Carzello Celebrates Victory On Firecracker Night At Monadnock

Story By: MICHELLE CLOUTIER / MONADNOCK SPEEDWAY – WINCHESTER, NH – This past Saturday, Monadnock Speedway held their traditional Firecracker Night that was rescheduled from July 1st. A large crowd was on hand to witness hot racing action and a Firework display by Atlas Pyrotechnics to conclude the special event.

The Modified Touring Series was the highlighted feature event with Chase Dowling taking the victory. In the speedway’s weekly divisions, Keith Carzello became the eleventh different winner in the Sportsman Modifieds, Louis Maher captured his first victory of the season in the Mini Stocks. Thunder Stocks James Nowakowski and Young Gun Cale Skillings scored wins. Hillary Renaud in the Lightning Stocks and Tyler Leary in the Super Stocks both were awarded the win after post race inspections.

The Young Guns took to the track as the first feature out where Chloe Wright brought the field to the green. Cale Skillng wasted no time to put pressure on the leader as he moved into second, from his fifth starting spot, on lap four. Wright fought hard to hold off Skillings until lap six when Skillings took the lead leaving her in a battle with Mariah Stebbins. Stebbins on the outside took over second on the next lap and was on pursuit to catch Skillings. On the final lap, it was Skillings posting the win followed by Stebbins and Chris Phelps.

The Mini Stocks rolled out for their twenty five lap feature with Jaret Curtis and Bill Chaffee side by side in the front row. On the start, a caution flew quickly as Chaffee and Elliot made their way to the pit area. On the restart, Louis Maher would jump to the lead as Curtis attempted to hold Matt Kimball. By lap seven, the top runners began to work through lap traffic as Kimball continued to work over Curtis for second. Ethan Marsh and Pat Houle battled each other for the fourth spot. On lap twenty, Curtis spins out running in second setting the field up for a five lap shoot out. On the restart, Maher showed the way but not without heavy pressure from Kimball. The two battled, swapping the lead as Marsh and Houle ran side by side for third. On the final turn, Maher muscled his way to the checkered flag followed by Kimball, Houle, Desmond Skillings and Marsh.

Justin Littlewood led the Super Stocks onto the track but before the green was out, Littlewood pulled into the pits giving the pole to Scott Beck. On the first completed lap, Mike McGoldrick took the lead as Craig Smith Challenged the rookie for the top spot. On lap four a caution came out slowing the field. On the restart, McGoldrick had trouble coming out of turn four causing his car to turn right and the field was halted again giving Smith the top spot. The next attempt to start the race was successful and by the next lap the fans saw a new leader of Leary as Chris Curtis was side by side with Smith for second. On lap eleven, Leary and Curtis were wheel to wheel for the lead with Curtis raking it over on the next lap. Joel Monahan was all over the back bumper of Cole Littlewood for third. Five laps to go, Leary continued to challenge Curtis as he attempted several times to unsettle the race machine of Curtis. Monahan made the pass on Littlewood for third. At the checkers, it was Curtis followed by Leary, Monahan, Littlewood and Smith. In a post race inspection, Curtis was penalized for a rules infraction, Leary was awarded the win.

Zachary Lyn and Eric Silvernale led the Lightning stocks to the green flag start with Lyn quickly taking the lead. Silvernale settled in second as Hillary Renaud challenged Dylan Stebbins for third. By lap ten. Renaud moved into second, Jon Fultz took over third. Lyn on cruise control, developed a quarter of a track lead as he safely maneuvered around lap traffic. Matt Gauffin battled with Silvernale for fourth. On the final lap, Lyn from green to checker took the victory followed by Hillary Renaud. Gauffin passed Fultz on the last lap to take over third. Fultz and Leon Keniston rounded out the top five.

