I'll get to the usual bits of information later this week (read: before Thursday gets here!), but I'm here today because I come with my own coverage of the Saturday portion of Loudon weekend.
When I went in 2007, I went in sunshine and warm weather. Hate to tell you, but this time around, it was the complete opposite. Foggy on the trip up, and cloudy all day. Cooler than usual. Oh, and did I mention that on the way home, there was rain? Yeah, I guess you can't always have a Kodak moment.
When I find time this week, I'll put some videos up on YouTube. Two of them are videos I took of the Sprint Cup and their final practice -- if you don't know what it's like to stand on down near the frontstretch as anything speeds by you at 100+ miles an hour, the first of the clips will be for you. It's almost like an adrenaline rush. The other footage of final practice was from my seat 25 rows up in turn one (surprise!).
The first of the two races was the Whelen Modified Tour, and it came with the closest race I have ever seen in the history of me seeing these guys race. Ted Christopher had a really good car, and a good number of his passes came while going into turn three, but it was overshadowed by the very end of the race.
Another YouTube clip shall follow, hopefully, but this one is the last lap of the event followed by my commentary after the fact. And it was Chuck Hossfeld coming out on top over Christopher. The difference was a very close .002 seconds. Other than that, the video's speaking for itself.
The other race was the Nationwide Series event, and there was also something along the lines of last lap dramatics. Unlike the Modifieds, however, it was more like a last lap yellow. The winner of the second race, after leading a good portion of the race, was Tony Stewart.
The report from home on Sunday was another story. The rains came and ended the Sprint Cup race prematurely. Stewart was the front runner and ended up leading the most laps, but Kurt Busch ended up winning the race.
Hate to cut this short, but that's all I'm able to tell you. Like I said before, I'll get to the weekly blog as soon as possible -- Monday I'm starting. So until then, stay safe and dry.
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.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Regular Week Was Anything But
So, here we go! Another solid week of racing occured at Stafford this past Friday night. Sure, it was the first regular program of the season, but it didn't truly feel like a regular program. Sure, there happened to be fireworks in the sky, but there were more than fireworks in the sky and there were plenty of them on the track. First off, rain came and cleaned out all hope of trying to get qualifying in. The track was left with a features-only kind of night. Yet with that, we didn't get out until a later time (read as: after 11).
Coming up: One race has to end under the influence of a yellow/checker situation; though it's not what you think it is, someone gets the ax from the board in the Late Models, the SK Modifieds have their wildest feature of the season to date. I'm pretty sure that the title of this entry here sure does fit the mood, so with that all said, I'll say we get right into the important stuff. Like the features.
First up on the agenda: The DARE Stocks. The first eleven laps of the race ran fairly smoothly. Vince Gambacorta lead the first five laps, then gave way to Matt Chiarizio. On lap-8, there would be another lead change when Scott Roy challenged Chiarizio for the lead and won. Roy would now be out in front and would remain there as the caution came out on lap-12 for a two-car accident. Bill Dunn ended up on the frontstretch while Todd LaPorta wound up stopped in turn one, bringing out the yellow. (Other cars may or may not have been involved in the accident. The two drivers who are listed are the only two I remember and wrote down.) As the green came back out, Roy went back out in front and he would win his first feature of the season. (The track's summary says "several restart situations". Not true. It was one restart.) Finishing off the board were Dan Flannery, Chiarizio, and Norm Sears.
Your next feature to take to the track were the SK Lights. After a special 15-lap event on the 13th, they were back to a normal 20-lap feature. Usually, a good number of cars are wrecked and torn up by the time this event is over. Not this week. Starting at the top like we always do, we find that Harry Wheeler assumed the top spot early on in the race. He would have a half-straightaway lead at one point during the race, but both David Webb and Chris Matthews caught up fast. Matthews was able to pass Webb and then Wheeler by lap-16, but he was only out in front for two laps before two cautions came out on consecutive laps. On lap-18, Heather DesRochers became the victim of a one-car accident in turn one; and on the very next lap, it was Ted Cain spinning in turn four. And on both of those restarts, Matthews would have little to no contest. He would score his fourth win of the season, followed by Alan Provost, Wheeler, and Raymond Grassetti.
And now, a possible candidate for "Most Outrageous Race"... The Limited Late Models were next to show what they were made of. Let me tell you, this race does not end the same way the first two had. They didn't even get a full lap in under green before the caution came out. a spin/accident combination in turns three and four was reason for the yellow, courtesy of Shawn Thibeault and Carla Botticello. (It was more like a spin as both cars were able to drive out of there.) When the race went back to green, it was Darrin Havanec in the lead, and for three laps. On lap-3, the caution came back out for a multi-car spin in turn two. I couldn't tell you who was in that one (sorry), because everyone drove off. Havanec pulled back out to the lead on the restart, but again, the caution would come out. It was on lap-5, and again, it was for Botticello spinning in turn two. Another quick yellow, this was, and we were back to green with Havanec in the lead. But Ed Charette, Jr was coming, and not too long after the restart (the next lap), he passed Havanec for the lead. The caution would come back out on lap-8 when Michael Nadeau spun in turn four. After yet another yellow, the track was cleared quick enough to get the race back underway. A lap or two after the restart, Bill Davis would make his bid for the lead count by passing Charette. And this is where chaos starts. Four cautions in four laps would slow everything down. The madness started on lap-11, when Joey Ferrigno would have a problem and sail up to the wall in turn two. On lap-12, Charette and David Capriati spun in turns one and two. The restart on lap-12 didn't exactly work out, as there was a multi-car accident on the backstretch. The word on the street was that if another yellow came out, the race would stop there because of the time limit (that I didn't know was imposed). Wouldn't you know it -- on lap-14, the caution came out one final time. This time, it came out for Michael Chaves and Robert Dow, who wrecked on the frontstretch. So not only did the yellow fly, but the checkered flag came out with it. In front at the time of the final caution was Davis, and he would be the winner of the event. The rest of the board would be Charlie Newman, Havanec, and Charette.
