh position and began the chase on Joe Curioso who ran ahead in sixth.
Up front Smith’s lead was being dwindled down by Jordan. What was once a half straightaway lead was closed to three car lengths as the race reached just five laps remaining. Smith continued to dig at the front in search of his first career victory. Jordan gave everything he had driving the wheels off his machine attempting to catch Smith, but Smith was too much to overcome.
The 19-year old scored a popular win with the Speedbowl crowd, his first. Jordan’s second place finish allowed him to maintain his lead in the points. Bertrand was third, Botticello fourth and Staskowski fifth at the checkered flag.
Plemons used his pole starting position in the 25-lap Street Stock race to jet out to a comfortable advantage in the race lead. The field behind used the first half of the race to sort themselves out while green flag racing prevailed. Norm Sears and Al Stone III broke through the traffic to run down Plemons out front. Sears reached him on lap 15 with Stone closing in as well.
Behind the top three Ed Puleo and Josh Galvin battled hard for fourth position just ahead of point leader Walt Hovey Jr. Puleo and Galvin traded some paint locked in their battle for the position, allowing Hovey to make a heads up three-wide maneuver under both down the backstretch on lap 20. One lap later the battle between Puleo and Galvin reached its boiling point as Galvin spun off turn two bringing out the only caution flag of the event. Puleo resumed from the rear following the caution as well.
On the restart Sears looked to pose a threat to Plemons’ quest to reach the winner’s circle for the first time this year. Sears pulled ahead momentarily, but slipped in the high lane off turn two giving Plemons the momentum to reclaim the top spot. Stone moved under Sears for second spot which was the room Plemons needed over the final two laps to take the win. Stone won the battle for second over Sears, with Hovey continuing his consistent season finishing fourth and Galvin recovering well to charge back for fifth.
Christina Kellerman led the opening laps of the 25-lap Norwich Bulletin Mini Stock race before being challenged by rookie competitor Jeff Cembruch on lap four. The youngster took over the lead inside Kellerman on lap five when action further back saw Glenn Colvin, Bill Leonard and Jack Aquilina get collected in a turn four accident after fluid was put down on the track surface.
Bellisle powered ahead of Cembruch on the restart to become the third and final leader of the event. Three-wide action behind had Sean Caron moving up to fourth place, a spot behind Ken Cassidy Jr. who held third. Caution again on lap eight for a three car incident in turn two slowed the pace.
When racing resumed Bellisle held the lead but Cassidy was challenging, looking ready to strike on the low side of the track at any moment. Caron and points leader Danny Field moved to third and fourth leaving the leaders no room for error in their battle. Caution on lap 15 reset the field once again.
After going back to green flag racing, Caron pulled up to Bellisle’s rear trunk lid in the final ten laps after picking off Cassidy for second. Mark Panaroni became a factor late in the race, moving by Cassidy and Field into third right behind the leaders. Caron jumped outside Bellisle with three laps remaining, searching for the momentum to take over Bellisle for the win. They raced side-by-side over the final laps with both competitors gunning for the win. On the final lap, Panaroni looked low off turn four with the checkered flag in the air making for a three-car sprint to the finish line. Bellisle won his second race of the season by a nose over Caron. Panaroni was a close third at the stripe in an exciting Speedbowl finish.
Angelo Belsito led the first two laps of the 20-lap Legends Cars feature with Giovanni Giarratana moving by his inside coming out of turn four to lead lap three. Alessandro Vitelli was on the move in the opening laps, coming through past Belsito to second position on lap five. Dana Dimatteo moved by Belsito into third. Racing continued caution-free through halfway and Vitelli tracked down the advantage Giarratana had up front.
While all that action was going on, Flannery was mired in traffic early but began to pick competitors off one-by-one as lanes opened up. He was in fifth on lap ten, then got by Belsito for fourth a lap later. At the front Vitelli continued to pressure Giarratana. The two made contact as they raced off turn four on lap 13, spinning down the front stretch in tandem and bringing out the caution. The chain of events gave Dimatteo the lead over Flannery who was after Speedbowl history, seeking his 11th straight win.
Dimatteo got a great restart to lead the field to turn one, but Flannery rebounded quickly and charged back to Dimatteo’s bumper. He was able to move by Dimatteo on lap 14. From there he went on to his record breaking victory. Dimatteo was second and Belsito was strong all night for third.
The Speedbowl returns to action during the coming 4th of July holiday week with four exciting events. Next Saturday the mid-season championship Speedbowl.com 300 features extra distance racing with a 100-lap SK Modified® race, and 50-lap races for the Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, Street Stocks, Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks. The A.B. CDL Driver Training Center Trucks and Legends Cars each go 25-laps. Main events get underway at 7:00pm.
