August 28th, 2018
Exclusive: Rowan Pennink Retiring From Modified Competition
A www.racedayct.com article
Rowan Pennink has long been known in Modified circles as a man of few words. His aggressive style in competition belied his reserved nature away from the action.
And walking away from racing competitively was something Pennink handled with the same restrained style he’s long been known for.
In a racing world where social media bravado rules, there was no loud attention grabbing announcements from the Huntingon Valley, Pa. driver on Tuesday.
Pennink confirmed exclusively to RaceDayCT Tuesday that he will retire from competition immediately due to ongoing back issues.
Pennink missed the season opening NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 17 at Myrtle Beach Speedway after having emergency back surgery involving a pair of herniated discs in February.
Back issues resurfaced for Pennink following the Whelen Modified Tour event on Aug. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
“I didn’t crash or anything, but after Bristol my back started bothering me again,” Pennink said. “It was just a little sore the day after, then it progressively got a little bit worse to the point where I had to go back to the doctor and get a couple cortisone shots in my back. I kind of haven’t been able to do much since Bristol.”
“It’s definitely something I didn’t foresee happening at this point. I thought I made a full recovery from the back surgery. Up to this point in the season I hadn’t had any issues with my back. But I kind of had it in the back of my head that if I had any more issues with my back that it might be time to call it quits. I figured it would be a couple years from now or something like that. But especially now with starting a family, you kind of take a different outlook on life. I don’t want to end up laid up and not be able do anything with the new family we’re starting. So, I hate it for the teams I’m currently driving for. It definitely sucks. I hated making the phone calls to those teams and breaking the news to them. But it’s something I had to do.”
Pennink and his girlfriend Nicole Kirstin welcome their first child, daughter Jordan, on Aug. 8.
Pennink, who turns 33 on Sept. 3, walks away from the sport having left his mark across a broad spectrum of Modified racing fronts over the last decade.
“Rowan is a great competitor and a great person both on and off the racetrack,” Whelen Modified Tour series director Jimmy Wilson said. “He has been a winner in every car that he has driven, be it his family owned car and then all the way to today with the Boehler family owned race car. We wish him all the best in his future endavors. He’s got a young family to enjoy. We wish him all the best and appreciate the memories.”
Since 2006 Pennink has established himself as one of the top contenders weekly on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, won a Valenti Modified Racing Series championship and a pair of SK Modified titles at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“I think mostly I’m going to miss my second family which is the racing community,” Pennink said. “I’ve been racing for about 20 years and I’ve made a lot of friends and met a lot of great people throughout the years. Obviously I’m going to still keep in contact with them and hopefully make it to some races to hang out and have some fun at the race track.
“I’m definitely going to miss the competiveness of the sport. I loved getting behind the wheel in racing on a weekly basis.”
Pennink arrived on the local Modified racing in 2006 in the SK Modified ranks at Stafford Speedway. His family owned team ventured the next year full-time to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
He made 166 Whelen Modified Tour starts since 2007 with three career victories, 38 top-five’s and 86 top-10’s. His last victory with the series came on April 9, 2017 at Thompson Speedway. After spending nine years driving for a family owned team, he has spent the last three seasons driving the iconic Ole Blue No. 3 for Boehler Racing Enterprises.
Despite only running nine of 11 events this year, Pennink currently sits seventh in the Whelen Modified Tour standings.
“The Boehler Family gave me a great opportunity to drive a historic car and gave me one of the best cars I’ve ever driven in my career…….
Click HERE to continue reading this story from RaceDayCT
Exclusive: Rowan Pennink Retiring From Modified Competition
A www.racedayct.com article
Rowan Pennink has long been known in Modified circles as a man of few words. His aggressive style in competition belied his reserved nature away from the action.
And walking away from racing competitively was something Pennink handled with the same restrained style he’s long been known for.
In a racing world where social media bravado rules, there was no loud attention grabbing announcements from the Huntingon Valley, Pa. driver on Tuesday.
Pennink confirmed exclusively to RaceDayCT Tuesday that he will retire from competition immediately due to ongoing back issues.
Pennink missed the season opening NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 17 at Myrtle Beach Speedway after having emergency back surgery involving a pair of herniated discs in February.
Back issues resurfaced for Pennink following the Whelen Modified Tour event on Aug. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
“I didn’t crash or anything, but after Bristol my back started bothering me again,” Pennink said. “It was just a little sore the day after, then it progressively got a little bit worse to the point where I had to go back to the doctor and get a couple cortisone shots in my back. I kind of haven’t been able to do much since Bristol.”
“It’s definitely something I didn’t foresee happening at this point. I thought I made a full recovery from the back surgery. Up to this point in the season I hadn’t had any issues with my back. But I kind of had it in the back of my head that if I had any more issues with my back that it might be time to call it quits. I figured it would be a couple years from now or something like that. But especially now with starting a family, you kind of take a different outlook on life. I don’t want to end up laid up and not be able do anything with the new family we’re starting. So, I hate it for the teams I’m currently driving for. It definitely sucks. I hated making the phone calls to those teams and breaking the news to them. But it’s something I had to do.”
Pennink and his girlfriend Nicole Kirstin welcome their first child, daughter Jordan, on Aug. 8.
Pennink, who turns 33 on Sept. 3, walks away from the sport having left his mark across a broad spectrum of Modified racing fronts over the last decade.
“Rowan is a great competitor and a great person both on and off the racetrack,” Whelen Modified Tour series director Jimmy Wilson said. “He has been a winner in every car that he has driven, be it his family owned car and then all the way to today with the Boehler family owned race car. We wish him all the best in his future endavors. He’s got a young family to enjoy. We wish him all the best and appreciate the memories.”
Since 2006 Pennink has established himself as one of the top contenders weekly on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, won a Valenti Modified Racing Series championship and a pair of SK Modified titles at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“I think mostly I’m going to miss my second family which is the racing community,” Pennink said. “I’ve been racing for about 20 years and I’ve made a lot of friends and met a lot of great people throughout the years. Obviously I’m going to still keep in contact with them and hopefully make it to some races to hang out and have some fun at the race track.
“I’m definitely going to miss the competiveness of the sport. I loved getting behind the wheel in racing on a weekly basis.”
Pennink arrived on the local Modified racing in 2006 in the SK Modified ranks at Stafford Speedway. His family owned team ventured the next year full-time to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
He made 166 Whelen Modified Tour starts since 2007 with three career victories, 38 top-five’s and 86 top-10’s. His last victory with the series came on April 9, 2017 at Thompson Speedway. After spending nine years driving for a family owned team, he has spent the last three seasons driving the iconic Ole Blue No. 3 for Boehler Racing Enterprises.
Despite only running nine of 11 events this year, Pennink currently sits seventh in the Whelen Modified Tour standings.
“The Boehler Family gave me a great opportunity to drive a historic car and gave me one of the best cars I’ve ever driven in my career…….
Click HERE to continue reading this story from RaceDayCT
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May 27, 2018
Rowan Pennink Gets First SK Modified Win Of 2018 at Stafford Motor Speedway
A www.staffordspeedway.com release w/ RPM headline
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Matt Vassar took the early lead with Tyler Hines in second. Matt Galko was third with Todd Owen fourth and Chase Dowling fifth. Hines took the lead from Vassar on lap-3 with Galko moving ot the lead on lap-5. Owen was on the inside of Galko and as he was making a pass for the lead on lap-6, a melee broke out behind the two leaders that involved several cars including Keith Rocco, David Arute, Vassar, Michael Christopher, Jr., Cory DiMatteo, and Dan Wesson to bring the caution out.
Owen and Galko ran side by side for a lap before Owen got clear to the lead on lap-7. Galko was now side by side with Joey Cipriano for second with Dowling in fourth and Rowan Pennink in fifth. Cipriano began to slide backwards after several laps of side by side racing with Galko as Dowling took third and Pennink was fourth. Cipriano spun in turn 2 after contact with Nick Salva to bring the caution out with 11 laps complete. Salva was sent to the rear of the field for the contact.
Owen took the lead back under green with Dowling applying heavy pressure from second. Dowling was able to get alongside Owen on lap-13 and they crossed the line side by side. Dowling got clear to the lead on lap-15 while Pennink was now side by side with Owen for second. Pennink took that position and now Galko was on the inside of Owen for third with Ronnie Williams right behind him. Galko took third on lap-17 with Williams now side by side with Owen while Rocco was recovered from his earlier misfortune as was right on Williams’ bumper. Williams was able to finally take the spot on lap-19 and he took third from Galko on lap-21 as Pennink continued to lead a hard charging Dowling.
Rocco took fourth from Galko on lap-23 and Williams got around Dowling to move into second on lap-30 as Pennink was still in command of the race. Williams was slowly closing the gap to Pennink for the lead when the caution came out with 34 laps complete for Doug Meservey, Jr., who spun in turn 2.
Pennink took the lead with Williams, Dowling, Rocco, and Michael Gervais, Jr. quickly getting into a single file line. Williams made one final charge in turns 3+4 on the final lap, but Pennink held him off to become the first driver other than Keith Rocco to win an SK Modified® feature this season. Following post-race inspection, Dowling’s car was found to be 10 pounds underweight and he was penalized 10 positions, one position for each pound his car was underweight, moving him to 13th in the finishing order. The new remainder of the top-5 was Rocco, Gervais, and Stephen Kopcik.
Rowan Pennink Gets First SK Modified Win Of 2018 at Stafford Motor Speedway
A www.staffordspeedway.com release w/ RPM headline
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Matt Vassar took the early lead with Tyler Hines in second. Matt Galko was third with Todd Owen fourth and Chase Dowling fifth. Hines took the lead from Vassar on lap-3 with Galko moving ot the lead on lap-5. Owen was on the inside of Galko and as he was making a pass for the lead on lap-6, a melee broke out behind the two leaders that involved several cars including Keith Rocco, David Arute, Vassar, Michael Christopher, Jr., Cory DiMatteo, and Dan Wesson to bring the caution out.
Owen and Galko ran side by side for a lap before Owen got clear to the lead on lap-7. Galko was now side by side with Joey Cipriano for second with Dowling in fourth and Rowan Pennink in fifth. Cipriano began to slide backwards after several laps of side by side racing with Galko as Dowling took third and Pennink was fourth. Cipriano spun in turn 2 after contact with Nick Salva to bring the caution out with 11 laps complete. Salva was sent to the rear of the field for the contact.