The Thunder Stocks were out next as Bruce Clark and Michelle Leh led the field to the green. Clark held the lead as Jason Kozacka moved into second. Leh was shuffled back to seventh. Kozacka battled hard with Clark for the lead, James Nowakowski and Dave Greenslit challenged each other for third. On lap five, Kozacka became the new leader as Nowakowski moved onto second. On lap thirteen, Nowakowski took the lead as Kozacka felt the pressure of Richard Vincent, Randy Rameau and Ed Lofland on his back bumper. The top five ran close as Craig Chaffee made the pass on Rameau for fifth on lap twenty. On lap twenty the caution flag flew as the field was set up for a green white checker finish. On the restart, Nowakowski continued as the leader as Chaffee put hard pressure on Lofland for the fourth spot. At the end, it was Nowakowski followed by Kozacka, Vincent, Lofland and Chaffee.

Paul Smith and Keith Carzello sat side by side for the Sportsman Modified green flag start. Smith led the first lap as Carzello made the pass on the next lap for the lead. Todd Patnode followed and took over the second spot which left Smith in a battle with Kim Rivet for third. Ten laps into the books, the top three remained the same as Joel Monahan took over fourth and on the back bumper of Smith. As laps winded down, Patnode gave everything he could to make the pass on Carzello for the top spot as the battle continued for third between Smith and Monahan. Geoff Rollins ran fifth. The top runners began to work their way through lap traffic as Rollins challenged Monahan for the fourth spot. On the final turn, en route for the checkers, Carzello to the victory followed Patnode, Smith, Monahan and Rollins.

The next event at the high banked ¼ mile of Monadnock Speedway will be held on Saturday, July 22nd featuring Christmas in July. The speedway will be accepting unwrapped toys to be donated to the local United Way to be distributed to local families who cannot afford presents at Christmas time. Fans who do bring in an unwrapped toy will receive $5 off Adult General Admission. Racing action will include Sportsman Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Thunder Stocks and Young Guns. Race time is at 6pm. For more information go to the speedway’s website at www.monadnockspeedway.com.

Sportsman Modifieds: Keith Carzello, Todd Patnode, Paul Smith, Joel Monahan, Geoff Rollins, Brian Robie, Tyler Jarvenppa, Ben Byrne, Nathan Johnson, Matt Kimball, Brian Chapin, Todd Warren, John Bergenty, Mike Flynn, Cameron Sontag, Kim Rivet, Eric Leclair, Chris Ignazio, Jason Barden, Cole Littlewood

Super Stocks: Tyler Leary, Joel Monahan, Cole Littlewood, Craig Smith, Tyler Lescord, Eric Pomasko, Nancy Muni, Scott Beck, Drew Davis, Mike Mcgoldrick, Chris Jackman, Justin Littlewood, Geoff Rollins, Chris Curtis

Mini Stocks: Louis Maher, Matt Kimball, Pat Houle, Desmond Skillings, Ethan Marsh, Kevin McknightTim Paquette, Alexander Pearl, Jaret Curtis, Kevin Pittsinger, Shelby Avery, Bill Elliot, Darren Jacobs, Chase Curtis, Bill Chaffee, Nic Skillings, Cory Plummer

Lighting Stocks: Hillary Renaud, Matt Gauffin, Jon Fultz, Leon Keniston, Steve Fucile, Eric Silvernale, Dylan Stebbins, Andrew Harmon, Robert Horne, Chris Fultz, Aaron Regan, Matthew Holbrook, Randall Phillips, Alby Ovitt , Zachary Lyn

Thunder Stocks: James Nowakowski, Jason Kozacka, Richard Vincent, Ed Lofland, Craig Chaffee, Randy Rameau, Dave Greenslit, Michelle Leh, Bruce Clark, Jeff Staiti, Jason O’Donnell, Nate Nunez

Young Guns: Cale Skillings, Mariah Stebbins, Chris Phelps, Zachary Morse, Chloe Wright

Photo attached (courtesy of New England Graphix) – Sportsman Modified Winner Keith Carzello (Somers, CT)