Waterford, CT (August 30, 2014) – Waterford Speedbowl hosted Thunder on the Sound Saturday, a seven division motorsports program highlighted by the 18th annual Budweiser Modified Nationals SK Modified® 150. The biggest race of the year for the track’s headline NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division was won by Tyler Chadwick of Ledyard. Other winners on the night included Keith Rocco of Berlin in the Valenti Auto Mall Late Models, while a pair of drivers picked up their third victories of the year, Ryan Waterman of Danielson in the Street Stocks Ray Christian III of Groton in the Mini Stocks. Paul Buzel of Trumbull was a first time winner in SK Light Modified action, Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott won in the INEX Legend Cars and Paul LaPlante won the Vintage Outlaw Modified race.
Chadwick’s biggest ally in the 18th annual Budweiser Modified Nationals may have been his patience. The 2012 division champion started the race tenth and slowly moved into contention just before the halfway point of the 150-lap grind. Ted Christopher was out front, showing the way after he passed early leader Ed Puleo on lap-11. Minor incidents for single car spins dotted the opening half of the race. Chadwick was in second by lap-70 as Christopher comfortably led until a caution flag came on lap-96.
Following the restart, Chadwick tried to unseat Christopher using the outside lane on multiple occasions, finally tucking in behind Christopher in second position. The intensity was definitely on the rise among the lead pack as the race moved to its final stages. Keith Rocco, who spent the first one hundred laps pacing himself outside the top-five, asserted himself in the final fifty circuits. Rocco got to third and then pressed Chadwick until he gave up the outside lane, allowing Rocco to move to second on lap-117. Rocco then stalked Christopher for the lead until he made a diving maneuver to the inside on lap-130 down the back chute. The two cars came together between turns three and four, spinning both and bringing out a caution.
Chadwick’s patience and gut instinct paid off as he “had a feeling” something may happen between Christopher and Rocco, staying within striking distance. It did, and Chadwick inherited the lead while Rocco and Christopher each resumed from the tail of the field. He took off from Rob Janovic Jr. on the restart, distancing himself from the competition over the final dash to the finish as Rocco fired his way back through the field. Rocco’s furious rally landed him in second, but he could not catch Chadwick and finished in the runner-up spot. Chadwick netted the $5,000 winner’s pay day with his first victory in the big money race. Behind Rocco, Puleo finished third, Janovic fourth and Matt Galko was fifth.
Just one caution flag slowed Rocco’s roll in the 30-lap Valenti Auto Mall Late Model race, on lap-3. Rocco started the race in fifth and the move of the race likely came at the start. He narrowly avoided Bruce Thomas Jr. who spun across the track exiting turn four as the green flag waved directly in front of Rocco. Vin Esposito took command of the race, leading until Rocco moved underneath him on lap-11. A lap later, Rocco cleared Esposito and cruised to the win from there, his eleventh of the year in the division. Esposito held on for second and Anthony Ryan Jr. was third. The win marked Rocco’s 101st, tying him with Don Collins for second all-time in track history.
The 25-lap Street Stock race ran from green to checkered flags without delay, setting up as an old fashioned duel between Monte Gibbs and Waterman. Gibbs was seeking his first ever checkered flag in the division and took off into the lead at the start of the race. Waterman climbed from the sixth starting spot, breaking out of a tight pack of competition into second position on lap-6. He slowly cut into Gibbs’ lead lap by lap, finally reaching his rear bumper on lap-15. On lap-18, Waterman went inside Gibbs to the front and never looked back. Gibbs finished second and Jason Chicolas recorded his best Speedbowl performance to date in third.
Christian was unstoppable in Mini Stock action, checkering a caution-free and briskly paced 25-lap event. Christian started the race in the pole position but was fast from the drop of the green flag. He received some early race pressure from Doug Curry before opening up a comfortable advantage. Garrett Denton steadily picked cars off during the extended green flag run and wound up second, increasing his lead in the championship standings. Curry finished third.
Buzel was a first-time winner in the track’s SK Light Modified division, dominating the 25-lap race. The 16-year old won in impressive fashion, outrunning last year’s champion Randy Churchill. Larry Goss recovered from an early race spin to claim third.
Christopher came out on top of a hard-nosed 25-lap INEX Legend Cars feature, taking his fourteenth win for the division’s Saturday series. It was not, however, without some drama as he endured a heated mid-race battle with Joey Ternullo. Ternullo took the lead on lap-7 to become the second leader of the race, then saw Christopher move to second and fill his mirror. Ternullo held back Christopher until lap-17 when a bold move netted Christopher the lead out of turn four. Ternullo countered in turn one but the two cars made contact, sending both spinning to bring out a yellow flag. Cory Dimatteo inherited the lead and held on until Christopher fired his way from the back of the field, reaching Dimatteo’s rear bumper on lap-23. Christopher powered to the inside of Dimatteo in turn one, racing on to the win. Dimatteo was second and Ternullo rebounded to finish in third.
Paul LaPlante won the 15-lap Vintage Outlaw Modified race, featuring restored racecars from decades ago.