Owen took the lead back under green with Dowling applying heavy pressure from second. Dowling was able to get alongside Owen on lap-13 and they crossed the line side by side. Dowling got clear to the lead on lap-15 while Pennink was now side by side with Owen for second. Pennink took that position and now Galko was on the inside of Owen for third with Ronnie Williams right behind him. Galko took third on lap-17 with Williams now side by side with Owen while Rocco was recovered from his earlier misfortune as was right on Williams’ bumper. Williams was able to finally take the spot on lap-19 and he took third from Galko on lap-21 as Pennink continued to lead a hard charging Dowling.
Rocco took fourth from Galko on lap-23 and Williams got around Dowling to move into second on lap-30 as Pennink was still in command of the race. Williams was slowly closing the gap to Pennink for the lead when the caution came out with 34 laps complete for Doug Meservey, Jr., who spun in turn 2.
Pennink took the lead with Williams, Dowling, Rocco, and Michael Gervais, Jr. quickly getting into a single file line. Williams made one final charge in turns 3+4 on the final lap, but Pennink held him off to become the first driver other than Keith Rocco to win an SK Modified® feature this season. Following post-race inspection, Dowling’s car was found to be 10 pounds underweight and he was penalized 10 positions, one position for each pound his car was underweight, moving him to 13th in the finishing order. The new remainder of the top-5 was Rocco, Gervais, and Stephen Kopcik.
May 20th, 2018
Rowan Pennink celebrates victory in the Valenti Modified Racing Series feature Friday at Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – Rowan Pennink saved the dramatics for the closing stages of the night Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Pennink passed Woody Pitkat for the lead on lap 78 and went on to win the 80-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“Another awesome car right out of the trailer,” Pennink said. “Didn’t have to do a thing to it. They made the right adjustments for the race. We stuck to the game plan that we had for today and ended up in victory lane.”
It was the third victory in four Valenti Modified racing season events this season for Pennink.
“Those guys on [my] team are brining amazing cars to the track every week,” said Pennink, the 2013 series champion.
It was the 14th career Valenti Modified Racing Series victory for Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and his third series victory at Stafford.
“The beginning part was kind of boring but those last 30 laps made up for it, charging to the front, especially getting the win,” Pennink said. “I couldn’t be prouder of [my] team.”
Pitkat, of Stafford, was second and Donnie Lashua of Canaan, N.H. third.
“We had a really good piece,” Pitkat said. “I can’t thank these guys enough. … This series, they’ve got to be a little bit more consistent with what they’re saying on the radio because I got into a guy early and they got all over the radio telling me to watch the bumper and then Rowan just kind of smashes me down into turn one and drives me into the corner to get by me. I don’t think really think that’s racing. He’s got a fast car and I like racing him. Congrats to those guys.”
Rowan Pennink celebrates victory in the Valenti Modified Racing Series feature Friday at Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – Rowan Pennink saved the dramatics for the closing stages of the night Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Pennink passed Woody Pitkat for the lead on lap 78 and went on to win the 80-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“Another awesome car right out of the trailer,” Pennink said. “Didn’t have to do a thing to it. They made the right adjustments for the race. We stuck to the game plan that we had for today and ended up in victory lane.”
It was the third victory in four Valenti Modified racing season events this season for Pennink.
“Those guys on [my] team are brining amazing cars to the track every week,” said Pennink, the 2013 series champion.
It was the 14th career Valenti Modified Racing Series victory for Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and his third series victory at Stafford.
“The beginning part was kind of boring but those last 30 laps made up for it, charging to the front, especially getting the win,” Pennink said. “I couldn’t be prouder of [my] team.”
Pitkat, of Stafford, was second and Donnie Lashua of Canaan, N.H. third.
“We had a really good piece,” Pitkat said. “I can’t thank these guys enough. … This series, they’ve got to be a little bit more consistent with what they’re saying on the radio because I got into a guy early and they got all over the radio telling me to watch the bumper and then Rowan just kind of smashes me down into turn one and drives me into the corner to get by me. I don’t think really think that’s racing. He’s got a fast car and I like racing him. Congrats to those guys.”
May 7th, 2018
Rowan Pennink Scores Second Valenti Modified Racing Victory Of Season
VMRS PR
WATERFORD – Car owner Gary Casella said, “trying different things”, driver Rowan Pennink stated, “a little bit of a different setup than they normally come here with.” Whatever the plan was, it worked, as Pennink, of New Egypt, New Jersey, grabbed the win in Saturday’s Valenti Modified Racing Series 100-lap race at New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, CT.
Pennink’s victory was his second of the young VMRS season, and his second series win at the famed Speedbowl, now in it’s 68th season. His only victory there was in 2009.
Pennink started outside front row in a field of 27-cars but did not lead the event until lap-74 when he went by Woody Pitkat, of Stafford Springs, CT. to nail down the win.
The 2013 VMRS champion in victory lane stated, “ A lot of highs and lows throughout the race – got pushed into a couple of wrecks and had to come into the pits. They did a great job fixing it. I was able to charge back up to the front.”
Local driver Anthony Flannery, in only his ninth race in a modified race car, was mixing it up with much more experienced drivers. The East Hampton, CT driver moved into second on the 78th circuit. From that point Flannery chased after Pennink with a difference of 0.238 between the two at the checkered flag.
“He was fast putting pressure on me,” Pennink said of Flannery. “ I was tight in the middle. He was getting a good run. I had very good bite up off and kept him behind me. He had a very good race – ran strong and congrats to him,” Pennink concluded.
Current point leader Anthony Nocella finished third followed by Pitkat, who overcame an early race mishap to eventually lead the race finishing fourth and Mike Willis Jr, who started 21st on the field, finishing an impressive fifth.
Early race leader Eric Goodale (laps 1-48) finished sixth, rookie Cameron Sontag seventh, Sammy Rameau eighth, Mike Holdridge ninth, and Tony Ricci tenth.
The race was slowed eleven times because of minor crashes, a called back re-start, and a couple of stalled cars. 18-drivers finished on the lead lap.
Qualifying heat winners were Nocella, Pennink, and Dave Etheridge. All 27-drivers that entered the event started the feature race.
Next Event:
May 18, 2018
Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford, Springs, CT.
Race # 3
New London – Waterford Speedbowl
Waterford, CT
May 5, 2018
Entrants: 27
Distance: 100-laps
Lap Leaders: Goodale (1-48) Silk (49-67) Pitkat 68-73) Pennink (74-100)
Cautions Flags: Laps – 20,20,20,56,58,67,71,72,72,77,87
Margin of Victory: 0.238
Best Lap Time: 14.487
Best Speed: 13.387- – Keith Rocco
Unofficial Order of Finish: (1) Pennink, (2) Flannery, (3) Nocella, (4) Pitkat, (5) Willis Jr, (6) Goodale,(7) Sontag, (8) Rameau, (9) Holdridge, (10) Ricci, (11) Rock, (12) Mead, (13) Lashua, (14) Richardi Jr, (15) John Montesanto, (16) Savary, (17) Gallup, (18) Mucciacciaro, (19) Etheridge, (20) Silk, (21) Doucette, (22) Rocco, (23) Gonyaw, (24) Patnode, (25) Robbie, (26) CJ Bolton, (27) Perry
Rowan Pennink Scores Second Valenti Modified Racing Victory Of Season
VMRS PR
WATERFORD – Car owner Gary Casella said, “trying different things”, driver Rowan Pennink stated, “a little bit of a different setup than they normally come here with.” Whatever the plan was, it worked, as Pennink, of New Egypt, New Jersey, grabbed the win in Saturday’s Valenti Modified Racing Series 100-lap race at New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, CT.
Pennink’s victory was his second of the young VMRS season, and his second series win at the famed Speedbowl, now in it’s 68th season. His only victory there was in 2009.
Pennink started outside front row in a field of 27-cars but did not lead the event until lap-74 when he went by Woody Pitkat, of Stafford Springs, CT. to nail down the win.
The 2013 VMRS champion in victory lane stated, “ A lot of highs and lows throughout the race – got pushed into a couple of wrecks and had to come into the pits. They did a great job fixing it. I was able to charge back up to the front.”
Local driver Anthony Flannery, in only his ninth race in a modified race car, was mixing it up with much more experienced drivers. The East Hampton, CT driver moved into second on the 78th circuit. From that point Flannery chased after Pennink with a difference of 0.238 between the two at the checkered flag.
“He was fast putting pressure on me,” Pennink said of Flannery. “ I was tight in the middle. He was getting a good run. I had very good bite up off and kept him behind me. He had a very good race – ran strong and congrats to him,” Pennink concluded.
Current point leader Anthony Nocella finished third followed by Pitkat, who overcame an early race mishap to eventually lead the race finishing fourth and Mike Willis Jr, who started 21st on the field, finishing an impressive fifth.
Early race leader Eric Goodale (laps 1-48) finished sixth, rookie Cameron Sontag seventh, Sammy Rameau eighth, Mike Holdridge ninth, and Tony Ricci tenth.
The race was slowed eleven times because of minor crashes, a called back re-start, and a couple of stalled cars. 18-drivers finished on the lead lap.
Qualifying heat winners were Nocella, Pennink, and Dave Etheridge. All 27-drivers that entered the event started the feature race.
Next Event:
May 18, 2018
Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford, Springs, CT.
Race # 3
New London – Waterford Speedbowl
Waterford, CT
May 5, 2018
Entrants: 27
Distance: 100-laps
Lap Leaders: Goodale (1-48) Silk (49-67) Pitkat 68-73) Pennink (74-100)
Cautions Flags: Laps – 20,20,20,56,58,67,71,72,72,77,87
Margin of Victory: 0.238
Best Lap Time: 14.487
Best Speed: 13.387- – Keith Rocco
Unofficial Order of Finish: (1) Pennink, (2) Flannery, (3) Nocella, (4) Pitkat, (5) Willis Jr, (6) Goodale,(7) Sontag, (8) Rameau, (9) Holdridge, (10) Ricci, (11) Rock, (12) Mead, (13) Lashua, (14) Richardi Jr, (15) John Montesanto, (16) Savary, (17) Gallup, (18) Mucciacciaro, (19) Etheridge, (20) Silk, (21) Doucette, (22) Rocco, (23) Gonyaw, (24) Patnode, (25) Robbie, (26) CJ Bolton, (27) Perry
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April 30th, 2018
Pennink Finishes 3rd In NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Spring Sizzler
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release w/RPM headline
STAFFORD, Conn. — There has been nobody better than Ryan Preece lately when it comes to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing at Stafford Motor Speedway.
For the second straight year, Preece drove the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet to Victory Lane at the track’s NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200. It continues a hot streak for the Berlin, Connecticut, driver at the historic half-mile. He’s the first driver to win the Sizzler in back-to-back years since Bobby Santos III in 2013-14.
