Set Up: Keith Rocco Makes It Five Wins In SK Modifieds This Year At Waterford Speedbowl

WATERFORD – If there’s one thing Keith Rocco could tell Diego Monahan after Saturday’s SK Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl, it’s that he’s honest.

Keith Rocco

Rocco said he often jokingly tells Monahan exactly how he’s going to pass him if the two are ever running first and second.

Saturday Rocco did exactly what he told Monahan he would do. Rocco took the lead from Monahan with nine laps remaining and led the rest of the way to victory in the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Waterford.

It was the fifth victory in 11 SK Modified events this year at Waterford for Rocco, of Wallingford.

Kyle James of Ashway, R.I. was second and Craig Lutz of Miller Place, N.Y. third.

Monahan went to the lead past Frank Mucciacciaro with 28 laps remaining. With 20 laps left Rocco went by Tyler Chadwick for second place.

With 10 laps left, Rocco got under Monahan in turn four and a half lap later Rocco went to the lead.

“Diego was up front and he was doing everything he had to do to protect the lead and that’s part of racing and part of trying to get a win when you haven’t been to victory lane,” Rocco said. “I had a lot of fun racing with Diego. I’ve been telling him for quite a while now that the day he’s out front and he’s leading and I’m second, I ask him everytime, I say ‘Diego, where am I going to pass you.’ He says “You’re going to set me up off of [turn] four and you’re going to get me on the bottom in [turn] one. Luckily I did what he thought.

“I’m going to say something that probably 99 percent of the field wouldn’t say, I love racing with the Monahan’s, [Diego and Shawn]. They’re fun to race. You know what you’ve got, they’re not going to wreck you. They’re going to race you like I would race everyone else. That’s fun to do.”

Monahan spun a lap after getting overtaken for the top spot and ended up ninth.