On Sunday I had my final newspaper assignment for the Hartford Courant. Eighteen years and eight months of working at The Courant came to a close with an absolute mess of a wreck-marred Valenti Modified Racing Series [...]]]> The time has come to really say goodbye, and get ready to say hello again very soon.

On Sunday I had my final newspaper assignment for the Hartford Courant. Eighteen years and eight months of working at The Courant came to a close with an absolute mess of a wreck-marred Valenti Modified Racing Series event at Thompson International Speedway.

Oh well, kind of fitting I guess that the boys from the Modified Racing Series made my last assignment last and last and last …

So this is it, the last entry on the racing blog. It’s been a fun ride, I can’t even begin to think about trying to thank all the people who have been there for me in the sport for so many years. Who knows, maybe when the next step begins I’ll start off with some memories of the years here.

Oh yeah, the next step. I’ve decided to leave The Courant to pursue a venture I’ve had in mind for a number of years. I want to produce a motorsports website. I want to create a site that has a focus on all things racing in Southern New England but also mixes in plenty of tidbits of news and opinion on the national racing scene.

So that’s exactly what I’m going to do. My new website, Race Day CT will launch in full, hopefully, by the middle of the June. It’s going to be a labor of love that I’ve had planned in my head for years. I can’t wait to get going. In the meantime, to keep up with the details of what’s happening and know when a launch date is set, join the Race Day CT page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@ShawnCourchesne or @RaceDayCT).

So for now, we’ll say goodbye, goodbye to life at the Hartford Courant, but hardly goodbye to the racing scene. It’s been a great ride, I lived a dream of being a sportswriters for one of the greatest newspapers in America. I’m going to miss this place.

Pennink took the checkered flag leading the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson on April 15, but NASCAR officials deemed he jumped the final restart [...]]]> THOMPSON – On April 15 at Thompson International Speedway, Rowan Pennink had what looked to be shaping up as a great start to his season on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Pennink took the checkered flag leading the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson on April 15, but NASCAR officials deemed he jumped the final restart and gave the victory to Ron Silk.

Sunday at Thompson, Pennink scored a measure of personal redemption.

Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. held off Richard Savary over the closing laps to win the 75-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series feature at Thompson.

Savary, of Canton, Mass., held on for second and Geoff Gernhard of Salem was third. It was the fifth career Valenti Modified Racing Series victory for Pennink and his first of the 2012 season in the division.

“I love this place and I love racing here,” said Pennink, who competes full-time on both the Valenti Modified Racing Series and the Whelen Modified Tour. “We always run good here. To lose that one at the Icebreaker was a heartbreaker, but it feels good to come back the next time after that race and win here again and show everyone who really should have been in victory lane at the Icebreaker.”

Pennink had to fight off Savary on three restarts over the 23 laps. Savary made his boldest move to get under Pennink on lap 65, but couldn’t make a bottom shot off of turn four stick.

“It always seems like when we’re out front here at Thompson the cautions just keep coming,” Pennink said. “But, we were able to fight through it. The car got a little tight there at the end and Richard was able to make a couple good runs at me, but we were able to hang on.”

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

“This had been the worst weekend ever,” Preece said.

Preece took the trophy as the winner of the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Sunday at Thompson International Speedway, but [...]]]> THOMPSON – With his race winning SK Modified preparing for inspection at Thompson International Speedway, Ryan Preece shook his head in disdain.

“This had been the worst weekend ever,” Preece said.

Preece took the trophy as the winner of the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Sunday at Thompson International Speedway, but it was a muted celebration offered by the 21-year old driver from Berlin.

In Friday’s SK Modified feature at Stafford Motor Speedway Preece was penalized at the halfway mark of the event for hitting race leader Frank Ruocco and then after rallying back he was penalized on the last lap for spinning race leader Keith Rocco.

There was more last lap contact for Preece Sunday, though seeming the unavoidable type.

Preece stalked race leader Todd Ceravolo from lap 14 until the final lap. In turn four of the final circuit, Ceravolo’s car got sideways in turn four leaving Preece looking to take evasive action to avoid contact. The contact came, leaving Ceravolo spinning on the frontstrech and Preece taking the checkered flag as the race winner.

