STAFFORD – The inaugural Tri-Track Open Modified Series CBYD Modified Classic 81 event Saturday at Stafford Speedway ultimately ended up stung by a rash of cautions over the first three-quarters of the event.
The most dramatic of moments causing a yellow to flag to fly came on a lap 31 restart when separate incidents taking place in turn one and also on the backstretch off of turn two brought the action to a halt.
During the multi-car incident that transpired off of turn two, Woody Pitkat’s car ended up riding the wall and coming to a stop on its side on top of the car driven by Jon McKennedy.
With fuel pouring out of Pitkat’s car onto McKennedy’s car Pitkat was quick to climb out of the mess, as was McKennedy. All of the drivers involved walked away unharmed.
RaceDayCT’s Fran Lawlor capture the sequence below from crash to exit for Pitkat.
Still haven’t heard what caused this mess, cars we’re wrecking going into turn one before this… caution was out.
So glad to see Woody climb out under his own power, and both drivers able to walk away. Anytime a car has less than 4 wheels on the ground is scary. Woody is a long time friend, hopefully he’s only bumps and bruises. Very scary indeed
Exactly! Three or four cars facing three or four different directions when I looked into Turn 1. (I was seated halfway between Start/Finish.) It seems too many drivers had no knowledge that the caution had waved. Perhaps the yellow waived later than it should have. I can’t think of another explanation without other perspectives and/or more information.
From what I saw on Stream, Sapienza had contact with someone on front stretch, but continued on and more than likely had some right front damage and that caused him to shoot up from the bottom line into the McKennedy ride, which pinch Woody into the wall. Sap is a good driver, and that is the only logical explanation to me.
Agreed Ken L, looked like Sap had diminished steering and/or brakes and his car went across traffic, collecting those cars. Too bad.
Nice sequence Fran! Fortunately everyone was ok.
I loved the SPECIAL provisional they came out with for Todd Owen,Typical Stafford move for their boy.
Wrench1,
The formula for awarding two provisional spots was set before the event. It was decided that one provisional would go to the non-qualifier that was highest in Tri-Track Series points and one provisional would go to the non-qualifier who highest in the Stafford Speedway SK Modified points. There was no “move” for anyone’s boy. It was all in black and white and set before the event how the provisional spots would be decided.
The 176 made *A* bad decision magnified by whom was affected by the choice. Tommy Membrino made a whole bunch of bad racing choices affecting cars no one noticed much.
The 48 of rufrano was parked by tri track at 3 cautions involved
Pretty scary incident, glad to see Woody and Jon were ok! Also glad there was no one else hurt either. Between the front stretch, turn 1, and the back stretch, literally at least half the field was involved in the melee.
“The 176 made *A* bad decision magnified by whom was affected by the choice. Tommy Membrino made a whole bunch of bad racing choices affecting cars no one noticed much”
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that.
Whom ever got the provisional spot should have run the “B” main.What the heck does a Stafford regular have to do with Tri-Track.Come on now.
For those that don’t get it… a Stafford regular clearly had a HUGE advantage in this race at STAFFORD SPEEDWAY against other drivers that were not regulars at STAFFORD. From every aspect too, such as car set up and how to drive it. Many of the other TTOMS drivers rarely ran on anything other than bullrings. For them, running at Stafford was like running at a super speedway, like Charlotte, Daytona or Talladega.
I think the people in charge did the right thing in awarding the provisional to Todd Owen. As stated one provisional was awarded to the highest points earning Tri Track Regular, and one to the highest non qualified Stafford SK driver. How many times has WMT handed a provisional to the same person race after race year after year, and nothing is said. Should they have given the provisional to a field filler? They did the right thing in my book.
Looks like the provisionals were awarded exactly as the rules stated.
Law and order.
Shoulda complained much earlier if you didn’t like the rules.
Whaaaaaa, whaaaaaaaa, whaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭
Anyways, decent event. The promotion and hype was outstanding, like a Trump rally. But like Trump, the show failed to perform at the main event. It was a train wreck, or series of race car wrecks.
What was the procedure for determining the starting order for the heat races?
Law and order.
Most if NOT all open shows have the PROMOTER OPTION to add A Provisional Starter and if Tri Track and Stafford agreed each get 1 choice when THEY MADE THE RACE AGREEMENT then i have NOOOO ISSUES with that, been MANY WMT races where the entry blank says 32 starters and the let all 34, 35 cars start if the track agrees to it.
Dareal, the heats were set up according to practice times. That was announced a few times during practice.
Nice work Fran on the sequence and the video clip sure shows just how quick something like that happens. Glad both drivers are ok.
Worth noting; cool to see the Hummel 11 Race Works SK, converted for this show and running so stout with Jon behind the wheel, not a dig at Vassar at all, but Jon is just very talented, no matter the chassis. Would have loved to see them both finish..
Facebook
“Pitkat A Woody
I’m just glad the wall was there. At the rate Sap was going he would have hit someone out on Rte. 190!”
Ed Bennett is an idiot throwing guys out because of a caution did he see the infield that MORRON it was full of wrecks, he makes his own freaking rules 🙄
https://youtu.be/OKHonbtTjQI