Todd Patnode Wins Modified Main Event at Monadnock Speedway
Bouncing back from injury and rebounding from a wreck that destroyed his primary car, Todd Patnode was back in the championship form that has defined his more than three decades of action on the high banks of Monadnock Speedway. Patnode won the Modified main event Saturday at New England’s fastest quarter-mile oval.
It’s been a long time since Patnode entered the month of September still winless on the year but now he is back in form. Setting fast time in practice - 12.135 seconds - and again in time trials - 12.319 this time - he led the last dozen laps of the night’s main event to park his Swanzey Oil open-wheeler in victory lane.
Limited Late Model star JD Stockwell, locked in a points battle with Robert Hagar, held off his championship rival to score his ninth win of the summer, and Pure Stock ace Michael Yeaton, who got a late start on the season so won’t figure in his division’s title chase, won for his sixth time.
Matt Robinson became the Pro V8 Sportsman’s first three-time winner of the 2026 campaign Saturday, and Young Gun Dylan Stati continued to put up numbers unseen here since four-holer star Gordon Farnum went wild on the high banks half a decade gap.
Rookie Kyle Kenny sat on the pole as the All States Material Group 604 Modifieds began their 40-lap main event. Kimmy Rivet was his row-one dancing partner. Kenny led the first two laps, then giving way to Rivet, who set a fast pace through two restarts and ten laps before dropping out of the lead on lap 13. Tyler Leary, who’d surrendered the points lead on his wedding day a week earlier, then took over, with Andrew Brousseau glued to his bumper and the potent duo of Eddie Gomarlo and Todd Patnode close behind. Patnode stormed into third on lap 19, second on lap 25, and then to the top spot three laps later. Once in front, he would not be denied. Leary finished two lengths back in second, and Brousseau was third. A late-race charge brought Ben Byrne up to fourth, and Ty LeClerc raced home fifth.
Erik Smith was the early leader in the Twin State Truck Services Limited Late Model feature, but the Hagar-Stockwell Express was coming fast. Hagar took charge on lap four, with Stockwell up to second the next time around. The two raced nose-to-tail the next dozen laps until Stockwell lowlined to the front and held strong to win his ninth race of the season. With Hagar a close second, steady Hillary Renaud was third on the night, Smith raced home fourth, and Chris Lindquist rebounded from a trip to the pits for fifth.
Firing from row two, Michael Yeaton exploded into the lead on lap two of the Brattleboro Towing and Recovery Pure Stock feature and never looked back en route to his division-high sixth win of the season. Kyle Begos kept Yeaton in sight for most of the race but could never reel him in.
Hatfield, MA rookie Maya Bell ran strong all night to score her first career top three finish. Points leader Jimmy Zellman was fourth, and Markus O’Neil finished fifth. Rookie star Josh Brigham, victorious a week earlier, was driven into the backstretch wall on the final lap while running fourth, his car heavily damaged and his championship hopes taking a point hit.
Hot shoe Matt Robinson took the lead on lap ten of the Beck’s Automotive Pro V8 Sportsman feature and never looked back en route to his division-high third win of the summer. Aaron Thompson came from the back to the front twice to finish second and stay atop the points parade. Previous winner Chris Kingsley stayed in the hunt all night to race home third. Longtime Monadnock veteran Chris Emerson finished fourth, and Mikey Wolinger was fifth.
Pre-teen Dylan Stati continued his mastery of the Doug’s Auto Young Guns Saturday, leading all the way as he stayed perfect on the summer with his 13th win in as many tries. Eli Elliott, in his second career race, was second, Maeve Barry earned the third-place hardware, and newcomer Colton Pond was fourth.
Monadnock Speedway returns to action next Saturday, September 12, the final round of the speedway’s 2026 Triple Crown Series events in all divisions. Post time at the Route 10 speedplant is 6 p.m. each Saturday.