“Winning the Sizzler, it’s a big deal,” Preece said. “Guys 30 years from now, they are going to think of me how I think of Bugsy (Stevens), Richie (Evans) and Ted (Christopher) right now. I want to move up, but at the same time, I want to create a name for myself.”
Preece, who won his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14, has finished inside the top two in seven of his last eight Stafford starts, and has now been victorious in six of his last 16 Whelen Modified Tour races driving for Ed Partridge.
Preece won two of three events at Stafford last year, finishing runner-up in the other.
The victory was the 21st career in Whelen Modified Tour competition for Preece, and his eighth at Stafford.
To get the latest win, Preece had to gamble a little. He stayed out on the track for the entire first half of the race, while other competitors pitted. After leading for a long stretch, he began to fall back after losing the point on Lap 115. He got caution he needed on Lap 152, and pitted for three new Hoosier tires. The 27-year-old began his drive to the front and took the lead from rising star Chase Dowling on lap 171, never looking back en route to the win.
Preece led a race-high 91 laps, including the final 29.
Dowling, who led 69 laps, finished second. It was the third straight top 10 finish for the Roxbury, Connecticut, driver to open the season and his best career finish at Stafford, where he is also a full-time SK Modified competitor as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
“Overall, it was a pit strategy race, and we had a fast car all day,” Dowling said. “I’m just trying to soak in everything we have and I appreciate all of these good runs that we have been having.”
Rowan Pennink scored his second straight podium finish back from injury with a third. Patrick Emerling, who led 40 laps, and Craig Lutz rounded out the top five.
Jon McKennedy was sixth, followed by Matt Swanson, Justin Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito and Rob Summers.
Bonsignore holds a one-point lead over Dowling, and a five-point advantage over Lutz.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track in Massachusetts at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, June 2.
Pennink Finishes 3rd In NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Spring Sizzler
A www.hometracks.nascar.com release w/RPM headline
STAFFORD, Conn. — There has been nobody better than Ryan Preece lately when it comes to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing at Stafford Motor Speedway.
For the second straight year, Preece drove the No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet to Victory Lane at the track’s NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler 200. It continues a hot streak for the Berlin, Connecticut, driver at the historic half-mile. He’s the first driver to win the Sizzler in back-to-back years since Bobby Santos III in 2013-14.
“Winning the Sizzler, it’s a big deal,” Preece said. “Guys 30 years from now, they are going to think of me how I think of Bugsy (Stevens), Richie (Evans) and Ted (Christopher) right now. I want to move up, but at the same time, I want to create a name for myself.”
Preece, who won his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14, has finished inside the top two in seven of his last eight Stafford starts, and has now been victorious in six of his last 16 Whelen Modified Tour races driving for Ed Partridge.
Preece won two of three events at Stafford last year, finishing runner-up in the other.
The victory was the 21st career in Whelen Modified Tour competition for Preece, and his eighth at Stafford.
To get the latest win, Preece had to gamble a little. He stayed out on the track for the entire first half of the race, while other competitors pitted. After leading for a long stretch, he began to fall back after losing the point on Lap 115. He got caution he needed on Lap 152, and pitted for three new Hoosier tires. The 27-year-old began his drive to the front and took the lead from rising star Chase Dowling on lap 171, never looking back en route to the win.
Preece led a race-high 91 laps, including the final 29.
Dowling, who led 69 laps, finished second. It was the third straight top 10 finish for the Roxbury, Connecticut, driver to open the season and his best career finish at Stafford, where he is also a full-time SK Modified competitor as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
“Overall, it was a pit strategy race, and we had a fast car all day,” Dowling said. “I’m just trying to soak in everything we have and I appreciate all of these good runs that we have been having.”
Rowan Pennink scored his second straight podium finish back from injury with a third. Patrick Emerling, who led 40 laps, and Craig Lutz rounded out the top five.
Jon McKennedy was sixth, followed by Matt Swanson, Justin Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito and Rob Summers.
Bonsignore holds a one-point lead over Dowling, and a five-point advantage over Lutz.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track in Massachusetts at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, June 2.
April 9th, 2018
Back, On Top: Rowan Pennink Wins Valenti Modified Racing Series Feature At Thompson
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Anyone questioning whether or not Rowan Pennink was ready to return to competition after offseason back surgery got their answer quite definitively Saturday at Thompson Speedway.
In his first event back since surgery in January, Pennink rolled to victory in the 50-lap Valenti Modified Racing feature Saturday at the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway.
“I feel real good,” Pennink said. “Nothing more than I’ve been dealing with, normal stuff. I felt really good in the racecar. Today was my first day back in a car. I guess it went pretty well. … I was just hoping I’d be comfortable in the racecar and I was comfortable. It was good to get back behind the wheel and start it off like this.”
Chase Dowling of Roxbury was second and Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. third.
Pennink had surgery on January 31, which forced him to miss the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 17 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway.
“I had two herniated discs in my back that were pushing into my spinal cord,” Pennink said. “When they looked at the MRI they said you need surgery immediately or it could be some permanent things that could happen which weren’t good. So I got surgery the next day and had to pretty much do nothing for like six weeks and then I could slowly start back doing stuff here and there. But I’m feeling pretty good.”
Pennink went by Richard Savary for the lead on lap 19 and never trailed again. He held on through two late restarts with under six laps remaining.
“The thing was unbelievable on the restarts,” Pennink said. “I just made sure I got a good one every time and I was able to walk away at the end.”
Back, On Top: Rowan Pennink Wins Valenti Modified Racing Series Feature At Thompson
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – Anyone questioning whether or not Rowan Pennink was ready to return to competition after offseason back surgery got their answer quite definitively Saturday at Thompson Speedway.
In his first event back since surgery in January, Pennink rolled to victory in the 50-lap Valenti Modified Racing feature Saturday at the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway.
“I feel real good,” Pennink said. “Nothing more than I’ve been dealing with, normal stuff. I felt really good in the racecar. Today was my first day back in a car. I guess it went pretty well. … I was just hoping I’d be comfortable in the racecar and I was comfortable. It was good to get back behind the wheel and start it off like this.”
Chase Dowling of Roxbury was second and Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. third.
Pennink had surgery on January 31, which forced him to miss the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on March 17 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway.
“I had two herniated discs in my back that were pushing into my spinal cord,” Pennink said. “When they looked at the MRI they said you need surgery immediately or it could be some permanent things that could happen which weren’t good. So I got surgery the next day and had to pretty much do nothing for like six weeks and then I could slowly start back doing stuff here and there. But I’m feeling pretty good.”
Pennink went by Richard Savary for the lead on lap 19 and never trailed again. He held on through two late restarts with under six laps remaining.
“The thing was unbelievable on the restarts,” Pennink said. “I just made sure I got a good one every time and I was able to walk away at the end.”
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March 10th, 2018
Rowan Pennink Out For Whelen Modified Tour Season Opener At Myrtle Beach After Emergency Surgery
A www.racedayct.com article
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Rowan Pennink won’t be in the lineup when the series kicks off the 2018 season March 17 at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Pennink revealed exclusively to RaceDayCT on Wednesday that he recently had emergency surgery involving a pair of herniated discs in his back that will force him to miss the Performance Plus 150 at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
“I screwed up my back somehow,” Pennink told RaceDayCT. “It was probably a past injury from too many racing wrecks. But I had two herniated discs. All of the sudden I was in a ton of pain and I went and got checked out and they were like ‘You need surgery tomorrow.’”
Pennink said he doesn’t expect the Boehler Racing Enterprises team to be at the Myrtle Beach event with another driver.
Depending on his recovery, Pennink said he may also miss the second event of the Whelen Modified Tour season on April 8, the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway.
Click HERE for the rest of RaceDayCT’s article on Rowan
Rowan Pennink Out For Whelen Modified Tour Season Opener At Myrtle Beach After Emergency Surgery
A www.racedayct.com article
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Rowan Pennink won’t be in the lineup when the series kicks off the 2018 season March 17 at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Pennink revealed exclusively to RaceDayCT on Wednesday that he recently had emergency surgery involving a pair of herniated discs in his back that will force him to miss the Performance Plus 150 at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
“I screwed up my back somehow,” Pennink told RaceDayCT. “It was probably a past injury from too many racing wrecks. But I had two herniated discs. All of the sudden I was in a ton of pain and I went and got checked out and they were like ‘You need surgery tomorrow.’”
Pennink said he doesn’t expect the Boehler Racing Enterprises team to be at the Myrtle Beach event with another driver.
Depending on his recovery, Pennink said he may also miss the second event of the Whelen Modified Tour season on April 8, the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway.
Click HERE for the rest of RaceDayCT’s article on Rowan
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October 22nd, 2017
Money Men: Rowan Pennink Scores $5K MTS Win At Speedbowl; Eric Goodale Gets $10K Title
A www.racedayct.com article
When the dust settled on the season finale for the Exit Realty Modified Touring Season Sunday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, it was Rowan Pennink and Eric Goodale ready for some large payments from track officials.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. won the event 125-lap MTS feature, which carried a first place prize of $5,000.
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. finished second to capture the first Modified Touring Series championship, which came with an advertised award of $10,000.
Chris Pasteryak of Lisbon was third.
Goodale was one of five drivers that came into the last event vying for the championship. He was joined in the championship chase field by Tommy Barrett, Jon McKennedy, Woody Pitkat and Richard Savary. The five drivers had to start at the rear of the 22-car field Sunday.
Barrett, of Millis, Mass., fourth. McKennedy, of Chelmsford, Mass., was fifth. Savary, of Canton, Mass., was 13th. Pitkat, of Stafford, was involved in a wreck and finished 21st.
Barrett inherited the lead from Pasteryak on lap 54 when Pasteryak pitted out of the lead. Pennink was able to get by Barrett for the lead near lap 87 and took Goodale with him to second and Pasteryak to third.
Money Men: Rowan Pennink Scores $5K MTS Win At Speedbowl; Eric Goodale Gets $10K Title
A www.racedayct.com article
When the dust settled on the season finale for the Exit Realty Modified Touring Season Sunday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, it was Rowan Pennink and Eric Goodale ready for some large payments from track officials.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. won the event 125-lap MTS feature, which carried a first place prize of $5,000.
Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. finished second to capture the first Modified Touring Series championship, which came with an advertised award of $10,000.
Chris Pasteryak of Lisbon was third.
Goodale was one of five drivers that came into the last event vying for the championship. He was joined in the championship chase field by Tommy Barrett, Jon McKennedy, Woody Pitkat and Richard Savary. The five drivers had to start at the rear of the 22-car field Sunday.
