Back Out Front: Rob Janovic Snaps Year Long Winless Streak With SK Modified Win At Waterford

WATERFORD – Rob Janovic Jr. shed himself of a heap of frustrations Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Rob Janovic Jr. celebrates his SK Modified victory Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl

He’s just hoping that it doesn’t take another 12 months to have another frustrating shedding evening at the track.

Janovic won the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Ed Puleo of Branford was second and Todd Ceravolo of Gales Ferry third.

It was the first victory for Janovic since June 23, 2012. The Waterford driver said he had a good feeling in the day’s leading to Saturday’s event that his winless streak would be coming to an end.

“Going into this week we got a lot of the wrinkles ironed out, we won this race last year,” Janovic said. “I knew I was going to be starting up front. I’d much rather win from 15th, but I knew we had a good starting spot. All week long I had a pretty good feeling. I’m just thankful that those good feelings transitioned into a win.”

Janovic started third in the event and immediately went to second past Shawn Monahan at the start. With 26 laps left he was able to go by Joey Gada for the lead. He was never challenged at the front again.

“That was 35 laps of me holding my breath,” Janovic said. “I knew I had to get the lead early. Joey Gada has been fast and he was fast today. So I wanted to try to get out to the lead as quick as I could and set my own pace. Then my spotter did a great job just talking me through it.”

Since a third place finish in the season opener at Waterford, Janovic had not finished better than sixth over the last eight events coming into Saturday, a stretch that included four finishes of 18th or worse.

“It’s been very frustrating,” Janovic said. “As far as I’m concerned it’s been a double-whammy. I’ve had my own problems. I had fuel problems, I had electrical problems, I had handling problems. That aside, the racing, there’s been no give and take. There’s guys that are out there going down the chutes like a windshield wiper. I don’t know if it’s the additional horsepower that we’ve got now, or lack of talent, or lack of experience I should say. But it just doesn’t feel like it did years ago when there was give and take and mutual respect amongst drivers that were either footing the bill themselves or at least had a financial stake in their cars.”