WATERFORD, Conn. - Ryan Preece continued his mastery of bullrings.
The 24-year-old Berlin, Conn., driver picked up his 12th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory Saturday night in the Mr. Rooter 161 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Conn.
It was Preece’s second win at the Speedbowl and seventh tour win on a track that is a third-mile or smaller. He also has a win on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour on the quarter-mile at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.
To get the win, Preece had to hold off defending tour champion Doug Coby in a green-white-checkered finish that pushed the race to 165 laps. Preece’s No. 6 TS Haulers/East West Marine Chevrolet crossed the line .109 seconds ahead of Coby.
Ted Christopher finished third, followed by Max Zachem and Woody Pitkat.
Preece led a race-high 117 laps, including the final 36. He originally took the lead from Donny Lia on Lap 47 and only lost it briefly to Coby. Lia won the Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day.
With the win, Preece took the points lead over Coby by one and Pitkat by two.
Bobby Santos, Patrick Emerling, Rowan Pennink, Dawsonville, Ga.’s Spencer Davis and Keith Rocco completed the top 10 in the race.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be right back at it Friday, June 5 with the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 at Stafford Motor Speedway. Pitkat picked up the win the last time the tour visited Stafford on April 26.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
New London-Waterford Speedbowl – Waterford, CT
Mr. Rooter 161 – May 30, 2015
| Fin | Str | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Points | B/Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 6 | Ryan Preece | TS Haulers/East West Marine Chevrolet | 165 | 48 | 5 | Running |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | Doug Coby | Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Performance Chevrolet | 165 | 43 | 1 | Running |
| 3 | 20 | 13 | Ted Christopher | Mr. Rooter/Cape Cod Aggregates Chevrolet | 165 | 41 | Running | |
| 4 | 33 | 14 | Max Zachem * | Lu-Mac’s Package Store/Broadbrook Chevrolet | 165 | 40 | Running | |
| 5 | 10 | 88 | Woody Pitkat | Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Chevrolet | 165 | 39 | Running | |
| 6 | 11 | 44 | Bobby Santos | Tinio Corp./Dan Kelley/Curb Records Chevrolet | 165 | 38 | Running | |
| 7 | 15 | 07 | Patrick Emerling | Buffalo Auto Auction Chevrolet | 165 | 37 | Running | |
| 8 | 12 | 93 | Rowan Pennink | Van Wickle Auto Supply Chevrolet | 165 | 36 | Running | |
| 9 | 14 | 79 | Spencer Davis | Hillbilly Racing/Coors 21 Means 21 Pontiac | 165 | 35 | Running | |
| 10 | 2 | 22 | Keith Rocco | Canto Paving/Milton Caterpillar Chevrolet | 165 | 34 | Running | |
| 11 | 17 | 58 | Eric Goodale | GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet | 165 | 33 | Running | |
| 12 | 3 | 16 | Timmy Solomito | Diversified Metals /R.B. Enterprises Ford | 165 | 32 | Running | |
| 13 | 23 | 18 | Ken Heagy | Buoy One Seafood Chevrolet | 132 | 31 | Running | |
| 14 | 19 | 36 | Dave Sapienza * | Frankie’s Towing/Wine Country Chevrolet | 165 | 30 | Running | |
| 15 | 8 | 35 | Derek Ramstrom * | Matthew’s Truck Svc./Seekonk GP Chevrolet | 165 | 29 | Running | |
| 16 | 22 | 46 | Jeff Goodale * | Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet | 165 | 28 | Running | |
| 17 | 29 | 9 | Chase Dowling * | S&S Asphalt Paving/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet | 165 | 27 | Running | |
| 18 | 27 | 37 | Dave Salzarulo | Brickenmore Bricks Chevrolet | 164 | 26 | Running | |
| 19 | 24 | 75 | Shawn Solomito | Eastport Feeds/Axel Anderson Inc. Chevrolet | 160 | 25 | Running | |
| 20 | 5 | 4 | Todd Szegedy | Mystic Missile Racing Dodge | 158 | 24 | Suspension | |
| 21 | 31 | 3 | Troy Talman * | Cape Cod Copper/B&G Toys & Trains Chevrolet | 158 | 23 | Handling | |
| 22 | 1 | 8 | Donny Lia | Sypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet | 144 | 23 | 1 | Running |
| 23 | 7 | 28 | Brendon Bock * | Pro-System Brakes Ford | 139 | 21 | Accident | |
| 24 | 9 | 63 | Tom Rogers, Jr. | East End Statuary Chevrolet | 137 | 20 | Accident | |
| 25 | 18 | 31 | Steve Masse * | El Gee Products/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet | 137 | 19 | Rear End | |
| 26 | 16 | 51 | Justin Bonsignore | M3 Technology Chevrolet | 132 | 18 | Accident | |
| 27 | 13 | 29 | Jon McKennedy | EXIT Realty Chevrolet | 111 | 17 | Accident | |
| 28 | 25 | 33 | Johnny Bush | Performance Engines/Kendall Oil Chevrolet | 110 | 16 | Accident | |
| 29 | 26 | 26 | Gary McDonald | Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electric Pontiac | 101 | 15 | Accident | |
| 30 | 32 | 38 | Wade Cole | Performance Engines/Kendall Oil Chevrolet | 62 | 14 | Handling | |
| 31 | 30 | 64 | Anthony Nocella * | Nocella Reclamation/Complete Const. Chevrolet | 32 | 13 | Accident | |
| 32 | 28 | 01 | Melissa Fifield | Big Moose RV Chevrolet | 19 | 12 | Handling | |
| 33 | 21 | 99 | Jamie Tomaino | Dunleavy’s Repair/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet | 11 | 11 | Accident |
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Donny Lia, Time: 13.965 Seconds, Speed: 96.670 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 18 mins, 30 secs Average Speed: 47.293 mph Margin of Victory: 0.109 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 16-21; 34-41; 43-46; 62-67; 87-93; 97-104; 112-118; 121-125; 131-134; 138-146; 150-153; 158-162. 12 for 73 laps.
Lap Leaders: Donny Lia 1-46, Ryan Preece 47-127, Doug Coby 128-129, Ryan Preece 130-165.
Total Laps Led: Ryan Preece 117, Donny Lia 46, Doug Coby 2. 3 changes involving 3 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: Ryan Preece 130, Doug Coby 129, Woody Pitkat 128, Bobby Santos 112, Eric Goodale 110, Patrick Emerling 106, Rowan Pennink 104, Todd Szegedy 101, Ted Christopher 101, Donny Lia 98
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
