Tired Statement: Richard Savary Rebounds From Disqualification To Win Valenti Mod Series Event At Thompson

THOMPSON – Richard Savary typically isn’t known for being one of the more aggressive drivers on the Valenti Modified Racing Series.

Richard Savary celebrates a Valenti Modified Racing Series victory Thursday at Thompson International Speedway

But Thursday the Canton, Mass. driver came to Thompson International Speedway looking to make a big statement and if it took a little pushing to do it, then that’s what he was going to do.

Savary came out on top of a heated battle out front with Rowan Pennink over the closing circuits and won the 75-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series event Thursday at Thompson.

Pennink, of Huntingdon, Pa. was second and Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass. third.

The victory came just four days after it was announced that Savary was one of three drivers being disqualified from last Saturday’s series event at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway for using tires suspected of being illegally treated.

“I think I was looking for a little redemption,” said Savary, who finished second at Seekonk before he was disqualified. “I’m still not over last week. I don’t think the division treated us fairly. I don’t think they’ve given us a chance to show any innocence and I think that’s wrong. That being said, all you can do is go forward. We came here tonight with a purpose. We’ve been close here before. We’ve run well here.”

Savary went by Pennink for the lead on a lap 70 restart but the lead change was nullified because of a caution flying before the lap was completed. The next attempt at a restart was called by back when Savary drove hard into turn four coming to the green, driving Pennink up the track.

Pennink held the top spot on the next restart, but on lap 73 Savary went by Pennink and left him behind on the way to the win.

“I even said to Rowan afterward, maybe I was a little too aggressive,” Savary said. “I needed to prove a point and show the people that I’m not cheating to be fast. We’ve been fast all year. We’ve had consistent finishes but I haven’t got all the way to the front. I’m not usually all that aggressive. I try to finish and save the car. Tonight I was a little more aggressive.”

Said Pennink: “We had a good car. We might have run a little bit too hard at the beginning. Richard had a good car there at the end and was able to get by us.”

Savary insisted the one tire the series confiscated of his at Seekonk was not treated.

“I think why it happened is a good thing, I think the division is trying to enforce that nobody is messing around, I’m all for that, 100 percent,” Savaruy said. “This isn’t the first time they’ve taken my tires. They took my tires at Oxford and they sent them out and they all passed.

“My car, one tire went off. All I asked was, at our expense, send them to a lab and they turned us down. … I think they should police everything and make the playing field even, but I don’t think they treated us fairly at all.”

Tommy Barrett Jr. and Steve Masse were the other two drivers penalized after the event at Seekonk. Barrett recovered from two spins Thursday to finish fourth. Masse was involved in a crash on the first lap of the event and finished 20th of 21 cars in the field.

It was the first victory at Thompson for Savary with the Valenti Modified Racing Series. He previously has competed regularly in the track’s weekly SK Modified division.

“I’ve won here in Pro Four [Modifieds], I’ve won here in SK [Modified’s] and now I’ve won here in a Modified,” Savary said. “… It was special. And to do it a week after what happened [at Seekonk] makes it more special and I hope it sends a little bit of a message back.”