Shafer, Lee overcome adversity to post Wild and Wacky victories
Emma Monahan grabs first-ever Bandolero win
Bennett holds off Blaskey to win Legends feature
WATERFORD — Marc Shafer was the winner of the Super X Car feature. Chris
Lee was the winner in the X-Cars. Peter Bennett won the Legends feature.
Emma Monahan was a first time winner in the Bandoleros.
Usually the only people working at 1 a.m. are late-night talk show
hosts.
Marc Shafer and his team were busy Tuesday night, however, to try to get
their Super-X Car ready for a 25-lap feature on Wednesday.
“We had to put in a new rear-end and a new transmission,” Shafer said.
“We were up until 1 a.m. getting it done.”
The late-night work detail was worth it. Shafer took the lead on lap 13
from Jeremy Washburn and dominated the rest of the way to win his second
feature of the season, highlighting the action duringt Wild and Wacky
Wednesday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Christopher Lee, meanwhile, who has had a rough start to his 2018
season, was able to take the lead early and cruise to his win in the
25-lap X-Car feature.
In other action, Emma Monahan led all 20 laps for her first Bandolero
win and Peter Bennett survived a frantic finish from Mike Blaskey to
post his second 25-lap Wednesday Legend win this season.
Shafer was forced to work until the wee hours because his car lost a
drive shaft last week, resulting in a last-place finish. On Wednesday,
his car showed no ill side effects from the turmoil of the week before.
“I had a lot of help,” Shafer said. “Guys worked their tails off to get
the car ready”
Dave Yardley, who finished second, said he gave it everything he and his
car had, but he couldn’t catch Shafer.
“He had a good car,” Yardley said. “But if there was a late caution, it
could have been a different story.”
DennyLee Hoffman finished third for the second straight week.
Lee started ninth in the X-Car feature, but was challenging for the lead
just five laps into the race. He blew past Gregg Sajkowicz to get the
lead and no one could stay close to him.
“I knew our luck had to turn around sooner or later,” Lee said. “Even
though we’ve been getting decent finishes, luck hasn’t been on our
side.”
Corey Caddick took second while Eddie Loomis blasted by TJ Racicot with
two laps to go to finish third. Loomis still leads by two points over
Caddick in the X-Car standings.
Bennett took over the lead from Colin Haley on the eighth lap of the
Legends feature and ripped open a sturdy lead. Blaskey, however, who had
to go to the rear of the field after a collision with Anthony Bello,
made a late rush over the closing laps and almost caught Bennett coming
out of Turn 4 on the final lap. Bennett, however, was able to hang on.
“We made a big adjustment before the race, and it was almost too big,”
Bennett said.” Our car started to get loose. I thought it was Joey
Ternullo behind me, but then I saw it was Blaskey. I knew I had to
battle.”
Blaskey finished second and leads by four points over Bennett in the
standings.
Emma Monahan started on the pole and led for the first 15 laps of the
20-lap Bandolero feature. When the caution came out with five laps to
go, however, Monahan had to prove herself on a double-file restart
against Ethan Simmons.
She responded, In fact, her car was just as good after the caution
period as it was before the flag came out.
She pulled away from Tyler Alkas and Brody Monahan to get her first
career win.
“It was crazy,” Emma said. “I don’t know what to say. This is awesome.”
Racing resumes Saturday at the Speedbowl with a 150-lap American
Canadian Tour feature. The SK Modifieds, SK Lite Modifieds, Mini Stocks
and Sportsmen also will be in action.
20-lap Bandoleros: 1. Emma Monahan, Quaker Hill; 2. Tyler Alkas, Berlin;
3. Nicolas Hovey, Chaplin; 4. Ethan Simmons, Pawcatuck; 5. Maddie
Harkin, Portsmouth, R.I.; 6. Ari Jencik, Canton; 7. PJ Evans,
Uncasville; 8. Anthony Bevilacqua, Newington; 9. Madelyn Hovey,
Chaplain; 10. Sawyer Reiss, Guilford.
25-lap X-Car: 1. Christopher Lee, Oakdale; 2. Corey Caddick, Richmond,
R.I.; 3. Eddie Loomis, Plainfield; 4. TJ Racicot, Quaker Hill; 5. Bill
Rheaume, Uncasville; 6. Will Rheaume, North Franklin; 7. CP Burdick,
Deep River; 8. Steven Olsen, Essex; 9. Chuck McDonald, Groton; 10. Onie
Pierce, Preston.
25-lap Super X-Car: 1. Marc Shafer, Groton; 2. Dave Yardley, Kensington;
3. DennyLee Hoffman, Westbrook; 4. Don Berge, Uncasville; 5. Peter
Martin, Plainfield; 6. Bud Kuehne, Clinton; 7. Keith Brown, Griswold; 8.
Mitch Bombard, Willimantic; 9. Jeremy Washburn, N/A; 10. Aaron Plemons,
Uncasville.
25-lap Legends: 1. Peter Bennett, Cromwell; 2. Mike Blaskey, Bethany; 3.
Joe Ternullo, Middletown; 4. Colin Haley, Ashford; 5. Dennis Pantani,
Branford; 6. John O’Sullivan, Salem; 7. Mason Levesque, Dighton, Mass.;
8. Scott Limkemann, Lebanon; 9. Devin Jencik, Canton; 10. Jessica
O’Leary, Warwick, R.I.
