PHOTO: Chris Pasteryak (center) celebrates his second Valenti Modified Racing Series win of the season at Lee USA Speedway with representative’s from David’s House, the benefit charity for next week’s Ricky’s Race For Kids at Canaan. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)

–by T.J. Ingerson

LEE, N.H. — Chris Pasteryak battled threatening weather and a possible motor problem to become the first repeat winner for the Valenti Modified Racing Series this season, winning the Laticrete Port City 100 at Lee USA Speedway Friday night.

Pasteryak quickly moved from his seventh starting position into the top five, then benefitted from a lap 25 caution to move into third following contact between third and fourth place runners Richard Savary and Les Hinckley. Savary spun around in the middle of turns three and four, and Hinckley was penalized for being part of the incident. After the restart, Pasteryak, like all the other competitors, appeared to be saving tires for the end of the race on the abrasive Lee track.

Shortly before halfway, Pasteryak made his move passing polesitter Louie Mechalides for second. Then, on lap 53, Pasteryak worked his way inside of early race leader Joe Doucette, who had led since lap three, to take over the lead. Although mainly uncontested to the victory, Pasteryak may have been lucky the race went caution-free after the one and only caution on lap 25.

“Something happened to the motor,” said Pasteryak, of Jewett City, Connecticut. “It was only running on seven cylinders. I’m not sure what the problem is. I’m hoping it’s something simple. But for all the places to have that happen, I think it may have actually helped me here.”

Pasteryak said a late-race caution would have potentially hurt his chances. “Maybe, if [the motor problem] got worse,” he said. “Dwight [Jarvis] was right there. That’s why I was running it so hard, I was unsure if it was going to get worse. I probably could have saved it more, but you have to go when you have to go.”

Jarvis followed Pasteryak around Doucette and shadowed Pasteryak for many laps before making contact with the wall, dropping him off of Pasteryak’s bumper but still securing second.

“The car was excellent,” said Jarvis, of Ascutney, Vermont. “I thought I might have had something for Chris. Getting around the 0 car [Mike Holdridge], I slapped the backstretch wall with the right side, and the car got free. We’re happy. After the heat race, we changed a lot of stuff in a short time. The guys did an excellent job on it.”

Two-time defending series champion Jon McKennedy started from the traditional previous race winner’s position, 18th, and battled his way to third.

“With only one caution it was tough,” said the East Chelmsford, Mass., racer. “We had a good car, we just ran out of time. I think the two cars in front of me [Pasteryak and Jarvis] were sitting ducks. At one time the top ten cars were half a track ahead of me. But from 18th to third, that’s pretty good.”

Hinckley, of Windsor Locks, Conn., rallied from his penalty from the lap 25 caution to finish fourth. Preston, Conn., racer Ken Barry completed the unofficial top five.

Series point leader Rowan Pennink finished sixth. Jimmy Kuhn, Jr., Norm Wrenn, Doucette, and Rob Goodenough completed the unofficial top ten.

The win gives Chris Pasteryak a guaranteed starting spot in next Saturday’s “Ricky’s Race for Kids” at the Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, New Hampshire. With $12,000-to-win on the line, he is looking forward to it.

“I love Canaan. Good race, good charity, big money, and now we’re a guaranteed starter,” Pasteryak said. “Can’t wait.”

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Laticrete Port City 100
Valenti Modified Racing Series — Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H.
Friday July 8, 2011

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

1. (7) Chris Pasteryak, Jewett City, Conn.
2. (8) Dwight Jarvis, Ascutney, Vt.
3. (18) Jon McKennedy, East Chelmsford, Mass.
4. (4) Les Hinckley, III, Windsor Locks, Conn.
5. (6) Ken Barry, Preston, Conn.
6. (16) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
7. (19) Jimmy Kuhn, Jr., Bridgewater, Mass.
8. (12) Norm Wrenn, Nashua, N.H.
9. (3) Joe Doucette, Framingham, Mass.
10. (9) Rob Goodenough, Swanzey, N.H.
11. (15) Jacob Dore, Sanford, Me.
12. (5) Tim Jordan, Plainfield, Conn.
13. (14) Mike Holdridge, Madison, Conn.
14. (10) Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H.
15. (13) Jack Bateman, Canaan, N.H.
16. (1) Louie Mechalides, Tyngsboro, Mass.
17. (2) Richard Savary, Canton, Mass.
18. (11) Todd Annarummo, Swansea, Mass.
19. (17) Pete Frappier, Litchfield, N.H.