Saturday 6/26 Results and standings:
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds® (35 laps): 1. Jeff Pearl, Salem; 2. Rob Janovic Jr., Waterford; 3. Ron Yuhas Jr., Groton; 4. Jeff Paul, Ledyard; 5. Tom Abele Jr., Norwich; 6. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard; 7. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry; 8. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 9. Joe Gada, Salem; 10. Kyle James, Ashaway, RI; 11. Joe Perry, Ashaway, RI; 12. Diego Monahan, Quaker Hill; 13. Shawn Solomito, Islip, NY; 14. Mike Sweeney, Meriden; 15. Frank Mucciacciaro Jr., Milford; 16. Glenn Pressell III, Gales Ferry; 17. Adam Gada, Bozrah; 18. Jimmy Smith, Woodstock; 19. Jeff Gallup, Agawam, MA; 20. Harry Rheaume, Oakdale; 21. Justin Gaydosh, Newtown
Standings after eleven events (top-ten): 1. Rocco, 516; 2. Yuhas, 503; 3. Janovic, 438; 4. Chadwick, 408; 5. Paul, 403; 6. Pearl, 365; 7. Monahan, 350; 8. Dennis Charette, 336; 9. Abele, 330; 10. J. Gada, 306
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bob Valenti Auto Mall Late Models (30 laps): 1. Jeff Smith, Old Lyme; 2. Tim Jordan, Plainfield; 3. Ernie Bertrand, North Branford; 4. Dennis Botticello, Suffield, 5. Richard Staskowski, Hope Valley; 6. Joe Curioso, Mystic; 7. Vin Esposito, Seymour; 8. Jason Palmer, Berlin; 9. Jeffrey Paul, Ledyard; 10. Brian Andronaco Jr, Wilton; 11. Richard Duranti, Quaker Hill; 12. Bruce Thomas Jr, Groton
Standings after six events (top-ten): 1. Jordan, 288; 2. Smith, 267; 3. Esposito, 253; 4. Botticello, 250; 5. Staskowski, 242; 6. Palmer, 232; 7. Thomas, 231; 8. Bertrand, 227;
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Street Stocks (25 laps): 1. Brandon Plemons, Uncasville; 2. Al Stone III, New Haven; 3. Norm Sears, Andover; 4. Hovey, Chaplin; 5. Josh Galvin, Franklin; 6. Greg Moran Jr., Preston; 7. Ed Puleo, Branford; 8. Chris Meyer, N. Franklin; 9. Nate Appell, Westbrook; 10. Jack Aquilina, Oakdale; 11. Chris Kvaka, Stratford; 12. Steve Barrett, Preston; 13. Scott Young, Willimantic; DNS – Shawn Monahan, Waterford; DQ – Ronnie Oldham Jr., Westbrook
Standings after eleven events (top-ten): 1. Hovey, 509; 2. Stone, 460; 3. Puleo, 450; 4. Galvin, 444; 5. Plemons, 441; 6. Barrett, 432; 7. Sears, 411; 8. Oldham, 405; 9. Meyer, 389; 10. Appell, 318
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Norwich Bulletin Mini Stocks (25 laps): 1. Louie Bellisle, Griswold; 2. Sean Caron, East Hampton; 3.Mark Panaroni, Ivoryton; 4. Danny Field, Deep River; 5. Kenneth Cassidy Jr, Lisbon; 6. Ray Christian III, Noank; 7. Charles Canfield, New Haven; 8. Chris Williams; Waterford; 9. Greg Moran Sr, Preston; 10. Ian Brew, Wood River Jct; 11. John Kelly, New London; 12. Steve Violette, Canterbury; 13. Jeff Cambruch, Wallingford; 14. Christina Kellerman, Stratford; 15. Ben Bargnasi, Norwich; 16. Alan Hall Jr, North Haven; 17. Bill Leonard, Wood River Jct; 18. Glen Colvin, Clinton; 19. Jack Acquilina, Oakdale; 20. Nick Pappacoda, North Branford
Standings after eleven events (top-ten): 1. D. Field, 508; 2. Cassidy, 497; 3. Caron, 464; 4. Bellisle, 392; 5. Williams, 371; 6. Brew, 363; 7. Canfield, 360; 8. Violette, 354; 9. Moran, 352; 10. Pappacoda, 264
Legends Cars (20 laps):. 1. Anthony Flannery, East Hampton; 2. Dana Dimatteo, Farmington; 3. Angelo Belsito, Auburn, MA; 4. Giovanni Giarratana, Newington; 5. Ed Field, Deep River; 6. Alessandro Vitelli, Woodbridge; 7. Kyle Rogers, Waterbury; 8. Joey Campbell, Berlin; 9. George Whitney, Westbrook; 10. Joey Mucciacciaro, Wolcott; 11. Joe Bavolacco, Stratford; 12. Michael Blaskey, Waterbury; 13. Dirk Eykeloff, Oakdale; 14. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown; 15. Dave Garbo Jr., Stonington; DNS – Dylan Izzo, Monroe
Standings after six events (top-ten): 1. Flannery, 290; 2. Giarratana, 271; 3. Vitelli, 230; 4. (tie) Dimatteo, Field, 220; 6. Belsito, 206; 7. Bavolacco, 168; 8. Campbell, 160; 9. (tie) Garbo Jr., Mucciacciaro, 158
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR