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| Photo from Wayne G. Barber Library |
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Keith Rocco took the lead at the green with Michael Christopher, Jr., Eric Berndt, and Glen Reen briefly going 3-wide before Christopher took second with Berndt to his outside and Reen on his back bumper in fourth. Ronnie Williams was fifth behind Reen. Berndt slid back several spots to sixth as Reen moved into third, Williams into fourth, and Rowan Pennink took over fifth on lap-3. The caution came out with 5 laps complete for Troy Talman and Stephen Kopcik with Kopcik spinning on the frontstretch after a flat right rear tire.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Reen providing heavy pressure to his back bumper for the lead. Pennink was up to third behind Reen and he was also looking for the lead. But the caution came out with 6 laps complete for spins in turn 3 by Tyler Jones, John Catania, and Tony Membrino, Jr.
Rocco and Reen resumed their duel for the lead on the restart with Pennink in third but the field was only able to complete one more lap before the caution came back out for Membrino, who came to a stop against the turn 2 wall.
Rocco took the lead on the restart with Reen slotting into second just in front of Pennink but the caution came back out with 8 laps complete for spins by Matt Vassar and Jones.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Reen again able to slot himself into second. Pennink was third but Christopher, Jr. took the spot on lap-9 with Jeff Baral up to fifth behind Pennink. Joey Cipriano was sixth with Williams, Todd Owen, Cory DiMatteo, and Tyler Hines making up the top-10. Reen was applying heavy pressure to Rocco for the lead while Pennink was looking high and low for a way around Christopher. Pennink’s car dropped off the pace on lap-14 and the caution came out with 14 laps complete as he limped back to pit road. Pennink would rejoin the race after making the pit stop.
The caution came out on the restart for a spin in turn 1 by David Arute with the car of Vassar put to the rear for contact. Rocco took the lead on the next restart with Christopher, Jr. pulling alongside and then taking second from Reen. Christopher, Jr. made a move for the lead in turn 3 on lap-15 and touched tires with Rocco, but everyone was able to keep going with Rocco keeping the lead and Reen getting around Christopher, Jr. for second. Baral was up to fourth with Williams in fifth. The order was the same when the caution flew with 26 laps complete for a spin on the backstretch by Owen.
Rocco took the lead on the restart while Reen got loose in turn 2 which allowed Christopher, Jr. to charge into second. Kopcik was recovered from his early race flat tire and he took third with Williams fourth and Reen falling back to fifth. Cipriano was sixth with Michael Gervais, Jr. seventh, Arute eighth, Berndt ninth and Chase Dowling tenth. The caution came back out with 33 laps complete as Kopcik got into the backstretch wall after something on his car broke and then spun in turn 3 with a flat tire which also collected Arute and Berndt.
The restart saw Christopher, Jr. get a great jump and he surged into the lead, but behind him Robert Palmer almost got into the turn 1 wall which brought the caution out before a melee erupted in turn 3 that involved Baral, Owen, and several other cars. This put Rocco back out front for the restart with Christopher, Jr. to his outside and Williams and Reen in the second row.
The restart saw another caution come out for a spin on the backstretch by Joey Cipriano that collected Tom Bolles. Rocco took the lead on the next restart with Williams taking second. Christopher, Jr. was third with Reen fourth and Gervais in fifth. The caution came back out with 37 laps complete for a spin in turn 3 by Dowling and Josh Wood.
Rocco took the lead on the restart with Christopher, Jr. taking second. Williams slotted into third with Reen fourth and Matt Galko fifth. Rocco held Christopher, Jr. off to the checkered flag to pick up the first SK Modified® feature win of the 2018 season. Williams finished third with Reen and Galko rounding out the top-5.
Following post race inspection, the cars of Michael Christohper, Jr. and Glen Reen were found to be 11 and 5 pounds underweight respectively and they were each penalized one position per pound underweight, dropping Reen to 9th and Christopher, Jr. to 13th. The new top-5 is Rocco, Williams, Galko, Gervais, and Tyler Hines.Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release.
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Keith Rocco, Berlin
2) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
3) Matt Galko, Meriden
4) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
5) Tyler Hines, North Haven
6) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
7) Matt Vassar, Plantsville
8) Doug Meservey, Jr., Chatham, Ma
9) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
10) Tyler Jones, New Milford
11) Chase Dowling, Roxbury
12) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
13) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
14) Joey Cipriano, III, Waterbury
15) Tom Bolles, Ellington
16) Jeff Baral, Southington
17) Todd Owen, Somers
18) Dan Wesson, Monson, Ma
19) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown
20) David Arute, Stafford Springs
21) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
22) Robert Palmer, Lisbon
23) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
24) Jeff Malave, Manchester
25) Tony Membrino, Jr., Berlin
26) John Catania, Agawam, Ma
27) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma
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