(Press Release from New London-Waterford Speedbowl)
Kyle James said he had his best car of the season Saturday night at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Unfortunately for him, his engine did not cooperate. A blown engine midway through the race helped end James’ two-“race SK Modified winning streak and also cost him the point lead.
A ninth place finish by James, coupled with a third effort by Dylan Izzo, enabled Izzo to take a one-point lead in the SK standings heading into Saturday night’s 40-lap feature.
Even with last week’s motor woes. James plans to be there.
“We had to get the motor rebuilt,” James said. “We’re putting it in on Thursday and we’ll be ready to go.”
The 40-lap SK Modified race is just one layer of a seven-feature program. The guest division will be the Ct. Pro Four Modifieds, which will be making their second appearance at the Speedbowl this season.
The SK Lite Modifieds, the Late Models, the Sportsmen, the Mini-Stocks and the Legends also will be in action. Qualifying starts at 5 p.m. with opening ceremonies and features to follow.
James was in second place, trailing only race winner Todd Owen in last week’s race, when his temperature gauge was going off the charts.
“About halfway through the race the engine temperature was spiking to 280 degrees,” James said. “We pitted, came back out and got into third. Then the temperature started to climb again and we had to pit again.”
The motor was on the intensive care list.
“It was a total mess, “ James said. “The good thing is the only thing that was broken on the car was the motor,” James said. “And my pockets. It was expensive.”
Now with a healthy engine, James and his team will be trying to find a little more steam that the car has shown so far this year.
“Actually, the first week our car wasn’t that good,” James said. “The second week the car was better. And the third week, it was the best it has been, hands down.”
James said, however, said the car has the potential to go even faster.
“I still feel as if we’re missing something,” James said. “There is a lot of room for improvement. We have to get faster.”
James said his team will be looking at the “little things,” trying to make a major improvement.
“I think the car still has a tenth of a second of speed left in it,” James said. “And we have to find it.”
Even with a car that hasn’t been at peak efficiency. James has still managed two come-from-behind wins. On opening night, he came from one lap down to post the win. Then in the second race, he came from last to first.
“We’re good, but we’re still missing it,” James said. “We’ll get everyone’s head together, and try to get what we need.”
James just needs two things — a healthy motor and a little more velocity — to re-establish himself at the front of the point standings.
Meservey mastery
The defending champion of the Pro 4 Modifieds is off to a sizzling start this season with a win and a second place finish.
Despite those glittering stats, however, Brett Meservey says he won’t be repeating as champion in 2018.
“We’re going to relax this year,” Meservey said. “Last year there was a lot of pressure we faced in going for the championship. This year we’re going to miss a few races when my dad competes on the Valenti Tour. so there won’t be as much pressure. We’re just going to go have some fun.”
Meservey says he usually has fun when he visits the Waterford Speedbowl, the next stop for the Pro 4s on their 2018 season tour.
“We’ve had a lot of good runs at Waterford, and we’ve also had some motor issues,” Meservey said. “Hopefully, those motor problems are in the past.”
Meservey says all the Pro 4 competitors share his enthusiasm for the Speedbowl.
“The Waterford Speedbowl is by far the best track that we run on,” Meservey said. “No matter where you run on the track, you know your car is going to handle well.”
Meservey needs a good handling car for Saturday’s 25-lap feature. Making his return to the division Saturday is Doug Meservey Jr., who currently is competing in the SK Modified division at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“Doug is going to be very competitive,” Meservey said. “He’s going to be in the original No. 67 and that car always runs well at Waterford.”
Randy Cabral, the five-time NEMA Midget champion, is also expected to be part of the Pro 4 field along with multi-time winner Rob Richardi.
“The Pro 4s always put on a good show at the Speedbowl,” Meservey said. “You have to bring your A game.”
Expect Brett Meservey to be relaxed on Saturday — just as soon as the race is over.
Speedbowl notes
The closest point race at the Speedbowl can be found in the SK Modifieds where four drivers are within four points of each other. Izzo leads with 94 points, followed by James with 93, Owen with 91 and Rob Janovic Jr. with 90. Since points are awarded for the qualifying heats, there could be a new point leader before Saturday’s feature even starts… The biggest point lead is owned by Jonathan Puleo, who has a 15-point edge over Wayne Burroughs in the SK Lite division. Puleo, who has won all three SK Lite races contested so far, has 104 points out of a possible 106. In other point fights, Jason Palmer leads by six over Ryan Morgan in the Late Model standings, Shawn Gaedeke has a two-point edge over Jon Porter in the Sportsmen, Doug Curry has an eight-point margin over Nick Pappacoda in the Mini Stocks, Duane Noll leads by eight points over Jim Boyle in the Speedbowl Trucks and Peter Bennett has a six-point lead over Scott Limkemann in the Saturday Legends … The Speedbowl will kick off the first of four Classic Car Nights on June 30. Those fans displaying their 1978-1986 cars will receive a voucher redeemable for one complimentary grandstand ticket. The other dates are July 28, August 25 and Sept. 29.
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