Yep, it's going to be insane this weekend. Stafford actually has a good enough weekend to get their regular Friday night installment done! Celebrate good times, come on! (Okay, I'll quit singing. Besides, my abilities suck anyway.) And after that, we get to make up a Whelen Modified Tour race. Doesn't that sound fun to you? Of course it does!
Friday night is the annual Late Model 100--and I can hear the open-wheeled fans right now groaning over the fact that it could potentially be a snorefest. Well, considering the fact that the other four divisions have regular-distanced features, I don't think I can go wrong on the above statement unless the race in question has more crashes than an action movie. That's all going down with little to no rain. *stands up and dances*
Gasp! But wait, there's more!
The Whelen Modified Tour's coming back for their make-up date from back in May. What date is this going to happen? July 4. Or as I like to put it, Independence Day. If you haven't paid attention to the schedule of events for that whole day, let me tell you that the pit gates open at a mind-boggling 7:30am Eastern Standard Time and the general admission gates open at 11:30am Eastern Standard Time. (This sounds like the Spring Sizzler or Fall Final, doesn't it? Anyway...)
So until Friday, I'll let you decide on one event or the other. (Or if you'd prefer more SK Modified action, I'll recommend the Pepsi 300 at the Waterford Speedbowl. Yet I doubt anyone will attend all three events over the course of five days...) Until then, take care and put some sunscreen on!
After my hiatus since May, I've decided on a new lease on life. I've re-emerged from the dark layers of hell with a new location for all things VFT1.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Three Firsts is a First
As most of you may know already, Stafford had cancelled its 6/23 program and will be back in action for yet another show on Friday. (More on that in a later blog.) But let's see here...I did get to see something (make it a few somethings) as I was heading down to Foxwoods for an impromptu Bingo session. Can you say "a night of firsts"? Well, I sure can and will and I will go further by saying that it was a night of three firsts.
First time I've seen a hauler drive by me as I'm stopped at a stop sign at the corner of two Connecticut Routes. As I'm at a red octagon at the corner of Routes 31 and 32, I notice this big, white and red (might have been orange) hauler come flying by us. With the positioning of the stripes on the back part of the hauler, I could tell it was the TS Haulers sponsored SK Modified hauler. Mom and I would lose this as we were heading in the same direction it would be going in but we would later catch up to it going onto Route 2. We'd lose it again on interstate 395.
First time driving by a "hauler" as it's sitting in the parking lot of a restaurant. This was probably the coolest find of them all. Coming past the Department of Motor Vehicles on Route 32 there is this pizza place and there is room for a small enough hauler--one that has the car visibly seen on all angles. Well, what a perfect time to spot Shelly Perry's SK Light parked right there for the whole world to see. I'm thinking that they were heading home with the fact that they come from Rhode Island and they stopped for a bite to eat. Who knows...
First time driving by a "hauler" as it's on the other side of the yellow lines. Still on Route 32, probably near the Franklin mushroom factory, Mom and I happen to just fly by the "hauler" of the 97 SK Light (an open hauler, just like Ms. Perry's) as it's heading to the track. Yes, you heard me right. To the track. Now, don't get me wrong, but did the driver of said hauler not notice Mr. TS Haulers driver dude drive right by him? Would it signal him turning around somewhere and heading back the way he came? Uh, not quite. So we see a not-too-smart move in the process.
And that was the last first in a night of firsts...which if I remember correctly is a first for me. (Three firsts for me is a first.) All right, this is posted late as is so more on the next event at Stafford later on in the week.
First time I've seen a hauler drive by me as I'm stopped at a stop sign at the corner of two Connecticut Routes. As I'm at a red octagon at the corner of Routes 31 and 32, I notice this big, white and red (might have been orange) hauler come flying by us. With the positioning of the stripes on the back part of the hauler, I could tell it was the TS Haulers sponsored SK Modified hauler. Mom and I would lose this as we were heading in the same direction it would be going in but we would later catch up to it going onto Route 2. We'd lose it again on interstate 395.
First time driving by a "hauler" as it's sitting in the parking lot of a restaurant. This was probably the coolest find of them all. Coming past the Department of Motor Vehicles on Route 32 there is this pizza place and there is room for a small enough hauler--one that has the car visibly seen on all angles. Well, what a perfect time to spot Shelly Perry's SK Light parked right there for the whole world to see. I'm thinking that they were heading home with the fact that they come from Rhode Island and they stopped for a bite to eat. Who knows...
