Fixer Upper: Keith Rocco Wins SK Modified Feature At New London-Waterford Speedbowl

Keith Rocco celebrates with his son KJ after winning the SK Modified feature Saturday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl

WATERFORD – Keith Rocco pulled into the pits at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl Saturday night after his heat race and was ready to go home for the night.

While leading his heat race Rocco’s oil warning light came on, forcing him to pull off the track. All indications were that there was a problem with his car that he figured his team likely wouldn’t be able to fix at the track.

“It’s a brand new car,” Rocco said. “Everything is new is on it except for the motor really. I think with the new oil cooler and new oil lines I think we just panicked a little bit. We actually pulled the oil pan off. We were actually ready to load up and go home and one of the guys said ‘Let’s just pull the pan off and look at it.’ We pulled the pan off and took the oil pump apart and looked at it and put everything back together and once we knew that everything was good in there we just filled it back up with oil and went racing.”

The decision to diagnose and repair rather than pack up and go home paid off handsomely for the track’s all-time winningest driver.

Instead of sitting on the couch, Rocco was standing in victory lane when the night was over at the Speedbowl.

Rocco, of Wallingford, won the 35-lap SK Modified feature at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl Blastoff 2017 Saturday.

It was the 81st career SK Modified feature victory at the track for Rocco.

Kyle James of Ashway, R.I. was second and Rob Janovic Jr. third.

After starting from the rear of the 13-car field, Rocco passed Janovic for second and then pinned himself to James’ bumper with seven laps to go. With three laps remaining Rocco got under James in turn one and came off turn two with a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

“I was just a little tight in the center [of the corners] and it was getting me loose off [the corners],’ James said. “I just kind of had to block a litte bit, make him work for it. He stuck it in there and I wasn’t going to junk him and I both for a win. He had the better car.”

Comments

  1. Three great Speedbowl drivers that did choose to show up.

  2. Wow, 13 SK mods a stellar field after last year having car counts in the Mid 20’s. If my math is correct that is about a 50% reduction. I wonder why that is? Then we have 15 MRS mods, something is wrong there. And to think I wasted $40.00 of my hard earned money to watch that.

  3. Knuckles Mahoney says

    There were 20 MRS mods. The MTS had 14 cars at Riverhead last week. That’s what you get when you have four touring series in the northeast.

  4. Steve Miller and Peter Frampton at Foxwoods was a much better choice for me .

  5. wmass01013 says

    I will watch My punctuation!!
    Did anybody really think with a sudden opening in late June and adding the feelings of some over Bemer still owning the track, that all divisions would have an abundance of cars??

  6. Wheres waterford
    That’s a 2nd rate facilities

    I go to stafford only

    Good job keith
    Your a great driver and class act
    Hope you keep winning at the other 2 tracks

  7. WITH ALL THIS CRAP OVER THE OWNER OF THE BEST SHORT TRACK IN THE NATION THE OWNER AND DRIVERS I FEEL THE CAR COUNT WILL COME UP OWNER AND DRIVERS ARE NOT RUNNING FOR THE TRACK OWNER THEY RUNNING FOR THE LOVE OF RACING LET THE GUY WHO LEASED THE TRACK DEAL WITH THE LAND OWNER THATS HOW I SEE IT WILL SUPPORT THE RACING ALWAYS TERRY AMES WAS NO ANGEL HE PUT THE SCREWS TO US DRIVER AND OWNERS TOO BUT NO ONE STOPED COMING OR STOP RACING BECAUSE OF HE SCREWED UP DEALINGS

  8. Bob Npt. says

    O.k. Bill. You don’t have to SHOUT.

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