Barrett, of Millis, Mass., fourth. McKennedy, of Chelmsford, Mass., was fifth. Savary, of Canton, Mass., was 13th. Pitkat, of Stafford, was involved in a wreck and finished 21st.
Barrett inherited the lead from Pasteryak on lap 54 when Pasteryak pitted out of the lead. Pennink was able to get by Barrett for the lead near lap 87 and took Goodale with him to second and Pasteryak to third.
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October 17th, 2017
Coby Adds To His Legacy With Fifth Title
Rowan Pennink Finishes the 2017 Whelen Modified Tour Season In 4th Place With Legedary Ole Blue
By Kyle Souza, NASCARHomeTracks.com
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Back in April, Doug Coby walked away from a wrecked race car without even completing one lap in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Six months later, Coby capped the season at Thompson by completing an unthinkable comeback to win his fifth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
Sunday's fifth-place finish in the Sunoco World Series 150 was enough to completely erase his disastrous start to the season and wrap up his fourth straight title.
The Milford, Conn. driver becomes the first driver since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour began in 1984 to accomplish the feat and only the third in the history of NASCAR modifieds, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richie Evans and Jerry Cook.
"We just kind of tugged away this year," Coby said. "We won one race in 2014 when we won the championship and we only won once this year. We were just so consistent."
Timmy Solomito, who entered the race third in the championship standings and one of six drivers still in contention for the crown, used a pass with just two laps remaining to capture the victory the race that was pushed to 155 laps because of a late caution.
The victory was the fifth of the season for the Islip, New York, driver but it wasn't enough to get him the title.
Coby finished with 604 points, six ahead of Solomito. Justin Bonsignore finished third, 10 points back of Solomito, while Rowan Pennink and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five in the championship standings.
Coby was determined to control his own destiny. The points leader entering the finale, he started on the front row with polesitter Chase Dowling and immediately jumped to the front to lead the first 82 laps to clinch the bonus points for most laps led.
After his first pit stop, he restarted outside the top 10 and wasn't able to get all the way back to the front. But it didn't matter. A late charge was enough to hand him the championship behind the wheel of his No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet.
"We were good all year and we were kind of under the radar. This was a different championship because we to crawl all summer because we had to get back in it," Coby said. "We had to chip away this year. The common denominator in all of these titles was a team that never quit."
Dowling finished second -- crossing the finish line .043 seconds behind Solomito -- while Ron Silk was third and Pennink fourth.
Andrew Krause finished sixth, followed by Woody Pitkat, Dave Sapienza, Jamie Tomaino and Bonsignore.
Ryan Preece finished 26th in the race and fell to sixth in points. However, he was able to wrap up the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner's championship for Ed Partridge. Preece missed two races -- one for his wedding and one to run the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway -- and combined with George Brunnhoelzl III and Jon McKennedy to win the title for Partridge's No. 6 TS Hauler Chevrolet team.
Coby and Partridge will be honored as champion of the unified Whelen Modified Tour as part of the champions celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina in December.
Coby Adds To His Legacy With Fifth Title
Rowan Pennink Finishes the 2017 Whelen Modified Tour Season In 4th Place With Legedary Ole Blue
By Kyle Souza, NASCARHomeTracks.com
THOMPSON, Conn. -- Back in April, Doug Coby walked away from a wrecked race car without even completing one lap in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Six months later, Coby capped the season at Thompson by completing an unthinkable comeback to win his fifth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
Sunday's fifth-place finish in the Sunoco World Series 150 was enough to completely erase his disastrous start to the season and wrap up his fourth straight title.
The Milford, Conn. driver becomes the first driver since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour began in 1984 to accomplish the feat and only the third in the history of NASCAR modifieds, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richie Evans and Jerry Cook.
"We just kind of tugged away this year," Coby said. "We won one race in 2014 when we won the championship and we only won once this year. We were just so consistent."
Timmy Solomito, who entered the race third in the championship standings and one of six drivers still in contention for the crown, used a pass with just two laps remaining to capture the victory the race that was pushed to 155 laps because of a late caution.
The victory was the fifth of the season for the Islip, New York, driver but it wasn't enough to get him the title.
Coby finished with 604 points, six ahead of Solomito. Justin Bonsignore finished third, 10 points back of Solomito, while Rowan Pennink and Eric Goodale rounded out the top five in the championship standings.
Coby was determined to control his own destiny. The points leader entering the finale, he started on the front row with polesitter Chase Dowling and immediately jumped to the front to lead the first 82 laps to clinch the bonus points for most laps led.
After his first pit stop, he restarted outside the top 10 and wasn't able to get all the way back to the front. But it didn't matter. A late charge was enough to hand him the championship behind the wheel of his No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet.
"We were good all year and we were kind of under the radar. This was a different championship because we to crawl all summer because we had to get back in it," Coby said. "We had to chip away this year. The common denominator in all of these titles was a team that never quit."
Dowling finished second -- crossing the finish line .043 seconds behind Solomito -- while Ron Silk was third and Pennink fourth.
Andrew Krause finished sixth, followed by Woody Pitkat, Dave Sapienza, Jamie Tomaino and Bonsignore.
Ryan Preece finished 26th in the race and fell to sixth in points. However, he was able to wrap up the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner's championship for Ed Partridge. Preece missed two races -- one for his wedding and one to run the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kentucky Speedway -- and combined with George Brunnhoelzl III and Jon McKennedy to win the title for Partridge's No. 6 TS Hauler Chevrolet team.
Coby and Partridge will be honored as champion of the unified Whelen Modified Tour as part of the champions celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina in December.
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September 5th, 2017
Pennink Wins Two, Trades Blows With TC at Stafford
A www.speed51.com article
To say that Rowan Pennink had an eventful Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway would be an understatement. The Modified racer from Huntingdon Valley, PA completed a sweep of the Modified Racing Series and SK Modified features at the Connecticut oval, but the successful night didn’t come without a little bit of drama and some fisticuffs in victory lane.
In the 40-lap SK Modified race, Pennink fought to the front while looking for his first SK win of 2017. After taking the lead on Lap 25, Pennink had some company with two laps to go from the all-time winningest driver in Stafford history, Ted Christopher. Christopher gave Pennink a shot to the back bumper into turn three, allowing “TC” to get inside off turn four for the lead coming to the white flag. Pennink fell in behind before returning the favor with a bit more force in turn three on the final lap. Christopher washed up the race track and kept the wheels straight, but not before Pennink beat him to the checkered flag.
After the two drivers went through some stop-and-go activity on the cool down lap, they reached victory lane. Pennink climbed from the car, receiving the famous Stafford 50-percent of cheers and 50-percent of boos a driver normally gets when they tangle with Christopher. But before Pennink could be interviewed, Christopher came over and confronted Pennink, with shouts turning into shoving. The shoving then became swings and soon it was a full-blown melee with both teams and supporters going at it.
The order would be restored after several tense seconds, with Pennink offering his fresh take over the track’s public address system.
“Ted gave me a shot, got me loose. He got under me. I just gave it right back to him, that’s what it takes here when you’re racing against him. You got to step up to his level of dirtiness so that’s what I did,” Pennink said in victory lane.
Christopher declined the usual podium interview and while not giving a full take on what happened after the race was still very upset with Pennink. His comments to Speed51.com were brief and filled with expletives about what occurred on the race track.
Christopher had also been dealt another bad break with an engine failure following heat racing with his MRS car, sidelining him from the event.
Pennink meanwhile stayed in the top five all through the start of the 80-lap MRS feature, making his move for the lead on Lap 57 and staying there to get his first MRS win of 2017. The win was also his second in three races for car owner Gary Casella.
At the end of the night, Pennink offered a further perspective on what had occurred earlier during and following the SK feature.
“I don’t know why he (Christopher) had to take it that far. He’s done far worse than that probably hundreds of times throughout his career. I don’t know why he’s so upset about it, he just got beat, that’s what he’s most upset about,” Pennink stated. “That’s racing here at Stafford; it’s some good Friday night SK racing, that’s what the fans come to see.”
The events did not diminish the overall feeling of accomplishment from the night, especially in the SK Modifieds, where the No. 99 Hitchcock family-owned team had been struggling to get to victory lane after winning the championship the last two years.
“It’s awesome, especially to get a win in the 99 (SK) there. We’ve been struggling this year and we finally got the thing back on track. The 25 (Tour Mod), this place owes us a couple of wins, so it’s nice to finally be there at the end of the race in contention for the win and be able to get it this time.”
As for Pennink and Christopher, their cooldown period will not last long, as the two are entered for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Oswego Speedway (NY) Saturday night. Pennink is strictly focused on getting the BRE No. 3 its second win of 2017.
“I’m not worried about that. I’m going to go race my own race and what happens, happens.”
By: Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com CT, MA, RI & Long Island Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
Pennink Wins Two, Trades Blows With TC at Stafford
A www.speed51.com article
To say that Rowan Pennink had an eventful Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway would be an understatement. The Modified racer from Huntingdon Valley, PA completed a sweep of the Modified Racing Series and SK Modified features at the Connecticut oval, but the successful night didn’t come without a little bit of drama and some fisticuffs in victory lane.
In the 40-lap SK Modified race, Pennink fought to the front while looking for his first SK win of 2017. After taking the lead on Lap 25, Pennink had some company with two laps to go from the all-time winningest driver in Stafford history, Ted Christopher. Christopher gave Pennink a shot to the back bumper into turn three, allowing “TC” to get inside off turn four for the lead coming to the white flag. Pennink fell in behind before returning the favor with a bit more force in turn three on the final lap. Christopher washed up the race track and kept the wheels straight, but not before Pennink beat him to the checkered flag.
After the two drivers went through some stop-and-go activity on the cool down lap, they reached victory lane. Pennink climbed from the car, receiving the famous Stafford 50-percent of cheers and 50-percent of boos a driver normally gets when they tangle with Christopher. But before Pennink could be interviewed, Christopher came over and confronted Pennink, with shouts turning into shoving. The shoving then became swings and soon it was a full-blown melee with both teams and supporters going at it.
The order would be restored after several tense seconds, with Pennink offering his fresh take over the track’s public address system.
“Ted gave me a shot, got me loose. He got under me. I just gave it right back to him, that’s what it takes here when you’re racing against him. You got to step up to his level of dirtiness so that’s what I did,” Pennink said in victory lane.
Christopher declined the usual podium interview and while not giving a full take on what happened after the race was still very upset with Pennink. His comments to Speed51.com were brief and filled with expletives about what occurred on the race track.
Christopher had also been dealt another bad break with an engine failure following heat racing with his MRS car, sidelining him from the event.