Another candidate for "Most Outrageous Race" would be the SK Modifieds, who took to the track not too long after everything was squared away with the Limited Late Models. I hate to admit it, but where's smoke, there's (proverbial) fire; and the SKs showed that it was very much the case in this feature. We start with Doug Coby holding down the fort as the leader of the event for the first two laps before the first yellow came out for a four-car accident in turn three. Those involved were Corey Hutchings, Billy Bolton, Willie Hardie, and Brad Hietala. (Technically, people did drive away from the scene.) Back up front, it would be Coby back out and into the lead; but he would end up losing the lead after a caution in turn two and on the backstretch on lap-7, which also involved Richie Pallai, Jr, Glenn Griswold, and Brett Gonyaw. This gave the lead to Woody Pitkat, and his reign in the front officially began. It came to a quick halt on lap-11 as Bo Gunning apparently blew up in turn two, sending the field back under yellow. Pitkat would be back out in front on the restart, but again it would be short-lived when a multi-car accident in turn three put the field back into a caution state of mind on lap-12. On lap-15, Kenny Horton was stuck up high in turn four; and on lap-19, it was Wade Mattesen in the same predicament, but in both turns three and four. Another lead change occured on the lap-19 restart: Keith Rocco took over for Pitkat; yet for Pitkat, things would start to take a turn for the bad later on. At the lap-25 mark, Ted Christopher would now assume the lead after passing Rocco. The next caution would come on lap-27 for Pitkat, who spun in turns three and four. Now at this time, while Christopher was still up in front, controversy ensues. Christopher spins in turns three and four on lap-29, giving the lead back to Rocco. But Jeff Malave was black flagged for turning TC around, and they'd both have to go to the back of the field. So now that Rocco was back out in front and things were all sorted out, would things start to calm down? Not in the slightest bit. Bolton would spin again on lap-32 in turn two; Coby would spin (again) in turns three and four on lap-35; and then a four car accident took place on the frontstretch on lap-37. Those drivers involved in the four-car wreck (not all of those involved had serious damage) were Kirk Zervas, Todd Owen, Woody Pitkat, and Coby. Two laps later, with Rocco still out front, Bolton spun one more time in turn four to set up a two lap race to the finish. At this time, Christopher had caught back up to the front, yet he couldn't find a way to get around Rocco for the win. Rocco won his first win of the season, followed by Christopher, Jimmy Blewett, and Tom Bolles.
At long last, the Late Models took their turn. Scott Cook held the early lead before rendering it over to Corey Hutchings after the first few laps. (I'm not sure when the lead change was. Excuse me.) The first caution took place on lap-8 when Scott Foster, Jr and Tom Fearn spun in turn one and two. On the very next lap, it was another two-car spin; it was in turn two and it involved Duane Noll and Walt Wosko, Jr. Another lead change occured on lap-13 when Michael Bennett got around Hutchings, but the joyride would come to a stop on lap-18 when the caution came out for dirt in turn two. (Yellows for dirt on the track have been like frequent flyer miles lately.) Going back to green, Dillon Moltz was coming, and on lap-20, he made the move around Bennett. That would be the pass for the win, as Moltz took down the win; his second of the season and in a row. Bennett would finish second, followed by Mike Mordino and Ryan Posocco. But the board would not stay like that after Tech, and Mordino was disqualfied because his car did not meet the minimum frame height requirement.
And here we are. Since tomorrow is Friday, it's race day then! And to kick off the weekend, we're going to have a special occasion. The Late Models are going to have their first 100-lap event of the season. I'm sure you'd like the schedule, so if you click that link, you'll go there. I'll be back next week with news on the Extreme Tuesday event going on in two weeks, and if the weather cooperates, I'll be including a little thing about my second trip up to New Hampshire for the combination Whelen Modified Tour/Nationwide Series event. But for now, let's focus on Friday's event. Until then, stay safe and dry; and I hope to see you at the track.
Coming up: One race has to end under the influence of a yellow/checker situation; though it's not what you think it is, someone gets the ax from the board in the Late Models, the SK Modifieds have their wildest feature of the season to date. I'm pretty sure that the title of this entry here sure does fit the mood, so with that all said, I'll say we get right into the important stuff. Like the features.
First up on the agenda: The DARE Stocks. The first eleven laps of the race ran fairly smoothly. Vince Gambacorta lead the first five laps, then gave way to Matt Chiarizio. On lap-8, there would be another lead change when Scott Roy challenged Chiarizio for the lead and won. Roy would now be out in front and would remain there as the caution came out on lap-12 for a two-car accident. Bill Dunn ended up on the frontstretch while Todd LaPorta wound up stopped in turn one, bringing out the yellow. (Other cars may or may not have been involved in the accident. The two drivers who are listed are the only two I remember and wrote down.) As the green came back out, Roy went back out in front and he would win his first feature of the season. (The track's summary says "several restart situations". Not true. It was one restart.) Finishing off the board were Dan Flannery, Chiarizio, and Norm Sears.
Your next feature to take to the track were the SK Lights. After a special 15-lap event on the 13th, they were back to a normal 20-lap feature. Usually, a good number of cars are wrecked and torn up by the time this event is over. Not this week. Starting at the top like we always do, we find that Harry Wheeler assumed the top spot early on in the race. He would have a half-straightaway lead at one point during the race, but both David Webb and Chris Matthews caught up fast. Matthews was able to pass Webb and then Wheeler by lap-16, but he was only out in front for two laps before two cautions came out on consecutive laps. On lap-18, Heather DesRochers became the victim of a one-car accident in turn one; and on the very next lap, it was Ted Cain spinning in turn four. And on both of those restarts, Matthews would have little to no contest. He would score his fourth win of the season, followed by Alan Provost, Wheeler, and Raymond Grassetti.
