WATERFORD – With the weather finally cooperating, Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday was able to get the night in after a month off with a double main event.
The 35 lap Cure HHT Super X-Car race put on a show worthy of the cause. 17 cars took the green flag with Ben Pollard rocketing out in the lead. The race was only slowed twice due to parts failures ending Ray Reed, Greg Moran Jr., David Ciastko and Mitch Bombard’s night early. Pollard surrendered the lead to defending champion Dave Yardley at the regular distance of 25 laps, and that’s when the action would heat up. Yardley, Pollard and Patrick Donnellan put on a show battling for the lead over the final 10 laps. The 3 put up a fierce door slamming fight for the win to take the checkered flag, but it was Marc Shafer who kept his foot in the gas, led for only 50 feet, and won the event.
Drivers from Maine to Long Island descended on the shoreline oval to participate in the Guardians of the Purple Heart 50 Lap X-Car Shootout. Attrition was the name of the game for the majority of the field, but the front runners still put on a show. Chris Palamar took the early lead after a brief battle with Corey Caddick. Palamar took command of the event until just over halfway when Caddick turned up the heat and left Palamar, Dylan Cabral, and a returning Dave Gargaro in his dust. Gargaro tried to reel in Caddick but ran out of laps to consider making a move. Cabral kept the pressure on Palamar, even trying a hail mary move on the last corner but came up short. Caddick who was out for a Sunday drive was able to lap up to 4th place taking home the win.
Richie Helger and Riley Paul put on a brief battle to start the INEX Legend Car event, with Helger getting the advantage. Paul would get crossed up and fade back in the pack while Zachary Martinez turned on the after burners, passing Helger for the lead. Jacob Burns and Isaiah Newcomb both started coming alive around halfway, but contact would lead to a chain reaction ending Helger and Pauls night early. When racing resumed, the 2021 champion Jacob Burns would show he hasn’t forgotten his way around the Speedbowl, winning in his first Legend Car start of the year.
The INEX Bandoleros were dominated once again by Milania Shilosky, who after an early caution that ended Connor Doyon’s night before it really started, rocketed off to almost a straightaway lead by the end of the 20 laps. So far she has had an undefeated season with 4 in a row.
The Speedbowl is back in action on July 8th for Speedbowl Saturday Nights featuring the SK Modifieds®, Late Models, Street Stocks, SK Lights, and Trucks. Then again next Wednesday July 12th for another edition of Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday. Keep up with us at www.speedbowlct.com, on Facebook at The New London-Waterford Speedbowl, or on Instagram and Twitter @SpeedbowlCT.
RESULTS
Super X-Cars (35 Laps): 1. 58-Marc Shafer[5]; 2. 20-Patrick Donnellan[3]; 3. 76-Dave Yardley[4]; 4. 88-Ben Castro[2]; 5. 43-William Rheaume[6]; 6. 31-PJ Childs[9]; 7. 24-Sean Skinner[8]; 8. 38-Donald “Bud” Kuehne[1]; 9. 5-John Nunes[14]; 10. 82-John Nash[12]; 11. 60-Jeremy Marcella[13]; 12. 2-Caitlyn Desomma[15]; 13. 30-Pipper Beal[16]; 14. 64-Greg Moran Jr[7]; 15. 10-Mitch Bombard[11]; 16. 87-Raymond Reed[10]; 17. 12-David Ciastko[17]
X-Cars (50 Laps): 1. 57-Corey Caddick[7]; 2. 27-David Gargaro Jr[12]; 3. 42-Chris Palamar[5]; 4. 19-Dylan Cabral[9]; 5. 15T-Joe Warren[10]; 6. 7-James Trask[1]; 7. 51-James Goodman[14]; 8. 01-Chuck McDonald[4]; 9. 58-Jamie Ventura[2]; 10. 67-Wade Robbins[6]; 11. 1-CP Burdick[22]; 12. 11-Tim Burgess[18]; 13. 34-Samuel Lee[13]; 14. 37-Randy Caddick[21]; 15. 56X-Gregg Sajkowicz[3]; 16. 7X-Sam Mesick[11]; 17. 02-Ryan Magliano[8]; 18. 45CT-Josh Piper[15]; 19. 00-Ryan Bannister[16]; 20. 17-Talyn Walsh[19]; 21. 01CT-Keith McDonald[17]; 22. 47-Grant Spaulding[20]; 23. (DNS) 84-William Schoeler
INEX Legend Cars (25 Laps): 1. 13-Jacob Burns[6]; 2. 14Z-Zachary Martinez[5]; 3. 22-Isaiah Newcomb[4]; 4. 02-Dylan Cote[2]; 5. 88-Tyler Anderson[8]; 6. 9-Leo Rossi[7]; 7. 15-Scott Kinsman[9]; 8. 99RI-Richard Helger Jr[3]; 9. 91-Riley Paul[1]
INEX Bandoleros (20 Laps): 1. 99-Milania Shilosky[4]; 2. 82-Robert “RJ” Murphy Jr[3]; 3. 10-Allyha Desomma[6]; 4. 15M-Warren Mattesen[5]; 5. 19-Connor Doyon[1]; 6. (DQ) 11RI-Nicholas Uhrig Jr[2]
(Photo by Passing Bird Photography)