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
—————————————————————
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
47 Responses to Woody Pitkat Declared SK Mod Winner At Stafford After Final Lap Ryan Preece-Keith Rocco Fireworks
Leave a Reply
- -- ADVERTISEMENT --
- -- ADVERTISEMENT --
pretty sure after preece took the lead from rocco with that awesome cross over move caution came out reverting the field to the last lap with was led by rocco. Keith did not battle back to regain the lead he restarted first and then all most drove ryan into the wall twice
Nope. Final restart, lap 36. Preece, on the outside, led laps 36 and 37 at the line. Lap 38, Rocco clears Preece to retake the lead off of turn two and then it goes to the final lap.
“lap 38, Rocco clears Preece to retake the lead…” that’s because he drove Ryan up into the marbles! (and I was sitting in turn one, and could see it clearly!)
Well said staffordkid. GO PREECE!!!!
Before the final caution preece crossed rocco over and beat him to the line but they went back a lap for the restart
Yup, and that led to the Ryan leading laps 36 and 37 and Keith regaining the lead on lap 38.
I watched the replay down on the midway. Preece should of watched it too before making up his second excuse of the night. Looked to me like he tried to drive right through the 88. Black flagged twice in one feature for wrecking the leader!!! He should be parked for a week like they did to Rocco last year for one incident.
you are an idiot
Shawn I wish you saw the real side of things, not always giving rocco the beneft of the doubt. Rocco is a loose cannon in whatever he drives, the guy makes some good moves but never clean. He hides behind his crew and he deserved to be wrecked tonight after running the #40 up the track lap after lap.
How did I give Rocco the benefit of the doubt? Both guys said what they wanted to say. You saying I should I not let Keith make a comment? Tell me again how that would be right?
i dont under why keith couldn’t hold on to the car. He has had his fair share of shots like that in his career. How come he did’nt save it like most of the the other times. He wanted to make it dramatic and obvious.
All I see is keith rocco this keith rocco that. Why don’t you just marry him? Keith shouldn’t be able to put in a comment, it’s always him crying. Yeah he got spun out by Preece,so what Ryan tried passing him clean continuously. He can dish it out but never take it. Shows how much of a good sport he really is…
Really? Are you serious? I’m not even sure how to respond to that. So you think fair journalism is not allowing someone involved in the subject at hand to offer their opinion on what transpired? Where did you learn that to be the proper way to cover a story, at the University of Iraq School of Censored Journalism?
No he should I’m just sick of him complaining. I understand his comment is needed to complete the story but Keith never looks at what he did to cause an event to occur. It’s funny for him to believe that he did nothing wrong. Sorry this had to happen Shawn but I think people give dirty idiotic drivers too much credit.
Godzilla what statement do you consider crying? Did I miss it? All Rocco said was Preece hit him as hard as he could and we all saw that anyway!!Got any examples of when Rocco intentionally dished it out (wrecked the leader)? All I saw was the leader protecting the lead with 5 laps to go and get dumped. Protect the bottom and push anyone who gets outside high, that’s what you do leading with a few laps left. Should the leader just pull over and let someone by that late in the race? You have any excuses for what he did to Ruocco?
Chopping down the old cherry tree in turn three seems like a good example huh? Do what you gotta do, but if someone’s got at least the RF just about up to your LR and you turn down, you gotta expect something of that nature to happen.
Ruocco tried to run him up the track and Ryan sent it in after getting blocked lap after lap. Rocco wrecked Eric Berndt last year going for a podium position and nearly killed him! At Thompson also July of last year wrecked Pitkat for the win. Keith was crying in a drivers meeting last year complaining that the cleanest driver in the late model field (3 time champion I believe) was running him wrong even after rocco threw him up into the wall. Rocco clearly got hit. In the Stafford drivers meeting every week they say “give a racing line”, where was Preece’s racing line those last 5 laps? The parking lot? You can race that way as long as you expect it to happen to you. I guess Keith forgot how he drove Ryan the last 5 laps. Ryan’s actions didn’t come out of nowhere.
GottogoGodzilla, I understand you want to make your points here, but temper the rhetoric a bit. “Nearly killed him?” Come on, nobody was nearly killed, or even injured for that matter. If you’re going to say Keith “nearly killed” Eric Berndt last year, then by the same token you’d have to say Ryan nearly killed Frank Ruocco tonight. Same type of very very nasty hits. See what I’m saying? You can’t have it both ways.
Anytime you go firewall deep your at risk of serious injury and Frank hit Stafford’s safer barrier in turn 1 tonight, turn 3-4 rail is not so forgiving. So your saying hitting the rails at well over 100 mph couldn’t kill you? I know they have the Hans device and many other safety features but there isn’t a chance that any of those flying parts whould have entered the the 54 machine?
I’m saying that using the term Rocco “nearly killed” someone is unnaceptable. Get a clue. It’s getting real old here. We get it, you don’t like the guy, but nobody was “nearly killed” as you stated.
