Whelen Modified Tour’s Glen Reen
Whips Mini Sprints at Whip City
BY MARK McKEON
WESTFIELD, MA – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Glen Reen made one of his infrequent appearances at Whip City Speedway and stole the show by leading every lap of the non-stop 750 Sportsman Mini Sprint feature.
“This is a really fun place to race,” Reen said after his victory. “The Tour can get pretty intense and pretty cutthroat. Here, everybody is friendly and out to have a good time. I love racing here.”
Reen, who was the Whelan Modified Tour Rookie of the Year in 2008, drove the Alloy Wheel Repair Suzuki powered Mini Sprint owned by Rob Walendy, who also drove it in the 750cc Class A feature. Walendy is a crew member and part time spotter on Reen’s Modified team.
Mark McKeon finished second, trailing by nearly a furlong, with Kyle Smith on his back bumper. Shelby Klekotka and Makayla Lucia completed the top five.
In the 750cc A feature, Mike King did the only thing he could do to improve on his strong second place finish in his last outing: he led every lap in his heat and then led every lap in the feature. King, who just a few weeks ago didn’t think he’d be racing at all this year, took off like a rocket and accumulated a substantial early lead in the green to checker event. He was slowed by lapped traffic late in the race, and Phil Bessette made a late race charge, only to come up a couple of car lengths shy at the finish line.
John Virgilio, who nearly flipped his 1200cc Mini Sprint early in the evening, came back to grab the lead from Charlie Pease on lap six and held it until the checkers fell on lap 20. Last week’s winner, Jon Moore, was the hard charger of the night coming from 12th to finish second.
Multi time NEMA Lite feature winner Anthony Nocella returned to his dirt track roots and won the 600cc Mini Sprint feature. Nocella executed an inside pass on Ryan Bigelow in turn four then set sail for victory lane. Only a single caution flag delayed the voyage.
Defending 270cc Champ Seth Carlson served notice that he’s mounting a spirited defense of his crown, by annihilating the competition in both his heat and the feature. Mark Irving made a run at him, but Carlson was untouchable.
Two-in-a-row-Joe Krawiec scored a decisive victory in the Quad 4 Midget feature. Popular and talented Jim Close claimed the runner up spot.
Ryan Nicewicz passed Brett Crowther with just three laps remaining in the Modified Lite feature to maintain his 1.00 batting average after two heats and two features so far this season.
In addition to the regular program, this week at the Whip will be highlighted by a TUSA Regional Points Race for the Modified Lites and an appearance by the Modified Karts. Whip City is Southern New England’s only weekly dirt track and it’s easily reached from both the Mass Pike and I-91.
750 Sportsman – GLEN REEN, Mark McKeon, Kyle Smith, Shelby Klekotka, Makayla Lucia, Brandon Hunt, Brandon Michael, R.J. Curry, Tim Stick.
750cc – MIKE KING, Phil Bessette, John Casazza, Tyler Jackson, Chris Haskell, Rob Walendy, Scott Viets, Jack Fogarty, Dan Schaubert, David Williamson, John Missale, Nikki Oullette.
1200cc – JOHN VIRGILIO, Jon Moore, Peter Dance Jamie Beaudry, Charlie Pease, Jerry Sehn, Mark Taylor, Stephen Lapine, Kristin Phillips, Bill Adamsky, Joseph Szczapa, Paul Rose, Mac Guerard.
600cc – ANTHONY NOCELLA, Ryan Bigelow, Ricci Hirth, Greg Smith, Rich Crooker, Jim DeCambra, Chris Lenox, Dylan Campbell, Luke Greenwood.
270cc – SETH CARLSON, Mark Irving, Wayne Ibitz, Joe Scanlon, Frank Russo, Grant Sabo, Kurt Conklin, Phil Bessette, Bryan Russo, Tim Bertrand, Brian Boudreau, Kendall Segar, Shane Prucker, Kara Franqueza, Matt Seymour, Tara Galko, Scott Franqueza, Ben Martelle.
250 Youth – ALEX ADAMSKY, Brandon Hunt.
Quad 4 Midget – JOE KRAWIEC, Jim Close, Jamie Spalding, Jack McKeon, Jim Mossman, Tim Gallant, Denny Zimmerman.
Modified Lite – RYAN NICEWICZ, Brett Crowther, Joe Anselmo, Roger Angers, Jr., Dale Shallow, John Durst, Tom O’Malley, Casey Oullette, Rick Ashlaw, Bob Poloski.
Karts: Novice – TANNER CORREIA, Kerriann Adamsky
Turquoise – COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, Spencer Brockman, Matthew McCuin, Kacie Heath.
Junior – RYAN IRISH, Jeffery Champagne, Nora Lemelin, Michael Langevin, Ryan Fujimoto.
Lite – KATE LAFRENIERE, Mike Hauser, Stephen Banach, William Coons, Josh Rutola.
Heavy – JAKE SAPOWSKY, Bill Tack, Tim Gallant, Gary Sokoloski, Jr., David Comeau.
Modified – ROGER FUJIMOTO, Victor Pomerleau, Scott Kalber, Paul Luntta, Rick Ashlaw, Eric Jorgenson, Michael Bray, Steve Rockwood.
2 Stroke – BRUCE DODGE, Ernie Whidden.
4 Cyl Street Stock – KEITH HOLTMAN, Stephen Banach, Brian Hohenstein, Stephanie Banach, Michael Pierce, Fred Cheney, John Forgey, Darren Sallee.