First time driving by a "hauler" as it's on the other side of the yellow lines. Still on Route 32, probably near the Franklin mushroom factory, Mom and I happen to just fly by the "hauler" of the 97 SK Light (an open hauler, just like Ms. Perry's) as it's heading to the track. Yes, you heard me right. To the track. Now, don't get me wrong, but did the driver of said hauler not notice Mr. TS Haulers driver dude drive right by him? Would it signal him turning around somewhere and heading back the way he came? Uh, not quite. So we see a not-too-smart move in the process.
And that was the last first in a night of firsts...which if I remember correctly is a first for me. (Three firsts for me is a first.) All right, this is posted late as is so more on the next event at Stafford later on in the week.
Friday, June 23, 2006
The Midnight Weather Report (6/23 Event)
It is now 12:03am Eastern Standard time. As I write this, a new Friday is upon us and there is supposed to be racing tonight. I would like to say that there will be a full docket of features, but I am ashamed to report something like this on such short notice. With the recent addition of Weatherbug on the computer in my room, I can admit to seeing that it doesn't look good for tonight. There's a 70 percent chance of showers for the day alone and it just gets worse for the afternoon and evening. Yet all of this appears to be coming at a pretty good speed, so we might get this within the next few hours. Will we get this event in, or are we going to find alternate means of entertainment? More from the Turn One Weather Center as the day progresses.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Another One Bites the Dust
And once again, we've got ourselves the police blogger from Friday's events. There's nothing real special when you look at the majority of them as you see a bunch of rough riding penalties. But there's one that really tickled my fancy and is getting its own mention from this faithful follower. I'd like to draw your attention to the following penalty:
Date Issued: 6/19/06
Name: Phil Balmer
Division: SK Light Modified
Date of Infraction: 6/16/06
Rules Infractions: Intentionally causing a caution during the 6/16/06 SK Light Modified feature event. Unsportsmanlike conduct. Actions detrimental to the sport of auto racing.
Penalties: Black flagged for 3-lap penalty. Removed from competition in the 6/16/06 SK Light Modified feature event. Indefinite suspension.
See? This is what you get for flipping off about five officials after you've been denied access to the Jimmy Bosco paddock area. Did he deserve what he got? Of course. It's been proved time and time again that if you play the devil card, you are going to get shafted. Think about your actions and come back when you've graduated from anger management class.
Other penalties from the night can be found here.
Date Issued: 6/19/06
Name: Phil Balmer
Division: SK Light Modified
Date of Infraction: 6/16/06
Rules Infractions: Intentionally causing a caution during the 6/16/06 SK Light Modified feature event. Unsportsmanlike conduct. Actions detrimental to the sport of auto racing.
Penalties: Black flagged for 3-lap penalty. Removed from competition in the 6/16/06 SK Light Modified feature event. Indefinite suspension.
See? This is what you get for flipping off about five officials after you've been denied access to the Jimmy Bosco paddock area. Did he deserve what he got? Of course. It's been proved time and time again that if you play the devil card, you are going to get shafted. Think about your actions and come back when you've graduated from anger management class.
Other penalties from the night can be found here.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Solo Busch East Appearance (and Weekly Results)
It's been two days since I've posted a blog and it's also been that long since I remembered what the heck my password to Blogger was. I've succeeded in both tonight and therefore I bring you the events of June 16, 2006. This is also called the Busch East race from Stafford Motor Speedway. Speaking of the Busch East race, qualifying started at around 5pm Eastern Standard Time for the said series and Sean Caisse won it with a 19.796 time--which averages out to about 90.927 mile an hour speed. He also started on the pole after drawing it later on in the evening...but that's all I'm going to say about that for now. Let's get to the weekly portion of the night and I'll return later with more on the TSI Harley Davidson 150.
Unlike last week, we start out with the DARE Stock race and the first 15-laps of the night in terms of features. The first seven laps started out cleaner than a baby's diaper, and then from there it all fell apart. On the frontstretch, the race's big one occured when Jeff Hubbell, Melissa Blowers, and Lori-Jo Rzeszutek got into each other and sent themselves in both the wall and grass. All three of them were done for the event after that mess. As soon as the green flag came back out, another three car melee took place coming out of turn two. Once again, the caution came out but didn't last as long as the first one did. Those were the only two yellows of the race and that was all David Gambacorta had to face as he sailed to the finish line in first place.
Then it was the SK Lights and the 25-lap feature that they usually have. Phil Balmer decided that he would play dirty for a while and as he brought out a caution, he flipped off the officials at the pit gate near where I sit on a general admission basis. (Nice job, pal. I hope you get some time off to think about it. Can't wait for the police blogger.) The other main story of the race was Chris Matthews and his dominant performance. Methinks it was the right move to think that way because it was his second "dominant performance" of the season...he won the race and became the first SK Light driver to have more than one career win in the season.
