Woody Pitkat Goes 2 For 2 at Stafford With Victory in 5th Annual VMRS 80
(Stafford Springs, CT)—The Valenti Modified Racing Series made its second of three visits during the 2015 season to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 5th Annual VMRS 80. Woody Pitkat took the checkered flag to make himself 2 for 2 in 2015 at Stafford Speedway in VMRS feature action.
At the drop of the green flag, Ryan Preece led the first lap but Todd Szegedy took the lead on lap-2. Preece came back strong on the outside of Szegedy and he got clear and back into the lead on lap-3. Behind the two leaders, Steve Masse was on the charge, moving from sixth up to third. He got around Szegedy for second on lap-7 and he went by Preece to take over the race lead on lap-14.
Rowan Pennink was now up to third behind Masse and Preece and he had Woody Pitkat right on his bumper as Szegedy fell back to fifth. Pennink got by Preece to move into second on lap-17 and his move brought Pitkat along with him as Preece fell back to fourth.
Preece brought his car to pit road under green on lap-30 his race was over as his crew pushed the car behind the wall. Masse was still in the lead with Pitkat now second. Pennink and Szegedy were running together in third and fourth while Mike Willis, Jr. was fifth.
Pitkat used lapped traffic to his advantage as he went by Masse for the lead on lap-43 as they were navigating their way through a pack of lapped cars. Szegedy was third, with Pennink fourth and Willis still running in fifth. Dylan Kopec brought out the race’s first caution flag with 56 laps complete as he spun in turn 3.
Pitkat took the lead back under green with Szegedy and Masse side by side for second. Chris Pasteryak was fourth and Willis was fifth, just in front of Keith Rocco. The caution came back out with 58 laps complete as George Sherman and David Schneider spun in turn 3.
On the restart, Schneider got turned around and into the turn 1 wall to bring the caution right back out. Pitkat took the lead back under green with Pasteryak moving under Szegedy to take second. Szegedy was side by side with Rocco for third with Masse right behind them. Rocco got the better of the duel with Szegedy to take third but the action was slowed again by the caution flag for a spin by Dan Meservey in turn 2 with 61 laps complete.
Pasteryak got a great restart and powered to the lead, but Pitkat came back strong in turns 3+4 and they were side by side at the line. Pitkat moved to the front on lap-63 and Szegedy was also able to get by Pasteryak as Rocco and Masse were fourth and fifth. Pennink’s car dropped off the pace on the backstretch on lap-65 and he limped back to pit road.
Rocco began to lose pace with the top-4 and his car dropped off the pace on lap-73 and he limped back to pit road. Pitkat was stretching out his lead over Szegedy, Pasteryak, and Masse.
Pitkat cruised to the checkered flag to pick up his second consecutive Valenti Modified Racing Series victory at Stafford. Szeged finished second, with Pasteryak, Masse, and Richard Savary rounding out the top-5.
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VMRS 80 (80)
1) Woody Pitkat
2) Todd Szegedy
3) Chris Pasteryak
4) Steve Masse
5) Richard Savary
6) Carl Medieros, Jr.
7) Mike Willis, Jr.
8) Todd Patnode
9) Dennis Perry
10) Dan Meservey, Jr.
11) Norm Wrenn
12) Matt Mead
13) Jeff Rocco
14) Mike Keeler
15) Branden Dion
16) George Sherman
17) Colbey Fournier
18) Keith Rocco Chris Bolton
19) Rowan Pennink
20) Bobby Drown
21) David Schneider
22) Dylan Kopec
23) Kirk Alexander
24) Ryan Preece
25) Donnie Lashua
26) Roy Seidell, Jr.