I try to never post on here, but the irationalism posted here is astounding. The video is on staffordspeedwy website currently. The 40 car did have a tiny bit of a nose in there. It’s true. However walk by any car that Keith drives and tell me if you can find a mirror in any of them. He has no mirrors. I imagine though that he must have a great spotter since he wins 30 races a year. A great spotter wouldn’t say Preece was inside until he was up to his wheel/door. So I’m positive Keith didn’t chop him. I also know stafford has set precedent about penalties like this in the past. The big question here is will the speedway handle all the penalties consistently. Not just Preece’s two, but also everyone else’s. I think it’s an embarrassment for the track to have to send people to the back every caution.
Get a clue? Wait until he pulls another one of those send it and hope it sticks dive bombs in turn 3 and actually does hurt someone. Have a good one Shawn I hope this last stafford sk article on the courant excited you. I found some fun out of it
The fact is NOBODY has been hurt, or “nearly killed” as you said, so the exaggerated rhetoric is not needed.
Gotta say, Shawn, as much of a KR-homer as I believe you to be, this piece is balanced. On the really important stuff, I hope your package w/ the Courant has an element that feeds readers to your new site, which I hope thrives.
@Gottogogodzilla
If your speaking of the night they took the win away from Keith, Keith did not wreck Pitkat, Pitkat wrecked himself trying to get to Keith after the checkered flag. Yes Keith raced him hard on the restart and they were both roughing it up to the flag but Keith did not wreck him. Woody was clearly trying to wreck Keith after they crossed the line and unfortunately he got the worst of it.
It is called Racing With Dads…Son if you can’t win Wreck them
I like keith, I like Ryan. I like all the drivers and crew members. This is a fantastic sport that we get to watch each week. Some drivers are more aggressive than others. Some are more giving than others. I know for myself I suffer from a little road rage. And at 35 miles an hour on the main roads I can get upset with the other guy. I cannot imagine what’s going through somebody’s mind at 100+ MPH when the adrenaline is running. You have 28 drivers fighting for the same thing. First place. I do believe in Karma. I don’t remember if it was last year or the year before. When it was the last lap in turn 3 & 4 that TC went from a win to a spin with a little help from a friend.
The TC/KR incident was in September of 2009. KR moved TC up a lane, no spin and there was payback in turn one after the checkered flag. Both drivers were suspended one week after the incidents.
Godzilla really! Rocco’s a racer and a very good one. Shawn great job as always.
obviuosly every body has there opinion and yes shawn you are right preece did lead the first two laps of the final restart my mistake the cross over was before the final restart but if rocco had continued to run the same line he was running on those final laps the wreck might not have happened but thats because ryan would have had a racing lane and possibly a chance to win but as the laps ticked down roccos line got closer and closer to the wall even brake checking to force ryan up into the marbles every week in the drivers meeting they all say leave a racing lane and i understand rocco cant just roll over but he definetly did not leave ryan any line and i beleive thats because ryan would have won if he did. you can only take being shoved around so much before a message needs to be delivered and ryan delivered in a way that i believe rocco understood perfectly. either way you have a tough job shawn no matter what your not gonna please eveyone with what you say and weather i agree or disagree with everything im still happy you are the to cover it thanks go ryan
Great Job Nichole Morgillo, almost had your Stafford Podium finish! Up to 3rd, then caught in an unfortunate racing incident. Way to pass on the outside, hard and clean! Sorry I missed it but you made a lot of people proud. Ryan and Keith are both great drivers, things do get crazy out there, be safe. Congrats to all the drivers, glad no one was hurt.
No offense, but anyone in the spotters stand that sees that much of the nose of another car underneath the car they’re spotting for and doesn’t say anything let alone “inside” at the point where if their driver turns left and the other driver doesn’t back out which will probably lead to their driver getting knocked loose or sent spinning, that is anything but a great spotter. All it takes is the front bumper to the left rear and somebody’s going somewhere they don’t want to be, especially driving a car that hard into turn three.
40 went high, got run up into the marbles. 40 went low and would’ve got put into the grass if he didn’t back out. What else do you want the kid to do, keep letting the 88 push him all over the track? I know you gotta do what you gotta do to protect your lead, but how long do you think somebody’s gonna follow you for? Kid’s been getting hassled for years and when asked why he doesn’t return the favor he replies with something like he doesn’t want to drive like that and get a bad reputation. Last night I think he just said “enough’s enough.” 90% of the drivers of the field would’ve done the same thing.
@Shawn I do not think that Godzilla’s statements about Rocco nearly killing someone is an outlandish one. It has happened on multiple occasions! As he cited last year with Eric Berndt AND 2 or 3 years ago at Thompson when he drove Pitkat right into the turn one wall where he suffered a concussion and was nearly left unconscious. Rocco has had his fair share of hotheaded moments. As far as last night goes Preece was the fastest car and neither Keith or Frank would have been as patient with the leader if they were in Ryan’s shoes they would have dumped them without even thinking about it laps before Preece did if the leader was blocking as bad as Frank and Keith were. Most patient driver wins the race! CLASS ACT! GO PITKAT!
