Keith Rocco celebrates SK Modified victory and his fifth championship in the division Saturday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl (Photo: New London-Waterford Speedbowl)
Keith Rocco did everything he could possibly to do rally Saturday night at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl and that effort paid off for the Wallingford driver.
Rocco won the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the Speedbowl, in the process clinching his third consecutive SK Modified championship at the track and fifth SK Modified title in the last six years.
Rocco came into the evening trailing Tyler Chadwick of Ledyard by four points in the standings. Chadwick was involved in an early incident and had to pit and rallied back to finish fifth.
Rocco finished the season with a three-point advantage of Chadwick in the standings. Rocco missed two events this season because of obligations at NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events.
Rocco, who became the track’s all-time winningest driver earlier this season, became the first driver in Speedbowl history to win eight track championships. He won a Limited Sportsman division championship in 2004 and Late Model championships in 2013 and 2014.
Ted Christopher of Plainville finished second in the feature and finished third season third in the SK Modified division standings, 13 points behind Rocco. Christopher also missed two events because of Whelen Modified Tour obligations.
Joey Gada of Salem was third in the feature Saturday.
In the SK Light Modified division Paul Buzel used a second place finish in the 25-lap feature to clinch his first track championship. Josh Galvin of Oakdale won the feature.
Wayne Burroughs Jr. of Oakdale finished second in the 25-lap Mini Stock feature and clinched his first division title. Sean Caron of East Hampton won the event.
Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton won the 30-lap Late Model feature. Jason Palmer of Berlin had already clinched the division’s championship before Saturday.
Al Stone III of Durham, who clinched his third Limited Sportsman title last week, scored victory in the division’s 25-lap feature Saturday.
Almost tyler..damn
Congrats to my son Keith from a very PROUD mom.
Almost Tyler???? Even Tyler Chadwick will feel silly accepting a track championship after barely beating 2 guys who missed 2 races. It is insane how teddy and rocco could miss two races and still be in the running. Teddy got DQ’d one week as well. He would of run away with it if not for that….
Just a thought, how about next year we give all racers two throw out races. This would allow for equipment failures, wrecks and other obligations.