Diego Monahan Suspended At Speedbowl For Rest Of Season; Shawn Monahan On Probation

Waterford Speedbowl SK Modified division drivers and brothers Diego Monahan of Quaker Hill and Shawn Monahan of Waterford have both been punished by the track – along with a crew member – for their actions following a race Saturday at the Speedbowl.

Diego Monahan was suspended for the remainder of the season. Also suspended for the rest of the year was John Sireci, allegedly a crew member for Shawn Monahan.

Shawn Monahan was placed on probation for the rest of the year.

Diego Monahan allegedly assaulted SK Modified driver Tom Abele Jr. following the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday.

A crew member representing Shawn Monahan’s team also allegedly assaulted SK Modified team owner Vinny Beedle.

According to a release from the Speedbowl, Diego Monahan was suspended for, “Participating in or inciting a fight – In this case, as a competitor that entered into another competitor’s race car and physically abused said competitor; Unsportsmanlike conduct, endangering the safety of others; Threatening or physical confrontations, endangering the safety of a competitor in the pit area.”

Sireci was suspended, according to the Speedbowl, for: “Participating in or inciting a fight – In this case, as a patron that entered into a competitor’s pit area and physically abused another patron. Verbal or physical abuse of a race official – In this case it is physical abuse of a NASCAR official; Unsportsmanlike conduct, endangering the safety of others in the pit area; Threatening or physical confrontations, endangering the safety of a competitors and patrons in the pit area.”

Shawn Monahan was placed on probation for: “Participating in or inciting a fight – In this case, as a competitor that had entered into another competitor’s pit area and inciting a physical altercation; Unsportsmanlike conduct, endangering the safety of others in the pit area; Threatening or physical confrontations, endangering the safety of a competitors and patrons in the pit area.”

The issues stemmed from an incident on the track immediately following the conclusion of the SK Modified feature.

Shawn Monahan crashed hard into the wall near turn one just after the checkered flag fell. Shawn Monahan and Abele came across the start/finish line side-by-side and made contact before Monahan crashed into the wall.

“After the race concluded Shawn ended up in the turn one wall,” Waterford Speedbowl racing director Scott Tapley said. “He tried wrecking [Abele] in the right rear after the checkered flag. I had heard from Tom before the event that Shawn had threatened him that afternoon.

“He ended up trying to junk his right rear and he climbed the right rear nerf bar and put himself in the wall.”

Shawn Monahan said his brother Diego went after Abele after he saw Shawn’s car coming back to the pits wrecked.

“Diego just reached in and assaulted Tom,” Tapley said. “He was facially lacerated. Diego claimed he never touched him, but when Tom came up to me he clearly had blood running down his nose.”

The furor in the pits alleged carried into the area where Beedle’s car was parked. Beedle owns the SK Modified driven by Ed Puleo.

“One of Shawn’s drunk crew members [Sireci] pushed him,” Tapley said. “At which point Shawn got into a yelling match with Vinny and the guy cocked back and punched Vinny in the face. You’ve got to be responsible for your crew members. Shawn is claiming to have no association with the guy. In his rant to me he said he will pay someone $10,000 to stand with a wrench at Tom Abele’s car and then walk over to the next car and punch someone so that Abele gets thrown out for the year.”

Monahan said he wasn’t trying to wreck Abele immediately after the race.

“I counted my blessing after I bounced off the wall, I got out of the car and got a round of applause for being alive and I pointed up to the sky to give God the glory,” Shawn Monahan said. “I got a wrecker ride back into the pit area and never said one word to anybody on the Abele team. Mr. Rooter [Vinny Beedle] sat there with a smile on his face. I walked up to Mr. Rooter and made it very clear to him that I helped you win a championship by giving you a racecar, you don’t pay your bills and you’re scum bucket business owner.”

Shawn Monahan had originally thought he was being suspended for the remainder of the year like his brother.

“Basically my feelings are that it’s a political decision from somebody who has more pull than me and doesn’t want me out there,” Shawn Monahan said. “And Tom Abele, who has done me wrong in my personal business, is so petrified of me that he has begged the track to not allow me back. That it was just a battle of who’s going to win the war, and I didn’t do anything just to have me thrown out, but they found an excuse to get rid of me for the year. That’s what it boils down to.”

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