And now, a possible candidate for "Most Outrageous Race"... The Limited Late Models were next to show what they were made of. Let me tell you, this race does not end the same way the first two had. They didn't even get a full lap in under green before the caution came out. a spin/accident combination in turns three and four was reason for the yellow, courtesy of Shawn Thibeault and Carla Botticello. (It was more like a spin as both cars were able to drive out of there.) When the race went back to green, it was Darrin Havanec in the lead, and for three laps. On lap-3, the caution came back out for a multi-car spin in turn two. I couldn't tell you who was in that one (sorry), because everyone drove off. Havanec pulled back out to the lead on the restart, but again, the caution would come out. It was on lap-5, and again, it was for Botticello spinning in turn two. Another quick yellow, this was, and we were back to green with Havanec in the lead. But Ed Charette, Jr was coming, and not too long after the restart (the next lap), he passed Havanec for the lead. The caution would come back out on lap-8 when Michael Nadeau spun in turn four. After yet another yellow, the track was cleared quick enough to get the race back underway. A lap or two after the restart, Bill Davis would make his bid for the lead count by passing Charette. And this is where chaos starts. Four cautions in four laps would slow everything down. The madness started on lap-11, when Joey Ferrigno would have a problem and sail up to the wall in turn two. On lap-12, Charette and David Capriati spun in turns one and two. The restart on lap-12 didn't exactly work out, as there was a multi-car accident on the backstretch. The word on the street was that if another yellow came out, the race would stop there because of the time limit (that I didn't know was imposed). Wouldn't you know it -- on lap-14, the caution came out one final time. This time, it came out for Michael Chaves and Robert Dow, who wrecked on the frontstretch. So not only did the yellow fly, but the checkered flag came out with it. In front at the time of the final caution was Davis, and he would be the winner of the event. The rest of the board would be Charlie Newman, Havanec, and Charette.
Another candidate for "Most Outrageous Race" would be the SK Modifieds, who took to the track not too long after everything was squared away with the Limited Late Models. I hate to admit it, but where's smoke, there's (proverbial) fire; and the SKs showed that it was very much the case in this feature. We start with Doug Coby holding down the fort as the leader of the event for the first two laps before the first yellow came out for a four-car accident in turn three. Those involved were Corey Hutchings, Billy Bolton, Willie Hardie, and Brad Hietala. (Technically, people did drive away from the scene.) Back up front, it would be Coby back out and into the lead; but he would end up losing the lead after a caution in turn two and on the backstretch on lap-7, which also involved Richie Pallai, Jr, Glenn Griswold, and Brett Gonyaw. This gave the lead to Woody Pitkat, and his reign in the front officially began. It came to a quick halt on lap-11 as Bo Gunning apparently blew up in turn two, sending the field back under yellow. Pitkat would be back out in front on the restart, but again it would be short-lived when a multi-car accident in turn three put the field back into a caution state of mind on lap-12. On lap-15, Kenny Horton was stuck up high in turn four; and on lap-19, it was Wade Mattesen in the same predicament, but in both turns three and four. Another lead change occured on the lap-19 restart: Keith Rocco took over for Pitkat; yet for Pitkat, things would start to take a turn for the bad later on. At the lap-25 mark, Ted Christopher would now assume the lead after passing Rocco. The next caution would come on lap-27 for Pitkat, who spun in turns three and four. Now at this time, while Christopher was still up in front, controversy ensues. Christopher spins in turns three and four on lap-29, giving the lead back to Rocco. But Jeff Malave was black flagged for turning TC around, and they'd both have to go to the back of the field. So now that Rocco was back out in front and things were all sorted out, would things start to calm down? Not in the slightest bit. Bolton would spin again on lap-32 in turn two; Coby would spin (again) in turns three and four on lap-35; and then a four car accident took place on the frontstretch on lap-37. Those drivers involved in the four-car wreck (not all of those involved had serious damage) were Kirk Zervas, Todd Owen, Woody Pitkat, and Coby. Two laps later, with Rocco still out front, Bolton spun one more time in turn four to set up a two lap race to the finish. At this time, Christopher had caught back up to the front, yet he couldn't find a way to get around Rocco for the win. Rocco won his first win of the season, followed by Christopher, Jimmy Blewett, and Tom Bolles.
At long last, the Late Models took their turn. Scott Cook held the early lead before rendering it over to Corey Hutchings after the first few laps. (I'm not sure when the lead change was. Excuse me.) The first caution took place on lap-8 when Scott Foster, Jr and Tom Fearn spun in turn one and two. On the very next lap, it was another two-car spin; it was in turn two and it involved Duane Noll and Walt Wosko, Jr. Another lead change occured on lap-13 when Michael Bennett got around Hutchings, but the joyride would come to a stop on lap-18 when the caution came out for dirt in turn two. (Yellows for dirt on the track have been like frequent flyer miles lately.) Going back to green, Dillon Moltz was coming, and on lap-20, he made the move around Bennett. That would be the pass for the win, as Moltz took down the win; his second of the season and in a row. Bennett would finish second, followed by Mike Mordino and Ryan Posocco. But the board would not stay like that after Tech, and Mordino was disqualfied because his car did not meet the minimum frame height requirement.
And here we are. Since tomorrow is Friday, it's race day then! And to kick off the weekend, we're going to have a special occasion. The Late Models are going to have their first 100-lap event of the season. I'm sure you'd like the schedule, so if you click that link, you'll go there. I'll be back next week with news on the Extreme Tuesday event going on in two weeks, and if the weather cooperates, I'll be including a little thing about my second trip up to New Hampshire for the combination Whelen Modified Tour/Nationwide Series event. But for now, let's focus on Friday's event. Until then, stay safe and dry; and I hope to see you at the track.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Rocco Nearly Lost It... Yet Now Leads Standings
I'm in the middle of doing my weekly entry, but I found this piece of information interesting. So I'm bringing it up.
There was nearly a disqualification after the SK Modified race Friday night. News came out today (Tuesday) about Keith Rocco's brake cooling ducts. It was a question as to whether or not they were a problem. Pictures were taken and sent down to NASCAR. The parts were legal. But they were not the only parts in question. Other parts on Rocco's car that raised eyebrows were the crankshaft, rods, and pistons. Woody Pitkat's team felt there was a problem with those, and officials did an extensive check-up which came up empty handed.
