Patnode Scores On Home Turf Winning Victor Johnson Memorial

 Photos by Simply the Best, Crystal Snape

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

      August 23, 2016

    

Patnode Scores On Home Turf Winning Victor Johnson Memorial

Winchester, NH. -- Veteran New Hampshire racer Todd Patnode, of Swanzey,

rolled to his first series win of the year, and his second Swanzey Oil sponsored

‘Victor Johnson Memorial 100’ victory in three years, as the Valenti Modified

Racing Series closed out three race dates at Monadnock Speedway, Winchester,

NH, before a large crowd Saturday night. August 20.

Speedway management held a ceremony remembering the late Hall of Fame car

owner Mario Fiore prior to the race program. Fiore passed away in June.

Patnode chased early race leader Russ Hersey, also of Swanzey, before taking the

lead on lap-71 taking and capturing his first VMRS victory since August 24,2013.

Hersey jumped into the lead at the drop of the green flag and set a torrid pace

until the first of 9-caution flags on lap-67 would change the race dramatically for

half of the 24-car starting field.

Drivers caught up in race accidents but able to return to competition, worked their

way to respectable finishes. Richard Savary, of Canton, MA, finished runner-up.

Ironically, Donnie Lashua, of Canaan, NH, and Chris Pasteryak, of Jewett City,

CT, came together, pitted, rejoined the field, and raced to a solid third, (Lashua)

and fifth, (Pasteryak) at the finish. Pasteryak won the season opener at

Monadnock in April.

For Lashua, it was a series best finish for the long-time New Hampshire racer

The race was slowed eight times between laps-67 and 83 with only 11-drivers on

the lead lap at the checkered flag.

Sixth through tenth at the finish were, Matt Mead, Brandon Dion, George

Sherman, Joe Doucette, and Colbey Fournier.

Reigning champion Woody Pitkat started 24

th

and finished 12

th

after a motor

change earlier in the day.

Point leader Jon McKennedy #29 dropped out of the race while making a charge to the

front suffering a broken (upper) A-frame.

Long time and current flagman Tim Bennett has been appointed race director and John Spence Jr. is going to handle the flag stand for the rest of the season. Source: John Spence Sr.

Heat Winners: (1) Dylan Rock, (2) Hersey, (3) Carl Medeiros Jr (Consi) Savary

.

Saturday August 20, 2016

Monadnock Speedway

Distance: 100-laps

Entries- (28)

Cautions: Lap 67,68,68,72,74,79,82,83,83

Time of Race: 58:49:826

Average Speed: 25:582

Best Lap Time: 12:721 (Hersey)

Best Speed: 70.749 (Hersey

Unofficial Order Of Finish:

(1) Patnode, (2) Savary, (3) Lashua, (4) Willis Jr (5)

Pasteryak, (6), Mead, (7) Dion, (8) Sherman, (9) Doucette, (10) Fournier, (11)

Richardi, (12) Pitkat, (13) MacMichaels (14), Schneider, (15), Alexander, (16)

Hersey, (17) Kopec, (18) Masse, (19) McKennedy, (20) Medeiros, (21), Gernhard,

(22) Rock, (23) Pearl, (24) Ianarelli

Next event: Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway August 27, 2016.