Chris Pasteryak Scores Victory In Controversial Valenti Mod Series Event At Stafford

Chris Pasteryak celebrates victory in Friday's Valenti Modified Racing Series event at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Stafford Speedway/Driscoll MotorSports Photography)

Chris Pasteryak celebrates victory in Friday’s Valenti Modified Racing Series event at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Stafford Speedway/Driscoll MotorSports Photography)

STAFFORD – Woody Pitkat looked ready to get the brooms out and start sweeping victory lane at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Then it was Chris Pasteryak sweeping by on a controversial restart to snare his third victory in four Valenti Modified Racing Series events.

Pasteryak went flying by Pitkat for the lead on lap 60 restart and then kept a late charging Pitkat at bay over the closing laps to win the Valenti Modified Racing Series Stafford 80 Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.

It was the fifth Valenti Modified Racing Series victory of the season for Pasteryak, of Lisbon, and helped him extend his lead over Pitkat in the series standings with two events remaining.

“This is great,” Pasteryak said. “I’ve never won this many races in a year in my life. It’s a lot of fun. I don’t care what anybody thinks, I’m going to enjoy it.”

Pitkat, of Stafford, held on for second and Mike Willis Jr. of Grantham, N.H. had a career best third.

Pitkat, who won the first two Valenti Modified Racing Series events this season at Stafford, was left fuming over the way the decisive restart was handled.

Pitkat took the lead from Todd Szegedy on lap 13 and looked to be cruising to an easy victory for much of the event.

But on a lap 60 restart, Todd Szegedy, running second, spun in turn two and collected a number of cars running in the top-10 at the time.

Pasteryak, running seventh, got through the mess to line up second against Pitkat for the ensuing restart.

“Coming out of turn two … everybody around me piles in and I make it through without a scratch,” Pasteryak said. “I was just in the right place at the right time. Maybe I’m using up all my good luck now. I guess I’ve got to enjoy it.”

On the ensuing restart, Pasteryak went and Pitkat was back to fourth before the field hit turn one.

Pitkat, who is in his first season running full-time with the series and had a victory stripped from him in controversial fashion earlier this season, fumed about how the restart was handled.

“The leader sets the pace and they have a [restart] box,” Pitkat said. “I think the box is absolutely stupid. … When the outside guys has his right front [wheel] ahead, he’s going to get to the box before the leader. So that’s a jump. That should never happen. Now I’m trying to roll and get to the box when everybody else jumps. Maybe I should have just jumped. I’m trying to do the right thing. … He just goes and they let it go. But [series founder and operator] Jack Batemen has never liked me since day one. I don’t know. He just doesn’t like when [Whelen] Modified Tour drivers come to this division. I don’t care. I don’t give up. I’ll keep coming. You want to keep kicking me down I’ll come back even harder. It just is what it is unfortunately.”

Said Pasteryak: “When you’re the leader you’ve got to protect your lead. I wasn’t trying to crowd him, I didn’t have him too low. I think he actually took off before I did. To me it looked like he beat me out of turn four. … I shifted and by the time I got to the start/finish line I was clear by [three car lengths].”

Pitkat said he feels series officials have treated him differently both off and on the track.

“I tried to talk to them today like a normal human being about the lineups and this and that and they’re like crude to you and talking to you like you’re a rock,” Pitkat said. “I’ve had enough. I haven’t said nothing all year. I don’t do anything. I come to the racetrack, I want to race, I put on a show, I bring people like every other guy that is racing with us and they just want to keep kicking me down. That’s fine, I’ll just come back and swing even harder, it’s fine with me.”

Pitkat said he also took issue with some comments made by Pasteryak’s team in victory lane that he felt stemmed from an incident earlier this season between the two at an Open Modified event at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.

“They won, congratulations to them,” Pitkat said. “They want do some excessive celebration over here, that’s fine. We’ll just go to [to the next event at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. on Oct. 11] and get him there.”

 

Comments

  1. VMRS series has increasingly lost their validity as an established series. But pitkat stepped on himself and his interview was typical tour driver crying. congrats to the 5 team. they deserve to celebrate.

  2. Eric "Eggs" Egnor says

    Can they have one race without some controversy ???

