The 2016 season at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl kicked off in May with the track officials celebrating the return of veteran Modified driver Bo Gunning to competition.
The season will end at the track with Gunning starting from the rear of the SK Modified field to finish off his return year.
New London-Waterford Speedbowl race director Eric Webster said Tuesday that Gunning will be removed from the handicapping process to set the starting field and will start as the last car in the field for the final SK Modified feature of the season at the Bemers Big Show on Oct. 23.
The penalty was handed down because of multiple aggressive incidents involving Gunning during Saturday’s event at the track. Gunning will also be forced to start at the rear of his heat race qualifying event on Oct. 22.
Gunning was thrown out of Saturday’s 35-lap SK Modified feature at the Speedbowl with two laps remaining after he sent Frank Mucciacciaro Jr. spinning in turn four while the two competed near the rear of what remained of the field on track. It was the fourth questionable incident of aggressiveness during the feature for Gunning.
Early in the event, while Gunning was still leading, he had heavy contact with second place Todd Owen coming to the green flag for a restart. After losing the lead to Owen, Gunning came down into the side of Rob Janovic Jr. in turn three not long after. And later in the event, contact from Gunning in turn two sent Adam Gada hard into the wall.
Despite being thrown out of the event, Gunning was allowed to keep his 15th place finishing spot in the 27-car feature Saturday.
“He got his finish for the night [Saturday], but the remainder of his penalty is that he’s out of the handicap for the following race,” Webster said. “He’s just rough. Regardless of what he does in the heat race, he’s still going to start in the back for the feature.”
That race director should be ashamed of himself. That’s like a slap on the wrist. I can see if you wreck 1 person to remove handicap but he wrecks 4 cars one being a driver that wouldn’t hit a fly!!!! Where is the suspension
What about Owen?He hit everything on the racetrack.That is what started the whole mess in the first place.
I’m by far not an Owen fan but he was penalized for his actions during the race. Bo just doesn’t kno when to stop. really. Owen didn’t cause bo to wreck anyone.
The 81 was getting mirrior driven the hole race went to around the outside and when he pulled so did the 31 and they made contact it was a racing incident and on the start of the race bo desided to smash him in the door for no good reason…
At least he’s not on the pole again. How many pole shots for heats and features did he have this year? I lost count! Only thing is Bo still has the same playbook and he’ll still bring out cautions during the finale since I’m certain he will drive through the slower cars at the rear of the field instead of passing them cleanly on the outside or making a clean inside move coming out of 2 or 4 to get a wheel up down the chutes – instead he’ll use: a) bottom shot below the white line going into turn 1 or 3, or b) pushing the slower car down chute only to lift just before the turn sending the car in front for a slide up into the outside groove.
Does the RD think that putting Bo to the back is going to fix anything? He’s still going to wreck cars because he does it now – front, midpack or back it doesn’t matter. It’s nice to see them handing out penalties, but they forgot a couple more from Saturday. Bo takes out four cars and is penalized. The 76 legend wiped out 7 and nothing? And how does a car that is thrown out of a race maintain a 15th place finish?
Racing around the country is in trouble……All of your once great race car drivers are getting old and are being replaced by rich kids who are not great race car drivers….Remember when being a racer got you the seat and not the money you brought to it?
Typical hammer head…just like half the field.
Some guy made a good point.Like it.It is so true.
Bo knows penalties.
I understand Bo and Tommy owe Dave Jackson a lot of money will see if the car even makes it to the track. Good riddance
Bo has been taken out by TC 9 times Owen took him out twice. It seems like a driver can only take so much. As for the supposed issue with the car owner Justafella there is none so stop lieing
I think your a little off racer 1 I doubt bo has been taken out 9 times by tc but what is true is bo destroyed two of tcs cars the same night. Not to mention the hack job he pulled while getting lapped at the sk 5k.
FOR THE RECORD NO ONE OWES ME ANOTHING! Me, Bo and Tommy and the rest of our crew work together as a team to put this all together. I am proud to stand along side all of them and appreciate all they have done this season. For the person that posted this information you should be ashamed of yourself for posting such slander! Be a real man and post your real name so everyone can knows who you really are as a person.
We’re you there when TC drove from the center of the back straight thru the infield into Bo as he was coming out of turn 4? The officials saw it or how about when his spotter took a swing at the spotter for the ?
I think Bo is a great guy off the track , that being said he needs to stop racing period . Tommy I think he will listen to you enough is enough .
Does anybody know for certain how much money Bo owes the car owner? That’s a terrible thing to do to a guy that got him back on the track this year. Mr. Jackson was always a straight shooter, hate to see him get ripped off like this.
Bo has always been my favorite, only wish I could have been up there to see him race again. Man you guys in Ct. are lucky to have Waterford and Stafford, nothing here in Florida….
@Eye in the sky
As I, Dave Jackson, posted earlier…
FOR THE RECORD NO ONE OWES ME ANYTHING!!!
It’s amazing what people think they know. It only took Dave Jackson 2 post to say Bo doesn’t own him anything. If you people are going to make a statement about a driver better make it a fact and not a rumor. By the way…Bo’s eyes.. yes eyes are fine despite the rumors you heard. Another rumor.. Bo never said he would take TC out at any race during the season. Just needed to clear some things up for the uneducated. Thanks for all your concerns.
@ Dave Jackson, the comment at 9:28pm above was by someone trying to be cute and stir up crap as that was NOT my post, but this one is. Someone tried to impersonate me via a close clone of my screen name.
What is being overlooked is that it’s a huge amount of time, hard work and yes money to field an SK these days so repeated dumb moves on the track by a driver can and will erode a team’s enthusiasm and support for that individual who has the steering wheel in their hands and the brake peddle under their foot. If your confidence and support for Bo isn’t tempered after zero trophies in hand despite countless pole shots and then the carnage he has caused (it should be embarrasing), then your team:
1. Deserves what it gets when Bo wrecks hard
2. Needs to get glasses as your idea of what racing should be is clearly warped
3. Might now realize where the saying “stuck on stupid” came from
4. Might want to find a new hobby OR
5. Should consider putting Tyler back in the car since he’s clearly a better shoe than Bo is
Dave Jackson,
You are a stand up guy and I would expect nothing less from you. As a car/team owner you know that the season starts and ends as a unified team and no one member needs to be rebuked in public … that’s the true team spirit; well done. I hope the off season treats you well and I look forward to a better 2017 for you and the team.
Respectfully,
Jeff Eilenberger
Owen didn’t deserve the penalty he got, he like you said was mirror driven the entire time. Then he got shafted when he got caught up in others crap afterwards and wrecked his car. Both Monahan and Owen were better than Rocco. And it was a racing accident, no black flag should’ve been issued.