Valenti Modified Racing Series founder and owner Jack Bateman confirmed Tuesday that he will take over the role as interim series director while the search for a new series director goes on.
Bateman and former series director Scott Tapley agreed to part ways following Saturday’s series event at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway.
“At this point I’m going to have to take over those duties temporarily until we can find someone,” Bateman said. “That’s where we’re at.”
Bateman said no matter where the search goes for a new series director, or how soon it’s completed, he will oversee the event on June 20 at Stafford Motor Speedway, the next event on the schedule for the series.
Tapley had served as series director since November 2012. Bateman has struggled to find consistency with a series director since the death of former director John Hoyt in July 2011.
“It’s quite frustrating,” Bateman said. “I’ve spent the last three days trying to make repairs and make sure that everything is back together and working for when we get to Stafford and I think we’re going to be in pretty good shape.”
Bateman also confirmed that Pete Newsham, one of Tapley’s top assistants has also left the series. Bateman said Newsham served primarily as a type of pit steward pre-race at tracks, and was the official overseeing spotters during events.
“I think we’ll be Ok, I know we’ll be Ok. I think it’s just going to take a little work to get there,” Bateman said “Fortunately we have a couple weeks to do it.”
Bateman said another hill to climb is finding someone to operate the series website, a duty that was controlled by Tapley.
“That’s another duty that I’m going to have to find someone to fill for us,” Bateman said.
In other issues out of the event at Seekonk, Bateman said there will be no penalties for an incident that saw driver Todd Annarummo strike a crew member with his car in the pits Saturday.
“It was a combination of circumstances that created that and it was an accident,” Bateman said. “There wasn’t violations or anything like that. I’ve seen video of what happened and it was an accident.”
Bateman also said there will be no suspension for reigning series champion Rowan Pennink, who was involved in a post-race alteraction in the pits with a crew members from Anthony Nocella’s team.
“As far the situation with guys fighting, we’ve put some written warnings out there and some probationary things out there,” Bateman said. “I hate to see this stuff happen but when it does we have to deal with it.”
Its about time the 12 incident was clarified
Of all the teams, the 12 team should know the risks of what can happen in the pits. Makes me wonder if that was the crux of the disagreement between management. My personnel take is any safety violations should be handled swiftly and harshly regardless if it was intentional or just an accident. Safety has to be the number one issue at any event.
Agreed but it was an accidnet, video shows that a crew member of the 99 came to the window of the 12 driver which then resulted in hitting someone in the pits, who in which is ok thankfully. Pretty hard to speed in the pits when you are the first pit stall off the track.
Wow! Sorry to see Pete go! He was a good gut in the series. Sorry to see good help leave this series in the last year or so. WHY!!!
guy!! not gut. Sorry!