After that, I decided not to write full recaps during the races as I needed to see what was going on rather than putting my eyes on my notes every five seconds. And with the 30-lap Late Model feature next, I knew it was a smart move on my part. Four caution flags flew in this race, all for minor accidents where all of the cars drove away on their own. But the story of the whole feature was Woody Pitkat. Could he win four features in a row? Not really. In the end, the Monson, Massachusetts native Jim Peterson took down his first feature win of the season in true fashion...a big lead at the end.
Speaking of big leads, the Limited Late Model 20-lap feature was the same story. A big lead was insurmountable for the rest of the field when Charlie Newman became the fourth different driver to win a race in this division in the 2006 season. (Let me tell you, it was better than the same two drivers winning every race last year...) There was only one caution, and it occured on lap-15. It was a minor spin inbetween turns one and two and that driver pulled away. But in the next feature, it was a different story...
The SK Modifieds took to the track for the final regular feature of the night...a 40-lap event. Unlike the previous week, there wasn't a controversial caution that took place. Yet there was a caution midway through when the leaders at the time (and I forget who they were) got together and caused a nice wreck on the backstretch. People were banging cars everywhere and one person even went airborne: A repeat wrecker from last time, Frank Ruocco. Lucky for him, he finished the race a few laps down. But coming down from the and landing on the track surface had to be a hard hit on the cracked ribs he suffered. (Oh, I'll stop for there. I really don't want to sound like a "homer" or anything...)
Finally, the event wrapped up with the TSI Harley Davidson 150 for the Busch East Series. (I admit to leaving early because it was sort of...well, getting boring for me. They aren't my favorite things to see in the whole world, but I did see enough to comment on it. Good for me.) What I didn't see though was a late race red flag. Apparently Rich Gould and Mike Johnson brought out the red for a full 22 minutes. Other than that, I didn't miss much. The race was a two-man show with Caisse and Matt Kobyluck leading every lap imaginable. In the end, the rookie took the lead and he took the race. Congratulations to Sean Caisse and the rest of his team. Two in a row is very impressive, and he could very well make it three when the group races again.
Unlike last week, we start out with the DARE Stock race and the first 15-laps of the night in terms of features. The first seven laps started out cleaner than a baby's diaper, and then from there it all fell apart. On the frontstretch, the race's big one occured when Jeff Hubbell, Melissa Blowers, and Lori-Jo Rzeszutek got into each other and sent themselves in both the wall and grass. All three of them were done for the event after that mess. As soon as the green flag came back out, another three car melee took place coming out of turn two. Once again, the caution came out but didn't last as long as the first one did. Those were the only two yellows of the race and that was all David Gambacorta had to face as he sailed to the finish line in first place.
Then it was the SK Lights and the 25-lap feature that they usually have. Phil Balmer decided that he would play dirty for a while and as he brought out a caution, he flipped off the officials at the pit gate near where I sit on a general admission basis. (Nice job, pal. I hope you get some time off to think about it. Can't wait for the police blogger.) The other main story of the race was Chris Matthews and his dominant performance. Methinks it was the right move to think that way because it was his second "dominant performance" of the season...he won the race and became the first SK Light driver to have more than one career win in the season.
After that, I decided not to write full recaps during the races as I needed to see what was going on rather than putting my eyes on my notes every five seconds. And with the 30-lap Late Model feature next, I knew it was a smart move on my part. Four caution flags flew in this race, all for minor accidents where all of the cars drove away on their own. But the story of the whole feature was Woody Pitkat. Could he win four features in a row? Not really. In the end, the Monson, Massachusetts native Jim Peterson took down his first feature win of the season in true fashion...a big lead at the end.
Speaking of big leads, the Limited Late Model 20-lap feature was the same story. A big lead was insurmountable for the rest of the field when Charlie Newman became the fourth different driver to win a race in this division in the 2006 season. (Let me tell you, it was better than the same two drivers winning every race last year...) There was only one caution, and it occured on lap-15. It was a minor spin inbetween turns one and two and that driver pulled away. But in the next feature, it was a different story...
The SK Modifieds took to the track for the final regular feature of the night...a 40-lap event. Unlike the previous week, there wasn't a controversial caution that took place. Yet there was a caution midway through when the leaders at the time (and I forget who they were) got together and caused a nice wreck on the backstretch. People were banging cars everywhere and one person even went airborne: A repeat wrecker from last time, Frank Ruocco. Lucky for him, he finished the race a few laps down. But coming down from the and landing on the track surface had to be a hard hit on the cracked ribs he suffered. (Oh, I'll stop for there. I really don't want to sound like a "homer" or anything...)