Since the win still holds up, Rocco holds first place in the Whelen All-American Series national standings.
There was nearly a disqualification after the SK Modified race Friday night. News came out today (Tuesday) about Keith Rocco's brake cooling ducts. It was a question as to whether or not they were a problem. Pictures were taken and sent down to NASCAR. The parts were legal. But they were not the only parts in question. Other parts on Rocco's car that raised eyebrows were the crankshaft, rods, and pistons. Woody Pitkat's team felt there was a problem with those, and officials did an extensive check-up which came up empty handed.
Since the win still holds up, Rocco holds first place in the Whelen All-American Series national standings.
NASCAR: New England Starts on Saturday
I'll start working on my blog entry this week right after this one. I'm just here to quickly remind you that if you get NESN -- that's the New England Sports Network, home to the Red Sox and Bruins -- then you can watch NASCAR: New England every Saturday for the next ten weeks. The season starts this Saturday at 4pm EST. I hear that the premiere episode this season is the SK Modified race from Spring Sizzler weekend, so if you're not busy, please go check it out! Now onto writing up that weekly entry!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
NHRA News
Your weekly entry is going to come this week; don't worry about that. This special Saturday night entry is coming to you with some saddening news from the NHRA front. Yes, they're still having their races this weekend in New Jersey. And yes, this weekend will be dedicated to a fallen racer. A fallen comrade. Regardless of what one may drive on a weekly basis; regardless of what one may root for on a daily basis; the racing community has always come together to praise the life of another racer. This is no different.
Tomorrow, the show will go on. On in memory of Scott Kalitta.
If you've seen the video of the crash that aired at 7pm EST, I hope you never have to see the crash video ever again. If you're one of the ones who hasn't gotten a chance to see the tape, I hope you don't have to watch it. I viewed it, and I nearly felt like crying. That feeling of sadness came to me quick, almost to the moment I saw what had exactly happened. To be quite honest with you, I will not go into detail about what has happened or had happened.
It all happened, however, while one person was doing what he loved to do. He died doing something that was in his blood.
He made it into the show through the qualifying run that took his life. In the tree that came out, as qualifying is now stopped, he was seeded 13th. At this moment, that's not the most important thing. My thoughts are with his family and the entire NHRA side of the racing spectrum.
Tomorrow, the show will go on. On in memory of Scott Kalitta.
If you've seen the video of the crash that aired at 7pm EST, I hope you never have to see the crash video ever again. If you're one of the ones who hasn't gotten a chance to see the tape, I hope you don't have to watch it. I viewed it, and I nearly felt like crying. That feeling of sadness came to me quick, almost to the moment I saw what had exactly happened. To be quite honest with you, I will not go into detail about what has happened or had happened.
It all happened, however, while one person was doing what he loved to do. He died doing something that was in his blood.
He made it into the show through the qualifying run that took his life. In the tree that came out, as qualifying is now stopped, he was seeded 13th. At this moment, that's not the most important thing. My thoughts are with his family and the entire NHRA side of the racing spectrum.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
100 in the 100
This is just a preview of what's coming up in this week's installment of the blog. Also coming in this story: Red flags in back to back races, a disqualification in the biggest race of the night (someone who's up on the board doesn't finish on the board for long), and I apologize about something I went and said in a past week or two. With that said, are you ready? Great. Let's get this going, then!
We just jumped right into the swing of things with the first feature of the evening. That was the Late Model's make up race from way back when. Okay, so it was originally scheduled for May 23, but I think you get the point. Michael Bennett would get the early jump in this one, but when there's a car that wants to do good, there's always something that stops him. No, the caution three laps into the race did not come out thanks to the leader, but it was for Kyle Nosal who spun in turn one. It was a quick caution, and the race resumed with Bennett still out in front. The race would be green up until the halfway point, where Brian Chapin was in a minor accident in turn three, which brought out the caution again. Again, it would be Bennett out in front, but he would have some competition when Ryan Posocco would try to find a way to get by Bennett. It would be no use, and it would be Bennett taking his first win of the season. Posocco finished second, followed by Dillon Moltz and Mike Quintiliano. (And I admit to not catching this part, but after Bennett won the race, he parked the car near the wall in turn one, got out, and showed off the rear deck lid that has a memorial to the late Dave Rowe. The race would be dedicated to him.
There were some heats to take care of (in the name of the SK Lights), but after that, it was back to business. And when we picked back up with the features, we were going to have the DARE Stocks come out for their race. We did. Bill Dunn gained possession of the lead early and would lead until lap-4 as Robert Thompson got into an accident on the frontstretch. Everything was cleaned up, the field went back to green, and it was Dunn back out front. Your next caution took place on lap-11 when Matt Davis spun in turn one. Dunn would once again get back out in front, but we would only get to lap-13 before the next caution, involving Kyle Casagrande and Megan Bienkowski, who wrecked on the frontstretch. After extensive cleanup, the race would resume for the final few laps. It wasn't a race for the win -- Dunn took down his first win of the season. The true battle was for second, with Jeff Jolly and John Kasper dueling it out over the last laps. Jolly would just get over the line by a nose over Kaspar for second and third respectively, with Peter Bourque in fourth.
The next race on the agenda would be the Limited Late Models. But it comes with a price, and that price was on the opening lap as there was a multi-car spin/accident in turns three and four. Drivers involved in this included (and may or may not be the only four involved) Charlie Newman, Joey Ferrigno, Greg Butler, Jr, and Lori-Jo Rzeszutek. (Please don't shoot the messenger here if I put down any wrong numbers in my notes. I feel as though it happens all of the time.) Meanwhile, up in front, it was Darrin Havanec up front and in the lead until another caution came out on lap-11 when Robert Dow, Michael Nadeau, and Shawn Thibeault caused an accident in turn two. Havanec would hold the lead again, but the lead would soon belong to Sean Foster on lap-13. Foster would not have any competition as he would win his first race of the season. Rounding out the top-four were Andrew Durand, Ed Charette, and Bill Davis.