  3. in the know says

    Your kidding me right? That pathetic, broke as a joke, one sided Bateman has been playing favorites with “his” series since day one! It’s obvious to everyone. Ask Rocco and Teddy too. They have both been screwed this year. Congrats Woody for stating the obvious and telling it like it is. Woody’s mouth has been a source of problems for him in the past yes, but come on now let’s be real jack Bateman is a clown and he makes VMRS look foolish at every turn.

  4. Tothedorkcalledracingman says

    This series is nothing short of a joke…probably be about ten cars in it next year if it even survives. ….stupid rules and even more lame calls made by the idiots that run the circus….I wouldn’t pay to see one of these ……they have their winner picked out before the race even starts…..5 team wins the most races this year he has ever won? Absolute garbage….

  5. The fix is in, Cp is there guy
    period

  6. I heard someone against the chip on that last restart. Possibly a missed shift?

  7. This series wouldn’t be the same if EVERY race did not have some type of controversy. that being said, the VMRS is still nowhere near the NASCAR WWF racing.

  8. Woody spun his tires. Dylan Kopec who was in 4th at the restart also beat Woody into turn 1.

  9. Worst officiating I have ever seen. That last restart would not have been allowed at any track I can think of. I was cursing Tom Fox until I realized it was not his race. There is a lot of Tom Fox bashing that takes place in this forum, but right now I would much rather have him at the helm than whoever was in charge of the VMRS race last night. That will be the last VMRS race I will waste my money on. The drivers, including Woody should all boycott the VMRS races. I have read a lot of comments about how bad this series is lately, but now I have seen it with my own eyes. I am done.

  10. Andy Boright says

    I didn’t see any issue with the restart other than the fact the guy who was leading didn’t get a good one. Is that the officials fault? Not in my opinion.

    This isn’t NASCAR where the leader is protected at all costs and nobody is allowed to pass him.

    The championship was decided when Pitkat skipped Oxford for Riverhead, no big conspiracy there.

  11. With 32 cars entered the VMRS has the potential of greatness if the constant controversy was eliminated. The series needs a good impartial race director instead of the way it is managed now. Jack Bateman had a great idea with the series and should not let all the controversial rulings and decisions destroy it.

  12. Hey VMRS keep showing your distain
    for the varsity and when they disappear you better hope CP has a big family to fill the stands.

  13. Think and say what you want to. This series will be back just as strong as ever. It appeals to those who don’t want to pay for all of those NASCAR fees. It’s what Saturday night racing is about. Heats, consi’s and all green flag laps. The problems will work themselves out. Don’t doubt it for a minute.

  14. OMG Woody stop your crying,Chris beat u .It is always someone against you.You are making a fool of yourself.Just drive the car,the more you whine the worst it will get.You have the talent,use it.

  15. Hate to say that the MRS is right but bob and Andy you guys are spot on . Woody can never take blame ever he needs to grow up . Wah wah wah .

  16. Series went down hill fast after Scott left. Unfortunately it’s in part to do with drivers like Woody, If its not the series against him its the 99, if its not the 99 its the 5ct, The list goes on. Nothing is ever woody’s fault, it’s always everyone else’s. The guy finally won a tour race last year and suddenly he’s a superstar. He went from one of my favorite drivers to least favorite in one full season

  17. Have to agree w/ the last three posts. I wasn’t @ the race on Friday, but it seems to be a running theme w/ Woody — “I’m a saint, and everyone else is always doing wrong by me.” Once or twice, it can be excused, but time after time? It starts to get old.

    Having said that, another running theme is controversy / questionable officiating surrounding MRS. The series seems like a good idea, but it is being poorly executed. That needs to be fixed, or the fans will vote with their wallets and that’ll spell the end of it.

  18. It wasn’t a green/white/checker. Woody had a quarter of the race to get back by him.

  19. knuckles mahoney says

    I was there. Looked to me like a legit start. Woody either was sleeping, missed a shift, or spun the tires. He backed up the entire inside row. But then to blame the officiating about how Chris jumped the start is complete BS. Why can’t drivers just admit that they screwed it up, instead of acting like a sniveling little child? And for all you nay sayers, the MRS isn’t going anywhere. It provides a solid series at less cost and no NASCAR BS than the WMT.