Finally, the event wrapped up with the TSI Harley Davidson 150 for the Busch East Series. (I admit to leaving early because it was sort of...well, getting boring for me. They aren't my favorite things to see in the whole world, but I did see enough to comment on it. Good for me.) What I didn't see though was a late race red flag. Apparently Rich Gould and Mike Johnson brought out the red for a full 22 minutes. Other than that, I didn't miss much. The race was a two-man show with Caisse and Matt Kobyluck leading every lap imaginable. In the end, the rookie took the lead and he took the race. Congratulations to Sean Caisse and the rest of his team. Two in a row is very impressive, and he could very well make it three when the group races again.
Friday, June 16, 2006
TC's Got a (Tour) Ride and the Busch Boys Roll in Town
It's official: Ted Christopher will be in Jennerstown (PA) on Saturday night. And he will be in a Whelen Modified Tour car as well. The Hartford Courant states that Eddie Whelan has offered the former Stafford SK Modified champion a ride and he has accepted to drive for him. (Note: Whelan currently fields a full-time ride for Mike Andrews, Jr. The car was previously driven by Mike Ewanitsko, but injuries have kept him out of the car.) Nobody knows if this deal will continue past Jennerstown.
In other news: The Busch East Series makes its only appearance at the half mile tonight. I haven't been feeling all too good over the past few days, but my medical condition is withstanding and I should get the clean bill of health for tonight's events. A full report on the night will be written up while I'm there and I will be posting it up on here tomorrow.
In other news: The Busch East Series makes its only appearance at the half mile tonight. I haven't been feeling all too good over the past few days, but my medical condition is withstanding and I should get the clean bill of health for tonight's events. A full report on the night will be written up while I'm there and I will be posting it up on here tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Dug Your Grave? Live In It
Before I begin to actually write this, let me mention that this is what I've been waiting for...and probably what you've been waiting for as well. It's the official results of the melee on lap-32!
Three full programs into the season and it's over for someone's hunt in the championship. Just desserts have been served up to Jimmy Blewett for his actions during the 6/9 SK Modified feature. Because of his unsatisfactory driving and nailing another car, Blewett has been suspended for the rest of the 2006 season. The group on the Making Laps message board sort of discussed the possiblity of a two week vacation and one went further, saying that it could have been extended to a season ender. Well, I can't blame him for making an accusation like that. Blewett dug his own grave when he literally shoved Frank Ruocco into the turn one wall (and just to let you know again, the incident took place feet before...right in front of where I was sitting), so it's logical to deduct that the man should live in it as well.
Oh...before I forget, let me mention that the only thing Ruocco ended up getting in the penalty notices was a fine for not taking a ride in the ambulance after the wreck occured. Remember? I told you what happened. I witnessed everything, you know.
Here are the other penalties from the night.
Three full programs into the season and it's over for someone's hunt in the championship. Just desserts have been served up to Jimmy Blewett for his actions during the 6/9 SK Modified feature. Because of his unsatisfactory driving and nailing another car, Blewett has been suspended for the rest of the 2006 season. The group on the Making Laps message board sort of discussed the possiblity of a two week vacation and one went further, saying that it could have been extended to a season ender. Well, I can't blame him for making an accusation like that. Blewett dug his own grave when he literally shoved Frank Ruocco into the turn one wall (and just to let you know again, the incident took place feet before...right in front of where I was sitting), so it's logical to deduct that the man should live in it as well.
Oh...before I forget, let me mention that the only thing Ruocco ended up getting in the penalty notices was a fine for not taking a ride in the ambulance after the wreck occured. Remember? I told you what happened. I witnessed everything, you know.
Here are the other penalties from the night.
Monday, June 12, 2006
After Weekend Headlines
After the first real racing at Stafford in a while, I'm happy to report that news has broken concerning two of the podiums. Well...I'm not really happy, but there is news and I'm right on it. The SK Light and DARE Stock feature finishes have changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke with each other, but the winners remain the same. Taken from the press release from today:
"In the SK Light feature finish, second and third place finishers Anthony Burr and Duke Place were disqualified from their finishing positions following post-race technical inspection. Both cars were found to have illegal carburetor parts. Unofficial DARE Stock third place finisher Joseph Scata was disqualified from the official order of finish. Scata's car failed to meet the minimum height requirement in post-race technical inspection and thus he was disqualified from the official May 5 DARE Stock finishing order."