“I’m not even happy right now,” Preece said. “It just doesn’t seem to be my weekend. I couldn’t get a good run on him so I never even tried and he got sideways and I was right there. I even got on the brake, and I just tapped him and finished him off. I don’t want to win like that. I’d hand him the trophy right now because he won the race. If it didn’t happen the way it happened, where he got loose and I was right there, he would have won the race. I was settling for second and it was going to be what it was. It’s a shame and I don’t want my reputation to be like …, I’m just trying to stay out of trouble.”

Kerry Malone of Needham, Mass. was second and Keith Rocco of Wallingford third.

Ceravolo, of Gales Ferry, straightened out after spinning and settled for a fifth place finish.

“It was an accident,” Ceravolo said. “Same line I had taken the whole race. No one wants to win like that, I’ve been in the same shoes he’s in. … I’m sure he didn’t want to do it like, I’m sure he didn’t want to win that way.”

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

Saturday Rocco returned to the track and immediately retook his throne atop the track’s premier division.

Rocco, of Wallingford, held off [...]]]> WATERFORD – On May 12 Keith Rocco missed the SK Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl so he could compete in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.

Saturday Rocco returned to the track and immediately retook his throne atop the track’s premier division.

Rocco, of Wallingford, held off Rob Janovic Jr. over the final five laps to win the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Waterford.

It was the fifth victory in seven events this year at Waterford for Rocco, who has won the division’s championship the last two years.

Janovic, of Waterford, held on for second. Jeff Rocco of Wallingford, Keith’s twin brother, was third.

“Picked right up where we left off,” Keith Rocco said. “We’ve got a great car down here and the whole combination is good.

Despite missing an event, Keith Rocco sits one point behind Tyler Chadwick in the standings. He will miss one more event this year because of a conflict with a Whelen Modified Tour event.

“We’ve got some ground to make up now,” he said.

Rocco used the outside lane for much of the race to move up through the field and then used the outside lane to pass Janovic for the lead with 11 laps left.

“It was pretty good out there,” Keith Rocco said. “I got out front and I even ran up top.”

It marked the first time that the Rocco brothers finished together in the top three of an SK Modified race. Jeff Rocco is in his first season running full-time in the division.

“It’s always great finishing on the podium with your brother,” Keith Rocco said.

Jeff Rocco led the race early, but was passed by Janovic for the lead and by his brother for second when he slid sideways on a restart with 17 laps remaining.

“I need to practice on my shifting a little more during the week,” Jeff Rocco said. “I missed a shift on that one. I don’t know if I would have been able to hold these guys off, they’re pretty good. I’m happy with a top-three.”

Keith Rocco also won the 30-lap Late Model feature. Anthony Flannery of East Hampton was second and Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton third.

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

Almost perfect that is.

For the seventh time in eight events this year it was Cassidy, of Lisbon, celebrating in victory lane Saturday following [...]]]> WATERFORD – The goal for Ken Cassidy Jr. this year is a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division IV short track national championship, and thus far the mission is going well.

Almost perfect that is.

For the seventh time in eight events this year it was Cassidy, of Lisbon, celebrating in victory lane Saturday following the 28-lap Mini Stock feature.

“[Winning] never gets old,” Cassidy said. “It’s one thing that never gets old.”

Jeffrey Cembruch of Wallingford was second and Bill Leonard of Charlestown, R.I. was third.

Cassidy is currently leading the Division IV national short track standings.

“Two years ago I finished third [in the national standings], last year I finished second,” Cassidy said. “There’s only one way to go from there, I don’t want to go back to fourth. I want to get up there and finally win one.”

Cassidy passed Charles Canfield for the lead with 18 laps left and then held off a charging Cembruch over the final three laps.

“These guys are awesome to race with,” Cassidy said. “Everybody treat everybody with respect. That makes the division awesome for the fans and the drivers and everybody.”

Said Cembruch: “I’m going chalk that one up to driver error. I just tried a little too hard I guess. What are you going to do? We’re getting closer and closer to Kenny.”

