PHOTO: Chris Pasteryak kicked off his 2011 season with a win at the Budweiser Blastoff 100 at Waterford Speedbowl. (Justin St. Louis/VMM photo)

WATERFORD, Conn. — Everything looked fine for Doug Coby. Trying to stretch a streak of opening-day wins at Waterford Speedbowl, Coby led the Valenti Modified Racing Series field through 80 laps of the Budweiser Blastoff 100.

Then came Chris Pasteryak.

Each has been tough to beat at Waterford: Pasteryak won a VMRS there in 2008 and four times in the track’s weekly SK Modified division, and Coby has a pair of VMRS wins and three SK scores. In 2009, Coby pulled a crossover move on Pasteryak at Waterford to earn his first career Modified Racing Series win.

Coby repeated his victory last year and won the pole position for Sunday’s Budweiser Blastoff 100, but was a sitting duck when Pasteryak came calling late in the race. The Lisbon, Conn., driver dogged Coby for a handful of laps before making a backstretch pass on lap 85 and taking over for good.

That crossover move from 2009 stuck in both driver’s minds following Sunday’s race.

“He put a heck of a crossover move on me coming out of turn two a couple years ago, and then he proceeded to post the video clip on his website this week, so it kind of felt good to get him back a little bit,” Pasteryak joked after the race. “That was the most fun I’ve had racing in a while. You can trust Doug, he’s a good, clean driver.”

Coby accepted the loss with a sense of humor, too.

“[My win] was a crossover. He didn’t do a crossover,” Coby laughed. “That was my favorite memory [at Waterford] and this isn’t my worst memory, but it’s like my third or fourth worst memory.”

Pasteryak led the final 15 laps of the race to score his fourth career VMRS win. Coby, of Milford, Conn., settled for second place with Todd Annarummo of Swansea, Mass., third. Rowan Pennink finished fourth, and Les Hinckley, III, drove from 25th starting position to finish fifth. Norm Wrenn, Tommy Barrett, Jacob Dore, Eric Goodale, and Matt Hirschman completed the unofficial top ten finishers.

Pasteryak led twice for 49 laps; Coby led 51 laps. Eleven drivers finished on the lead lap, and 18 of the 26 starters were running at the finish. The Valenti Modified Racing Series season continues at Monadnock Speedway on April 30.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Budweiser Blastoff 100
Valenti Modified Racing Series — Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, Conn.
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Pos.-Driver-Hometown

1. Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, Conn.
2. Doug Coby, Milford, Conn.
3. Todd Annarummo, Swansea, Mass.
4. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
5. Les Hinckley, III, Windsor Locks, Conn.
6. Norm Wrenn, Nashua, N.H.
7. Tom Barrett, Millis, Mass.
8. Jacob Dore, Sanford, Me.
9. Eric Goodale, Wading River, N.Y.
10. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, Pa.
11. Rob Goodenough, Swanzey, N.H.
12. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, Conn.
13. Josh Sylvester, Lebanon, Conn.
14. Eddy Spiers, Beacon Falls, Conn.
15. Ken Barry, Preston, Conn.
16. Mike Holdridge, Madison, Conn.
17. Rob Summers, Manchester, Conn.
18. Louie Mechalides, Tyngsboro, Mass.
19. Butch Perry, Ashaway, R.I.
20. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass.
21. Stephen Masse, Bellingham, Mass.
22. Dave Etheridge, Portland, Conn.
23. Tim Jordan, Plainfield, Conn.
24. Joe Doucette, Framingham, Mass.
25. Jack Bateman, Canaan, N.H.
26. Rob Williams, Winchendon, Mass.