(Press Release from Valenti Modified Racing Series)
Russ Hersey of Swanzey, NH, drove to his second win of the season Sunday afternoon, when he captured the ‘Advanced Gas Distributors’ 75- lap modified race sanctioned by the Valenti Modified Racing Series.
The race was part of the 34th annual Oktoberfest program at Lee USA Speedway, Lee. NH. The win was also the second for long-time car owner Warren Mordenti.
Point leader Anthony Nocella, of Woburn, Massachusetts’s finished runner-up, and in doing so, locked in the 2017 VMRS championship.
Westbrook, Maine, veteran Tony Ricci returned to the series this season after taking a break from modified racing and finished a strong third.
Sammy Rameau, of Westminster, Massachusetts, at age 15, made a late race charge to finish in a respectable fourth place, followed my Grantham, New Hampshire’s Mike Willis Jr.
Early race leaders Les Hinckley III, and Jeffrey Gallup, finished sixth and seventh, 17-year old Ryan Doucette an impressive eighth, Mike Douglas Jr ninth, and Jimmy Zacharias, rounded out the top-ten.
13 of the 18 cars that started the event finished on the lead lap. The race was slowed by three caution periods for minor spins.
The VMRS wraps up the 2017 season this coming weekend at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Thompson, Connecticut with qualifying on Friday, October 13, and a 50-lap feature race on Saturday, October 14th scheduled.
Unofficial Order of Finish – (1) Hersey (2) Nocella (3) Ricci, (4) Rameau (5) Willis Jr (6) Hinckley (7) Gallup (8) Doucette (9) Douglas (10) Zacharias (11) Traynor (12) Lashua (13) Rock (14) Fournier (15) Richardi Jr (16) Bolton (17) Mead, (18) Talman
Series has turned into a joke. !!! Anthony the champ ? Got to be kidding me. Lol….hahahaha….few years ago thought it was the series of the future ….the talent pool is gross…..fold now while nobody is looking …..worse series ever ….zero talent ! ZERO
To be honest I am sick …. and none of these guys could win a SK race at stafford !!! My boy Les is the only one. Hey Jack … it’s over ! And Anthony try the tour full time…. lol… that would be funny !
Congrats. to Anthony! A hard worker and a family owned/ sponsored team. Anthony is for real, I would love to see him with some backing. He can also drive the wheels off a sprint car. Good job Anthony!
I was at Seekonk earlier this year and watched Anthony finish second to Coby in the WMT race. I was impressed with the drive he made to 2nd and I think with a little financial backing he could be a contender.
Hey Mod Man I’m sure if we got you some backing you could win the VRMS championship next year seeing you have so much talent
I lived with Warren and his Great dad Billy I’m so proud of Warren to continue the legacy his dad built a small budget team making big budget wins. Way to go to the Whole Mordenti racing team Billy is looking down Smiling and proud of Warren and Russ. Let’s keep the momentum going into Thompson.
The series is a snooze fest but not sure why people dumping on the 92. I too watched him run 2nd at Seekonk. Held his own at Loudon. Kid has talent. He will be a nice addition to the WMT.
Agree Mod chaser ! Would win going away !
Mod Man must be a MTS supporter or maybe even its owner or one of its officials. Who else would make such comments. IMO opinion the MRS would be doing much better along with therace tracks and us fans that have supported their races if it wasn’t for the MTS providing us with less than full fields. As I have said in the past on numerous occasions at least one touring series needs to go away and considering the behind the scenes drama I would like to see it be the MTS.
What I really meant to say was that us race fans and racetracks would have been much better off without the MTS spreading the amount of Modifieds too thin. Only one winner in this scenario and maybe even he is losing.
Mod Man, please take a look at Nocella’s limited participation at WMT events this year. I think it was 2nd at Seekonk, 10th at Loudon, and 11th at Stafford. That’s a pretty good showing in my book for a potential “new guy”.
The 5 VMRS races I saw were pretty competitive overall. Just because you may not recognize the competitors’ names does not mean it wasn’t good racing.
The drivers in the series aren’t the problem as they do put on a competitive Strategic race as they are allowed to change tires. Drivers actually have the learn tire management unlike the big tour where you simply throw rubber under the car. The officiating needs some help. The whole field took the green on a restart except Hersey. He was on pit road. He never took the green after the restart until all the others started the next lap. He also was allowed to start the feature with a new right front. Personally feel he should have been made to put 3 practice tires on and the new tire and run 12 heat race pace laps. Really looked like the old long time friend pass was given to that team which is unfortunate for the team.
Just because you may not recognize the competitors’ names does not mean it wasn’t good racing.
BINGO to Fast Eddie. Been saying that forever. There are stars on every series and they all don’t come to the races in a stacker or an 18 wheeler.
I’m trying to figure out where people get experience if there are no lower modified series to race. I agree there are now too many (3 after the latest announcement) but having a ladder to use to get the the top level, the WMT, will only be beneficial to create good racing.
FYI – the MRS out drew the MTS everywhere this year, so there must still be something to this tour.