Well, it sucks to be them. I mean, come on. This is the first time all season I've had to see this happen to people who try very hard to make good, strong finishes every race they enter. Yet once this happens to them, this puts their reputation down to an all-time low. Just show me good, clean top-3s for the rest of the year. Okay? All right...other news to report: Tuesday, July 11 is the third annual CARQuest Extreme Tuesday. Basically it's an open-wheeled night for those people who are interested in those series that don't race weekly at the track. (Meaning for a change, there's going to be no Mandy in turn one...even if this thing doesn't get rained out.) But there is a light side to all of this, and that's called the CARQuest Clash. You get some of the biggest names in racing and stick them in open-wheeled cars for show. This year, I hear Stafford's booked Al Unser Jr, Sarah Fisher, Sammy Swindell (who has competed in this event before), Dave Steele, and...get ready for this...Rusty Wallace. Yes, you saw that right. You want proof? You can read it here. It's going to be interesting if I do say so myself. So if anyone who's reading this is going, drop me a line and tell me how it was.
All right, I'm still looking for those penalty notices from Friday night. I've seen nothing and I'll report same for that. When I get them, be sure to check back for my opinions on them. (And like the entry on Saturday, I'll be completely unbiased. Or at least I'll try to.)
"In the SK Light feature finish, second and third place finishers Anthony Burr and Duke Place were disqualified from their finishing positions following post-race technical inspection. Both cars were found to have illegal carburetor parts. Unofficial DARE Stock third place finisher Joseph Scata was disqualified from the official order of finish. Scata's car failed to meet the minimum height requirement in post-race technical inspection and thus he was disqualified from the official May 5 DARE Stock finishing order."
Well, it sucks to be them. I mean, come on. This is the first time all season I've had to see this happen to people who try very hard to make good, strong finishes every race they enter. Yet once this happens to them, this puts their reputation down to an all-time low. Just show me good, clean top-3s for the rest of the year. Okay? All right...other news to report: Tuesday, July 11 is the third annual CARQuest Extreme Tuesday. Basically it's an open-wheeled night for those people who are interested in those series that don't race weekly at the track. (Meaning for a change, there's going to be no Mandy in turn one...even if this thing doesn't get rained out.) But there is a light side to all of this, and that's called the CARQuest Clash. You get some of the biggest names in racing and stick them in open-wheeled cars for show. This year, I hear Stafford's booked Al Unser Jr, Sarah Fisher, Sammy Swindell (who has competed in this event before), Dave Steele, and...get ready for this...Rusty Wallace. Yes, you saw that right. You want proof? You can read it here. It's going to be interesting if I do say so myself. So if anyone who's reading this is going, drop me a line and tell me how it was.
All right, I'm still looking for those penalty notices from Friday night. I've seen nothing and I'll report same for that. When I get them, be sure to check back for my opinions on them. (And like the entry on Saturday, I'll be completely unbiased. Or at least I'll try to.)
Saturday, June 10, 2006
This is How We Roll
Well then, what do we have here? If I didn't know better, I'd say last night was actually a race night. There was finally racing at Stafford and we got a full night in for a change. Yes, I know: I can hear the cheers and applause already. (And I guess the previous rumor of a "Stafford invasion" can be thrown out the window.) First off, we had some fireworks (literally and figuratively) when the SK Lights started off the night in style in terms of actual features and not last chance qualifiers. Shelly Perry became the first woman to win a feature in an open-wheeled car by beating out Anthony Burr. One may wonder when she'll strap into an actual SK Modified and show the boys how it's done. Time can only tell.
Then we went onto the Late Models and their version of a wreckfest. I mean, honestly, did anyone ever think to race clean once in a while? Waterford had a green-to-checkered SK race two weeks ago. Yet I have to admit it was pretty much a 30-lap nap. It was so boring yet it was much needed at the same time. (Okay, enough of that.) Woody Pitkat had a chance to win his third straight feature race and second race of the night after he previously won the Late Model 16 feature two attractions ago. You can take that to the bank. Pitkat becomes the second driver to pull this feat off since Todd Szegedy did so in 2001 when he won the SK 21 Means 21 last chance qualifier and feature.
After a brief intermission for some actual fireworks (the onces that appear in the sky, mind you), it was time for the Limited Late Models. Yesterday they had their biggest field to date with an impressive 20 cars. Let me tell you, it's better than the number of cars they started out with when the division initiated last year. They were still in single digits until the Fall Final.) Of course, not all of them finished and not all of them finished in one piece. The biggest dumb move of the race goes to the Stafford officials. For a while, Charlie Newman had a flopping piece of sheetmetal on his back bumper. The usual group I hang out with questioned this and wondered why the black flag didn't wave for him. Where's the race spotter when you need him? Someone needs to keep their eyes on the track and pay attention to everyone's appearance when racing. (Earlier in the night, Pitkat had a piece of sheetmetal coming off during his Late Model qualifier and was black flagged.) All right, stupid calls aside: It was a close call at the finish line between George Nocera and Andrew Durand. Either one could have one when the checkered flag came out, but Nocera squeaked by for his first career win of his Limited Late Model career. (Side note: Nocera was the one who shattered a few dreams in the race on Sizzler weekend. Just letting you know.)
