Waterford Speedbowl
June 4, 2011
by Hazel Meredith

June 5, Waterford, CT--- Tonight’s event is hailed as “Four Cylinder Fury” as the Speedbowl’s own Mini Stock Division holds a 50-lap feature event, in addition to the Wednesday regular X-car Division for 20 laps and the Texas Roadhouse Northeast Mini Stock Tour also holds a 50-lap feature. The regular SK Modifieds and Street Stocks will also have events with the Late Models having the week off. 

There were two significant events during the heat races -- both involving Waterford Mini Stock regular, Christina Cunliffe-Kellerman. She won her first ever heat race in the Waterford Mini Stock Division, on the night which also happens to be her 25^th birthday!  

It looked as if she was on her way to a second heat win in the Touring division, when on the last lap heading down the backstretch she got a tap from the second place car that had caught up to her and was sent spinning to the infield. Luckily, it did not look as if the car sustained any damage, and we look forward to seeing her in the two division features. 

There will be a third 50-lap feature with cars coming from the top positions of the other features including the X-Car feature. The top ten will qualify, but if someone finishes in the top ten in both races, they will choose from the next positions down.

FEATURES

First up is the Waterford Mini Stock division for their 50-lap feature. Sean Caron in the #52 led the field to the green and battled side-by-side with the #25 of Charles Canfield for the first twelve laps. Canfield would get the point, but not be able to completely clear Caron who continued to stalk him.  

Glenn Colvin in the #39, always a strong competitor, moved to third by lap 16. On lap 19, Caron spun to the infield coming off turn two to bring out the first caution. The top 5 are: #25 Canfield; #39 Colvin; #93 Ray Christian III; #91 Chris Williams; and #11 Ken Cassidy Jr. 

Point leader, Bill Leonard in the #8, looked to be having issues in the heat race and is off the track making repairs. 

Just a lap after the green, a major wreck in turn three between the #2 of Douglas Curry and the #94 of Gerald Young Jr. They both hit the wall very hard - luckily both seem to be OK as they climbed from their destroyed machines. 

After the red flag for cleanup, Colvin led the field back to green, quickly pulling ahead of the field. The next caution would come just before half-way as four cars tangled on the backstretch - the #04 of Christina Cunliffe-Kellerman; #52 Caron; #93 Christian; and #26 Jeffrrey Cembruch. All were able to drive away, though a few pitted for adjustments. 

Colvin again gets the jump as they head into turn one with the #11 of Cassidy moving into second at the half-way mark. Cassidy pulls to the lead with an inside pass just a few laps later and starts to open up his lead quickly.  

Cassidy, the defending track champion, sails on to the win, followed across the stripe by #39 Colvin; #25 Canfield; #93 Christian and #3 Ian Brew. 

The win puts Cassidy in a tie for first place on the all-time win list in Mini Stocks at the Speedbowl with Danny Field at 28 wins. His first win came in 2005. 

Josh Colvin flashing his victory sign in Victory Lane
(Meredith Images photo)

Next up are the SK Modifieds for their 35-lap feature, with Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. leading the field to the green. On the outside front row will be #56 Nichole Morgillo. The second row is #99 Glenn Pressel III and #73 Joe Perry. 

Mucciacciaro quickly pulled ahead to lead the field for the early laps, but caution would fly just 3 laps in as Morgillo gets sideways in turn three and the #57 Keith Rocco and #66 Wendell Dailey also spin into her. All three are able to drive away with no major damage.  

Mucciacciaro led the field on the restart, but began to suffer mechanical problems and started dropping back through the field. He would pull in after a few more laps. The leader is the #99 of Pressel followed by #32 Tom Abele Jr. 

Keith Rocco, who was trying to become the first driver with feature wins at Thompson, Stafford and Waterford in three consecutive nights, saw his night come to an end with a reported blown engine after his earlier spin.  

The #27 of Tyler Chadwick  flew through the field to take the lead with an outside pass, followed by the #21 of Kyle James. Pressel dropped to third and Abele to fourth.  

Chadwick and James were side-by-side as they took the white flag, but Chadwick pushed James high on the backstretch and went on to capture his second win of the year. Pressel was third, and Abele fourth. 

Chadwick said he was comfortable with the last lap. “I knew I had to protect the top, and if he wanted to go up there, I was going wide and pushing him into the marbles. It’s the last lap - I didn’t want to wreck him, but I had to go for it. I want to win races; I want to catch Rocco.” The win ties Chadwick with Rocco for the point lead. 

The third feature of the night is the Northeast Mini Stock Tour. The #8 of Calvin Rose was strong throughout and 15 laps in after several cautions, he began to open up a comfortable lead on the field. Battling for 2^nd was #21 Chad Baxter and #91 Chris Williams.  

Calvin Rose in the #8 dominated the rest of the race easily pacing the field. The battle is for 2^nd/3^rd between #91 Chris Williams and #21RI Phil Evans and 4^th/5^th between #25 Charles Canfield & #51CT Mark Panaroni. Williams pulls ahead of Evans with 8 laps to go while the other 2 are still side-by-side. 

The top three are Calvin Rose, Turner, ME; Chris Williams, Waterford, CT; and Charles Canfield, New Haven, CT (who also finished third in the Speedbowl Mini Stock feature). 

Calvin Rose kneeling with his checker in Victory Lane
(Meredith Images photo)

The Speedbowl X-Cars were next for their feature. The first caution would fly just two laps in as #71 Jeremy Bourbeau spun in turn four collecting #87 Brad Voglesong, #07 Pete Zaikarite and #46 David Amspacher. 

The #7 of Mike Trask would lead the field back to green with the #06 of Christoph Ivory in second.  I can see why they call the Wednesday show “Wild 'n Wacky” -- the moves these guys make are truly wacky! Three and even four wide to make a pass! Wild! 

The #25 of Casey Banks had a hard crash into the turn four wall and, as a precaution, was taken out of the car on a backboard and neck brace and taken to the hospital for a check up. 

Dan D’Addario of Columbia, CT, captured the checkers, followed by #07 Pete Zaikarite and #83 Christoph Garside. 

The Street Stocks are up next, with #14 Steven Barrett leading the field to the green. There are 12 cars in the division running for 25 laps. Barrett gets the early jump on #80 Norm Root Jr., but Root comes back to run side-by-side for the lead. The #18 of Josh Galvin keeps looking to the inside to make it three-wide, but thinks better of it and backs off.  

Barrett finally pulls ahead to take the point and now he has Galvin on his bumper applying pressure for the lead. At the half it’s Galvin, Meyer, Al Stone III, and Barrett - all single file for the top spots. Galvin takes the win (his second of the year) followed by Christopher  Meyer, Steven Barrett and Al Stone III. 

The final event of the night is the 25-lap Mini Stock Open. Chris Williams in the #91 is on the pole with the #8 of Calvin Rose on the outside front row. Rose is crafty - and Williams tried to protect the low line, Rose faked an outside pass then dove to the inside to take the point. As in his earlier race, Rose quickly began to open up a multi-car length lead over the rest of the field.  

Rose easily wins the event with #25 Charles Canfield 2^nd, #93 Ray Christian III and #91 Chris Williams the top four.

---

Dave and Hazel Meredith of Stratford, CT, have covered auto racing for many different media outlets including NASCAR Online, Mod Series Scene, Pitstopper Magazine, and currently with Busch East Scene as modified reporter and photographer. They my be contacted at RACEnFISH@aol.com.