WATERFORD SPEEDBOWL

It was Nostalgia Night at the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Ct on July 30^th.  STAR was on hand with 18 vintage racecars to celebrate the occasion.  History was brought alive to the Bowl that evening with cars of Maynard Troyer, Ollie Silvia, Jack Bateman, Geoff Bodine and Eddie Flemke.  Just some of the great Stars that ran the bowl back in the good old days.  Star started their day with afternoon warm ups and to follow with a very busy evening.  At 4:00 STAR hit the midway of the Bowl to go on static display for the fans to enjoy the close up of the cars and to talk to the drivers.  In the background was the local music radio station playing the “Oldies but Goodies”, which fit right in with the atmosphere.  Then later in the evening the fans were in for a surprise as the “Cars and Stars of Yesteryear” hit to the asphalt to give the fans racing and how it was back in the good old days.  The flagger of the Bowl did an on track start, the way it was done back then. Right down with the cars on the asphalt, flagging the features the way they use to do.  Try that today mmmmm.  STAR’S sportsmen hit to the track first for their 15-lap feature.  As they made their way around turn four you could see the starter on the track jumping with the green flag and it was off to racing.  Richard Hasting from RI in his #7 Pinto of Ron Bouchard and Joe Gause from NH in the Geoff Bodine  #99 Vega lead the pack until Richard Eastman from Ma in the #0 Pinto of Ollie Silvia slipped into second place.  With 3 laps to go it was Hasting leading the pack and in second it was a battle between Eastman in the 0 and Charlie Wilcox from Ct in the 111, who jumped into third position.  The flag came down on Hastings giving him the Sportsmen win for the tour that evening.  Eastman in the #0 finished off with a second and to top off the field with a third was Wilcox in the 111.  Now it was time for the Modifieds to hit the track for their 15-lap feature.  As they made their way to turn four were the flagger was jumping with the green flag to start the 15-lap feature. James Allen from Ma in the #46 and Jamie Ferland from NH in the #194 lead the pack for a few laps until there was a opening and to jump into it was Paul Laplante from RI in his #02 coupe and like a freight train Darryl Dutch from RI in the # 6 and Bob Bateman from RI in the #17 followed Laplante.  This was a night for the Rhode Island members of STAR as they battled the field lap after lap.  Laplante and Dutch switching position for first place with Bateman on their tail waiting for the opportunity.  When the flag came down it was on Laplante in the #02 to take the win for the modified division with another photo finish as Dutch in the #6 pulling a slim second.  Bateman in the #17 just inches from their bumpers to pull off a third.

Congratulations goes out to the top winners of both the Sportsmen and Modified feature wins.  It was the first win with the tour for both drivers. Hastings in the #7 from RI and Laplante in the #02 of RI.  Looks like Rhode Island dominated that evening.

A thanks goes out to the Waterford Speedbowl and their Staff for a great night of racing.