SEEKONK, Mass. – The seal on a champagne bottle.
It seemed to be the only thing slowing down Brian Robie Thursday at Seekonk Speedway.
Robie struggled and fumbled getting a bottle of champagne opened in victory lane, but the Sunapee, N.H. driver probably had 20,000 other things on mind.
Robie madę his first career Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series victory one to remember Thursday, scoring a $20,000 payday in scoring victory in the 19th running of Open Wheel Wednesday at Seekonk Speedway.
The race featured the largest winner’s purse and largest purse overall ($80,000 plus) in honor of legendary Seekonk driver Vinny Annarummo, who passed away in February. The race was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was postoned due to weather concerns.
Robie became the 21st different Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series winner since the series’ inception in 2014. He was the second first-time series winner in two events this year. Stepen Kopcik got his first series win in the division’s 2024 opener at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on May 26.
Robie passed Matt Hirschman for the lead on lap 83 and never lost the lead again.
“For it being on of the bigger paydays, this is absolutely wild,” Robie said. “I’ve always loved this track. We always seemed to have good runs but not good finishes. This is my second [Open Modified] win ever. The first came with the [Milton Cat Modified Racing Series in 2021] And now this. When we passed [Matt] Hirschman for the lead there, we had a caution and I literally came over the radio to the guys and I said ‘Um, I don’t really know whats going on right now.’”
Robie was making his 31st Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series start since 2017.
“This is wild,” Robie said. I had to ask them [after the race] what do because I didn’t know what to do. This is insane.”
Results of the race were unofficial pending a further inspection of Robie’s motor, which was taken following the event the race by Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series officials. Robie was running a 604 crate motor.
Teddy Hodgon IV of Danbury was second.
“It was my first time here in an [Open] Modified so I’m really impressed with the results,” Hodgdon said. “I was learning every single lap of the race. Luckily the car came to me right at the end there.
Kyle Bonsignore of Mooresville, N.C. third.
“We had really good speed in the car all day,” Bonsignore said. “We missed it a little bit to start the race. It really crept up on us after the second caution. We pitted. We were really deep. But we adjusted on the car. From lap 60 on I think we had the best car on the track.”
Robie won his heat race and started second to Stephen Kopcik. Jake Johnson went by Robie for second place at the start. Johnson then got by Kopcik for the lead on lap 15.
On lap 20 Austin Beers went by Robie for third with Hirschman following him to fourth.
Hirschman moved to second behind Johnson on a lap 25 restart and then went by Johnson for the lead off turn four on lap 32.
By lap 46 Hirschman was breaking away from the field and starting to lap cars.
By lap 67 Doug Coby, who started 15th, was up to fourth. Coby passed Kopcik for third on lap 69 and went by Johnson for second on lap 71.
By lap 75 Hirschman had a 1.5 second lead over Coby. Caution flew on lap 76. Hirschman chose the inside for the restart with Coby choosing line up behind him, allowing Kopcik to go to the outside for the second place start for the ensuing restart. Coby was able to grab second back from Kopcik on the restart, but on lap 76 Kopcik got a nose under Coby in turn four and spun him out of the position. Kopick was black flagged for over aggressive driving.
“I certainly think we had a car that was capable of winning or at least racing with that front group of four cars there at the end,” Coby said. “I don’t know that there was a car in the first 75 laps that went forward as far as we did. So I’m just disappointed for my guys that they got a good finish taken away. They’ve got a little bit of bent up race car on a night when I thought we did everything right. We didn’t really touch anybody, just used the bottom and worked traffic to my advantage and worked restarts to my advantage. It’s just frustrating. It’s racing, but it’s still frustrating when it happens.
“I was surprised [Kopcik] pushed it because I went by him two restarts in a row. That should make you think ‘That’s a good car in front of me.’ I didn’t touch him on any restarts, so I know he wasn’t mad at me for anything. So I think it was just trying to squeeze in line and the pressure of being a car stuck on the outside that now can get down and now all of the sudden you’ve got to back yourself down a little bit. He definitely made a mistake. I hope he thinks he made a mistake, I hope, because he did and it cost both of us a race.”
That incident moved Robie to second next to Hirschman for the lap 77 restart.
By lap 82 Robie found a lane under Hirschman and a lap later Robie went to the lead by Hirschman off of turn four.