And then it was the pride of Stafford--the SK Modifieds. Let me tell you, the tempers really came out in this one and I can't lie to you on that. They originally flew a little more than halfway into the race when a heated battle for the lead featuring Jimmy Blewett and Frank Ruocco. Coming out of turn four, Ruocco had been hard pressed on taking the lead from Blewett and he finally did...until Blewett nails him from behind and sends him into the turn one wall in front of the near bleachers. (Let me tell you: I've never seen anyone that upset about getting nailed after taking the lead. Ruocco got out of his car, made his way into the paddock area, and all of a sudden ended up running into the general admission grandstands and towards the press box.) Other than that major incident and two multi-car pileups later, Jeff Baral beats Bo Gunning to win his second straight race of the season. In third was Pitkat who just added to his dominance on the night as he took the points lead from an absent Ted Christopher. More on this story after this last recap.
To finish off a thrilling night, the DARE Stocks performed their usual 15-lapper. The biggest flub from the announcers came from this race. Norm Sears spins in turn two and moved the car just in time to keep the green out. Ben Dodge reports, "It doesn't look like we'll be going to green." Uh, isn't the green already out? Don't you want to replace that last word with yellow? Okay, whatever. That's not the point. The key point of this race was the first flip of the season. Al Jurczyk goes on his roof on the backstretch and during the red flag period, we experience a little wet weather. (What perfect timing for that, by the way.) Of course, it was about a quarter to midnight Eastern Standard Time when the sprinkles started and the yellow had just come back out, so there was no choice to stop the race with four laps to go. In front at that time was Steve Berardi and he took down his first DARE Stock win of the season and of his career.
So that's the night in a nutshell. Oh, yeah...there's one little thing I need to point out. Remember in the SK Modified recap I mentioned something about a mysteriously absent Ted Christopher? Well, it appears as though he may not be able to get into his famous black, blue, and silver 13 ride as all six cars (and soon to be former car carrier) were taken from the shop at around 1pm Eastern Standard Time by the federal agents. Car owner Jimmy Galante was arrested early yesterday morning for being involved with the mob. So will the former track and regional points champion be able to find someone to share a ride with? I'd be surprised to hear the name of the person who will be willing to give a ride to the man. I'd probably have to face the music when I do.
All right, I have to give some major props to Mother Nature for holding off until she did. We didn't need the rain until when we got it and I was such a happy camper (until that nice little snippet in the SK Modified race, but that's all right) for seeing something I love to see weekly. I'll give you more on the TC story when more information becomes available. But for now, take care and I hope to see you next week.
Then we went onto the Late Models and their version of a wreckfest. I mean, honestly, did anyone ever think to race clean once in a while? Waterford had a green-to-checkered SK race two weeks ago. Yet I have to admit it was pretty much a 30-lap nap. It was so boring yet it was much needed at the same time. (Okay, enough of that.) Woody Pitkat had a chance to win his third straight feature race and second race of the night after he previously won the Late Model 16 feature two attractions ago. You can take that to the bank. Pitkat becomes the second driver to pull this feat off since Todd Szegedy did so in 2001 when he won the SK 21 Means 21 last chance qualifier and feature.
After a brief intermission for some actual fireworks (the onces that appear in the sky, mind you), it was time for the Limited Late Models. Yesterday they had their biggest field to date with an impressive 20 cars. Let me tell you, it's better than the number of cars they started out with when the division initiated last year. They were still in single digits until the Fall Final.) Of course, not all of them finished and not all of them finished in one piece. The biggest dumb move of the race goes to the Stafford officials. For a while, Charlie Newman had a flopping piece of sheetmetal on his back bumper. The usual group I hang out with questioned this and wondered why the black flag didn't wave for him. Where's the race spotter when you need him? Someone needs to keep their eyes on the track and pay attention to everyone's appearance when racing. (Earlier in the night, Pitkat had a piece of sheetmetal coming off during his Late Model qualifier and was black flagged.) All right, stupid calls aside: It was a close call at the finish line between George Nocera and Andrew Durand. Either one could have one when the checkered flag came out, but Nocera squeaked by for his first career win of his Limited Late Model career. (Side note: Nocera was the one who shattered a few dreams in the race on Sizzler weekend. Just letting you know.)
