The Tri-Track Open Modified Series has seen quite a few surprise competitors in action this year.
Saturday one of those moonlighters made big waves.
Sammy Rameau made his second start of the season with the division one to remember by winning the 100-lap Tri-Track Open Modified Series feature at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.
“We put a lot of work into this,” Rameau said. “… A lot of people don’t know this, it’s my full-time job to prepare these race cars and I put my heart and soul into this. I’m in that shop 15 hours a day. I really put my heart and soul into this. A lot of people don’t know that. … The day didn’t start out that well but I told my guys we were going to overcome it and we were going to win this thing.”
It was the first career Tri-Track Open Modified Series victory for Rameau, of Westminster, Mass.
Brian Robie of Sunapee, N.H. was second and Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. third.
“Beating people like … Woody Pitkat, Hirschman, Ronnie Williams … they all win hundreds of races,” Rameau said. “It’s a great thrill to say I beat some of those guys.”
Rameau became the third winner in three events this year for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series. Craig Lutz won the season opening event on July 5 at Monadnock and Hirschman was victorious with the series in the SBM 121 on July 25 at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H.
Rameau, a regular on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, also started the season opening event for the series on July 5 at Monadnock.
Woody Pitkat of Stafford and Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. rounded out the top-five respectively.
Nice to see Rameau in VL!!!!
Nice to see anyone besides the 60 in VL!!!
The end of the race had the bump n run set up perfect. But the Extra Hard Bump that Williams put on Rameau on the last turn only smashed in Ronnies Radiator, and put Williams sideways in front of the
hard charging field . Silk and others got a good finish taken away, Ronnie also went from 2nd to 14th.
The bump and run backfired big time last night. Maybe next time take a solid 2nd place finish in one
piece , try to get the Win next time out . .. Les Hinckley is one Heck of a Driver to watch at Monadnock
He passed so many cars during that race it was Unbelievable ..!! He knows that track like the back of
His hand.. Too bad he bounced it off the backstretch wall with five laps left.. took out the rim and tire ..
I think He was the crowd favorite after he took the bump and run from Lutz in last race here.. Would
have been a great story if he could of taken the Win …. Congratulations to Rameau . He Earned it…
Hinckley hit the wall didn’t he? Looked like the front jumped a little. A few laps prior Hirschman did his best impression of Melissa Fifield getting out of Hinckley’s way as he was charging knowing it wasn’t the 60’s day to contend.
That had to be embarrassing. Williams no doubt put some extra mustard on his last lap shot to Rameau as pay back for the Jennerstown NWMT race in which Rameau hooked his bumper and turned him. Unlike Lutz’s gambit in a prior race Williams doinked the punt.
No it wasn’t a good day at all for Williams. Laps 26 to 20 he gave Silk a shot getting him out of shape but backs out as Silk recovers. A few laps later he gave Hirschman a shot to no affect. A few laps to go he nerfs Silk in 3 and 4 pushing him wide. Then the last lap blunder that not only cost him a second it cost Silk a third with the 25 turned in front of him.
Rameau said he and Williams didn’t see eye to eye. Bet Williams and Silk didn’t have a cold one after the race either. On the other hand Robie and Hirschman may have been buying the beers for Williams.
Speed51 stream cut out several times in the race. For anyone that had the same problem watch the replay and you’ll get a better sense of exactly how good that race was.
Fantastic race. And if you didn’t see it, you can tell by the lack of comments here! I always here if you eat at a restaurant and it is great, you tell no one. If it is terrible, you tell everyone. Must be true for commenting on races too. This race was a pleasure to watch.
Rameau after going in the pits with everyone else was unstoppable. He checked out even before Hinckley scraped the wall. And Craig Putz, how did it feel to have Les pass you like a real driver, as if you were pulling 2 refrigerators behind you. Clean and said goodbye.
It was a great race. Early in the race Hinckley went by Williams, Dowling and then Nocella all on the outside. Late in the Race he went by Hirschman and Lutz like they were tied to the fence. When Hinckley stayed out on lap 60 and everyone else pitted is when he lost the race. He was definitely the show. I was sitting next to two older racers from New England. One had a son in the race and they both had the same response on the Williams stunt. No respect and as long as daddy continues to throw money at these car owners the punks will continue with there antics. If I was the owner of the 25 I would send Williams packing for intentionally wrecking my car. But $$$$$ will keep his ride I suspect.
Doug you are correct. Silk was not very happy with the nerfing from Williams. He was happy to restart third with Williams restarting second but he never got the chance for redemption.
JimB, good observation. Les should have pitted with everyone else. If he had he would likely have won the race. But Congrats to the other 06, he looked dominant at the end.
Congrats to Sammy and your crew. Great job.
Yes, a great race. And congrats to the track/ race control. They really came through and ran off the show impressively quick. We were out of there before 10PM. They did their homework and fixed so much that was poorly done in the July race program.
There are so many spot-on comments here about all that happened it’s hard to mention any particular one, but I gotta say, “Hirschman did his best impression of Melissa Fifield getting out of Hinckley’s way” is a good one, because that is exactly what happened!
Was a fantastic race. Hinckley was so freaking fast but was just unlucky again. I can’t believe Robie got second, that’s a huge deal for him and he had a crate motor. The sportsman mod race earlier in the night was also fantastic, they were swapping the lead back and forth for a few laps and it was great to see.
Yes huge finish for Robie. Helped out a bit by Williams failed bump and run. But he was not running a crate motor. Hirshman troyer with open motor in it. Only crate in field was Byrne. Not the same car he ran in sportsman race. Either way a good run for a driver who seems to quietly go about his business and improve.
Rob A you are spot on. That sportsman modified race was killer. Good to see two guys racing so hard. A little contact here or there without knocking one or the other out of the grove. So refreshing to see considering today’s normal.
A show of hands. How many of you will watch coverage of the Democrat National convention? How about the Republican National convention?
Maybe it’s too fine a point but is Hinckley really all that unlucky. A second at Monadnock 1 was terrific. Star not so good but in this one was it luck or driver error. Did he tag the wall because a tire was going down or did he tag the wall and the tire went down? Were it not for that he’d of had another great finish against really strong competition. Now Silk being blocked out of a second was bad luck.
If we’re talking about bad luck Silk may have had more then his share at critical times in the last two years. Like this one and the one last year when he was taken out when Hirschman had a brain fart. Then the brand new Fury at NHMS having a good run and he was taken out by I believe it was Rameau. Yupper, Silk has definitely had his share of great finishes ended at perfectly the wrong time by bonehead moves. On the other hand bonehead is not a word that is used to describe anything Silk does on the track as far as I can recall.
I think I’ve seen Hinkley finish second at more tritrack and mrs races than I’ve seen Hirschman win. He is by far the most overdue driver out there for a tritrack win.
I believe Goodale took out Silk at NHIS last September.
To correct the record it was indeed Goodale that ended Silks day in the Musket 250.
It was Bonsignor that ended Rameau’s day in the same race for which Sammy angrily displayed the international symbol of displeasure for all to see upon exiting his wrecked car as JB came around.
Sorry Sammy.
Les Hinckley is one of the most underrated drivers out there.
And I agree with fast, he has been a bridesmaid to many times and is long overdue for a win.