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Epping, NH – The
highly-anticipated Star Classic 150-lap event for the
International Supermodified Association attracted a full
field of entries to Star Speedway’s famed quarter-mile
on Saturday night, along with a packed grandstand on
hand for the action.
Former Star 350 Super
champion Jon McKennedy made a rare appearance behind the
wheel of a car out of the storied Dunigan Racing stable,
and he set fast time in his two-lap qualifying effort.
The top sixteen
qualifiers were locked in from time trials, with a
consolation round run to set the balance of the starting
grid. Local racer Mike Netishen led the last-chance
race for several laps, but his night ended with a hard
trip into the wall on the frontstretch, and Ben Seitz
got the win.
Handicapping put
five-time Classic and former track Supermodified champ
Russ Wood of nearby Pelham on the pole for the start
aboard the Jeff Holbrook #29, and he immediately moved
out to the lead, with teammate Rob Summers in the second
spot early on.
Wood’s fellow five-time
Classic champ Chris Perley soon joined the fun up front
with the Vic Miller entry, moving past Summers for
second at the 50-lap mark. For the next 100 laps, it
was a two-man battle to decide who would become a
record-tying six-time Classic winner, Wood or Perley.
Perley stayed right in
Wood’s tire tracks the rest of the way, and although he
could draw close, Perley couldn’t find a way to get past
the leader, despite having some help in the form of
heavy lapped traffic. With just a few cautions slowing
the pace, Wood led every lap on the way to his sixth
Classic victory lane.
The finishing order
behind winner Wood was: 2. Chris Perley (#11), 3. Jon
McKennedy (#79), 4. Rob Summers (#35), 5. Tim Jedrzejek
(#32), 6. Brad Lichty (#84), 7. Joey Scanlon (#88), 8.
Mark Sammut (#78), 9. Craig Rayvals (#04), 10. Ben Seitz
(#17), 11. Dan Bowes (#18), 12. Jeff Locke (#37), 13.
Eddie Witkum, Jr. (#97), 14. Joe Gosek (#00), 15. Ray
Graham (#90), 16. Dave Duggan (#51), 17. Dave Sanborn
(#9), 18. Jon Gambuti (#14), 19. Johnny Benson (#74),
20. Justin Belfiore (#98), 21. Mike Ordway (#61), 22.
Bobby Haynes, Jr. (#44), 23. Rick Wentworth (#10), Mike
Netishen (#01) dns.
Star’s weekly EKeys 4
Cars Modifieds ran a 40-lap main event on the Classic
undercard, with George Sherman leading the first lap
before Garrison Grubisa got past, and Grubisa maintained
the point for the next 16 laps.
Todd Annarummo was next
to make his move for the lead heading into turn one on
lap 18, and it was all over from there. He stayed out
front for the balance of the event to collect his
first-ever Star checkered ahead of Grubisa and George
Baldwin.
Richard Savary was fourth
at the finish, followed by Jacob Dore, Butch Perry, Jeff
Amaral, Eric Hudson, Josh Cantara, Sherman, Brandee
Tree, Mike Murphy, and Steve Dickey.
After a tough outing the
week before, many Outlaw competitors faced a long week
in the shop making repairs for his week’s race, and they
turned out 17 strong for their Classic night feature.
Billy Ryder looked like
he had them all covered in the 30-lap main event, but a
post-race disqualification took away his apparent win.
Joe Dehney was second on the track, but first in the
record books for his second Outlaw win of the season
when the dust settled.
Lee Weldy, Rob MacRae,
Shaun Waites, Chuck Dehney, Steve “Pinball” Wilmot,
Jimmy Ryder, Ron Bolduc, Sandy Lee, Gary Beauregard,
Dylan Bilodeau, Shaun Waites, Jr., Barry Raymond, Joey
Ventrillo, Mitch Wendell, and Kevin Kephart followed.
Steve Dickey, Jr. picked
up the Rookie Stock win in the John Swain entry,
knocking Andy Nichols off the lead in the late stages of
the race. Nichols held on for his best finish of the
year in the runner-up slot, with Chris Augevich, Dean
Wendell, and Bill Fiske the rest of the top five.
Ricky Porter made it two straight wins in the Roadrunner
feature event, outrunning six-time winner Jack Victoria
to take down the victory. Billy Osborne, Anthony
Nadeau, and Myles Devits closed out the top five.
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