And then it was the pride of Stafford--the SK Modifieds. Let me tell you, the tempers really came out in this one and I can't lie to you on that. They originally flew a little more than halfway into the race when a heated battle for the lead featuring Jimmy Blewett and Frank Ruocco. Coming out of turn four, Ruocco had been hard pressed on taking the lead from Blewett and he finally did...until Blewett nails him from behind and sends him into the turn one wall in front of the near bleachers. (Let me tell you: I've never seen anyone that upset about getting nailed after taking the lead. Ruocco got out of his car, made his way into the paddock area, and all of a sudden ended up running into the general admission grandstands and towards the press box.) Other than that major incident and two multi-car pileups later, Jeff Baral beats Bo Gunning to win his second straight race of the season. In third was Pitkat who just added to his dominance on the night as he took the points lead from an absent Ted Christopher. More on this story after this last recap.
To finish off a thrilling night, the DARE Stocks performed their usual 15-lapper. The biggest flub from the announcers came from this race. Norm Sears spins in turn two and moved the car just in time to keep the green out. Ben Dodge reports, "It doesn't look like we'll be going to green." Uh, isn't the green already out? Don't you want to replace that last word with yellow? Okay, whatever. That's not the point. The key point of this race was the first flip of the season. Al Jurczyk goes on his roof on the backstretch and during the red flag period, we experience a little wet weather. (What perfect timing for that, by the way.) Of course, it was about a quarter to midnight Eastern Standard Time when the sprinkles started and the yellow had just come back out, so there was no choice to stop the race with four laps to go. In front at that time was Steve Berardi and he took down his first DARE Stock win of the season and of his career.
So that's the night in a nutshell. Oh, yeah...there's one little thing I need to point out. Remember in the SK Modified recap I mentioned something about a mysteriously absent Ted Christopher? Well, it appears as though he may not be able to get into his famous black, blue, and silver 13 ride as all six cars (and soon to be former car carrier) were taken from the shop at around 1pm Eastern Standard Time by the federal agents. Car owner Jimmy Galante was arrested early yesterday morning for being involved with the mob. So will the former track and regional points champion be able to find someone to share a ride with? I'd be surprised to hear the name of the person who will be willing to give a ride to the man. I'd probably have to face the music when I do.
All right, I have to give some major props to Mother Nature for holding off until she did. We didn't need the rain until when we got it and I was such a happy camper (until that nice little snippet in the SK Modified race, but that's all right) for seeing something I love to see weekly. I'll give you more on the TC story when more information becomes available. But for now, take care and I hope to see you next week.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Stafford/Seekonk News
(Note: I don't want anyone nitpicking over the contents of this entry. I heard that the first part was a rumor and a rumor ONLY. And I figured that both parts of the entry couldn't wait, so...yeah.)
If Friday does end up being a washout--and I can't complain if it is because I'm older and more mature than my last entry--I'd like to explain to you about what might happen at the Waterford Speedbowl the following day. Can you say "Stafford invasion"? Well, fasten those seatbelts, Bowl Mod drivers. Because it could be the case. It's a rumor that Stafford Mod drivers Lloyd Agor, Jeff Malave, Kenny Horton and Frank Ruocco could climb in their rides for the Saturday (6/10) night event. Now, I said this was only a rumor. Hell, I can even get down on my knees and beg to you that I only heard about this through the grapevine. You can thank Making Laps' message board for getting me more than excited than ever. (And for almost making me get down on my knees. You know I won't do that until it's more than needed...) Now what do I do? Do I pray to Mother Nature and ask her to stop the rain for a change? Or do I end up asking Mom if we can take a mini-vacation back to the shoreline? I can tell you right now I'll be happy if this accusation is truer than reality shows and their spoiler sites.
Before I get comments from the peanut gallery, let me also introduce valuable information about Seekonk (MA) Speedway's second-annual Modified Madness event. This takes place July 26th--that's a Wednesday for you diehard Modified fans--so plan accordingly. If anyone who races an open wheeler's reading this and is considering going, I encourage you to go. The first installment drew a good number of entries (including a few local guys from Stafford), so it wouldn't hurt to get something going. Get it in before July 21st, though.
Okay, must go as it's late. I'll post more information about the invasion either Friday or Saturday (depending on what happens).
