With the big money on the line it was the school teacher giving lessons to the track’s all-time winningest driver for the big money on Saturday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Timmy Jordan came out on top of a late race battle with Keith Rocco to score the biggest payday of his career in the inaugural Bob Potter Memorial 102 SK Modified feature Saturday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Jordan, of Plainfield, swapped the lead with Rocco multiple times in the late stages to claim the $5,100 first place purse plus a large amount of lap money.
“I literally had like flashbacks to Keith running Street Stocks and me running Mini Stocks,” Jordan said. “Like it was just, we both started here at the same time. Obviously our career paths took way different paths. But if you can race against those guys, that’s how racing should be every week down here. It’s fun when Keith comes. I know some fans don’t like it when he comes back but I love racing against him. You know you’re racing against the best.”
Rocco, of Wallingford, ended up second. Rob Janovic Jr. of Waterford was third.
The race was run in memory of legendary Speedbowl Modified competitor Bob Potter, was passed away on Sept. 18, 2019.
Jordan spent the bulk of the first half of the event battling at the front with Kyle James.
Rocco was up to third by the time caution flew with 54 laps to go. With 35 laps remaining Jordan went by James to retake the lead with Rocco moving to second. Jordan was checking out from Rocco and had built a three-second lead before caution flew once again on lap 83.
On the restart it was Rocco going to the front before another caution on lap 89. Jordan went back to the lead on the ensuing restart, but it was Rocco grabbing the top spot once again on lap 91. Jordan moved by Rocco for the lead on lap 97 and from there Rocco had nothing like to battle for the lead.
“To be able to outrun Keith tonight, you know you don’t beat Keith Rocco, you just, you have a good night,” Jordan said. “He’s always on top of his game. But we had our stuff together tonight to win on Bob Potter night. It’s very special to get that done.”
Said Rocco: “I started deep and passed cars in the beginning. In the end it was a handful and I only had one thing I could and try to hold him off. We were good when we could stay within reach of him, but once he got a car outside I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t get back to him to cross him up or do anything.”
Rocco should quit after that. Getting passed with 5 to go for 5k the best days are behind him
Like it or not, the Speedbowl is back. Packed grandstands. Big car counts. Racing that still, in my humble opinion, is the best out of the dozens of short tracks I’ve been to. Don’t let shiny new paint fool you- the Bowl is the same it always has been with kids running around freely on the midway and rowdy fans shouting up in the top few rows. That’s just how the old girl is. 31 Sk’s…28 started through some very clean heats and a consi that had only one caution due to an engine failure. All 28 starters still running at halfway and something like 25 finishing. Rocco and Jordan stole the show, getting super physical in the last 20 laps. Door-banging each other, blocking, and putting each other in the wall and having the utmost respect for each other at the same time. Dowling, Hirschman, Brendt, Rocco brothers, Owen, Narducci, James, Jordan, Janovick- I don’t think you could come up with a better field of SK talent. I went to the Stafford 5k and this race had more talent and closer racing. I like the 3pm start times, show ended before 9:30 which is pretty good for 8 features. Other than 10 laps of Street Stocks which took 30 minutes and two DQ’s the rest of the show was efficiently ran with some great racing especially in the Lights and the Mini Stocks. Yes, car counts are inflated this year for some of the full-fendered divisions with Seekonk not running, but when it comes to SK’s it’s just Waterford and Stafford. And watch out Stafford because the Bowl sure made a LOT of fans tonight. There’s a reason people say this cat has nine lives… and tonight proved it- great racing in every division and a track that rewards talent over who’s got the biggest motor.
good point fan…I could smell gear oil in the bleachers .Puleo was the culprit ,pitted and was let out again only to continue to oil down the track ..clearly smoking for gods sake !! missed by race officials ??? .I am sure many cars were on the radio complaining .Me thinks Rocco was aware and decided to race another day vs possibly ending up in a bucket. is this a bad decision ?? If your kid rock perhaps not .you stay healthy , avoid possible personal injury and a wrecked car. is that a mature racers choice? national champions choice ? . Timmy stock had a pretty good car .. no money Matt, no Avery motorsports. Owen made a charge from the back used it up. James might have spun on the slick track.. track surface was fouled …too bad
Just a fan says…Rocco should quit. LOL. With a statement like that, there’s a zero percent chance he ws at the track last night watching the race. Zero. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a better race at Waterford in my life, in any division. So many times we’ve all seen Timmy Jordan just give in and settle for second place (or worse) when Rocco or TC or anybody would pass him for the lead or for a win.
He raced the whole 102 laps like a man possessed last night and had an absolute rocket ship from start to finish. His restarts were a touch shaky, but every time he got back around the leader when he needed to. I’ve never seen him get rough before either to get by someone, but he wasn’t laying down on Saturday night. He wanted that win and he got it.