“I really thought we didn’t have anything for the win,” Robie said. “Matt got by and he was setting sail. I kind of thought we were just going to see another Matt Hirschman show. We just kind of hung in it there, gained a couple positions when Kopcik and Coby got together and then on the restart, I don’t know what happened there, but it seemed like [Hirschman] just got tight and I was able to get by him.”
Listen to full interviews with Robie, Hodgdon, Bonsignore and Coby at the RaceDayCT Insider Page
Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series UNOFFICIAL Results from June 27, 2024 at Seekonk Speedway
If you wondered what a $33,500 increase in purse buys you, it appears to be about 6 cars. YOY.
Some people will continue to insist travel and purse are the biggest issues in tour modified racing right now.
I don’t know which parties specifically contributed to the purse increase. I applaud them. But man they have to be a bit disappointed that this race didn’t reach the level of some of the OWW shows a few years ago, with nearly twice the purse. Who knows, though, maybe it was shaping up to be a 20 car race before the purse increase.
Massive disappointment that this was not streamed in anyway.
This field is a whole bunch better than what the WMT is able to present.
Big surprise winner for sure. Anyone know what happened to Money the last 20 laps? The 16 car? When did they start taking the winners engine after a race?
Steve,
Silk pulled off the track under green on lap 61 with what seemed like a flat tire, but apparently there was more to that. Hirschman looked like he tightened up and lost the handle on the car late.
It says a lot about how bad the nascar tour is that they had a bigger purse for their race at seekonk and they could only get 23 cars to show up and Tri-track got 34 cars at the same place three weeks later.
Another good finish for Hodgdon , the kid is overdue for an open mod win
Why would you pull the engine for testing on a track that’s not known for horse power? Seekonk is a handling track and it’s pretty clear there was comers and goers and just so happens the 60 was a goer at the end. Two TTOMS races this year and the 60 has not cracked the top 5 at the finish. Is everyone finally catching up to him or is he loosing his edge? Pulling the engine on the 25NH, 🐂 💩 call as far as I’m concerned.
O-M-G!!!!!
MH did not win a skid pad race?????
Earl,
So if series officials suspect there are issues they should just ignore those concerns?
@Earl Hirschman was spun out of the lead at Thunder Road and was driving away from the field before the outbreak of yellows. He drove from 12th to 1st in like 20 laps. Hard to say he’s lost it given all that, it’s just sometimes the car doesn’t cooperate. I bet he wishes he brought the Pee Dee car from his WMT win last month.
Whelen modified tour has become a disappointing race lately. At one time a very competitive division but that seems to be a two man race. 23 car counts are very disappointing to say the least. There is no more than four cars that can actually win now. The tri track series has it all over the modified tour. Seekonk show was great with excellent car counts. The tour is lucky to get 23 cars these days. Thompson won’t get any more than 23 cars come August 14th.That will be another 2 car race. 51 and 16 cars. The others don’t stand a chance unfortunately.
It was a great race , lots of Action, with a SURPRISE WINNER… the 604 crate is perfect for SEEKONK WHERE YOU WANT THE RR TIRE TO SURVIVE 100 LAPS….!!!! LITTLE LESS POWER HELPS THE RR TO LIVE…
After the RED FLAG , BIG money lost his STAGGER on the RR, it shrunk up during the Red Flag… So he couldn’t hold the Bottom and lost lots of corner speed… Excellent to see FIRST TIME WINNERS!!! It’s HEALTHY for Tri- Track with 2 races and 2 new first time Winners…Brian Robie cut His teeth in NH running the NH crate Modifieds , I was extremely pleased along with manys other fans watching Him Robie ,… “Slay Big Money “.. David vs Goliath … with a sling and a few stones…Those 350 Supers put on a great Show …!! wow they get around Seekonk really well and were running 11.3 bracket that is faster than the Pro Stocks… 12.3
we enjoyed the races and again Seekonk had many fans attending which is good for everyone involved… Good Time …!!
When was the last time Hirschman got passed for the lead of a race, if ever?
I wonder if the reason the pulled the engine might have been due to it being a 604. I think this is the first time anyone won a TriTrack race with one.
for anyone that hasn’t seen yet, Brian was disqualified after the engine inspection. he states it was known with officials he was running a modified 604 crate with a different camshaft, which from what I can see was the reason for the DQ, but I’m just a fan in the stands. said he will have a statement released tonight