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

Pitkat, of Stafford, was declared the winner after Ryan Preece was penalized following the [...]]]> STAFFORD – Woody Pitkat may not have taken the checkered flag leading the race at the finish of the SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway, but he gladly left the track with the winner’s trophy for the race.

Pitkat, of Stafford, was declared the winner after Ryan Preece was penalized following the conclusion of the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Stafford.

“The way my racing has been going this year you do have to take them any way you can get them,” Pitkat said.

Michael Gervais Jr. of Southbury was second and Ted Christopher of Plainville third.

Preece crossed the finish line first in the event after he bumped Keith Rocco out of the lead in the final corner on the last lap. Preece went to victory lane immediately following the race but was quickly told by track officials that he was being penalized. Preece was credited with a 20th place finish in the event.

“It is what it is,” said Preece, of Berlin. “Stafford does their best to make the calls. I felt that he raced me a little wrong going into [turn] one and then he cut down on me when I had a run [going into turn three]. I would have went into [turn] three and raced him completely clean side-by-side, if he beat me on the outside he would have been the better man tonight. But he came down on me like I wasn’t even there and it is what it is.”

Preece ran second beyond Frank Ruocco for much of the first half of the race, but on lap 21 Preece made contact with the back of Ruocco’s car, sending him to the turn one wall. Preece was penalized to the rear of the field for the contact.

“I would never want to send someone into the turn like that, and I’m completely sorry to him and his team because I know how it is to have to fix a car in a week,” Preece said. “I’m sure I’ll be getting it back at some point this season, I understand that, but, they talked about in the drivers meeting picking a lane. I went to the outside and he wouldn’t let me go there. I felt I had a couple runs and I cut him a lot of slack and he was just running me all over the place.”

Rocco, of Wallingford, went by Pitkat for the lead on lap 29, but behind him deeper in the field Preece was rallying. By lap 32 Preece was going by Glen Reen for second place. Following a lap 36 restart, Preece took the lead from Rocco on the outside for two laps before Rocco battled back to retake the top spot out of turn two on lap 38.

On the final lap Preece seemed to have a low run on Rocco going into turn three, but had to back out in the corner. In turn four Preece hammered the rear end of Rocco’s car, sending him spinning.

 “It’s one thing running hard, but twice in one night he wrecked the leader,” Rocco said. “The stats stand for themselves. He just hit me as hard as he could.”

Said Preece: “I try to race as clean as I possibly can. I hate racing dirty and right now, I don’t like how the outcome is for my team, they don’t deserve a finish like this. I’m going to continue to race as clean as I possibly can and hope for the best.”

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

Friday, rebounding from what St. Hilaire called the worst wreck in his 20 years plus of racing proved an emotional endeavor for the driver from Berlin.

“The court approved final decree to end our Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” track owner Terry Eames said. “We’ve reorganized the company in agreement [...]]]> Officials from the Waterford Speedbowl learned Thursday from bankruptcy court in Hartford that they have emerged from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy the track filed for about two and a half years ago.

“The court approved final decree to end our Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” track owner Terry Eames said. “We’ve reorganized the company in agreement with the creditors and we live to fight another day. We have a plan of reorganization that is in effect and we’re working the plan. It was billed as a triumphant moment by my attorney. We have no pending foreclosures or adversarial actions going forward.”

Facing a foreclosure on the Speedbowl property, Eames filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Oct. 2009.

In July 2007, Southbury businessman and local racing supporter Rocco Arbitell, along with business associate Peter Borrelli, stepped in to offer Eames and his ownership group, 1080 Hartford Road LLC, financing to avoid a foreclosure action being taken against them by former mortgage holder Washington Mutual Bank. The deal with Arbitell was announced a day before the track’s auction date for a foreclosure. 

In May 2008 Arbitell brought his own foreclosure action against the ownership group after former track operator Jerry Robinson failed to pay the Speedbowl’s property taxes. 

Eames, who had run the Speedbowl since his group’s purchase of the property in 2000, gave up operational control of the track after the 2006 season to Robinson, who ran the facility through the 2008 season. Eames returned to an operating role at the facility prior to the start of the 2009 season.