Some will think that this next part is a joke, but the Speedbowl is becoming an absolute showplace. If you haven’t been there since the re-opening, you 100% would not believe the improvements. From top to bottom the place is spotless clean and everything looks new. Everything. “Someone” has spend a boatload of money there and it shows.
BTW, that Buzel kid in the number 9 is an absolute menace out there, you’d think that anyone would get better with time, but he’s a lost cause.
Good Grief !! Rocco is retiring after this season he wants to concentrate on his winery he’s trying to make it happen, Any investors? you can get a hold of “ Just a Fan” he seems to no everything 🤡
What an absolute awesome event. I knew there would be a bunch of sks but never would I have thought 31. The racing was unbelievable lap after lap. No huge pileups that took out half the field. I expected Hirsman to do better but he did ok. Was Owen the biggest mover of the race? Started last and got up to 6th. I didn’t count how many cars finished, but I’d have to say it was more than usual for a big race. Maybe the halfway break was a good thing? I think the biggest surprise was Eric Berndt and the car he was driving. The white and pink-purple #14 Bill “the bear” Callucio car. That must be one of those cars like the 41 that Hirshman was driving, that just sits in a garage somewhere and comes out once in a while for a special occasion. Anyway, the racing upfront between Jordan and Rocco was some of the best I’ve seen. Sparks flying, smoke puffing from rubbing tires, on the brink of wrecking but not. And the crowd was loving it. I never would have picked Jordan for the win. This has to be his best year in a modified. Yes with all the improvements it’s a showplace for sure. But the racing on track still gives it an old school vibe. If what I hear is true and the rest of the improvements are happening over the off season, the speedbowl could very well become the best racing facility in the northeast if not more. One last thing. Awesome to see Sid Dimmagio and his crew back. I can’t wait to watch the race on Sids View.
Winnebago in the parking lot?
One of the best finishers I ever seen at the bowl in the Bob Potter Memorial I hope he was looking down on us Those two drivers Timmy Jordan and Keith Rocco put a show on for the ages also remember Kyle James was in a three car race for a while it was very exciting To be in the stands to watch I am glad to be a local fan at our local tracks kudos to all three of them and the rest of the drivers for beingThere including Matt Hirchman thank you drivers
Rocco’s best days are behind him? Sure, and elephants fly and it snows in July too! He’s still the best in the SK’s like it or not.
Speedbowl says stands were packed , what happened to 25 percent limit
Well sour grapes who ever you are, you should get your facts straight, we had a piece of tin rubbing on the tire. Your welcome to come check it out. Maybe you should know the truth before you drag peoples name through the mud, and bash the track after doing a great job running a big show.
The packed grandstands caught my attention too. Would that be a good things considering?
Love the energy Speedbowl but don’t see why Stafford has to lose anything for the Speedbowl to do well. If Sammi Anderson has a shot at a top 5 at Waterford and no shot at Stafford good fans should support her choice.
One thing is clear. The fans of the rejuvenated Bemer’s Speedbowl generates better comments and seem more engaged then Stafford fans. At least in this forum.
I don’t if I saw one, Dafella. I did see a few cars, trucks, campers, RV’s. Even seen some car haulers. Come to think of it, I seen a whole bunch of those car haulers. I think there were race cars inside of them. What have you seen lately Dafella? Your pretty basement walls?
I guess sour grapes does not know the difference between the smell of gear oil and a tire rub…….
Poor James spun out on the front stretch because of the oil slick on the track. Meanwhile, all the other cars had special non slip tires that prevented them from doing the same.
I did also smell gear oil, but it wasn’t from us. Our quarter panel was rubbing on the tire. We pitted to fix it, but it came loose again. I would never leave a car on the track knowing it was leaking oil.
Puleo go unclog a drain or pump out some toilets at the track you cant fix a tire rub .you were still smoking at the end ..great work in the pits !!! if that’s dragging your name thru the mud then I DID. stop with the excuses already or go back to street stocks .You , Jankowiack , Zachem all smoking .smelled the gear even with a mask on LOL .oil fouled the track ask anyone who was out front racing for the win . my nose and eyes are fine . yes I would say it was beyond 50 percent in the stands.. not PACKED but beyond 50 percent .track was fouled spotters/drivers talking on the scanner track not acting on it .. yup not bashing FACT. Perhaps the tire rub is why your lap times were bad. keep working on it .
Yes – great Potter Memorial at the Bowl last night. It’s rare for Rocco to be beaten in a head-to-head battle there; Jordan did a tremendous job. The field was strong, but the Bowl regulars prevailed. It will be interesting to see if the Bear/Jerry & Jerry/Berndt combination sees any more action this year. The grandstands were not “packed”, but the crowd was spread pretty evenly across the grandstands.