  20. Mod Tour Fan says

    I was there also, did not look like a legit start to me, if it was the other way around and Pitkat jumped, he would have been sent to the rear in a heartbeat. Bateman should just make a rule NO WMT drivers are allowed to run VMRS Series, it would not be the first time he made a stupid rule, the rule book is full of them. You have to be present at the Banquet at the end of the season in order to get your point money, if you are not there I assume Bateman puts in in his pocket, he certainly does not donate it to Charity. I believe there is a difference between frustration and whining, but haters are gonna hate, nothing you can do about that. Lets not forget, Pasteryak has 5 wins on the VMRS this season, he admits he has never had 5 wins in a season, actually 3 of the 5 wins were gifts, this past Friday and 2 that were a result of others getting disqualified, still a gift in my book. PJAllen, perhaps you should stick to gardening, you say,”the guy finally won a tour race last year and suddenly he’s a superstar”, the guy, Pitkat has won 4 WMT races in less than one year, if you want to compare him to Pasteryak, that would be like comparing prime rib to a hot dog, with Pitkat being the prime rib! How many WMT races has Pasteryak won, actually how many WMT races has anyone named Pasteryak won? The answer is ZERO! You say the VMRS went down hill after Scott Tapley left, why do you think Tapley left, tired of trying to make the correct calls and Bateman over ruling him all the time. Of course the fact that Bateman’s daughter-in-law slapped Tapley when he made a statement she did not like, could have also played a role in his decision to leave the Series. Perhaps you should walk through the pits at the next VMRS race and take a poll to see just how many drivers miss the #99 of Savary, I do not believe you will find too many. Savary must have done something wrong at Beech Ridge, Bateman docked him 50 points and he has not been back, now that is what I would call, crying, whining, ect, at least Pitkat tells it like it is, Savary just stopped showing up, at times actions speak louder than words, Savary didn’t have the balls to voice his displeasure with the Series, he took the easy way out and stayed home. He is probably saying what he has to say about Bateman behind his back. Last year at the VMRS Banquet a disgruntled competitor knocked over the Monk’s display that was on stage with Bateman, wonder what is going to go on this year? Bateman planned this years Banquet on North/South Shootout weekend, don’t think too many WMT guys that run the VMRS Series will be there, according to the rule book Bateman will be able to keep their money. The VMRS Series under Bateman is nothing more than a joke, it could be a good series, but not with Bateman in control. Just my opinion.

  21. 103 tour races = 3 wins. Sells like burnt hot dog.

  22. Francis Florida says

    I believe NASCAR mandates attendance at a banquet in North Carolina if one wants their WMT point money… Can anyone confirm or deny this?

  23. Mod Tour Fan says

    Dan R, I believe it is 4 races, the All Star race at Loudon was not a points race. I would be willing to bet that the Pasteryak’s have more starts than that in there time on the WMT with ZERO wins. To tell you the truth, I could not tell you if Chris Pasteryak ever even started a WMT race, I do know his father and uncle started many with NO wins, my guess would be Chris did not even bother to try the WMT. You can say what you want about Pitkat but the record books speak for themselves, he has had wins in all the divisions he has competed in, and not just at one track, Late Model and SK Championships at both Stafford and Thompson. The SK modified North/South Shootout Champion, second on the all time win list at Stafford, behind TC who is 20 years older, NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series Division IV Champion, need I say more, I don’t think so. I will say that 2 of Pitkat’s wins came at NHMS, which is like the Superbowl of the WMT. Maybe you are not impressed, but many of the higher up teams watching from the pits were. You are probably one of the classless moron’s that were in Victory Lane with Pasteryak on Friday, but the season is not over, Chris states, he could mess up at Lee, NH and he is never very good at Thompson, sounds like he is not too confident in his own driving ability, now that sells like a burnt hot dog in my opinion. But then again, he may get a few more gifts from Bateman, time will tell.

  24. Having the VMRS is still good for mod drivers and teams. Same goes for the Tri-Track Series. Just more ways for drivers and teams to race more and hopefully support what they like to do. I enjoy watching the tour drivers but I’m not a fan of nascar. They have done little to nothing since the inception of the mod tour to promote and grow the northeast modified division. There is also a limited amount of tour shows in the area so for me I enjoy watching these teams compete outside of nascar. Add heat races, consi’s and having previous winners start further back is also something as a paying customer I prefer to time trials. So for a Jack Bateman and company, listen to your fans and adjust. The modified division needs for your organization to have a more independent commisioner when ruling on incidents. Your organization is good for the survival of the northeast modifieds because nascar doesn’t have the modifieds interest at heart.