Kids, it was finally time for the biggest race of the evening. (No other race, in my opinion, could live up to that title.) It was time for the SK Modified 100 to get underway. Last year, there were a grand total of 13 cautions. (Yeah, I feel the irony regarding this already.) Significantly less in terms of yellows this time around, I can assure you of that. Let's start at the top, shall we? Doug Coby lead the first three laps of this race until Todd Owen took control on lap-4. Owen would have the lead for what seemed like an eternity -- well, nearly a full regular-length SK Modified feature. We wouldn't have our first yellow until lap-39 when Bo Gunning spun on the frontrstretch. Alongside of Owen for the restart was Ted Christopher, and he took over the lead on the restart. The next green flag session would turn out to be a short one as there was a multi-car accident on the frontstretch on lap-41, bringing out the next caution. Christopher would once again put himself out front, and this is where we had the second of two long greens of the event. Into the picture came both Chris Jones and Woody Pitkat, and in this green flag run, the leaders would start to run into the potential lapped traffic. Thankfully, nothing happened as cars were being lapped by the leaders other than the whole "being lapped" thing. Okay, without getting too carried away, the next caution wouldn't be until lap-90, and that would be for Eric Berndt, Brad Hietala, and Jimmy Blewett in a three car accident in turns three and four. The field tried the restart, and that didn't settle so well for quite a few cars. I'm calling it a multi-car accident in turn one. But anyway, it came down to Christopher and Pitkat in a ten-lap race to the finish. Pitkat would close in on Christopher multiple times before the end of the race, but he just couldn't pull off a pass. Call me crazy, but it was the 13th day of the year and the 100, but however you look at it, it was Christopher in victory lane for the second time in '08. Pitkat would finish second, followed by Tom Bolles and Keith Rocco. Christopher was awarded a plaque in honor of the milestone, and his name will grace section A of the general admission grandstands. (Section A is to the far right of the stands when you walk onto the midway from the ticket booth, all the way down at the turn one end.) Meanwhile, the boys in Technical Inspection had other ideas about the rest of the board. Upon inspection of Pitkat's car, they found that the car did not meet the minimum frame height requirement, and he was dropped to last place in the finishing order.
Next up on the schedule, it was the SK Lights. Apparently this 15-lap feature they had Friday was "special" since they were going to go back to a 20-lap feature for the next program (more on that later). But they had to race this race first, and I'm going to state that I think it was anything but a race. Anyway, let's start with the facts: Heather DesRochers had the lead for the first two laps of the race until a yellow came out for David Webb, who spun on the frontstretch. They tried again on the restart, but couldn't get the full lap in as the caution came out again for Harry Wheeler, Todd Clark, and Tommy Membrino, Jr, who were involved in a three-car accident in turn three. On lap-4, Alan Provost took the lead from DesRochers, but the lead would last for a lap as (once again) the caution came out for a two-car accident with Shawn Brule and Tony Santangelo. The very next lap would provide the biggest fireworks of the night. There was a multi-car accident in turn four, but that wasn't the worst part of it. The worst part was when a fire ignited in the mass of cars that had been stacked up against the wall in the turn, coming from what Mark Bakaj's car. Everyone walked away from the incident, but the red flag came out because of the fire. It took (maybe) a good five to ten minutes to get everything cleaned up. And when it did, the race was back underway. Provost jumped back in the lead and would hold it until lap-10 as debris in turn four sent the field back into a yellow state of mind. Again, it got cleaned up and it was back to green. The rest of the race ran smoothly, and it was Provost who would win his first race of the season. Rounding out the rest of the board were Joe Allegro, Jr, John Walmsley, and Adam Skowyra.
Finally, the stage was set for the final race of the evening. We went back to the Late Models as they had to run their race that was originally scheduled for the sixth of the month. It all started off with Tom Fearn leading the first two laps, but Dillon Moltz took over possession of the lead. Corey Hutchings would follow Moltz and attempt to challenge him for the lead on a few restarts towards the end of the race. He had three shots to do so. The first shot was on lap-22 after Kyle Nosal, Brian Chapin, and Walt Wosko, Jr gave us a combination spin/accident kind of thing in turns three and four. On the restart, Hutchings and Moltz battled for the lead, but Moltz edged out Hutchings coming out of two and away he went. That lead would be short lived because of another caution that came out four laps later. More spin/accident problems occured, this time in turn two and courtesy of Nosal, Doug Blowers, Jr, and Dave Wray. For the third straight race, they tried a restart on the same lap, and that didn't work out the way anyone would have wanted it to. Woody Pitkat, Blowers, and Don Acker, Jr brought out the third caution on the same lap after an accident in turn three. This time, however, the red flag had to come out so that the track safety team could attempt to fix the fence. (Though I swear that it was to fix the fence over in turn two, but that just may have been an incorrect notion on my part.) After another lengthy yellow, Hutchings and Moltz would do battle for the lead one final time, and it was Moltz to come out on top in both that battle and overall as he would take down his first win of the season. Mike Quintiliano would get by Hutchings for second, leaving Hutchings for third, while Ryan Posocco finished fourth.
Okay, now it's time to apologize for something I said in an earlier entry. Two weeks ago, I went on and gave you a rant about stuff that happened during the 5/30 SK Modified feature event. I was angry about people getting positions back that (in my opinion) shouldn't have, and I got confirmation from someone who had evidence of the events in question that what I thought was a complete misunderstanding. I heard from my source that coming to a near complete stop when there is an accident right in front of you does not necessarily mean that you're involved in the caution. I heard one thing, but another thing happened, and I let my opinions loose two entries ago. It was my bad for saying what I said, and next time I hear something, I'll try to confirm that it did or did not happen there so I don't look foolish two weeks later. Again, I'm sorry about my heart being on my sleeve, and I promise that it won't happen again.