Pennink meanwhile stayed in the top five all through the start of the 80-lap MRS feature, making his move for the lead on Lap 57 and staying there to get his first MRS win of 2017. The win was also his second in three races for car owner Gary Casella.
At the end of the night, Pennink offered a further perspective on what had occurred earlier during and following the SK feature.
“I don’t know why he (Christopher) had to take it that far. He’s done far worse than that probably hundreds of times throughout his career. I don’t know why he’s so upset about it, he just got beat, that’s what he’s most upset about,” Pennink stated. “That’s racing here at Stafford; it’s some good Friday night SK racing, that’s what the fans come to see.”
The events did not diminish the overall feeling of accomplishment from the night, especially in the SK Modifieds, where the No. 99 Hitchcock family-owned team had been struggling to get to victory lane after winning the championship the last two years.
“It’s awesome, especially to get a win in the 99 (SK) there. We’ve been struggling this year and we finally got the thing back on track. The 25 (Tour Mod), this place owes us a couple of wins, so it’s nice to finally be there at the end of the race in contention for the win and be able to get it this time.”
As for Pennink and Christopher, their cooldown period will not last long, as the two are entered for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Oswego Speedway (NY) Saturday night. Pennink is strictly focused on getting the BRE No. 3 its second win of 2017.
“I’m not worried about that. I’m going to go race my own race and what happens, happens.”
By: Connor Sullivan, Speed51.com CT, MA, RI & Long Island Editor – Twitter: @Connor51CT
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August 21st, 2017
Rowan Pennink Wins Exit Realty Modified Touring Series Event At Monadnock Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article w/Jim Dupont Photo
Rowan Pennink has had plenty of notable accomplishments behind the wheel of a Modified over the past decade.
Saturday the Huntingdon Valley, Pa. driver got another first.
Pennink won the 125-lap Exit Realty Modified Tour Series event Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.
It was the first series victory for Pennink, a regular on the Whelen Modified Tour and a former Valenti Modified Racing Series champion and the current two-time defending SK Modified division champion at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Woody Pitkat of Stafford was second and Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. third in the 15-car field at Monadnock.
Pennink went by Goodale for the lead on lap 109 with Pitkat following to second place a lap later.
Rowan Pennink Wins Exit Realty Modified Touring Series Event At Monadnock Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article w/Jim Dupont Photo
Rowan Pennink has had plenty of notable accomplishments behind the wheel of a Modified over the past decade.
Saturday the Huntingdon Valley, Pa. driver got another first.
Pennink won the 125-lap Exit Realty Modified Tour Series event Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.
It was the first series victory for Pennink, a regular on the Whelen Modified Tour and a former Valenti Modified Racing Series champion and the current two-time defending SK Modified division champion at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Woody Pitkat of Stafford was second and Eric Goodale of Riverhead, N.Y. third in the 15-car field at Monadnock.
Pennink went by Goodale for the lead on lap 109 with Pitkat following to second place a lap later.
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August 16, 2017
Emerling Conquers "Thunder Valley"
Rowan Pennink Finish 7th, Draws To Within 2 Points Of Series Championship Lead
A NASCARHomeTracks.com press release
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Patrick Emerling swept his way to Victory Lane with a near-perfect performance at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday.
The Orchard Park, New York, driver was fastest in practice, won the Coors Light Pole Award and proceeded to lead 148 of the 150 laps en route to his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory.
"It's just a dream come true," said Emerling following the win at the historic track dubbed 'Thunder Valley.' "It's incredible. We only run a handful of the Whelen Tour races and to come down here and win practice, catch the pole and lead every single lap, it's an incredible feeling for us as a team."
The win for the 24-year-old came in his 78th career start and just his third of 2017. He held off challenges from Chase Dowling and Justin Bonsignore on restarts in the first half of the race, then held off four-time tour champion Doug Coby in the dash to the finish.
He crossed the line 1.239 seconds ahead of Coby. Prior to Wednesday, Emerling's best career finish was a second at New Hampshire in 2015.
For Coby, the second-place finish was the third straight in Whelen Modified Tour competition and it helped him claw back towards the top of the championships standings.
Timmy Solomito, who was caught up in a Lap 68 accident, came home 15th to maintain a two-point edge on Rowan Pennink. Ryan Preece finished fifth and is nine points behind Solomito, while Coby is 17 points back.
Justin Bonsignore finished third and is 19 points out of first. Chase Dowling and Preece rounded out the top five at Bristol.
Andy Seuss was sixth, followed by Pennink, Ronnie Williams, Bobby Santos and Matt Swanson.
The Bush's Beans 150 will air on NBCSN Saturday August 26 at 3 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Modified Tour returns to the track at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday August 26, with the running of the Seekonk 150.
Emerling Conquers "Thunder Valley"
Rowan Pennink Finish 7th, Draws To Within 2 Points Of Series Championship Lead
A NASCARHomeTracks.com press release
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Patrick Emerling swept his way to Victory Lane with a near-perfect performance at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday.
The Orchard Park, New York, driver was fastest in practice, won the Coors Light Pole Award and proceeded to lead 148 of the 150 laps en route to his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory.
"It's just a dream come true," said Emerling following the win at the historic track dubbed 'Thunder Valley.' "It's incredible. We only run a handful of the Whelen Tour races and to come down here and win practice, catch the pole and lead every single lap, it's an incredible feeling for us as a team."
The win for the 24-year-old came in his 78th career start and just his third of 2017. He held off challenges from Chase Dowling and Justin Bonsignore on restarts in the first half of the race, then held off four-time tour champion Doug Coby in the dash to the finish.
He crossed the line 1.239 seconds ahead of Coby. Prior to Wednesday, Emerling's best career finish was a second at New Hampshire in 2015.
For Coby, the second-place finish was the third straight in Whelen Modified Tour competition and it helped him claw back towards the top of the championships standings.
Timmy Solomito, who was caught up in a Lap 68 accident, came home 15th to maintain a two-point edge on Rowan Pennink. Ryan Preece finished fifth and is nine points behind Solomito, while Coby is 17 points back.
Justin Bonsignore finished third and is 19 points out of first. Chase Dowling and Preece rounded out the top five at Bristol.
Andy Seuss was sixth, followed by Pennink, Ronnie Williams, Bobby Santos and Matt Swanson.
The Bush's Beans 150 will air on NBCSN Saturday August 26 at 3 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Modified Tour returns to the track at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday August 26, with the running of the Seekonk 150.
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July 9th, 2017
Rowan Pennink Charges Thru The Field To Earn 3rd Place Finish In The 100 Lap NAPA SK5k Event
A www.staffordspeedway.com release
In the 100-lap NAPA SK 5k feature event, Michael Gervais, Jr. took the lead at the green with Cam McDermott, Glen Reen, Dylan Izzo, and Keith Rocco making up the top-5. Mike Christopher, Jr, was sixth followed by Todd Owen, Dan Avery, Tom Abele, Jr., and Rowan Pennink.
Rocco went around Reen to move into third on lap-11 as Gervais was comfortably a half second ahead of McDermott in the battle for the race lead. Josh Wood dropped off the pace and he brought his car behind the wall on lap-17 and looked to be finished for the night. Chase Dowling cracked into the top-10 as he was slowly working his way towards the front.
With 25 laps complete, Gervais was still in command with McDermott, Rocco, Reen, Pennink, Owen, Dowling, Izzo, Mike Christopher, Jr., and Ryan Preece making up the top-5. Dylan Izzo spun coming out of turn 2 to bring the caution out with 26 laps complete.
Gervais took the lead on the restart with Rocco pulling alongside. The lead duo fought side by side for the lead with Rocco taking the lead on lap-29 with a pass in turn 2. Pennink also got around Gervais to move into second while McDermott was now side by side with Gervais for third on lap-31. A multicar incident in turn 1 involved Tom Bolles, Ronnie Williams, Izzo, Avery, Ted Christopher, Brendon Bock, Abele, and Tommy Membrino, Jr. brought the caution out with 31 laps complete.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Pennink moving into second. McDermott was third with Dowling fourth and Gervais fifth. Pennink took to the outside groove and took the lead from Rocco on lap-34. Carlos Gray spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 36 laps complete.
Pennink and Rocco ran side by side for the elad with Rocco leading the lap by a nose at the line. One lap later saw Pennink power his way back into the lead with Dowling moving to the inside of Rocco and taking second. Preece was up to fourth behind Rocco with McDermott still running in fifth. Dowling took a look to the inside of Pennink in turn 3 on lap-41 but Pennink was able to hold him off.
After applying heavy pressure, Dowling was finally able to make a pas stick for the lad and he took the lead from Pennink on lap-47. Preece was third with Rocco in fourth and Owen in fifth. McDermott was sixth, Mike Christopher, Jr. was seventh and charging his way back towards the front, Glen Reen was eighth, Williams was ninth, and Avery rounded out the top-10 at the halfway point. Tommy Membrino, Jr. spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 53 laps complete. Under the caution, McDermott and Ted Christopher came to pit road for adjustment.
Dowling took the lead back under green with Preece taking second from Pennink. Owen and Rocco were side by side for fourth with Christopher, Jr., Williams, Gervais, Avery, and Matt Galko making up the top-10. Carlos Gray spun in the middle of turns 1+2 to bring the caution out with 67 laps complete.
Dowling took the lead on the restart after fending off a challenge from Preece with Owen making a strong move to get up to third behind the lead duo. Pennink was fourth with Rocco in fifth. Williams was in sixth with Mike Christopher, Jr., Ted Christopher, Brendon Bock, and Avery making up the top-10. Dowling began to stretch out his lead over Preece, pulling out to nearly a one second lead with 22 laps to go. Owen and Pennink were locked in a duel for third behind the two lead cars with Rocco, Williams, Mike Christopher, Jr., and Ted Christopher lined up single file behind them.
Pennink was able to finally work his way past Owen to move into third on lap-85 after he had tried to make the move for the past several laps. Dowling pulled away from Preece in the closing laps to score his biggest paying victory of his Stafford career. Pennink finished third with Owen and Rocco rounding out the top-5.
Rowan Pennink Charges Thru The Field To Earn 3rd Place Finish In The 100 Lap NAPA SK5k Event
A www.staffordspeedway.com release
In the 100-lap NAPA SK 5k feature event, Michael Gervais, Jr. took the lead at the green with Cam McDermott, Glen Reen, Dylan Izzo, and Keith Rocco making up the top-5. Mike Christopher, Jr, was sixth followed by Todd Owen, Dan Avery, Tom Abele, Jr., and Rowan Pennink.
