Burroughs takes down first SK Lite Modified win

Chicolas holds off Hadley, rain to win first Sportsman feature

Canfield remains red-hot in Mini Stocks

Trainer dominates all 50 laps of NEMA Lite feature

Randy Cabral of Kingston, MA in control of Pro 4 Modifieds

SK Modified rained out; double features on Aug. 4

WATERFORD  — The road from Mini Stock champion to SK Lite Modified competitor has been filled with potholes and broken glass for Wayne Burroughs,

“We really struggled last year,” Burroughs said. “We’ve been thrashing on it and thrashing on it. We have definitely paid our dues. We really struggled last year, but we’re finally starting to turn things around.”

The ultimate turnaround for Burroughs took place Saturday when he tracked down his first SK Lite Modified victory at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Burroughs is a two-time Speedbowl Mini Stock champ who was winless since moving into the SK Lites in 2017.

That changed in a big way Saturday. Burroughs took the lead from Chris Gombos midway through the race and pulled away with a huge lead in the second half of the race.

Burrough’s success story was just one of several Saturday at the Speedbowl. Jason Chicolas held off a late charge by Jordan Hadley to win his first Speedbowl Sportsman feature. Charles Canfield used his skill on the outside grove to blur by Ken Cassidy Jr. on a restart with six laps to go to win the 25-lap Mini Stock feature. Jake Trainer led the entire distance on his way to a win in the 50-lap NEMA Lite Jim O’Brien Memorial while Randy Cabral withstood a late charge by Brett Meservey to

win the 25-lap Ct. Pro-Four Modified feature.

The rains hit the Speedbowl before the final feature, the 40-lap SK Modified race, could get under way. The race is rescheduled for Aug. 4 as part of an SK Modified double header.

Gambos blasted into the early lead in the SK Lite feature, but Burroughs ran him down on lap 10.. After Burroughs pounced into the lead,  he started to pull away from the field.

Puleo squeezed by Gombos on the final lap to take second.

“Those kids are hard to beat,” Burroughs said. “I’m glad we finally did it,”

Canfield used his expertise of the outside groove at Waterford to maintain his Mini Stock hot streak. In the last six races, he has five first place efforts and one second place.

“It’s a great thing,” Canfield said. “I just have to thanks all the people who help me. They did an awesome job.:

So did Canfield. After battling through traffic, he pulled alongside Cassidy, the race leader, on a double-file restart with six laps to go.  Canfield got the jump on the restart and was able to pull away down the stretch to win by a comfortable margin.

Chicolas had never won a Sportsman race at the Speedbowl before, but he took the early lead Saturday by a wide margin. In the second half of the race, Hadley made a late charge and pulled to Chicolas’ bumper with three laps to go.

The rains came in a hurry, however, forcing officials to red-checker the race on lap 27,

“It was awesome, awesome,” Chicolas said. “I had a real loose car at the end. I don’t know if it was the rain, or what. I kept seeing Hadley coming after me, and I just said ‘oh no.’”

A quick shower, however, ended the race and gave Chicolas his first Speedbowl win,”

Trainer also celebrated his first-ever Speedbowl when he won the 50-lap NEMA Lite Jim O’Brien Memorial.

The first 26 laps were dominated by Trainer. He galloped away from the rest of the field and led by more than a length of a straightaway before the first and only caution came out.

When the race resumed, however, Trainer‘s car was just as dominant as it was before the caution. All Stoehr could do was settle for second.

“The car ran great all day” Trainer said. “I knew that the 21 car (Avery Stoehr) was fast. I thought he was coming and I didn’t’ know if I could hold him off. But I did and I got the checker.”

Stoehr, who battled his way through traffic to move into second with 24 laps left, attempted a move underneath Trainer on the restart, but came up short. That was the last chance he had to take over the lead.

:I saw Jake getting loose, but we were getting tight,” Stoehr said.

Cabral set a blistering race in the Ct. Pro 4 feature and no one could catch him.

“This is a family effort and a team effort,” Cabral said. “I have to thank my wife. She was in the garage with me every night this week helping me finish the car. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have a clutch in this car.”

P.J. Peters finished fourth overall, but was a winner in the Pro 4 Lite division.

In the Senior Tour Auto Racing events, Gregg Massini won the Modified race and Bob Seward Sr, captured the Sportsman division race. The New England Antique Racers scheduled 15-lap race was a victim of the rain.

Racing resumes Saturday at the Speedbowl with a pair of 40-lap SK Modified features, the Late Models, twin Sportsman features, the Legends, the CT-Pro 4 Mods and the X-Cars.

25-lap Mini Stocks: 1. Charles Canfield, East Haven; 2. Ken Cassidy, Lisbon; 3. Doug Curry, Groton; 4. Nick Pappacoda, North Branford; 5. Ian Brew, Wood River Junction, R.I.; 6. Jake Christian, Norwich; 7. Tommy Silva, Gales Ferry; 8. Larry Loomis, Moosup; 9. J.T. Suprenant, Central Village; 10. Sean Caron, East Hampton.

25-lap SK Lites: 1. Wayne Burroughs, Oakdale; 2.Jonathan Puleo, Branford; 3. Chris Gombos, Naugatuck; 4. Bert Ouellette, Ellington; 5. Jacob Perry, Pawcatuck; 6. John O’Sullivan, Salem;7. Keith Caruso, Milbury; 8. Nick Anglace, Naugatuck; 9. Anthony Marvin, Colechester; 10. Paul French, Andover.

28-lap Sportsman: 1. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, Mass.; 2. Jordan Hadley, Quaker Hill; 3. Bo Norman, Clinton; 4. Shawn Gaedeke, Groton; 5. Al Stone Durham; 6. Adrien Paradis, Plainville; 8. Ronnie Oldham, Waterford; 8. Phil Evans, Uncasville; 9. Jon Porter, East Lyme; 10. Scott Cook, Oakdale.