2020, I hope you were not at Waterford Saturday night especially after leaving Stafford early Friday because you were so distraught about the the death of RBG. Shortest mourning ever!
Sour grapes, you don’t have a clue do you. You could smell the gear lube in the stands? Just because there was smoke coming from Puleo’s car you assumed it was gear oil? And a tire rub produces what? Smoke. And if it comes loose again it will produce what? Same answer smoke.
Doug, please don’t worry about the Speedbowl, just worry about your pet Stafford. 31 SK’s in the pit at Waterford Saturday. How many were at Stafford on Friday? Better check tape.
Rocco retiring I doubt it. Will he ever catch TC, he better turn up the wick!
Grapes of Brail or Stevie Wonder,The 27 Car was the Culprit when it came to the Gear Oil Odor.I find your response to be disrespectful and frankly just not right.I don’t think anyone would intentionally drive a leaking or unsafe car with 20 plus cars at risk Unless the car or Gauges indicate or spotter notices it…it’s close to impossible to determine the depth of a mechanical issue or failure.You clearly have an ax to grind with the Puleo Team.As far as I know they not only Maintain their own cars but help with the maintainence on the 51 sk.Change your name to Sour Grapes of Social Distancing and Stay Home.
Sure Earl glad to oblige. I can’t roll the tape but can nerd out on a fact or two since you have an interest in car counts.
Both Stafford and the Speedbowl were special events. Stafford had a total of around 106 cars in 6 divisions with heats only for the tour mods. Waterford had a total of 116 cars in 7 divisions with a full compliment of divisional heats. Stafford had 77 modifieds in attendance, the Speedbowl 45. Average feature size at Stafford was 21 and 16.6 at the Speedbowl.
I get it Earl. You’re the type of guy that loves measuring johnson’s and your Speedbowl johnson to hear you talk is huge. You love your Speedbowl johnson, it’s only for fellow Speedbowl fans to admire and everyone outside of Speedbowl nation should worry about their own racing johnsons that clearly will never measure up. Let me think, what does that line of exclusionary thinking remind me of? Oh well it will come to me.
Myself I’m happy the Speedbowl is doing well especially now the Thompson’s active involvement is race to race. For modified races streamed I’ll be watching. Buckler and Dodge gave the Speedbowl special event a plug that went out via StaffordSpeedway.TV. They get it. I don’t see it as winners and losers but a win/win for fans and competitors. Both tracks not only had great events but great events in the year of the pandemic go figure.
It is nice to see Eric Berndt and Matt Hirschman in attendance. It is nice to see mostly all positive comments regarding the event held at the Waterford speedbowl. I have always thought the best racing in CT is at the Waterford Speedbowl. It is just the track configuration lends itself to side by side racing but I have always been a fan of the smaller tracks. The banked 1/4 milers to 3/8ths has always been my sweet spot. We have Stafford and Waterford going head to head this Saturday. You have Waterford running weekly series with the Granite State Pro Stock series v Stafford running the tour with the limiteds and SKL.
I think Keith Rocco could have a shot at catching TC in SK modified achievements. I dont think the competition is near as good now a days as in the 90’s or 2000’s. Wasnt stafford running a 21 lap consi back around the turn of the century and sending home significantly more than a handful of cars weekly. The only thing that gives me pause is Thompson and there limited schedule/ongoing existence as an operating oval. It will be tough to catch the King running less races weekly. I do think it could be an interesting debate when its all said and done if Keith continues to run for another 15 or 20 years. I think TC compiled 109 SK victories at Stafford in 30 years. Keith has around 62 wins in about 15 years. That is pretty good pace. Who knows, Keith may decide to pursue family interests at some point. I have seen a lot of racers decide family is more important than racing or give up the seat to their offspring. Someone already has Keith retiring to a wine vineyard. Does Keith run into legal issues with the Detroit rocker when Kid Roc Red Wine comes out? It should class up the local race tracks when they start serving it.
Enjoy the racing.
How can anybody say Keith Rocco is done was anybody at Stafford Springs Friday night he is by far the best ever at Waterford remember he won there two weeks ago a lot of people have to catch up for what he has done since I’ve been watching him since 2010 At Waterford Yes he might be getting older but he also has a lot of life left in them also good luck everybody
Keith Rocco is done was anybody at Stafford Friday night a lot of drivers have a lot of catching up to do if they think Keith Rocco is done remember He did start in the back of the field Saturday night he is by far The best I’ve ever seen specially when it comes to Waterford been watching him there since 2010 😄
He is the full time night security . Has been there for last 4 years .