  25. ModTourFan,

    Chris Pasteryak started 30 Whelen Modified Tour events from 2005 – 2010. He ran one full-time season, in 2009, finishing the year with three top-fives and six top-10’s. He ended up sixth in the standings that year. Just for comparison sake, Woody Pitkat has completed four full-time seasons on the Whelen Modified Tour and his best finish in the standings is ninth. For comparison sake, Pasteryak finished in the top-five in 13 percent of the Whelen Modified Tour events he ever started. Before this season, Woody had finished in the top-five in 12 percent of all his series starts.

  26. Mod Tour Fan, Charlie Pasteryak won the Thompson Icebreaker in 1994.

  27. Youhavenoidea says

    To be honest whatever u wanna say about the Pasteryaks but I have to say yes woody has talent and maybe his family may not have won any wmt but they are probably one of the nicest families in racing and would give u a car to race against them if yours was broke for some reason.

  28. Mod Tour Fan says

    Mod fan, I agree the VMRS is good for Modified racing and it’s fans, I also like the heats, consi format, it is the way the Series is run that is the problem. Most of it is caused by Bateman, he is the owner but if he wants the series to be a success he needs to be the owner and that is it. He needs to get a competent Race Director and let him do his job, also needs to tell his daughter-in-law to keep her hands to herself. Scott Tapley seemed to be a good fit, but I can’t blame him for quitting, I believe there were a couple after him that did not last long, it was a revolving door for a while, no one knew who was going to be in the Race Director position until they got to the track on race day. It will probably be hard to find someone willing to take on the job at this point, but one thing I do know Bateman and Company need to change their ways before it is too late. I am also a fan of the Tri-Track Series, those guys work hard and do a great job.

  29. Mod Tour Fan says

    Shawn, Thank you for taking the time to do the research, I kind of thought Chris Pasteryak may have run the WMT, but for years I always associated the 5ct with Charlie or Carl Pasteryak.

  30. THEY ALL CRY today, I have heard WOODY, TC, COBY,PREEECE, LIA PENNINK AND BONSIGNOR all cry after the push up move in the corner or a restart, used to be the starter controlled the starts from the flagstand, now its THE TOWER that controls all with all these restart boxes and leader has to get to the line first, LET THEM RACE AND THE BETTER MAN WIN!!!

  31. Sounds to me like Modtourfan is either Woody Pitkat, or someone very close to him for knowing that much about him, maybe a little bias ay?

  32. Mod Tour Fan says

    Sicklajoie, I was probably at that race, but do not remember, was it one and done? I guess when you get up in years you forget things, never recall seeing him run towards the front but I could be getting him confused with Carl, age will do that to you.

  33. Mod Tour Fan says

    PJAllen, Do you really think that Pitkat has the time or the desire to post on this site? Did you ever visit Autograph Alley and pick up any Hero Cards, I would have to say no, as if you have you would know where some of my information comes from. I have been attending Modified races long before Pitkat was born, but I am one of his 4999 friends on Facebook, if that gives you a hint.

  34. I dont know Woody personally (seems like a decent guy) but have raced against him many times.
    I do know the Pasteryak family somewhat well. You can call me “biased” but they are some of the nicest, honest, most respected, professional people in racing you’ll ever meet. And I dont even think those comments do them justice.

  35. I don’t like or understand the games the drivers play when starting a race. I do like to see 2 cars come down the front straight side by side. That is how to start a race. Just think for a minute if the 42 and the 5 had done that last Friday night. The race fans might have seen an awesome battle for the top spot. Maybe they could have raced side by side for 10 laps like we have seen Ryan Preece and Rowan Pennick do many times this year. Isn’t that what everyone is talking about when they say how good the SK racing at Stafford is this year? I would have much rather seen that kind of start than the real one and watch Pitkat run down the 5 for the next 18 laps. These drivers are not interested in putting on a good show for the fans. Winning is the only goal. All that BS the drivers spew in the winners circle about putting on a good show for the fans is all just that. BS. I’m done.

  36. found this on you tube, check out the restart at the 33 minute

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctzuCAs6SqM

  37. So from that video woody owes the whole inside row an apology for backing them all up screwing up the restart.

  38. But again, i digress, just like every other one thats come out with woody saying one thing then the video saying the other… woody is always the victim, Chris should have just let him win.

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