Comeback Kid: Keith Rocco Rallies After Getting Spun To Win Late Model Feature At Waterford

Keith Rocco celebrates in victory lane after his fifth Late Model win in five race this year at Waterford (Photo: Mark Caise/Waterford Speedbow)

WATERFORD – Dramatics haven’t exactly been oozing from the Late Model division at the Waterford Speebdowl in 2014.

The Keith Rocco Show in the division has been in full swing all season as few have been able to give him much of a challenge at the front.

But Saturday Rocco made up for the lack of drama with a head-turner of a rally in the division.

Rocco got spun out of the lead with 18 laps remaining, went to the pits to change a flat right front tire and then rallied from 10th place without a caution flag over the last 18 laps to win the 30-lap Late Model feature at Waterford.

It was his fifth victory in five Late Model events this year at Waterford.

“I knew it was going to be tough, it would just be a matter of time, and this car was absolutely awesome,” Rocco said.

Jeff Smith of Old Lyme was second and Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton was third.

With 19 laps remaining, Rocco used the outside lane to go by Thomas for the lead off of turn four, but half a lap later, Thomas got into Rocco off turn two and sent him spinning down the backstretch. Thomas was black-flagged for the incident.

“I was just digging hard, I didn’t want to let him go,” Thomas said. “I was on the gas and I just came up into him a little bit. It was just hard racing. I wasn’t too worried about, I knew he was going to get back up there and so was I.”

Rocco headed to the pits with a flat right front and came back out onto the track restarting in 10th. He was up to second with 10 laps remaining, but by then Smith had opened up a 10-car length lead.

Lap after lap Rocco bit into the lead before rolling up on Smith’s bumper with four laps left. Rocco went to the outside of Smith on the backstretch with three laps left and went to the lead off turn two with two laps remaining. Rocco staved off a bump from Smith in turn four coming to the white flag.

“I was trying to go as fast as I could but we had 130-lap tires on before we even took the green tonight,” Smith said. “I was trying to save a little money. I knew the car was the best. I was slipping and sliding towards the end so I just gave it all I had and went for the goal, unfortunately I couldn’t get it. He’s got a real fast car.”

Said Rocco: “For these tires, having 160-laps on them, this car is really good. We tried to save a few dollars tonight by not putting tires on and I think that was the right call.”