Yes, it is outlandish to describe someone who walked away from a crash as being “nearly killed.” Not denying there’s been hard wrecks and probably some malicious acts, but using the phrase “nearly killed” is to describe someone involved is exaggerated rhetoric.
Stumbled away from the wreck Shawn. Like I said, there is a good chance that something fatal could have come from those hits.
What scientist told you “there’s a good chance” something fatal could happen? That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. There’s a good chance you could get hit by a car in a mall parking lot, so does that mean after a car slows for you in the crosswalk you should say you “nearly got killed”?
Then how are you telling me it is outlandish to say Berndt could have been killed if you can get killed in a mall parking lot?
Wow. Really? I give up.
GottogoGodzilla,
Uh, no. Not a good chance. Neither of those hits, while hard, were anything like others we’ve seen. Want so examples?
- Last year, Brian Sullivan’s SK in turn 1 @ Stafford. Hardest hit I’ve seen in the last 15 years at that track (Showtime head on into the wall a few years during the Spring Sizzler was a close second) I’ll even give you some more that that you could say had a “good” chance of something really bad happening, and they all walked away. All this year:
- Al Stone in the 52SK, turn 1 at the Waterford opener;
- Harry Rheaume at Waterford straight on into the concrete wall (the end of the wall) coming out of turn 2. That is the scariest one i’ve seen so far.
- Earlier same night, Will Schneider in the heat going over the top of 3 SKs and darn close to going into the stands on the front stretch;
- Mark St. Hilaire last week at Stafford into the turn 1 wall.
(all the Waterford ones are on youtube)
Oh, and when Keith did get into Eric last year, Keith apologized AND fixed the 88 AND asked his owner to let Eric drive it the following week, which he did, AND Eric SHOULD have won that feature, by his own admission.
I think (not 100% sure) Keith helped out Eric with the 54 getting fixed). They’ve put it behind them.
What i didn’t like about Keith’s suspension then was Mark Arute said it was because he was racing for 3rd, and not the win. I do think Ryan should be parked for a week, but I’ll be surprised if he is. Mark Arute might say it was “justified” because he was in fact going for the win (on the second punt of the leader of the night).
It’s real simple, guys. If you are the leader, you can basically drive the lanes you want in order to protect your position as long as there are not sudden blocking moves and it is not with obvious intent to wreck the other drivers. run the P2 car up the track, into the marbles? legit. Run the P2 car into the wall? not legit.
Say what you want about Ryan or Keith. They both have tons of talent. And they’ll move on from this.
Thinking about it Ryan passed 30+ cars on Friday night w/o incident (deducted 5 for the incident in turn 2)…the problem only seemed to occur with 2 cars that seemed to have issues maintaining lane discipline and with their brakes. I guess we could change the name of the sport to “Swerving @ the Front”.
Frankly, watching anybody continually chopping people in turn 3 is tedious and a reason racing @ SMS can suck. If the only way around it is for the choppers to be turned, and it doesn’t matter who’s chopping, then I guess that’s how it has to be. Back in the early ’90s (era of no radios), they had to take away all the mirrors b/c the place became a boring chop/wreck-fest.
What Preece did to Frank Ruocco was disgusting. That is grounds for sitting out one week. Forget about the last lap. If the track does nothing, I’m sure Frank Ruocco will take care of it.
Hey #, i agree with you re: Ruocco incident. Only thing that concerns me on that was when Frank “took care” of Bakaj last year, he was suspended for 2 weeks…penalty might be worse if there is a next time.
WOODY takes KEITH out last week!! RYAN takes KEITH out this week!! Is there a pattern forming here?? RYAN wipes out Frank Roucco and sent to the rear?? I guess that gave Ryan the green light to take out KEITH. I think it would be great if FRANK and KEITH teamed up like WOODY and RYAN do. RYAN if you don’t have a mirror in your car I would suggest you put one in, maybe 3 or 4 just to be safe!!!!
How did WOODY take out keith 2 weeks ago? He was the leader he chose the bottom lane gave Keith the top. KEITH didn’t want the top cause he never goes up there and tried to drive through WOODY! Get your facts straight! I watched ERIC pass 28 cars last year on the outside and should have one the race in KIETH’S car! Maybe he should take a few pointer’s from ERIC!
Per Stafford’s website,
Ryan is on probation for next 2 weeks and loses his handicap for next week also.
Ruocco was suspended for 2 weeks and on probation for 4 for the altercation involving his crew afterward.
Racefan, doesn’t Rocco have 31 wins in 5 years at Stafford (3rd all time)? Never mind all the other local,state and national awards. I don’t think he needs any pointers he seems do be doing fine on his own.
Wow if you fight in the pits you get thrown out but if you take out two people on the track you get a slap on the wrist…….unless if your Keith Rocco and you accidently take somebody out in a racing accident then you get thrown out for a week way to go SMS you have shown your true colors.