Jason Palmer
WATERFORD – As Jason Palmer celebrated in victory lane, Keith Rocco was already starting his own personal post race tech inspection Saturday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
It seems after losing in a photo finish in the Late Model feature, Rocco wanted to get under Palmer’s car to get a better look at just where the electronic scoring transponder was mounted in his competition’s car.
Yes, it was that close at the line between the two.
Palmer edged Rocco at the line to win the 30-lap Late Model feature at Waterford.
“When it was over my father came over the radio and said ‘That was a good race, that was a lot of fun, the fans loved it’” Palmer said. “I drove down through turns one and two and I looked up at the scoreboard and said ‘He won.’ Then all of the sudden I saw the thing go blank and saw the numbers swap and I said ‘No way, you’ve got to be kidding me.’ I was pretty ecstatic when that happened.”
It was the second win in six events this year at Waterford for Palmer, of Berlin. Rocco, of Wallingford, has won the other four. Anthony Flannery of East Hampton was third.
Palmer stayed outside of Rocco on the final restart with two laps remaining. Rocco led at the white flag. The two cars came out of the final corner side-by-side and came to the line in a seeming dead heat. It was moments later that the scoreboard showed Palmer as the winner.
“Everything worked out good,” Palmer said. “I pinched Keith down a little bit, I held him on the bottom so he couldn’t get a run off and I kind of used all I could in the second groove to get there. That’s awesome.”
Said Rocco: “I thought I had him across the line. From my seat it looked like it was close. I thought I edged him but I guess not. Palmer ran me so clean when I went around him in the beginning I had no choice but to let him run out there and give him a lane. It was a lot of fun.”
Now you see that all you other racers? Take a lesson from Rocco, he got run clean early and he gave respect later. That’s how it should be, give and take. Now before you think you know better take a look in the mirror and answer yourself these questions… Do I have 1/10 as many wins, championships, or starts as Keith rocco? Be honest with yourself and become a better more respected racer.
See the sk story too this week, he makes that car a little better every week. Can only do that if you don’t wreck yourself or others
Speaking of wrecking yourself and others, where was the 44 sk this week?
Rocco is a true racer. Works on his cars to all hours of the night, and races how he is raced. I have seen him cut guys breaks many times when he shouldn’t have had to. There is a an unfortunate amount of disrespect in racing these days as displayed by the two monkeys in the 87 and 75 Street Stocks Saturday Night… It’s refreshing to see a driver that understands the unwritten code of conduct in this sport.