Rocco went around Reen to move into third on lap-11 as Gervais was comfortably a half second ahead of McDermott in the battle for the race lead. Josh Wood dropped off the pace and he brought his car behind the wall on lap-17 and looked to be finished for the night. Chase Dowling cracked into the top-10 as he was slowly working his way towards the front.
With 25 laps complete, Gervais was still in command with McDermott, Rocco, Reen, Pennink, Owen, Dowling, Izzo, Mike Christopher, Jr., and Ryan Preece making up the top-5. Dylan Izzo spun coming out of turn 2 to bring the caution out with 26 laps complete.
Gervais took the lead on the restart with Rocco pulling alongside. The lead duo fought side by side for the lead with Rocco taking the lead on lap-29 with a pass in turn 2. Pennink also got around Gervais to move into second while McDermott was now side by side with Gervais for third on lap-31. A multicar incident in turn 1 involved Tom Bolles, Ronnie Williams, Izzo, Avery, Ted Christopher, Brendon Bock, Abele, and Tommy Membrino, Jr. brought the caution out with 31 laps complete.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Pennink moving into second. McDermott was third with Dowling fourth and Gervais fifth. Pennink took to the outside groove and took the lead from Rocco on lap-34. Carlos Gray spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 36 laps complete.
Pennink and Rocco ran side by side for the elad with Rocco leading the lap by a nose at the line. One lap later saw Pennink power his way back into the lead with Dowling moving to the inside of Rocco and taking second. Preece was up to fourth behind Rocco with McDermott still running in fifth. Dowling took a look to the inside of Pennink in turn 3 on lap-41 but Pennink was able to hold him off.
After applying heavy pressure, Dowling was finally able to make a pas stick for the lad and he took the lead from Pennink on lap-47. Preece was third with Rocco in fourth and Owen in fifth. McDermott was sixth, Mike Christopher, Jr. was seventh and charging his way back towards the front, Glen Reen was eighth, Williams was ninth, and Avery rounded out the top-10 at the halfway point. Tommy Membrino, Jr. spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 53 laps complete. Under the caution, McDermott and Ted Christopher came to pit road for adjustment.
Dowling took the lead back under green with Preece taking second from Pennink. Owen and Rocco were side by side for fourth with Christopher, Jr., Williams, Gervais, Avery, and Matt Galko making up the top-10. Carlos Gray spun in the middle of turns 1+2 to bring the caution out with 67 laps complete.
Dowling took the lead on the restart after fending off a challenge from Preece with Owen making a strong move to get up to third behind the lead duo. Pennink was fourth with Rocco in fifth. Williams was in sixth with Mike Christopher, Jr., Ted Christopher, Brendon Bock, and Avery making up the top-10. Dowling began to stretch out his lead over Preece, pulling out to nearly a one second lead with 22 laps to go. Owen and Pennink were locked in a duel for third behind the two lead cars with Rocco, Williams, Mike Christopher, Jr., and Ted Christopher lined up single file behind them.
Pennink was able to finally work his way past Owen to move into third on lap-85 after he had tried to make the move for the past several laps. Dowling pulled away from Preece in the closing laps to score his biggest paying victory of his Stafford career. Pennink finished third with Owen and Rocco rounding out the top-5.
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June 26, 2017
Solomito Repeats At Riverhead; Rowan Pennink Drives Ole Blue To Solid Top 10 At Riverhead
By Jason Cunningham, NASCARHomeTracks.com
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- Six races into the 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, and Timmy Solomito is looking every bit the driver to beat for the championship.
After his breakout four-win campaign in 2016, Solomito has had an even better encore.
Saturday, the Islip, New York, driver returned to his home track of Riverhead Raceway and picked up his third win of the season. He held off David Sapienza on an overtime finish to take the Buzz Chew Chevrolet-Cadillac 200.
The Coors Light Pole Award winner, Solomito held serve for his seventh career victory. He also won this event last year. His No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford led three times for a race-high 151 laps, including the final 102 as a caution on Lap 196 pushed the race to 208 laps.
The runner-up was a career-best for Sapienza, a Riverhead native.
Doug Coby finished third while four-time Riverhead winners Ryan Preece and Justin Bonsignore crossed the line fourth and fifth, respectively.
Eric Goodale finished sixth with Rowan Pennink the last car on the lead lap in seventh. Tom Rogers Jr., Dillon Steuer and Max Zachem completed the top 10.
The win also allowed Solomito to extend his championship points lead to 13 over Pennink and 29 over Goodale. Bonsignore is fourth and Zachem is fifth, while defending tour champion Coby moved up to sixth.
Next up on the schedule is the Whelen Modified Tour All-Star Shootout on July 14 followed by the Nor’easter 100 the next day, both at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Solomito Repeats At Riverhead; Rowan Pennink Drives Ole Blue To Solid Top 10 At Riverhead
By Jason Cunningham, NASCARHomeTracks.com
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- Six races into the 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, and Timmy Solomito is looking every bit the driver to beat for the championship.
After his breakout four-win campaign in 2016, Solomito has had an even better encore.
Saturday, the Islip, New York, driver returned to his home track of Riverhead Raceway and picked up his third win of the season. He held off David Sapienza on an overtime finish to take the Buzz Chew Chevrolet-Cadillac 200.
The Coors Light Pole Award winner, Solomito held serve for his seventh career victory. He also won this event last year. His No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford led three times for a race-high 151 laps, including the final 102 as a caution on Lap 196 pushed the race to 208 laps.
The runner-up was a career-best for Sapienza, a Riverhead native.
Doug Coby finished third while four-time Riverhead winners Ryan Preece and Justin Bonsignore crossed the line fourth and fifth, respectively.
Eric Goodale finished sixth with Rowan Pennink the last car on the lead lap in seventh. Tom Rogers Jr., Dillon Steuer and Max Zachem completed the top 10.
The win also allowed Solomito to extend his championship points lead to 13 over Pennink and 29 over Goodale. Bonsignore is fourth and Zachem is fifth, while defending tour champion Coby moved up to sixth.
Next up on the schedule is the Whelen Modified Tour All-Star Shootout on July 14 followed by the Nor’easter 100 the next day, both at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
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April 9th, 2017
True Blue: Rowan Pennink Returns Iconic Whelen Mod Tour Ride To Victory Lane At Thompson Icebreaker
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – On the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour the Boehler Racing Enterprises car is a rolling piece of visual history of Modified racing.
Iconic is the term most often used to describe the car, long dubbed Ole Blue. The late Lenny Boehler, a legendary mastermind of Modified racing built his No. 3 Ole Blue team to fabled status and his son Michael Boehler has long kept the team rolling.
Sunday Rowan Pennink drove the historic ride back to the front in Whelen Modified Tour action.
Pennink used a lap 148 pass of Bobby Santos III to take over the lead and go on to victory in the Whelen Modified Tour Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway.
It was the first Whelen Modified Tour victory in a points event for the team since Ryan Preece won with the car on Aug. 7, 2009 at Stafford Motor Speedway. Ted Christopher won in an exhibition Whelen Modified Tour event with the car at Thompson Speedway on Sept. 9, 2012.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., was named the driver for the team before the start of the 2016 season. His best finish last year was a second at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. on July 24.
The 2017 season marks the 60th year for the team in competition.
“Obviously one of the most historical teams that still runs the Tour,” Pennink said. “The group of guys that are on this [No. 3] team, even before I drove for them, I was always good friends with them because they were always a great group of guys. I got the opportunity to work with them and I’ve seen the [No. 3] car go around with a bunch of other drivers before and I knew that thing had the potential to win. We should have had some wins last year.
“To have a win at Thompson is unbelievable for this [No. 3] team, especially with the 60th anniversary of this car’s first race and back up in New England and we won it. I couldn’t be happier for the whole BRE team.”
It was the third career Whelen Modified Tour victory for Pennink and his first the series season finale at Thompson in 2013. He finished seventh in the season opening series event this year at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway on March 18.
Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. was second and Max Zachem of Preston third.
Pennink started fourth and led 109 laps.
“I knew we had a good car after practice, but the way the thing got out front there, I had to hold it back,” Pennink said. “We got ourselves a comfortable lead and just ran the pace we needed to run. When they put [new] tires on that thing it was one of the best cars I’ve ever driven in my life in the final laps there. Hats off to all the guys on this team. … Those guys put their heart and soul into this car. I couldn’t have done it without a great group of guys like them.”
Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. was second and Max Zachem of Preston third.
Pennink relinquished the lead on lap 126 to head to the pits under caution. He was sitting seventh when the race restarted on lap 133 and he quickly followed Santos toward the front, moving to fourth with a lap of the restart.
On lap 134 Santos went by Eric Goodale for second with Pennink following to third. A lap later Santos went by Ron Silk for the lead in turn four. Half a lap later Pennink made a three-wide move under both Silk and Santos to go to the lead, but the move was negated by a caution flag flying.
The race restarted on lap 145 with Pennink making a quick move to get by Santo for the lead in turn two, but again his move to the lead was negated by a caution flag.
“It’s always tough when you have a really good restart like that in the closing laps and then it gets called back,” Pennink said. “You’d hate to lose one like that and that’s kind of what I was thinking.”
On the final restart on lap 148 Santos controlled the pace through turns one and two, but Pennink tucked behind off turn two and then used a low move down the backstretch and into turn three.
“I was thinking ‘I need to get another really good start so I can win this thing.’” Pennink said. “I didn’t get as good a start, [Santos] was really slowing down the pace coming to the green [for the restart]. But I was able to get a good enough one where I was able to sneak in behind him getting into [turn] one and I got a really good run and got right underneath him down the backstretch right away.”
Pennink, Santos and Solomito fought through turn four with contact among them. Pennink came off turn four nearly getting sideways before wrangling his car back in coming onto the frontstretch.
“I don’t know if it was Bobby or Timmy who got into me, but I got a little squirrely,” Pennink said. “But with fresh tires on there it just wiggled a little bit. I was just hoping I had enough to keep them behind me and we did.”
Solomito was happy to walk away with a runner-up finish after winning the season opener at Myrtle Beach.
“I just wanted to keep it straight,” Solomito said of the late race skirmish near the front. “Don’t bang the wheels off it, there were only a couple laps to go, just finish the race. That was our biggest thing last year, we had a fast car at all of the races we just didn’t finish all of them. So far we’ve had good cars at the both races and it’s good to finish both races on the podium.”
Solomito holds a four point lead over Pennink at the top of the series standings.
True Blue: Rowan Pennink Returns Iconic Whelen Mod Tour Ride To Victory Lane At Thompson Icebreaker
A www.racedayct.com article
THOMPSON – On the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour the Boehler Racing Enterprises car is a rolling piece of visual history of Modified racing.
