Ted Christopher: Scores Valenti Modified Racing Series Victory in 6th Annual VMRS 80 At Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Photo credit: Stafford Speedway

 The Valenti Modified Racing Series made its second of three visits during the 2016 season to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 6^th Annual VMRS 80.  Taking the checkered flag was Ted Christopher in the #00 Brady Bunch machine.

At the start of the race, Ted Christopher and Keith Rocco banged wheels in the first corner with Christopher emerging out of turn 2 with the race lead.  Dan Meservey, Jr. was third behind the lead duo with Carl Medieros, Jr. in fourth and Woody Pitkat was fifth.

Pitkat got around Medieros for fourth on lap-3 and then went by Meservey for fourth on lap-4.  Chris Pasteryak was up to fifth as he got around Medieros but he surrendered that position to a hard charging Dave Etheridge.  Etheridge took fourth on lap-8 from Meservey as Christopher continued to lead the race.  Etheridge went by Pitkat for third on lap-10 in turns 1+2 and he went by Rocco in turns 3+4 to move up to second. 

Etheridge was hounding Christopher for the lead and he made a move in turns 1+2 on lap-16 to move to the lead.  Pitkat was still in third, with Rocco fourth and Chris Pasteryak fifth.  Medieros, Branden Dion, and Colbey Fournier all spun in turn 1 to bring the caution out with 18 laps complete.

Christopher rocketed his way by Etheridge on the restart to move into the lead with Rocco also getting by Etheridge to move into second.  Rocco went to the outside of Christopher to move into the lead on lap-21 and Pitkat then took to the high line to get by Christopher for second and hen then took the lead from Rocco on lap-22.  Etheridge was back on the move and he got back by Christopher and then Rocco on lap-24 to move back into second behind Pitkat.

Etheridge continued his charge to the front by taking the lead from Pitkat on lap-26 with a pass in turns 1+2.  Pitkat was now second with Christopher, Rocco, and Jon McKennedy making up the top-5.  McKennedy made a move to the inside of Rocco on lap-28 to take over fourth place as Christopher and Pitkat continued to chase after Etheridge.

Pitkat went by Etheridge in turn 3 on lap-30 to move back into the lead with Christopher also getting by Etheridge for second.  At the halfway point of the race Pitkat was still in the lead with Christopher giving chase.  Etheridge was third with McKennedy fourth and Rowan Pennink was up to fifth with Rocco in sixth.

By lap-50 things were beginning to get tight up front with Pitkat, Christopher, and Etheridge nearly in a 3-car train with McKennedy closing in fast on the lead trio.  Pennink was also starting to close in on the top-4 cars to make it a 5-way fight for the lead.

Christopher made a move to the inside of Pitkat to move back out front on lap-56.  Rocco and Anthony Nocella touched with Rocco spinning in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 56 laps complete.  Nocella was black flagged by the VMRS officials for making contact with Rocco.

Christopher got the jump on the restart to move into the lead with Pennink also getting by Pitkat to take over second.  The caution came back out with 57 laps complete for a spin in turn 4 by Medieros.

Christopher took the lead on the restart with Pennink and Pitkat behind him.  The caution came back out with 59 laps complete for spins in turn 1 by Dion and Nocella.

Photo credit Crystal Snape

Christopher took the lead on the restart with Pennink slotting into second.  Pitkat and McKennedy were side by side for third with Pasteryak in fifth.  McKennedy got by Pitkat for third on lap-62 as they raced down the backstretch and Pennink’s strong run came to a premature end as he dropped off the pace on lap-63.  The caution came out with 63 laps complete as Roy Seidell came to a stop in the middle of turns 3+4.

Christopher took the lead on the restart with Pitkat streaking into second.  McKennedy was third with Etheridge in fourth and Rocco was back up to fifth after his earlier spin.  Just as Pennink did several laps prior, Pitkat dropped off the pace on lap-67 with mechanical issues which ended his good run. 

McKennedy was now in second behind Christopher and his lap times were fractionally faster than Christopher and with 6 laps to go, he was right on Christopher’s back bumper.  McKennedy hounded Christopher and he took the lead in turn 3 on lap-77.  Christopher came right back in turn 1 on lap-78 as they were navigating their way around a lapped car and he retook the lead from McKennedy.  McKennedy made a strong move through turns 3+4 on the final lap to get back to Christopher’s bumper, but he couldn’t make a pass as Christopher took the checkered flag for his second win of the night as he won the SK Modified® feature earlier in the night.  Etheridge finished third with Rocco and Pasteryak rounding out the top-5.

VMRS 80 (80)

1) Ted Christopher, Plainville;

2) Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass.;

3) Dave Etheridge, Portland;

4) Keith Rocco, Wallingford;

5) Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon;

6) Mike Willis Jr, Grantham, N.H.;

7) Rob Richardi, Easton, Mass.;

8) Dan Meservey Jr., Brewster, Mass.;

9) Brandon Dion, Taunton, Mass.;

10) Matthew Mead, Richmond, N.H.

11) George Sherman, Framingham, MA

12) Geoff Gernhard, Bozrah

13) Roy Seidell, Easthampton, MA

14) Carl Medieros, Jr., Westport, MA

15) Woody Pitkat, Stafford

16) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA

17) Anthony Nocella, Woburn, MA

18) Kyle James, Ashaway, RI

19) Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA