Ron Silk celebrates victory in the second of two Tri-Track Open Modified Series qualifying heats Sunday at the Bemers Super Bowl of Racing at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl
WATERFORD – When does just winning a qualifying heat pay more than most short track features?
Sunday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Eric Berndt and Ron Silk each picked up $3,000 checks for winning their respective Tri-Track Open Modified Racing Series qualifying heats Sunday at Bemers Super Bowl of Racing at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
The two 35-lap qualifying heats set up the field for the 65-lap main event.
Second place in each qualifying heat paid $2,000 and third place paid $1,500.
Berndt, of Cromwell, went from second to the lead on the first lap of the first qualifying event and never trailed again.
“It was pretty good,” Berndt said. “We knew we had a good car after warmups and we pulled [the second starting position] so we knew we didn’t have to go through traffic. We’ve got a little work to do for the [main event] but we’ve got a pretty good piece here.”
Woody Pitkat of Stafford was second in the first qualifier and Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. third. Pitkat started 17th in the 21-car field.
Silk, of Norwalk, passed Ted Christopher for the lead on lap 24 of the second qualifier and never trailed again.
“I just got up on the wheel and drove my butt off,” Pitkat said. “That’s what you have to do when you start 17th. … I just needed a couple more laps. I was driving as hard as I could trying not to overdrive because you can overdrive this place easy.”
Silk was the winner of the first Tri-Track Open Modified Series event at the Speedbowl on Sept. 13.
Richard Savary of Canton, Mass. was second in the second qualifier and Christopher, of Plainville, third.
Berndt and silk two good guys in this sport.