The race management and tech staff were kept busy by the competition Sunday at Thompson Speedway.
On the track on race winner had to be disqualified from a victory after taking the checkered flag as Steven Chapman was stripped of a victory in the SK Light Modified feature for making contact with another car after the event.
That penalty handed the victory to Keith Caruso of Millbury, Mass.
But celebration of his first career SK Light Modified victory didn’t last long for Caruso.
Track officials confirmed Monday morning that Caruso was disqualified from victory for using an illegal carburetor.
The decision to disqualify Caruso gave the victory in Sunday’s 20-lap SK Light Modified feature to John O’Sullivan of Salem.
It was also confirmed Monday morning that Mark Panaroni of Ivoryton was disqualified from victory in the 15-lap Mini Stock feature for a motor compression issue.
The decision gives the victory in the feature to Doug Curry of Norwich.
Congrats Doug Curry!
Its good to see calls being made like this . This is how it should be done kudos to terry and chris on a great program
Nice Call.
Doesn’t make me go hmm at all. They are 3 tenths faster because they roll the corner better. Stevie Wonder could see that.
The Caruso car was dq’ed for running an illegal carburetor, but how much of a competitive advantage was it? In looking at lap times on race monitor, the 11’s fastest lap was a 20.587, compared to the fastest lap of the race by Steven Chapman, a 20.183. Chapman (7) and Narducci (10) ran a combined 17 laps faster than Caruso’s fastest lap.
Ricky,
Illegal is just that, illegal and you have to pay the piper when caught and don’t complain about it either, take you lumps and move on. Not saying the offender complained just saying in general. I’ve seen so many start screaming and arm waving when they are caught red handed. Credit to the men (and ladies) who take their lumps and accept the penalty and continue on. Sometimes mistakes are made and the teams doesn’t even know they are using a bad part or that’s the only piece they have to use when the primary part breaks for instance. One time I had a carburetor act funny on one of the karts and put on my spare even though I knew it was illegal. Of course that was tech that night and we got Dq’ed. Stuff happens, move on.
Illegal does not necessarily mean faster or an advantage though. So looking at lap times and saying well it wasn’t that illegal since he wasn’t faster doesn’t hold water. Take me for instance, I’m on the shallow end of the talent pool in the driving department lets be honest. So if I take a late model and put on a big cheated up carb I might be able to keep up with Tom or Ryan. I’d still be cheating cause other wise I’m like last 1/3 of the cars for sure LOL
Excellent insights. Cheating is a spectrum of possibilities not necessarily a focused sinister decision.
Isn’t cheating often getting as close to the boundaries of legal and at times inadvertently crossing over. It was also a skilled art form a long time ago wasn’t it? Maybe even now. Picking your spots, bolting on the illegal part based on an informed guess on the likelihood of being caught. The removing it later on when the risk is great.