Sammy Rameau, Anthony Nocella Share Valenti Mod Series Victory Lane At Lee

(Press Release from Valenti Modified Racing Series)

LEE, N.H. – 16-year old Sammy Rameau started outside on the front row, took the lead from pole sitter Brian Robie on lap-3, and went to victory lane for the first time Friday night, July 13, in Valenti Modified Racing Series action at Lee USA Speedway, Lee, NH.

The race was the first of two 50-lap ‘Cone’ races. Series point leader Anthony Nocella, the 2017 series champion, nabbed the second feature.

Rameau, of Westminster, MA; drove a flawless race in putting the Race Choice sponsored 6MA car in victory lane. The family operation headed up by father Randy, began their involvement in modified racing at Claremont Speedway.

Early leader Robie, of Sunapee, NH; who had never been to the Lee track until Friday, finished a solid second after a fourth place finish at Monadnock (NH) Speedway a week ago, Todd Patnode, of Swanzey, NH, finish third, Tony Ricci, of Westbrook, ME, made a late race charge to finish fourth, with Andy Shaw, of Conway, NH; rounding out the top five.

Russ Hersey, CJ Bolton, rookie Jacob Perry, Mike Willis Jr, and Woody Pitkat finished sixth through tenth.

The Lee facility has provided many firsts over the years. Twin 50-lap VMRS series races were started at Lee, the well-received ‘Cone’ race debuted Friday, and first time tour/type series drivers have found victory lane at the 3/8th mile oval.

Rameau from Westminster, MA; becomes the fourth driver in two seasons to win their first Valenti series race at the Lee track. In 2017, Mike Douglas Jr, Dan Meservey Jr, and Troy Talman, garnered their first career tour-type wins at Lee.

The caution flag waved on laps 15 and again on lap-34. The first race was completed in 24 minutes 30 seconds.

All but one car, Anthony Nocella, involved in an early crash that forced him out of the event, finished on the lead lap (21 cars)

Race Summary Race 1
Lee USA Speedway
Lee, NH.
July 13, 2018
Race # 7
Entrants: 22
Lap Leaders: Robie (1-2) Rameau (3-50)
Cautions Flags: Laps 15, 34
Margin of Victory: 2.099
Best Lap Time: 15.09 Rameau
Unofficial Order Of Finish: (1) Rameau) (2) Robie (3) Patnode (4) Ricci (5) Shaw (6) Hersey (7) Bolton (8) Perry (9) Willis Jr (10) Pitkat (11) Sontag (12) Lashua (13) Robie (14) Richardi (15) Cantara (16) Smith (17) Rock (18) Doucette (19) Meservey Jr, (20) Sherman (21) Seidell (22) Nocella

In the nightcap, Nocella bounced back after starting 21st and paved his way to his second win of the season. The victory was the Woburn, MA, driver’s 13th win moving him to fifth on the series all-time win list.
Nocella, driving the Nocella Paving/Air Gas Chevrolet took the lead on lap-32 when he passed the events only other leader, Meservey Jr.
Patnode finished a strong second, followed by Meservey, Hersey, and Willis Jr, in the top five. Sixth through tenth were Rameau, Robie, Perry, Pitkat, and Ricci.
The second race was completed in 23 minutes.

Race Summary Race 2
Lee USA Speedway
Lee, NH.
July 13, 2018
Race # 7
Entrants: 22
Lap Leaders: Meservey (1-31) Nocella (32-50)
Cautions Flags: Laps 1, 5, and 23
Margin of Victory: 0.349
Best Lap Time: 14.892 Pitkat
Next event:
August 4, 2018
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
Scarborough, Maine
Unofficial Order Of Finish: (1) Nocella (2) Patnode (3) Meservey Jr (4) Hersey(5) Willis Jr (6) Rameau (7) Robie (8) Perry (9) Pitkat (10) Ricci (11) Robbie (12) Smith (13) Shaw (14) Rock (15) Bolton (16) Seidell (17) Richardi (18) Sontag (19) Doucette (20) Sherman (21) Cantara (22) Lashua

Comments

  1. geoffrey doppelgänger says

    Was Pitkat thinking about italian sub or was it ham/swiss? He was out to lunch. Give him sandwich so he hungry like wolf.

  2. Pitkat 10th in the first race, and 9th in the second, maybe he should have gone to Stafford instead.

  3. wmass01013 says

    I like the BOWMAN GRAY cone restart rule, Stafford should make that a rule for the open comp shows, def adds fun to a open comp type race

  4. Crazy in NY says

    Why just the Open’s? Why not weekly as well. I agree it adds to the intrigue and strategy of any race I think.

  5. wmass01013 says

    i think if u do something every week it gets stale quick, now you know NASCAR WILL NEVER GO this route for tour races, interesting VMRS did this during season, the reason I say OPEN COMP SHOWS is that I think you want open comp shows to be fun and different for fans and teams than points racing, a fun night to do racing a different way that normal shows and make some $$$ so maybe if STAFFORD wants open comp shows in 2019 they need to try NEW THINGS

  6. That’s some pretty good thinking wmass . I have a few questions. Now that the Stafford Opens are banked what do you think will happen in the future with them. Will they be continued? Will they change the rules to allow spec motors? Will they replace one or both VMRS races? Was the goal in the first place to push out the VMRS so as not to have to share the pot? I know it’s way early but I can’t wait to see what appears on next years schedule.

  7. wmass01013 says

    Alll good questions Doug, Mark Arute is a smart man and I am sure with a plan, Just hard to understand sometimes, his job is to make the track money so he will do what he thinks will get that done, now of course this is Modified country so that is the best way to make money.
    2018 has been a great season I think for Stafford, no rainouts and not even real threats of rain so the track should be doing well, I hope he does bring back open shows, just as I said make those night FUN NIGHTS for both teams and fans with DIFFERENT rules and ideas not forced by a series, maybe twin 40s, cone restarts, MAYBE a time trial with a pit stop mandatory to set the field, I love the BBQ, BAND HAPPY HOUR DEALS FOR THE FANS TOO, just to get any sort of quality lineup of teams u need to pay $$$$$$$

  8. I am 100% with you on all of that wmass. Thanks!

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