Keith Rocco
WATERFORD – Keith Rocco started off the season in the Late Model division at the Waterford Speedbowl looking like he was ready to win every event in 2014.
Rocco won the first five Late Model events of the season at Waterford. So a three race-winless streak for Rocco likely felt like eternity.
Saturday Rocco got back to the place he became so familiar with for the first two months of the season.
Rocco drove away from the field on a late restart to win the 30-lap Late Model feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.
“We tried something with the car [in the last race] but it didn’t work,” Rocco said. “We went back to what we always ran and it was always good.”
It was the seventh victory in 14 Late Model events this year at Waterford for Rocco, of Wallingford. His last victory in the division before Saturday was June 14.
Jeff Smith of Old Lyme was second and Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton third.
Rocco got under leader Nick Sowa with 24 laps remaining and the two went side-by-side for the next five laps before Rocco cleared Sowa for the lead off of turn two with 19 laps remaining.
From there Rocco had no challengers.
“[Sowa] did a good job hanging tough on the top,” Rocco said. “He lasted quite a while out there. It was a good side-by-side battle.”
Smith got spun by Thomas with two laps remaining in a battle for fourth, but used two late restarts to rally back.
Leave a Reply