Iconic is the term most often used to describe the car, long dubbed Ole Blue. The late Lenny Boehler, a legendary mastermind of Modified racing built his No. 3 Ole Blue team to fabled status and his son Michael Boehler has long kept the team rolling.
Sunday Rowan Pennink drove the historic ride back to the front in Whelen Modified Tour action.
Pennink used a lap 148 pass of Bobby Santos III to take over the lead and go on to victory in the Whelen Modified Tour Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway.
It was the first Whelen Modified Tour victory in a points event for the team since Ryan Preece won with the car on Aug. 7, 2009 at Stafford Motor Speedway. Ted Christopher won in an exhibition Whelen Modified Tour event with the car at Thompson Speedway on Sept. 9, 2012.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., was named the driver for the team before the start of the 2016 season. His best finish last year was a second at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. on July 24.
The 2017 season marks the 60th year for the team in competition.
“Obviously one of the most historical teams that still runs the Tour,” Pennink said. “The group of guys that are on this [No. 3] team, even before I drove for them, I was always good friends with them because they were always a great group of guys. I got the opportunity to work with them and I’ve seen the [No. 3] car go around with a bunch of other drivers before and I knew that thing had the potential to win. We should have had some wins last year.
“To have a win at Thompson is unbelievable for this [No. 3] team, especially with the 60th anniversary of this car’s first race and back up in New England and we won it. I couldn’t be happier for the whole BRE team.”
It was the third career Whelen Modified Tour victory for Pennink and his first the series season finale at Thompson in 2013. He finished seventh in the season opening series event this year at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway on March 18.
Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. was second and Max Zachem of Preston third.
Pennink started fourth and led 109 laps.
“I knew we had a good car after practice, but the way the thing got out front there, I had to hold it back,” Pennink said. “We got ourselves a comfortable lead and just ran the pace we needed to run. When they put [new] tires on that thing it was one of the best cars I’ve ever driven in my life in the final laps there. Hats off to all the guys on this team. … Those guys put their heart and soul into this car. I couldn’t have done it without a great group of guys like them.”
Timmy Solomito of Islip, N.Y. was second and Max Zachem of Preston third.
Pennink relinquished the lead on lap 126 to head to the pits under caution. He was sitting seventh when the race restarted on lap 133 and he quickly followed Santos toward the front, moving to fourth with a lap of the restart.
On lap 134 Santos went by Eric Goodale for second with Pennink following to third. A lap later Santos went by Ron Silk for the lead in turn four. Half a lap later Pennink made a three-wide move under both Silk and Santos to go to the lead, but the move was negated by a caution flag flying.
The race restarted on lap 145 with Pennink making a quick move to get by Santo for the lead in turn two, but again his move to the lead was negated by a caution flag.
“It’s always tough when you have a really good restart like that in the closing laps and then it gets called back,” Pennink said. “You’d hate to lose one like that and that’s kind of what I was thinking.”
On the final restart on lap 148 Santos controlled the pace through turns one and two, but Pennink tucked behind off turn two and then used a low move down the backstretch and into turn three.
“I was thinking ‘I need to get another really good start so I can win this thing.’” Pennink said. “I didn’t get as good a start, [Santos] was really slowing down the pace coming to the green [for the restart]. But I was able to get a good enough one where I was able to sneak in behind him getting into [turn] one and I got a really good run and got right underneath him down the backstretch right away.”
Pennink, Santos and Solomito fought through turn four with contact among them. Pennink came off turn four nearly getting sideways before wrangling his car back in coming onto the frontstretch.
“I don’t know if it was Bobby or Timmy who got into me, but I got a little squirrely,” Pennink said. “But with fresh tires on there it just wiggled a little bit. I was just hoping I had enough to keep them behind me and we did.”
Solomito was happy to walk away with a runner-up finish after winning the season opener at Myrtle Beach.
“I just wanted to keep it straight,” Solomito said of the late race skirmish near the front. “Don’t bang the wheels off it, there were only a couple laps to go, just finish the race. That was our biggest thing last year, we had a fast car at all of the races we just didn’t finish all of them. So far we’ve had good cars at the both races and it’s good to finish both races on the podium.”
Solomito holds a four point lead over Pennink at the top of the series standings.
November 30th, 2016
Rowan Pennink Crowned Stafford Motor Speedway Track Champion At Awards Gala
A www.staffordspeedway.com release
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Motor Speedway welcomed a guest list of nearly 500 people consisting of teams, drivers, sponsors, and employees this past Friday night, November 18 at Maneely’s in South Windsor to officially honor Rowan Pennink, Tom Fearn, Tony Membrino, Jr., Duane Provost, Johnny Walker, and Noah Korner as the 2016 Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champions.
With Stafford Motor Speedway broadcasters Matt Buckler and John Gates serving as the Masters of Ceremony, the 47th annual Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Champions Awards Ceremony not only honored the six track champions, they also recognized the top-15 points finishers from the SK Modified®, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, DARE Stock, and U.S. Legend Cars divisions. Special awards that were presented during the evening’s festivities were Most Popular Driver Awards, NAPA Auto Parts Parts Rookie of the Year, R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year, and the UNOH Youth Achievement Award.
Rowan Pennink and the #99 Independent Wheel team entered the 2016 season as the defending SK Modified® champions and the question looming over them was could they repeat with Kevin Crowley taking over as the crew chief from Jimmy Fuller? The #99 team put to doubt any questions about their prowess with wins in 3 of the first 4 SK Modified® events of the season and they exhibited a high level of consistency with top-10 runs in all but one of the first 16 races of the season. They wrapped up the championship with one race to go and next season will see them attempt to become the first team to win 3 consecutive SK Modified® championships at Stafford. Pennink is the fifth driver, joining Jerry Pearl ’84-’85, Mike Christopher ’89-’90, Bob Potter ’91-’92 and ’94-95, and Ted Christopher ’00-’01 to have won back to back championships but a three-peat has yet to be accomplished. For the season, the #99 team posted a division leading 6 wins, 11 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 4.9.
After winning 10 races last season and coming up short of the championship, Tom Fearn and the #92 SAFCO Foam team entered the 2016 season as favorites to be among the championship contenders and they lived up to that pre-season billing with a performance that was a combination of dominance and consistency. Fearn won 7 times and had 16 top-6 finishes in 17 starts this season but Michael Wray and the #42 DMW Graphics team took the championship fight with Fearn all the way to the season ending NAPA Fall Final. A second place finish for Fearn wrapped up his fourth career Stafford track championship and his first since winning the 1998 ProStock championship. Among Fearn’s 7 wins, 16 top-5 and 17 top-10 finishes this season were 13 podium finishes that helped lower his season average finish to 2.8.
The race for the SK Light championship was a seesaw affair between Tony Membrino, Jr. and Joey Ferrigno for much of the year. Membrino and the #44 Additive Manufacturing of New England team had a blazing hot start to the year with 4 wins in the first 5 races. But as dominant as Membrino was, Ferrigno was right on Membrino’s heels and they would swap the point lead several times during the summer. Membrino took control of the points race at the very end of the season as Ferrigno ran in to a string of bad finishes and he collected his second career SK Light championship at Stafford to go along with his DARE Stock championship. Membrino posted 7 wins, 11 top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes this season for an average finish of 5.3.
The race for the 2016 Limited Late Model championship saw long shot Duane Provost cash in to take home his very first career championship. The driver of the #88 Facchini Law Firm Chevrolet was in the championship mix for much of the season along with Paul Arute and Al Saunders. All three drivers had a share of the point lead at some point during the 2016 season. Provost entered the NAPA Fall Final 12 points behind Saunders and a third place finish, combined with a 10th place finish for Saunders, was enough to make Provost the champion by a scant 2 point margin. For the season, Provost posted 1 win, 12 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 4.6.
Johnny Walker entered the 2016 season having taken a year off from racing after back to back 2nd place finishes in the DARE Stock division. Having nearly won the championship twice already, Walker knew what it was going to take to win the championship from the very first race and he was a model of consistency during the 2016 season, driving to 13 podium finishes in 17 starts this season with a final tally of 2 wins, 16 top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 3.2. As dominant as Walker was finishing in the top-3 almost every week, Brandon Michael was keeping pace with him for much of the year and took the title fight down to the last race but Walker wasn’t to be denied as he collected his first career championship.
In the U.S. Legend Cars division, it was a year of domination for Noah Korner and the #31 Midstate Site Development team. In the 11 race Legend Cars schedule, Korner won 7 times, finished second three times, and finished third once. Such a level of dominance was too much for Teddy Hodgdon to overcome as Korner locked down the track championship in a season that also saw him win the National Championship in the Semi-Pro division of the U.S. Legend Cars.
The NAPA Auto Parts Rookie of the Year awards were presented to Stephen Kopcik from the SK Modified® division and Joel Monahan from the Late Model division. Taking home R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year honors were Joe Graf, Jr. in the SK Light division, Frank L’Etoile, Jr. in the Limited Late Model division, and Michael Hopkins in the DARE Stock division. The NAPA Auto Parts rookie awards will be worth a $1,000.00 gift card redeemable at participating NAPA Stores to Kopcik and Monahan, with Graf, L’Etoile, and Hopkins each winning a $500 bonus from R.A.D. Automachine that will be paid out in $100.00 weekly increments to each driver as they attend events during the 2017 season.
The winners of the Most Popular Driver Awards were Woody Pitkat in the SK Modified® division, Tom Fearn in the Late Model division, Daniel Wesson from the SK Light division, Bryan Narducci from the Limited Late Model division, Alexandra Fearn in the DARE Stock division, and Teddy Hodgdon in the U.S. Legend Cars division. The Most Popular Driver Awards are voted on by the fans who attend Stafford Motor Speedway race events and fill out the ballots found in the track’s weekly PitStopper Magazine.
The UNOH Youth Achievement award was won by SK Light Modified driver Daniel Wesson. The UNOH Youth Achievement Award is a program that is open to all drivers at Stafford between the ages of 14-17. The eligible driver who scored the most track points from their best 14 finishes this season won a $500 cash award from UNOH as well as a $500 scholarship award from UNOH.
For more information about the 2016 Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway’s track office at (860) 684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Rowan Pennink Crowned Stafford Motor Speedway Track Champion At Awards Gala
A www.staffordspeedway.com release
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Motor Speedway welcomed a guest list of nearly 500 people consisting of teams, drivers, sponsors, and employees this past Friday night, November 18 at Maneely’s in South Windsor to officially honor Rowan Pennink, Tom Fearn, Tony Membrino, Jr., Duane Provost, Johnny Walker, and Noah Korner as the 2016 Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champions.