Now that we've gotten that taken care of, I'd like to inform you that tomorrow is Friday! I hear that it's supposed to be a regular program (weather permitting) with fireworks in the skies at dark. Anyone under the age of 14 who is under the watch of an adult will get in for no charge at all. SK Lights are not going to qualify, and I don't know why this is going to be the case, but that's what the schedule says and I'll use it as gospel. So if we don't get postponed or cancelled tomorrow, I'll see you at the track. If you're going out over the weekend to the Travelers, have a safe trip. For hockey fans, the NHL draft is on Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon, so in the event of the wet stuff, you can check that out on Versus at about 7:00pm Friday (first round) and NHL.com at around 9:45am Saturday (second round). So whatever you decide to do, stay safe and dry and I will definitely have something written up this weekend.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Clarifications
The proverbial "police blotter" was released recently. I've been brought up to date with my notes from this past week. Let's give you the information.
I had in my notes that Tony Santangelo had originally finished second in the SK Light feature, but the finishing order on the track's site proved otherwise. That listed that he finished 17th. The penalty page states that he "spun the leader during the feature" and was "removed from position and placed to 17th in the final finish order". Don't blame the messenger for that one, kiddies. I didn't know what the reason was until tonight.
And in other "noteworthiness"... Scott Cook was the other driver to have a noteworthy penalty. It says "actions detrimental to the sport of auto racing". Usually, that carries a penalty of a week off (usually, not all of the time). But listed under penalties? "Disqualified for the remainder of the evening." Look, I clearly failed to see what exactly happened here. So don't come and serve me my butt on a silver platter here because I can't tell you exactly what I think about this.
Other than that, there was the usual case of rough riding penalties.
I had in my notes that Tony Santangelo had originally finished second in the SK Light feature, but the finishing order on the track's site proved otherwise. That listed that he finished 17th. The penalty page states that he "spun the leader during the feature" and was "removed from position and placed to 17th in the final finish order". Don't blame the messenger for that one, kiddies. I didn't know what the reason was until tonight.
And in other "noteworthiness"... Scott Cook was the other driver to have a noteworthy penalty. It says "actions detrimental to the sport of auto racing". Usually, that carries a penalty of a week off (usually, not all of the time). But listed under penalties? "Disqualified for the remainder of the evening." Look, I clearly failed to see what exactly happened here. So don't come and serve me my butt on a silver platter here because I can't tell you exactly what I think about this.
Other than that, there was the usual case of rough riding penalties.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
15 for the SK Lights?
I rechecked the track's site to see if I missed anything I wasn't supposed to miss this week (only because I got everything taken care of early with what happened on Friday and all), and it finally comes to me:
A 15-lap SK Light Modified feature event has also been added to the Friday, June 13th schedule.
Now, hold on here. For the past four races, they've had one race go over the time limit. Is it back to the reason of "too many cautions"? They've had an average of 4.2 yellows per event (I did the math), but there's nothing that proves or disproves this.
And the schedule of events even says so, so I don't know if they're really racing a 15-lap feature. More on this story when Friday rolls around... I hope.
A 15-lap SK Light Modified feature event has also been added to the Friday, June 13th schedule.
Now, hold on here. For the past four races, they've had one race go over the time limit. Is it back to the reason of "too many cautions"? They've had an average of 4.2 yellows per event (I did the math), but there's nothing that proves or disproves this.
And the schedule of events even says so, so I don't know if they're really racing a 15-lap feature. More on this story when Friday rolls around... I hope.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Schedule's Out
The schedule is out for Friday night's program. I thought that they were only going to take care of what they had to take care of (ie: make up races), but man, I was wrong.
You want the SK 100, two Late Model races, the make-up DARE Stock and Limited Late Model races from last week, all while putting in a feature for the SK Lights? That doesn't make a hint of sense. At the rate this is going, I'd imagine that the Lights will be up to five features this season. Nobody else will have run that many races at this point in time.
By the way, it would be nice if the starting lineups for the four races not run next week could be posted on the track's site. You know, I don't want to be surprised to see something I'm not expecting to see.
Anyway, we'll try this all over again at the end of the week (weather permitting). Until then, stay cool.
You want the SK 100, two Late Model races, the make-up DARE Stock and Limited Late Model races from last week, all while putting in a feature for the SK Lights? That doesn't make a hint of sense. At the rate this is going, I'd imagine that the Lights will be up to five features this season. Nobody else will have run that many races at this point in time.
By the way, it would be nice if the starting lineups for the four races not run next week could be posted on the track's site. You know, I don't want to be surprised to see something I'm not expecting to see.
Anyway, we'll try this all over again at the end of the week (weather permitting). Until then, stay cool.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
We Got Some Stuff In...
Hey! I hope you guys (and girls) had a semi-good Friday evening, because we didn't get much done. More on that after the quickest recap session of the season so far. A consolation race and a feature were all that had been noted during what was supposed to be the night of the SK Modified 100. So with that under our belts, I'm going to give you those recaps now.
We started the night off with the Late Model 16 event, and it was Scott Cook who led things off with the lead at the start of the race. The lead would be his for three laps before the first caution came out for the trio of David St. Amant, Tom Butler, and JJ Hill, who were involved in an accident on the backstretch. All three of them would be done for that race, but they would be qualified for the feature. Meanwhile, Cook regained possession of the lead on the restart, but coming up behind him was Ryan Posocco. On lap-16, the two would touch and Cook would be sent for a spin in the grass on the frontstretch, and that would bring out the second caution of the event. Posocco would be black flagged for that, and that would give the lead to Don Acker, Jr. The final laps would run without interruption, meaning Acker would take down the win. He was followed by Patrick Townsend, Brian Chapin, and Mark St. Hilaire.
