Chicopee's Kim Rivet won her second straight Mini Stock feature, Belchertown's Jason LaFleur took the checkers in Super Stocks, but it was Springfield's Mike O'Sullivan who had the biggest night of all at the quarter-mile in Winchester, N.H.
Mike O'Sullivan celebrates his $3,000 David's House 106 win with crew members and family.Last Saturday was a banner evening for Western Massachusetts drivers at Monadnock Speedway.
Chicopee’s Kim Rivet won her second straight Mini Stock feature, Belchertown’s Jason LaFleur took the checkers in Super Stocks, but it was Springfield’s Mike O’Sullivan who had the biggest night of all at the quarter-mile in Winchester, N.H.
O’Sullivan led a race-high 33 laps to earn the victory in the David’s House 106, the inaugural race of the first full season of the Granite State Pro Stock Series. He had to avoid the spinning car of race leader Bobby Cabral on a lap-75 restart and hung on for the win and the $3,000 winner’s purse.
“I know I was going through turn three with one hand on the wheel and shifting, and it was like driving on ice,” O’Sullivan said in describing the conditions leading up to that crucial restart. “And I knew he had to be doing the same. I figured if I put a little bit of pressure on him for him to get a good restart, he maybe would make a mistake.
“And he did. Bobby’s a good race car driver. He’s a champion and a chassis builder; he’s no dummy. But I was trying to get a little bit of pressure on him so he’d make a mistake. If he got the lead (on the restart), I don’t think I was going to be able to get him. He was pretty good out front.”
The GPSS, which was formed last year by the same people who organize the Valenti Modified Racing Series, ran a trial event last season but are ready for a slate with at least six more races at sites in New Hampshire and Maine.
Fifteen-year-old Derek Griffith, of Hudson, N.H., looked like anything but a rookie in finishing second in his first start in a Pro Stock. West Springfield’s Matt Zenisky and Belchertown’s Barry Gray placed eighth and 15th, respectively.
“You can see this is a well-oiled machine even though this is the first race,” O’Sullivan said. “I thought it went really well. I was happy with the people and I am happy with everything.”
Legendary Modified car owner Mario Fiore, of Agawam, was the Grand Marshal for the festivities. Proceeds from the race benefit David’s House, a home-away-from-home for families of children receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital at Darmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H.
David’s House is one of the organizations receiving assistance through “Ricky’s Race for Kids,” a charity set up to remember racer Ricky Miller, who passed away in 2004. Miller was one of the many drivers to pilot Fiore’s No. 44 Modified.
The Western Mass. winning didn’t stop with O’Sullivan, Rivet and LaFleur, however.
Miller’s family put up $1,000 for the winner of a special six-lap fireman’s race. Irving’s Mark Kosloski held off Whately’s Wayne Hutkoski to secure the prize for his department.
TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE: It’s looking like Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway is turning into Doug Coby’s personal playground.
The Milford, Conn., hotshoe triumphed there for the second time in as many NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races this season, taking the checkers in last Friday’s TSI Harley-Davidson 125.
Race winner Mike O'Sullivan (#08) battles Bobby Cabral (#14) during the David's House 106.Coby passed polesitter Bobby Santos III just eight laps from the finish to earn his fourth career Tour victory - third at Stafford. However, he drove a different car than the one he dominated the Spring Sizzler with back in April.
“I call it the ‘show car’ because I tell them I never want to race it, I want it to be the show car and just want to keep it nice and shiny and run the other one every time,” Coby said. “We all make fun of it and say the show car can stay at home, but the show car put on a show tonight.”
ON A ROLL: Palmer’s Dylan Kopec notched his third SK Lights win in four starts last Friday at Stafford. The only thing keeping Kopec from being 4 for 4 was a penalty for a supposed illegal restart two weeks ago.
East Longmeadow’s Tom Fearn took down the victory in Late Models.
PROPER TRIBUTE: Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl announced last week that its June 23 Whelen Modified Tour race has been given an extra lap in honor of NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans.
The Mr. Rooter 160 is now the Mr. Rooter 161, in honor of the late nine-time NASCAR Modified champion and his iconic car No. 61. It will be the Tour’s first appearance at Waterford since 2006.
Jason Remillard can be reached at jremillard@repub.com