It was quite the week for Modified competition in New England, with two open races bookending a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.
NASCAR Cup Series regular Ryan Preece won the Lincoln Tech Open 80 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway last Friday, Ron Silk captured the WMT’s Rumble at the Ridge 200 at Beech Ridge Speedway in Maine and Matt Hirschman prevailed Wednesday in the Tri-Track Open Modified Series’ Open Wheel at Seekonk Speedway.
After a pit stop with 31 laps to go on Friday, Preece, who started from the pole, found himself outside the top 10. He carved his way through the field from Mike Christopher Jr. on a restart on lap 77 and hung on for the victory and another prize for the “Trophy Hunter.” Christopher hung on for second, followed by Marcello Rufrano, Bobby Santos III and Todd Owen.
On Saturday, Silk passed Hirschman with fewer than 10 laps remaining to score his first win of the season and the 16th of the 2011 WMT champion’s career.
It was the Tour’s first trip to the ⅓ mile layout in Scarborough, Maine, in more than 15 years. The race showed that the track should be on the schedule for years to come.
Hirschman finished second, followed by Patrick Emerling, Matt Swanson and six-time champion Doug Coby.
On Wednesday, Hirschman proved why they call him “Big Money Matt” by winning the annual $10,000-to-win Seekonk race for a record fourth time.
He went from second to first on the first lap and led 99 of 100 laps. Hirschman was barely tested until Chase Dowling made it interesting over the final four circuits. Anthony Nocella, Richard Savary and Joey Cipriano rounded out the top five.
When Coby takes to the track at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next month for his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut, he will do so with a familiar sponsor.
Mayhew Tools of Turners Falls has supported Coby’s WMT efforts for several years, and the company is putting up the cash to carry its logo on the hood of Coby’s No. 24 truck. The ride will also sport an American flag scheme similar to what Coby carries on his No. 10 Modified.
Wilbraham’s Tommy O’Sullivan held off his nephew, Belchertown’s Chris Buffone, to take the checkered flag in the Street Stock division at Monadnock Speedway last Saturday. It’s O’Sullivan’s fourth win in as many starts this season.
In the NHSTRA Modifieds, Matt Kimball earned his fifth victory of the season, fending off Hatfield’s Tyler Leary. Multiple-time winners were the name of the game as Gordon Farnum racked up his ninth of the season in Mini Stocks, while Teagan Edson notched her second in a row in Young Guns.
The Street Stocks will be the featured attraction Saturday, with an increased purse and points toward the NHSTRA Battle for the Belt title.
Jason Remillard is a copy editor and page designer at the Recorder. He can be reached at jremillard@recorder.com and followed on Twitter @racinwithjason.