Shawn Monahan, Jeff Asselin Putting The Heat Back In Heat Racing At Stafford Speedway 

STAFFORD – On most Friday nights at Stafford Speedway qualifying events can easily turn into a mundane, dare even say boring, exercise. 

That wasn’t the case Friday in one Street Stock division event at Stafford. 

You had Shawn Monahan doing Shawn Monahan things, and the driver he wrecked – Jeff Asselin – melting down and and thrown out for the night. 

The mess began just after a restart early in the heat race that saw Asselin restarting in the lead and Monahan second. 

Monahan has a long history of success at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl and Thompson Speedway, but also a reputation for being a chaotic loose cannon behind the wheel. 

After the restart, Asselin came through turns three and four in the lead with Monahan looking to get under him off of turn four. But through turn Monahan seemed to drive over the left rear of Asselin’s car and then keep driving through Asselin until he spun. 

“At the drop of the green on the restart, all he did was hit me for the lap,” Asselin said. “He finally got his shot and turned me.” 

Said Monahan: “He basically took my line away under green two corners in a row.” 

Monahan drove away from the incident. After spinning, Asselin went back around the track under caution and hit Monahan in turn two and three. Asselin followed up by speeding down pit road in the wrong direction and then doing a 180-degree spin on pit road. Asselin then exited his car on pit road and pursued Monahan’s car on foot through the the infield. 

Monahan was thrown out of the heat race. Asselin was thrown out of the track for the remainder of the heat race and the Street Stock feature. 

“He got thrown out for what he did on pit road,” Stafford chief operating officer Paul Arute said. “That stuff won’t be tolerated. We have zero tolerance for that kind of behavior.” 

Asselin had started all 12 Street Stock features this season before Friday. Monahan had made three starts in the division this season before Friday.

“I was tired of it. I’ve been wrecked like the last three weeks.,” Asselin said. “They’re not doing anything about it. … They think [Monahan is] what everyone wants to see. Like he’s going to be here and put on some big show. Your weekly guys are getting [wrecked] by some guy that comes here and plows through the field every few weeks. It’s bullshit.” 

Said Monahan: “Not at any point in time during that heat race was I upset, aggravated or anything. I don’t know why he’s driving into me under caution. … I’m just up here to have fun. Fortunately, I’m still having fun. Sucks it has to happen like that.” 

Monahan went on to score his first career victory at Stafford in the 20-lap Street Stock feature Friday.