If Friday does end up being a washout--and I can't complain if it is because I'm older and more mature than my last entry--I'd like to explain to you about what might happen at the Waterford Speedbowl the following day. Can you say "Stafford invasion"? Well, fasten those seatbelts, Bowl Mod drivers. Because it could be the case. It's a rumor that Stafford Mod drivers Lloyd Agor, Jeff Malave, Kenny Horton and Frank Ruocco could climb in their rides for the Saturday (6/10) night event. Now, I said this was only a rumor. Hell, I can even get down on my knees and beg to you that I only heard about this through the grapevine. You can thank Making Laps' message board for getting me more than excited than ever. (And for almost making me get down on my knees. You know I won't do that until it's more than needed...) Now what do I do? Do I pray to Mother Nature and ask her to stop the rain for a change? Or do I end up asking Mom if we can take a mini-vacation back to the shoreline? I can tell you right now I'll be happy if this accusation is truer than reality shows and their spoiler sites.
Before I get comments from the peanut gallery, let me also introduce valuable information about Seekonk (MA) Speedway's second-annual Modified Madness event. This takes place July 26th--that's a Wednesday for you diehard Modified fans--so plan accordingly. If anyone who races an open wheeler's reading this and is considering going, I encourage you to go. The first installment drew a good number of entries (including a few local guys from Stafford), so it wouldn't hurt to get something going. Get it in before July 21st, though.
Okay, must go as it's late. I'll post more information about the invasion either Friday or Saturday (depending on what happens).
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The "Same Old, Same Old..."
Watching the "Local on the 8s" from the Weather Channel today didn't look all too pleasing to the eye. I first read on Sunday that it was only supposed to be isolated thunderstorms. (So at that moment, we were basically looking at a hit or miss kind of night.) But then two days later, you can tell I'm not in the happiest of moods. Did I just read thundershowers and literally nothing else next to it? So I take it they're not going to be "scattered" nor "isolated" but "mandatory"? Is this what I'm going to see come September...nothing but the sprinkles falling down on Friday nights? I think I'm afraid to confirm that statement. If this upcoming event does indeed get cancelled, we're looking at a fifth straight week of staying indoors for the night.
No, it's not that I don't like staying indoors at night. It's just that I've got weekly plans and being inside on a Friday night is not what I had in mind. I mean, I can find other things to do in case the rain comes down and the event is called. But I'd really like to be back in the bleachers and see those who I've been seeing for quite some time now. No offense to anyone, but it's time to get this crap out of the way and quick.
No, it's not that I don't like staying indoors at night. It's just that I've got weekly plans and being inside on a Friday night is not what I had in mind. I mean, I can find other things to do in case the rain comes down and the event is called. But I'd really like to be back in the bleachers and see those who I've been seeing for quite some time now. No offense to anyone, but it's time to get this crap out of the way and quick.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Some Friday News
Even though there hasn't been racing in a while, there is some new news to give to you. The first order of business concerns this rain and how it has been affecting the schedule as of late. Stafford management has decided to add two new events onto the docket (September 15 and 22) in a desperate attempt to give the fans some makeup events. Let's hope those weeks are full of sunshine and clean racing, because it's time to actually see something go on.
And now, let's fast forward a few days to June 16. That's when the Busch East series makes its first and only appearance of the 2006 season at the half mile track. The entry list has been added to the website and can be found at the following address:
Busch East entry list: July 16
Other than that, I have nothing else to report on tonight. More to follow in the upcoming week...like if there's going to be a fifth straight week of showers or not. Until then, keep reading and I'll see you then.
And now, let's fast forward a few days to June 16. That's when the Busch East series makes its first and only appearance of the 2006 season at the half mile track. The entry list has been added to the website and can be found at the following address:
Busch East entry list: July 16
Other than that, I have nothing else to report on tonight. More to follow in the upcoming week...like if there's going to be a fifth straight week of showers or not. Until then, keep reading and I'll see you then.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Three's a Crowd, But What's Four?
Guess what? The baroness of bad news returns for more. I won't be pleased to tell you that tomorrow's event at Stafford has been called the day before due to on and off rain all day. Oh, yeah...I could go on and on about how much this rain has been pissing me off. But I'm not sure I'd like to have yet another blog entry about how this has affected my spirits. They've been kicked to the ground enough, thank you very much. So now what happens? Well, I could sit at home and do absolutely nothing (it's either that or watch this hideous Lindsay Lohan movie called The Parent Trap, which in my opinion isn't as good as the original). I think I'll take the first option.
Stay safe and dry and let's hope this constant cancellationfest stops soon. I'd like to reserve my spot in the general admission bleachers in the turn one area sometime before September ends. Something tells me that just might not happen...
Stay safe and dry and let's hope this constant cancellationfest stops soon. I'd like to reserve my spot in the general admission bleachers in the turn one area sometime before September ends. Something tells me that just might not happen...
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