After that, it was time for the first (and only) feature of the night: That of the SK Lights. Your leader at the drop of the green was Heather DesRochers, but it wasn't long before she would give way to Tony Santangelo. (I forget what lap the lead change took place on. I was getting out of the paddock area right at the drop of the green and made the trek to my usual seat while the early green session was going on. I was paying attention to the race, I swear.) Anyway, Santangelo would be in the lead on lap-11 as a pair of spins brought out the yellow -- okay, at least one of them did. Steve Zukowski spun on the frontstretch while Tony Membrino, Jr spun in turn four. (They would both wind up going to the back of the field.) The green came back out with Santangelo still in the lead, but the lead would only last for three laps as Shawn Brule spun in turn two, sending the field into the second caution of the event. On the restart, it was Neil Provost, Jr getting the lead from Santangelo, yet this would be a three-lap excursion at the front as a third caution came out. This time, it was for a multi-car accident in turns three and four. The green came back out, and one lap later, Neil (first name basis here because of possible confusion factor) would get loose or something. This put Santangelo back out in front, but he wouldn't have the lead for long. As the very next lap came along, Chris Matthews passed Santangelo for the read. Santangelo would make one more move to try to get around Matthews, but it wasn't going to work. Matthews would win his third feature of the season, followed by Santangelo, Ted Cain, and George Nocera. (Now what's going on with the finishing order on the track's site? They have Santangelo finishing 17th...)
At this time, the Late Model crews came out onto the track and into the infield, getting all set up for their feature. But fog was starting to roll in and there was a mist in the air. Stafford decided to pull the plug on the night's activities. But the rest of the event (plus a bonus race) will be run next week. The SK 100 and the other three races that were still on the schedule at the time of the postponement will be run along with the Late Model race that was supposed to be run all the way back on May 23. Oh, and as far as I know, they don't need to qualify for anything, and it should be features only.
Regardless of what the schedule is supposed to look like (and I'll make sure to write something in regards to that and any possible clarifications in regards to the stuff I wrote this week), we'll try the big race all over again... Weather permitting. I know, it's hot now. But until then, stay safe, dry if it rains, and cool since it's going to be muggy and steamy.
We started the night off with the Late Model 16 event, and it was Scott Cook who led things off with the lead at the start of the race. The lead would be his for three laps before the first caution came out for the trio of David St. Amant, Tom Butler, and JJ Hill, who were involved in an accident on the backstretch. All three of them would be done for that race, but they would be qualified for the feature. Meanwhile, Cook regained possession of the lead on the restart, but coming up behind him was Ryan Posocco. On lap-16, the two would touch and Cook would be sent for a spin in the grass on the frontstretch, and that would bring out the second caution of the event. Posocco would be black flagged for that, and that would give the lead to Don Acker, Jr. The final laps would run without interruption, meaning Acker would take down the win. He was followed by Patrick Townsend, Brian Chapin, and Mark St. Hilaire.
After that, it was time for the first (and only) feature of the night: That of the SK Lights. Your leader at the drop of the green was Heather DesRochers, but it wasn't long before she would give way to Tony Santangelo. (I forget what lap the lead change took place on. I was getting out of the paddock area right at the drop of the green and made the trek to my usual seat while the early green session was going on. I was paying attention to the race, I swear.) Anyway, Santangelo would be in the lead on lap-11 as a pair of spins brought out the yellow -- okay, at least one of them did. Steve Zukowski spun on the frontstretch while Tony Membrino, Jr spun in turn four. (They would both wind up going to the back of the field.) The green came back out with Santangelo still in the lead, but the lead would only last for three laps as Shawn Brule spun in turn two, sending the field into the second caution of the event. On the restart, it was Neil Provost, Jr getting the lead from Santangelo, yet this would be a three-lap excursion at the front as a third caution came out. This time, it was for a multi-car accident in turns three and four. The green came back out, and one lap later, Neil (first name basis here because of possible confusion factor) would get loose or something. This put Santangelo back out in front, but he wouldn't have the lead for long. As the very next lap came along, Chris Matthews passed Santangelo for the read. Santangelo would make one more move to try to get around Matthews, but it wasn't going to work. Matthews would win his third feature of the season, followed by Santangelo, Ted Cain, and George Nocera. (Now what's going on with the finishing order on the track's site? They have Santangelo finishing 17th...)
At this time, the Late Model crews came out onto the track and into the infield, getting all set up for their feature. But fog was starting to roll in and there was a mist in the air. Stafford decided to pull the plug on the night's activities. But the rest of the event (plus a bonus race) will be run next week. The SK 100 and the other three races that were still on the schedule at the time of the postponement will be run along with the Late Model race that was supposed to be run all the way back on May 23. Oh, and as far as I know, they don't need to qualify for anything, and it should be features only.
Regardless of what the schedule is supposed to look like (and I'll make sure to write something in regards to that and any possible clarifications in regards to the stuff I wrote this week), we'll try the big race all over again... Weather permitting. I know, it's hot now. But until then, stay safe, dry if it rains, and cool since it's going to be muggy and steamy.
Friday, June 06, 2008
And the Thunder Rolls. [Still Racing as of 9:25]
Did you hear them? I'm sure those near where I live could. That was the sound of thunder over my head. It was pretty loud, to tell you the truth. But it's gone, and according to my sources (Weather Channel, since it was the only station actually giving me a weather report at about 9:30 in the morning), it'll be isolated if they do come back. It's a shot in the dark with the thunderstorms, but hell... It should be a nice night. It won't be raining later tonight. Should be all good there.
Meanwhile, the track's site carries a last update time of 9:25, with "56 degrees under overcast skies". They say we're going racing; I'd like to see the report in a few minutes if they decide to update it. They'd have to dry the track somehow, because it's not going to be warm enough to dry the track using nothing but mother nature. When I get a better update from the site, I'll post it. If I don't wind up posting, take it as "we're still racing tonight" and "I'll see you later tonight".
On the other hand... If we're not, I'll post and tell you otherwise. But this is not otherwise.
Meanwhile, the track's site carries a last update time of 9:25, with "56 degrees under overcast skies". They say we're going racing; I'd like to see the report in a few minutes if they decide to update it. They'd have to dry the track somehow, because it's not going to be warm enough to dry the track using nothing but mother nature. When I get a better update from the site, I'll post it. If I don't wind up posting, take it as "we're still racing tonight" and "I'll see you later tonight".
