Patnode Captures The Victor Johnson Memorial 100
By Gary Dutton
WINCHESTER, NH – Todd Patnode not only took home the big money Saturday, August 24, at Monadnock Speedway; he did so by honoring the memory of his lifelong friend, former Modified pilot Victor Johnson, winning the 100-lap Victor Johnson Memorial 100 Valenti Modified Racing Series main event.
And on the same action-packed card of racing on the high-banked speedplant, no fewer than four first-time winners earned victory laps in the NASCAR oval’s 14th show of the season. Joey Kendall, Sportsman Modifieds; Josh Wood, Super Stocks; Samantha Macomber, Young Guns; and Tim O’Shea, Lightning Stocks; each scored their first win.
Mini Stock points leader Beth Adams won her second feature event of the summer, as did Young Gun Cole Littlewood.
Max Zachem led the first 45 laps of the VMRS main event, giving way to Peter Jarvis just before the first caution flag of the race waved on lap 46. Zachem wasn’t done, though, reclaiming the point nine laps later, with Jarvis’ older brother Dwight – a VMRS winner on the high banks earlier this year -powering into second.
The elder Jarvis took the lead on lap 77, but Todd Patnode – from row five –slicing through the field like a hot knife through soft butter, was at his back bumper, with the pair racing side-by-side for eight laps until Patnode took command on lap 85,
Once in front, Patnode never looked back, earning the win ahead of Jon McKennedy, Dwight Jarvis, Zachem, and series point leader Rowan Penninck. Former Monadnock strongman Russ Hersey came home seventh, holding on on spent tires the final 12 laps of the event.
Peter Jarvis’ strong bid for victory went for naught on lap 98, when he took a hit in turn two, slamming into the backstretch wall. Former Monadnock strong man Les Hinckley, sizzling in sixth on the subsequent restart, broke when the green came back out, finishing out of the money after a strong night’s work.
In the Sportsman Modified feature, Joey Kendall led early and often, as he and Brian Chapin pulled away from the field, until Chapin abruptly slowed and ducked pitside on lap 14, handing Kendall the lead again, an advantage he would never relinquish.
With Kendall earning his first victory of the summer, Nathan Johnson finished at his bumper, scoring his career-best Modified finish in the deuce spot. Points leader Bill Kimball came home third, with Steve Fifield and Tyler Jarvenpaa rounding out the top five.
Josh Wood led the first nine laps of the Super Stock feature, opening up huge leads early in the race only to see Eddie Brehio III reel him in and take control on lap 11. With the two trading paint the next ten laps, Wood again regained the lead on lap 22, holding Brehio in his shadow the rest of the way to score his first-ever victory in the division.
Brehio finished at Wood’s bumper to claim second, with John Lavoie coming home third. Craig Smith and Dave Striebel rounded out the top five,
Kevin McKnight led the first ten laps of the Mini Stock feature, then giving way to Beth Adams. Adams lost a huge lead on lap 20 when fluid on the track caused a caution and bunched the field back up.
McKnight, holding down second, got shuffled back on the restart, as Kimmy Rivet rocketed to the runner-up finish. Mike Stebbins was third, JT Cloutier fourth, and McKnight came home fifth, his strongest outing of the summer.
In the Young Guns youth division, Cole Littlewood and Samantha Macomber picked up the wins.
Littlewood took the lead from Sonja Carey on lap eight and dashed off to victory.
Carey, nursing a soft left rear, was strong in second, with Cameron Sontag, Mike McGoldrick Jr., and Chris Lawrence completing the top five.
Macomber led all the way in the second 12-lapper, earning her first win ahead of Justin Faford – who posted his career-best finish in second – Macomber’s sister Stephanie, Michelle Leh, and Dylan Morse.
Leon Keniston set the early pace in the Lightning Stock 30-lapper, then giving way to CJ Johnson. Tim O’Shea grabbed the point on lap eight and rocketed off to earn his first win by a country mile. Kyle Bonifice was second, Chris Davis third, Johnson fourth, and Eric Silvernale fifth.
Monadnock Speedway returns to action this Saturday, August 31, with the Sportsman Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Thunder Stocks, and Young Guns all in action. Post time is 6 p.m.
For more information on this and other coming events, visit the track website at www.monadnockspeedway.com.
Top Ten Sportsman Modifieds: Joe Kendall, Nathan Johnson, Bill Kimball, Steve Fifield, Tyler Jarvenpaa, Dan Stebbins, Keith Carzello, Brett Gonyaw, Brian Chapin
Top Ten Super Stocks: Josh Wood, Ed Brehio III, John Lavoie, Craig Smith, Dave Striebel, Nancy Muni, Tyler Lescord, James Thompson, Dana Shepard, Bill Johnston
Top Ten Mini Stocks: Beth Adams, Kim Rivet, Mike Stebbins, JT Cloutier, Kevin McKnight, Chris McTaggart, Joe Rogers, DJ Lazelle, Eric Pomasko, Julia Raymond
Top Ten Lightning Stocks: Tim O’Shea, Kyle Boniface, Chris Davis, CJ Johnson, Dick Houle, Leon Keniston, Ian Stevens, Matt Somerville, Craig Chaffee, Fred Rogers
Young Gun “A”: Cole Littlewood, Sonja Carey, Cameron Sontag, Mike McGoldrick, Chris Lawrence, Joel Monahan, Joe Collins, Matt Kimball
Young Gun “B”: Samantha Macomber, Justin Faford, Stephanie Macomber, Michelle Leh, Dylan Morse, Corey Wheeler, Dylan stebbins, Hailey Guy