Pitkat Tops VMRS Field At New Hampshire Motor Speedway Debut
Story By: JOHN SPENCE SR. / VALENTI MODIFIED RACING SERIES – LOUDON, NH – Seventeen lead changes, and a hard fought battle right down to the finish, highlighted Saturday afternoons 50-lap race for open-wheel Modifieds when the Valenti Modified Racing Series made it’s first ever start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon New Hampshire.
Woody Pitkat, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, led the race 9-times before taking down his first VMRS win for 2017 and his fourth series victory. Pitkats’s last series win was October 15, 2016, at Thompson, Connecticut.
The race was part of The New England Short Track Showdown produced by race organizer Bob Guptill.
Pitkat edged Ted Christopher of Plainville, Connecticut by 0.017 at the Sunoco Checkered Flags
Pitkat was quick to point to his crew lead by car owner Dan Stebbins for making the win possible. “It was an awesome day. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the crew. We had a terrible day yesterday (practice sessions) so to be able to win for these guys.. we chased an electrical issue all day (Friday) and only got three laps of practice.”
Pitkat continued, “ Mike Pettit came over to help us and the crews that were (parked) near us also helped us. It’s so cool to win at Loudon. To be able to pull into victory lane here is pretty awesome. To see all the guys smiling and to finally win for Mayhew (Tools) is just awesome.”
Pitkat was pleased to see the race go as good as it did especially for VMRS regulars Sammy Rameau & David Schneider. Pitkat instructed both drivers on the art of drafting at a planned practice session for all competitors last month.
“That’s what you want,” said the series 2015 series champion. You want a good competitive race and not someone coming in and winning by 20-car lengths. I’ll help anyone. It’s important to help those guys so they are not running around the back.”
“I gotta thank Jack (Bateman) for bringing the series here and Bob (Guptill) for doing everything he could to get us up here.”
Pitkat led the race 9-times, runner-up Ted Christopher five times, and Eric Goodale 3-times before crashing out of the event.
Steven Masse, of Bellingham, MA, a 9-time series winner ran a strong race competing with the leaders and finished third.
Zane Zeiner, of Bath PA, checkered fourth, with Geoff Gerhard of Bozrah, CT, rounding out the top five.
David Schneider, Anthony Nocella, Donnie Lashua, and Rob Richardi Jr. were sixth through tenth place finishers.
15-drivers finished on the lead lap.
Heat Race Winners: Masse (1) Christopher (2) Pitkat (3)
Next Event:
Claremont Speedway
Claremont, NH.
Friday July 7, 2017
Race Summary
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, NH
Race # 5
July 1, 2017
Entrants: 26
Distance: 50-laps
Margin of Victory: 0.017
Average Speed: 42.706
Best Lap Time: 30.016
Best Speed : 126.652 (Pitkat)
Cautions: Laps- 1, 12, 40, 42, and 46
Unofficial Order Of Finish: Pitkat (1) Christopher ( 2) Masse (3) Zeiner (4) Gernhard (5) Schneider (6) Flannery (7) Nocella (8) Lashua (9) Richardi (10) Kay (11) Fournier (12) Meservey (13) Gallup (14) Mead (15) Dolan (16) Goodale (17) Rocco (18) Rameau (19) Dauzat (20) Willis (21) Savary (22) Doucette ( 55) Shaw (24) Seidell (25)