On the other hand... If we're not, I'll post and tell you otherwise. But this is not otherwise.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
[Cliff] Notes From 5/30
I've got so much to write about and not enough time to cover it all! We have to get moving here, or else I'm going to have to work on this during the morning hours on Friday, and I'm not going to want to do that. (I've only worked on it during the early morning hours (ie: midnight), so I know how it feels. Get it delayed past that, and it's a problem.) But anyway, let's discuss the preview for this week's entry: The Limited Late Models run two features, a disqualification spawns from the DARE Stock feature, and possible controversy in the SK Modifieds. Let's not waste any time with this. The green flag is flying over this week's blog.
For the record: It shall be a tad bit different from weeks previous. No, it's not because I don't feel like writing a blog entry this week. I've been in rough shape this week with a lot of things going on. This week's entry will still have everything you'd like to know -- plus a little bit more, in a way -- but in a more condensed format. You want it? Here we go.
Limited Late Model [5/23 make up]
Cautions: Five
Leaders: One
Lead Changes: None
Winner: Rob Dow
DARE Stocks
Cautions: Three
Leaders: Five
Lead Changes: Four
Winner: Dan Flannery
SK Lights
Cautions: Four
Leaders: Three
Lead Changes: Two
Winner: Mark Bakaj
Late Models
Cautions: Six
Leaders: Four
Lead Changes: Three
Winner: Ryan Posocco
SK Modifieds
Cautions: Five
Leaders: Four
Lead Changes: Three
Winner: Bo Gunning
Limited Late Models [5/30]
Cautions: Three
Leaders: Two
Lead Changes: One
Winner: Andrew Durand
Now, here are a few comments from my point of view.
First off, in the DARE Stocks: Though Norm Sears originally finished second in the feature, at some point in the race, he rough rode or overagressed on the track, and therefore, the second place finish was taken away.
Second, in the SK Modifieds (a possible early nomination for "Gripe of the Season"): Did my ears get the better of me, or did I hear that Chris Jones was in a caution with three other cars when the board read "14"? I thought I heard it. The people around me thought they heard it. It just didn't look like it happened if it did, because when the board read "15", guess who was in another accident? Yes, it was Jones. If he was in that accident... If I swear that I heard his name announced as a caution car in the caution previous, would you care to clarify why he got his spot back or at least why he started fifth on the restart before the backstretch wreck? I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but if he wasn't in that caution, please clarify that before the green drops. I stood there in utter amazement (or confusion, or you could add another emotion here) as the green came out because if he was a caution car in the yellow previous, he shouldn't have been up that far. If anybody wants to explain why the ending was what it was, shoot me an e-mail or catch me at the track tomorrow. I shall listen to you, but still, I find this crazy.
Speaking of tomorrow, we've got racing (weather permitting)! If you think that my possible nominee for "Gripe of the Week" was a gripe, you may not have heard it all until this next week passes. I find that 40 laps for the SK Modifieds is cool and all, but I'm getting excited for an extra distance race for them. Tomorrow night is the SK Modified 100. Last season, Woody Pitkat won this race (and the four immediately following it) after pitting with 21 laps to go for tires. Coming back through the field, he overpowered Ted Christopher on a night where he also won the Late Model race in top form. Will this night be any different? Will bad luck reign supreme over those who have suffered through it for long enough, or will it move on to possible and definite top runners? You and I shall find out in a little over a full day. The schedule is here; check it out and I will see you then. I hope.
For the record: It shall be a tad bit different from weeks previous. No, it's not because I don't feel like writing a blog entry this week. I've been in rough shape this week with a lot of things going on. This week's entry will still have everything you'd like to know -- plus a little bit more, in a way -- but in a more condensed format. You want it? Here we go.
Limited Late Model [5/23 make up]
Cautions: Five
Leaders: One
Lead Changes: None
Winner: Rob Dow
DARE Stocks
Cautions: Three
Leaders: Five
Lead Changes: Four
Winner: Dan Flannery
SK Lights
Cautions: Four
Leaders: Three
Lead Changes: Two
Winner: Mark Bakaj
Late Models
Cautions: Six
Leaders: Four
Lead Changes: Three
Winner: Ryan Posocco
SK Modifieds
Cautions: Five
Leaders: Four
Lead Changes: Three
Winner: Bo Gunning
Limited Late Models [5/30]
Cautions: Three
Leaders: Two
Lead Changes: One
Winner: Andrew Durand
Now, here are a few comments from my point of view.
First off, in the DARE Stocks: Though Norm Sears originally finished second in the feature, at some point in the race, he rough rode or overagressed on the track, and therefore, the second place finish was taken away.
Second, in the SK Modifieds (a possible early nomination for "Gripe of the Season"): Did my ears get the better of me, or did I hear that Chris Jones was in a caution with three other cars when the board read "14"? I thought I heard it. The people around me thought they heard it. It just didn't look like it happened if it did, because when the board read "15", guess who was in another accident? Yes, it was Jones. If he was in that accident... If I swear that I heard his name announced as a caution car in the caution previous, would you care to clarify why he got his spot back or at least why he started fifth on the restart before the backstretch wreck? I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but if he wasn't in that caution, please clarify that before the green drops. I stood there in utter amazement (or confusion, or you could add another emotion here) as the green came out because if he was a caution car in the yellow previous, he shouldn't have been up that far. If anybody wants to explain why the ending was what it was, shoot me an e-mail or catch me at the track tomorrow. I shall listen to you, but still, I find this crazy.
Speaking of tomorrow, we've got racing (weather permitting)! If you think that my possible nominee for "Gripe of the Week" was a gripe, you may not have heard it all until this next week passes. I find that 40 laps for the SK Modifieds is cool and all, but I'm getting excited for an extra distance race for them. Tomorrow night is the SK Modified 100. Last season, Woody Pitkat won this race (and the four immediately following it) after pitting with 21 laps to go for tires. Coming back through the field, he overpowered Ted Christopher on a night where he also won the Late Model race in top form. Will this night be any different? Will bad luck reign supreme over those who have suffered through it for long enough, or will it move on to possible and definite top runners? You and I shall find out in a little over a full day. The schedule is here; check it out and I will see you then. I hope.
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