With Stafford Motor Speedway broadcasters Matt Buckler and John Gates serving as the Masters of Ceremony, the 47th annual Stafford Motor Speedway NASCAR Champions Awards Ceremony not only honored the six track champions, they also recognized the top-15 points finishers from the SK Modified®, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, DARE Stock, and U.S. Legend Cars divisions. Special awards that were presented during the evening’s festivities were Most Popular Driver Awards, NAPA Auto Parts Parts Rookie of the Year, R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year, and the UNOH Youth Achievement Award.
Rowan Pennink and the #99 Independent Wheel team entered the 2016 season as the defending SK Modified® champions and the question looming over them was could they repeat with Kevin Crowley taking over as the crew chief from Jimmy Fuller? The #99 team put to doubt any questions about their prowess with wins in 3 of the first 4 SK Modified® events of the season and they exhibited a high level of consistency with top-10 runs in all but one of the first 16 races of the season. They wrapped up the championship with one race to go and next season will see them attempt to become the first team to win 3 consecutive SK Modified® championships at Stafford. Pennink is the fifth driver, joining Jerry Pearl ’84-’85, Mike Christopher ’89-’90, Bob Potter ’91-’92 and ’94-95, and Ted Christopher ’00-’01 to have won back to back championships but a three-peat has yet to be accomplished. For the season, the #99 team posted a division leading 6 wins, 11 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 4.9.
After winning 10 races last season and coming up short of the championship, Tom Fearn and the #92 SAFCO Foam team entered the 2016 season as favorites to be among the championship contenders and they lived up to that pre-season billing with a performance that was a combination of dominance and consistency. Fearn won 7 times and had 16 top-6 finishes in 17 starts this season but Michael Wray and the #42 DMW Graphics team took the championship fight with Fearn all the way to the season ending NAPA Fall Final. A second place finish for Fearn wrapped up his fourth career Stafford track championship and his first since winning the 1998 ProStock championship. Among Fearn’s 7 wins, 16 top-5 and 17 top-10 finishes this season were 13 podium finishes that helped lower his season average finish to 2.8.
The race for the SK Light championship was a seesaw affair between Tony Membrino, Jr. and Joey Ferrigno for much of the year. Membrino and the #44 Additive Manufacturing of New England team had a blazing hot start to the year with 4 wins in the first 5 races. But as dominant as Membrino was, Ferrigno was right on Membrino’s heels and they would swap the point lead several times during the summer. Membrino took control of the points race at the very end of the season as Ferrigno ran in to a string of bad finishes and he collected his second career SK Light championship at Stafford to go along with his DARE Stock championship. Membrino posted 7 wins, 11 top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes this season for an average finish of 5.3.
The race for the 2016 Limited Late Model championship saw long shot Duane Provost cash in to take home his very first career championship. The driver of the #88 Facchini Law Firm Chevrolet was in the championship mix for much of the season along with Paul Arute and Al Saunders. All three drivers had a share of the point lead at some point during the 2016 season. Provost entered the NAPA Fall Final 12 points behind Saunders and a third place finish, combined with a 10th place finish for Saunders, was enough to make Provost the champion by a scant 2 point margin. For the season, Provost posted 1 win, 12 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 4.6.
Johnny Walker entered the 2016 season having taken a year off from racing after back to back 2nd place finishes in the DARE Stock division. Having nearly won the championship twice already, Walker knew what it was going to take to win the championship from the very first race and he was a model of consistency during the 2016 season, driving to 13 podium finishes in 17 starts this season with a final tally of 2 wins, 16 top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 3.2. As dominant as Walker was finishing in the top-3 almost every week, Brandon Michael was keeping pace with him for much of the year and took the title fight down to the last race but Walker wasn’t to be denied as he collected his first career championship.
In the U.S. Legend Cars division, it was a year of domination for Noah Korner and the #31 Midstate Site Development team. In the 11 race Legend Cars schedule, Korner won 7 times, finished second three times, and finished third once. Such a level of dominance was too much for Teddy Hodgdon to overcome as Korner locked down the track championship in a season that also saw him win the National Championship in the Semi-Pro division of the U.S. Legend Cars.
The NAPA Auto Parts Rookie of the Year awards were presented to Stephen Kopcik from the SK Modified® division and Joel Monahan from the Late Model division. Taking home R.A.D. Automachine Rookie of the Year honors were Joe Graf, Jr. in the SK Light division, Frank L’Etoile, Jr. in the Limited Late Model division, and Michael Hopkins in the DARE Stock division. The NAPA Auto Parts rookie awards will be worth a $1,000.00 gift card redeemable at participating NAPA Stores to Kopcik and Monahan, with Graf, L’Etoile, and Hopkins each winning a $500 bonus from R.A.D. Automachine that will be paid out in $100.00 weekly increments to each driver as they attend events during the 2017 season.
The winners of the Most Popular Driver Awards were Woody Pitkat in the SK Modified® division, Tom Fearn in the Late Model division, Daniel Wesson from the SK Light division, Bryan Narducci from the Limited Late Model division, Alexandra Fearn in the DARE Stock division, and Teddy Hodgdon in the U.S. Legend Cars division. The Most Popular Driver Awards are voted on by the fans who attend Stafford Motor Speedway race events and fill out the ballots found in the track’s weekly PitStopper Magazine.
The UNOH Youth Achievement award was won by SK Light Modified driver Daniel Wesson. The UNOH Youth Achievement Award is a program that is open to all drivers at Stafford between the ages of 14-17. The eligible driver who scored the most track points from their best 14 finishes this season won a $500 cash award from UNOH as well as a $500 scholarship award from UNOH.
For more information about the 2016 Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway’s track office at (860) 684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
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September 17th, 2016
Reign Again: Rowan Pennink Clinches 2nd Consecutive SK Mod Title Early At Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – Last year Rowan Pennink went to the NAPA Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway in full drama mode in the chase for his first SK Modified title at the historic half-mile oval.
This year, when the end of the season is celebrated on October 2 at Stafford with the final SK Modified feature of the season, it will be Pennink riding on cruise without worry.
Friday Pennink made sure there would be no championship drama this season.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., finished eighth in Friday’s 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature to clinch his second consecutive division championship at the track.
“It’s definitely nice,” said Pennink, who has six wins in 16 starts this year. “Last year we won the championship but it came down to the last race. A couple spots would have made it or broke it. It’s going to be nice to come back for the Fall Final and not worry about it.”
Pennink becomes only the fifth driver in Stafford Speedway history to win consecutive SK Modified championships, joining Jerry Pearl (1984-85), Mike Christopher (1989-90), Bob Potter (1991-92 & 1994-95) and Ted Christopher (2000-01).
Pennink came into the night with a 68-point lead over second place Keith Rocco in the division standings. Rocco finished fifth in Friday’s feature meaning Pennink finished the night with a 62 point lead going to the final event of the season. The most points a driver can earn for an event is 50.
“I can’t thank this team enough,” Pennink said of his Kelly Iverson/Bob Hitchcock owned organization. “I’ve got a great group of guys that work their butts off preparing this thing. They give me a car that I can race to the front and race for wins and championships like we do. … I love racing here at Stafford. It’s awesome racing. It’s real tough and we love coming here every Friday night.”
Last year Pennink struggled late in the season and saw a big lead the standings evaporate over the final month. He went to the final event of the season holding a 12-point lead over Ryan Preece. Preece finished third in the final event and Pennink fourth to give Pennink a final cushion of 10 points for his first title.
“Last year it came right down to the wire between me and Ryan for the championship, so that was a little nerve wracking,” Pennink said. “It’s going to be nice to just come to the Fall Final and not worry about anything and know we’re going to be sitting at the head table at the banquet no matter what.”
Friday wasn’t without drama for Pennink on the way to eighth place. He nearly got caught up in a multi-car wreck early in the event on the frontstretch.
“That first one there I got just clipped a little bit,” Pennink said. “I don’t know if that hurt the car or not. We were able to keep digging. I was trying to get to the front. I wanted to win the race, but I didn’t quite get there. The race just didn’t go how I needed it to go and we got caught back there a little bit. But we stayed out of trouble and got the job done.”
Reign Again: Rowan Pennink Clinches 2nd Consecutive SK Mod Title Early At Stafford Speedway
A www.racedayct.com article
STAFFORD – Last year Rowan Pennink went to the NAPA Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway in full drama mode in the chase for his first SK Modified title at the historic half-mile oval.
This year, when the end of the season is celebrated on October 2 at Stafford with the final SK Modified feature of the season, it will be Pennink riding on cruise without worry.
Friday Pennink made sure there would be no championship drama this season.
Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., finished eighth in Friday’s 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature to clinch his second consecutive division championship at the track.
“It’s definitely nice,” said Pennink, who has six wins in 16 starts this year. “Last year we won the championship but it came down to the last race. A couple spots would have made it or broke it. It’s going to be nice to come back for the Fall Final and not worry about it.”
Pennink becomes only the fifth driver in Stafford Speedway history to win consecutive SK Modified championships, joining Jerry Pearl (1984-85), Mike Christopher (1989-90), Bob Potter (1991-92 & 1994-95) and Ted Christopher (2000-01).
Pennink came into the night with a 68-point lead over second place Keith Rocco in the division standings. Rocco finished fifth in Friday’s feature meaning Pennink finished the night with a 62 point lead going to the final event of the season. The most points a driver can earn for an event is 50.
“I can’t thank this team enough,” Pennink said of his Kelly Iverson/Bob Hitchcock owned organization. “I’ve got a great group of guys that work their butts off preparing this thing. They give me a car that I can race to the front and race for wins and championships like we do. … I love racing here at Stafford. It’s awesome racing. It’s real tough and we love coming here every Friday night.”
Last year Pennink struggled late in the season and saw a big lead the standings evaporate over the final month. He went to the final event of the season holding a 12-point lead over Ryan Preece. Preece finished third in the final event and Pennink fourth to give Pennink a final cushion of 10 points for his first title.
“Last year it came right down to the wire between me and Ryan for the championship, so that was a little nerve wracking,” Pennink said. “It’s going to be nice to just come to the Fall Final and not worry about anything and know we’re going to be sitting at the head table at the banquet no matter what.”
Friday wasn’t without drama for Pennink on the way to eighth place. He nearly got caught up in a multi-car wreck early in the event on the frontstretch.
“That first one there I got just clipped a little bit,” Pennink said. “I don’t know if that hurt the car or not. We were able to keep digging. I was trying to get to the front. I wanted to win the race, but I didn’t quite get there. The race just didn’t go how I needed it to go and we got caught back there a little bit. But we stayed out of trouble and got the job done.”
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