Bouc Bounces Back after Pauch Jr.’s Misfortune
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Bouc Bounces Back after Pauch Jr.’s Misfortune
By: Pete MacDonald
Plumsteadville, PA’s Danny Bouc bounced back after two frustrating weeks at New Egypt Speedway to pick up his first win since June of 2014 this past Saturday. Not only was it Bouc’s first win of the year it locked him into the May Modified Madness Series Finale on June 25th at NES.
Bouc who led seven laps at the races midpoint until Billy Pauch Jr snuck underneath him on a lap 15 restart thought he chances of winning had diminished until Pauch Jr. slowed with a broken axle on lap 17 handing the lead back to Bouc.
“Our race started good, we got by PJ (Oliver) there and I thought it was going to be clean sailing there until little Billy got me. After that I thought it was pretty much over and I think it would have been if he wouldn’t have broke but it ended up working out, he had the car to beat and was for sure in a league of his own. I thought Godown was going to be tough too.” Bouc said in post race tech.
On the ensuing restart after Pauch Jr. broke, the cream started to rise to the top with defending track champion Ryan Godown and opening night winner Dominick Buffalino running second and third behind Bouc.
“I figured Godown and Buffalino would be breathing down my neck on that restart, but we kind of checked out there and set clean sail ahead, with the way the track was tonight you had to be out front in clean air so I just stood on it and drove the hell out of it.” Bouc explained while being congratulated by well wishers.
The race would go clean and green for the remaining 14 circuits as Buffalino and Godown battled hard trading paint for the runner-up spot with Buffalino winning that battle come races end.
“I thought we had the winning car,” said Billy Pauch Jr. who had won the week prior landing him a spot in the May Modified Madness Finale. Pauch is off to the best start of his NES Modified career with three second place finishes and a win going into this past Saturday looking to add to his point lead.
NES Notes:
25 358 Modifieds, 26 Crate Modifieds, 16 Street Stocks and 5 Rookie Sportsman took part in the evenings program.
John Criscione made the 80 mile tow down from Paramus, NJ worthwhile on Saturday picking up his first career New Egypt Speedway win in the Crate Modified feature. I really don’t think I have ever seen a happier winner in Victory Lane.
Brandon Grosso rolled his No.32 in the Crate Modified feature this past Saturday in what I believe was his first trip upside down. At 16-years of age Grosso showed a ton of maturity, guts and determination hopping back in the car just minutes after it had flipped.
It was nice to see ‘Big’ Al Cheney back at New Egypt Speedway in a car for the first time in a long time. Cheney has built one of the new North East Wingless Sprint Cars for competition at NES and should be out this Thursday when they are the support division for the USAC National Sprint Car Tour.
Billy Pauch was added to the field on Saturday as the first alternate after it appeared Pauch had been struggling with fuel issues throughout the night in his No. 1 machine.
The Street Stock feature had to be cut to just 17 laps instead of their scheduled 20. Speaking of Street Stock’s the No.60 of Johnny Bush had to be the coolest looking car in the division replicating the JD Stacy No.2 of Tim Richmond’s in the early-80’s.
Any questions, comments or concerns, I can be reached at racersguide@gmail.com or found on Twitter @PMacDonald51. Thanks for reading!
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