Touring Series News
Pennink Wins Modified Racing Series At Thompson
PHOTO: Rowan Pennink earned the Modified Racing Series win at Thompson on Thursday as the point standings got shaken up. (LINMAT photo)
Point leader Jarvis sits out
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Rowan Pennink earned his second BobValentiAutoMall.com Modified Racing Series victory of the season on Thursday night at Thompson Int’l (Conn.) Speedway by holding off a star-studded field of drivers in a 75-lap event.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., started seventh on the 31-car grid and made his way past visiting NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour point leader Bobby Santos with 19 laps remaining, then held off former Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR national champion Ted Christopher of Plainville, Conn., for the victory.
Nine-time NASCAR champion Mike Stefanik lead until lap 31, but dropped out on lap 47 with a mechanical failure. Santos took the lead from Stefanik on lap 32 and stayed up front until Pennink’s charge on lap 56. Santos eventually finished third behind Christopher, with Eric Goodale and Les Hinckley, III, completing the top five.
Steve Masse, Charlie Pasteryak, Ken Barry, Jeff Malave, and Jimmy Kuhn, Jr., completed the unofficial top ten finishers.
MRS point leader Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney, Vt., withdrew his entry after discovering a valve train problem in his engine, and second-place point man Jon McKennedy finished 24th after an accident on lap 59.
Third-place point driver Hinckley, of Windsor Locks, Conn., responded with a solid performance after crashing in his qualifying heat; his Chuck Montville-led team repaired the car, which Hinckley drove from 21st starting position to finish fifth and unofficially take the lead by one point over McKennedy, 435-434, with Jarvis third only three points behind at 432.
Ascutney rookie Joey Jarvis, Dwight Jarvis’s nephew, finished 12th. Eight caution periods slowed the race, which had 21 of 31 starters running on the lead lap at the finish. Thirty-six cars attempted to qualify.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Modified Racing Series
Thompson Int’l Speedway, Thompson, Conn.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
(Pos.-Driver-Hometown)
# - denotes rookie
1. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
2. Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn.
3. Bobby Santos, III, Franklin, Mass.
4. Eric Goodale, Wading River, N.Y.
5. Les Hinckley, III, Windsor Locks, Conn.
6. Steve Masse, Bellingham, Mass.
7. Charlie Pasteryak, Lisbon, Conn.
8. Ken Barry, Preston, Conn.
9. Jeff Malave, Manchester, Conn.
10. Jimmy Kuhn, Jr., Bridgewater, Conn.
11. # Norm Wrenn, Nashua, N.H.
12. # Joey Jarvis, Ascutney, Vt.
13. # Geoff Gernhard, Salem, Conn.
14. Dave Etheridge, Portland, Conn.
15. Rob Goodenough, Swanzey, N.H.
16. Joe Doucette, Framingham, Mass.
17. Kevin Iannarelli, Maynard, Mass.
18. # Max Zachem, Preston, Conn.
19. Richard Savary, Canton, Mass.
20. Byron Chew, Inlet, N.Y.
21. John Cleary, Madison, Conn.
22. Todd Annarummo, Swansea, Mass.
23. Bobby Drown, Mildale, Conn.
24. Jon McKennedy, East Chelmsford, Mass.
25. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I.
26. Shelly Perry, Westerly, R.I.
27. Don Fowler, Clinton, Conn.
28. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, Conn.
29. Jacob Dore, Sanford, Me.
30. Butch Perry, Ashway, R.I.
31. Eddy Spiers, Beacon Falls, Conn.
Did not qualify: Dwight Jarvis, Jack Bateman, Ron Silk, Louie Mechalides, Jimmy Dolan