“So far this year business has been guardedly optimistic,” Eames said. “The car counts have been good and the indicators are positive.”

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

But Saturday night at the Waterford Speedbowl, clearing the fences will be the top priority on the minds of drivers when the step into the batter’s box at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Ten drivers and 10 randomly [...]]]> Clearing the fence is hardly something any driver wants to think about when behind the wheel of a racecar.

Bruce Thomas Jr. participating in last year's Sid's View Homerun Derby

But Saturday night at the Waterford Speedbowl, clearing the fences will be the top priority on the minds of drivers when the step into the batter’s box at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Ten drivers and 10 randomly chosen Little Leaguer’s will participate in the Sids’ View Homerun Derby Saturday at the Speedbowl, part of the Sid’s View Little League night at the track.

Drivers and Little Leaguer’s will be looking to clear the frontstretch fence with Wiffle Balls. Sid DiMaggio, producer of the Sid’s View series of videos from the track, will be on the mound.

Drivers expected to participate in this year’s Homerun derby include Diego Monahan, Jeff Rocco, Keith Rocco, Tyler Chadwick and Rich Brooks from the SK Modified division, Bruce Thomas Jr., Dillon Moltz and Rich Staskowski from the Late Model division, Phil Evans from the Street Stock division and Ken Cassidy Jr. from the Mini Stock division.

All children wearing Little League uniforms will get free admission into the track.

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————

Now it’s a matter of finding out if Jon McKennedy wants the ride. Daniel Hemric, who ran the first two events of [...]]]> One event, an abbreviated one at that, was all David Hill needed to see to know he found the driver he wants in his family’s Hillbilly Racing NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car.

Now it’s a matter of finding out if Jon McKennedy wants the ride. Daniel Hemric, who ran the first two events of the season for Hillbilly Racing, quit the team following the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 29.

McKennedy, of Chelmsford, Mass. made his debut for the Westfield, N.C. based Hillbilly Racing team Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. McKennedy qualified fourth before a nasty crash with 50 laps left relegated him to a 23rd place finish.

“I was really impressed with Jon,” Hill said. “We rolled out with a brand new car and we qualified fourth. We ran over something on the track and started losing rear brakes. Then Bryon Chew just fenced us at the flag stand and it broke the right front assembly. It was just one of them racing things. We couldn’t buy no luck. But we probably had a top-five car before that.”

Hill said McKennedy has agreed to run his car this weekend in an event at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway and he will also run at the next two Whelen Modified Tour events, on May 25 at Stafford and June 23 at the Waterford Speedbowl.

McKennedy is also running fulltime for Preston team owner Art Barry on the Valenti Modified Racing Series. He has won the first two events this season on the Modified Racing Series. The division competes for the third time this season Sunday at Thompson International Speedway. McKennedy also runs regularly with the International SuperModified Association.

“It’s basically we’re going to see where his schedule is at [after the Modified Tour event at Waterford on June 23], Hill said. “It’s kind of up to him. He’s got to talk to Art about what he wants to do. He’s trying to do all the right things and not step on anybody’s toes.

“He’s got a whole lot to decide with on what he really wants to focus on. He could probably drive my car for the remainder of the year. The MRS races don’t conflict, but the SuperModifieds conflict with our Tour. He’s got to decide what he really wants to so and where his focus is going to be.”

McKennedy said he isn’t ready to make any decisions yet.

“This year I seem to be pretty fortunate with multiple ride offers,” McKennedy said. “I guess that’s always a good thing. Ultimately, come the beginning of July I’m going to have some decisions to make.”

Hemric, of Kannapolis, N.C., made his Whelen Modified Tour debut Hillbilly Racing in the division’s season finale least year at Thompson. He finished 20th in the season opener this year at Thompson and was 11th at Stafford on April 29 before quitting.

“He came in and said he didn’t want to drive Modified’s no more,” Hill said. “He just said Modifieds weren’t going to take him to the next level. He’s dreaming big. I guess that’s his choice.”

—————————————————————

—- Follow The Backstretch at Facebook

—- Follow The Backstretch on Twitter

—————————————————————