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www.jeff-pearl.com: 10/10/09 Waterford SK Modified Results
Paul wins Finale; Yuhas wins championship
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Joe Perry and Dennis Charette led the 27-car SK Modified field and championship chase to green for their 100-lap event. The fireworks started off turn four of lap one when Tom Abele Jr., who started third, and Charette made contact. That crossed the pair up in front of a stacked field behind, resulting in an 11-car pig pile entering turn one.
All eyes were on points contenders Ron Yuhas Jr. and Keith Rocco. Heads up driving helped them from getting collected in the incident, as cars literally scattered in every direction around them. Dennis Gada, Jeff Pearl, Allen Coates and Matt Gallo were among those headed pit side in need of repair but able to continue on the lead lap of the race.
The restart proved no better, as Abele and Janovic came together off turn four coming to the green flag, ending with Abele’s car at rest against the turn one wall after making race ending contact with the wall. Once green, Jeff Paul of Ledyard moved inside of Perry to take over at the front. Racing only went a few laps before something broke on Pearl’s car, sending the Salem driver hard into the turn one wall on lap seven.
When the green returned, only one more lap was able to be completed before caution flew again for a single car spin. That lap proved key however, as Rocco used a bump and run move on Paul to take over the lead off turn two on lap 10.
Rocco resumed at the front with Paul and Janovic giving chase. Yuhas moved around the outside of Perry for fourth and closed in on the top three. Caution on lap 26 for a spin by Charette slowed what was the first look at how the race for the win and championship would shape up. Rocco had pressed early to get out front, with Yuhas in tow looking all over Janovic for third.
Rocco lead through lap 38 when Paul, challenging outside, capitalized on a slip by Rocco to reclaim the top spot. Paul stretched out his lead as Rocco began backing up, something appearing to go away on his machine. Caution came out on lap 47 when Shawn Solomito spun off the backstretch. Rocco used that opportunity to duck in to the pits for service on what turned out to be a broken panhard bar. The championship hunt turned when the race returned green with Rocco still in the pits as his team made the repairs.
Paul reclaimed the lead when the action returned with Yuhas in second, Dennis Gada moving to third, and Janovic battling Mark Bakaj for fourth. Yuhas pressed Paul at the front. Gada sat three cars back in third. Further back, Bakaj took fourth but Janovic looked to take it back. Those two came together in turn four with 20 laps remaining to bring out caution.
That was the final restart Paul needed to master. He did, going on to his third victory of the season. Yuhas settled for second, good enough to clinch his first track title in his 10th season competing at the track. |
photo courtesy Race Dog Photography |
| Pos | Driver |
| 1 |
Jeffrey Paul |
| 2 |
Ron Yuhas Jr. |
| 3 |
Dennis Gada |
| 4 |
Allen Coates |
| 5 |
Matt Gallo |
| 6 |
Joe Perry |
| 7 |
Rob Janovic Jr. |
| 8 |
Dennis Charette |
| 9 |
Mark Bakaj |
| 10 |
Joey Gada |
| 11 |
Shawn Monahan |
| 12 |
Glenn Colvin |
| 13 |
Henry Stampfl |
| 14 |
Dean Christensen |
| 15 |
Jeff Gallup |
| 16 |
Robert Georgeidas |
| 17 |
Keith Rocco |
| 18 |
Shawn Solomito |
| 19 |
Bill Gertsch Jr. |
| 20 |
Wendell Dailey |
| 21 |
Walt Hovey Jr. |
| 22 |
Kevin Crisman |
| 23 |
Frank Mucciacciaro |
| 24 |
Jeff Pearl |
| 25 |
Tom Abele Jr. |
| 26 |
Don Fowler |
| 27 |
Glenn Pressel III |
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