Anthony Flannery of East Hampton had the spotlight for Waterford Speedbowl’s Wild ‘n Wacky race program completed on Wednesday evening, making track history when he won the 20-lap Legends Cars main event.  Flannery, age 15, became the first competitor to win seven races to begin a season in any division series over the track’s sixty year history.  Middletown racer Joey Ternullo was the Bandolero winner, his first in the division.  Michael Caprio of New Haven conquered the Super X-Car race and Glen Thomas Jr. of Groton checkered an exciting X-Car race.  Bubby Brouwer of Waterford was the X-Modified race winner.

 Veteran Carl Blandina led the Legends Cars field to green with teenager Dana Dimatteo challenging his outside during the opening lap.  Blandina took control, bringing George Whitney into second place.  Dimatteo found himself in third, but that didn’t last as Flannery moved to his outside to take over the spot on lap four.   Those four rode in position for an additional lap when things began to heat up. 

Whitney looked low under the leader but got crossed up, gathering his car back.  That jostled Flannery and Dimatteo directly behind, allowing Ed Field to move up the inside of the pack down the back chute.  Contact was made among the top five drivers sending Dimatteo spinning into turn three, collecting Dennis Pantani to bring out caution on lap six.  A number of other competitors scattered, including national Legends Cars points contender Bayley Currey of Texas.  Currey entered the race second in the Pro Series standings and ducked pit side for service under the yellow, resuming at the rear.

Flannery took over on the restart with Whitney coming through into second position.  Blandina stayed in third with Nick Ladyga fourth and Currey flexing his muscle making it back to the fifth position by lap 11.    Currey then ducked under Ladyga for fourth, bringing Dimatteo back up to fifth position behind.  A quick caution waved again on lap 13 to reset the field.

Flannery resumed out front with Whitney and Currey making up the top three when the race reached five laps to go.  Currey bombed under Whitney for second place, taking over that spot as the field came back to the stripe with two laps remaining.  Flannery was unable to be caught going on to his record seventh win to start the season in the series.  Overall, he has ten straight wins in the division including the Speedbowl’s Saturday race programs.  Currey made his long haul worthwhile ending up second in his first track appearance.  Whitney was third, Dimatteo fourth and Field was fifth.

 Corey Dimatteo took the lead at the start of the 20-lap Bandolero feature race.  Nick Sowa challenged the inside of Dimatteo with Ternullo racing tight in third behind the leaders through lap four.  The leaders made contact battling up front, with Sowa doing a 360 spin exiting turn two but continuing on without caution.

At halfway in the event Ternullo continued to lead but Kaz Grala, winner of two events this season, had moved past Dimatteo into second position.  Points leader Taylor Martin found herself coming through the field to fourth place well back of the lead trio with Ken Morin Jr. on her rear bumper in fifth. 

Grala dove low under the leader in turn two to challenge on lap 14, but couldn’t complete the move. He pressured Ternullo relentlessly over the remaining laps, but the 11-year old Ternullo maneuvered lapped traffic like a veteran to keep Grala at bay with the white flag was in the air.  Open track was ahead of the leaders, providing Grala a last chance to grab his third win of the year.  He looked under Ternullo one final time exiting turn four, but Ternullo hung on for his first win.  Grala was second, Dimatteo third, Martin fourth and Morin finished fifth.

For more information about Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday and the calendar of events, please visit www.speedbowl.com or contact track offices at 860.442.1585.

Waterford Speedbowl 6/23 Wild ‘n Wacky Wednesday Results:

Legends Cars (20-laps):  1. Anthony Flannery, East Hampton; 2. Bayley Currey, Austin, TX; 3. George Whitney, Westbrook; 4. Dana DiMattteo, Farmington; 5. Edward Field, Deep River; 6. Carlo Blandina, Milford; 7. Giovanni Giarratana, Newington; 8. Michael Blaskey, Bethany; 9. Kyle Rogers, Waterbury; 10. Troy Talman, Oxford; 11. Peter Cirilli, Farmington; 12. Joey Mucciacciaro, Wolcott; 13. Matthew Carpenter, Auburn, MA; 14. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown; 15. Jake Spiller, Ashburnham, MA; 16. Tom Pinson, Colchester; 17. Peter Portante, Plainville; 18. Dennis Pantani, Branford; 19. Richard White III, North Stonington; 20. Mike Beebe Sr., Old Saybrook; 21. David Garbo Jr., Stonington

Point Standings after seven events:  1. Flannery, 385;  2. Field, 306;  3. Dimatteo, 296;  4. Giarratana, 286;  5. Blandina, 274;  6. Pantani, 216;  7. White, 212;  8. Mucciacciaro, 204;  9. (tie) Garbo, Spillers, 198

Bandolero’s (20-laps): 1. Joey Ternullo, Middletown; 2. Kaz Grala, Westborough, MA; 3. Corey DiMatteo, Farmington; 4. Taylor Martin, Windham, NH; 5. Kenneth Morin Jr., Old Saybrook; 6. Andrew Carpenter, Auburn, MA; 7. Tyler Chalue, Dudley, MA; 8. Garrett Denton, Hope Valley, RI; 9. Jordan Lamothe, Woodstock; 10. Jordan Churchill, Lisbon; 11. Chace Wood, Danielson; 12. Nicholas Matera, Warwick, RI; 13. Daniel Stolte, Northbridge, MA; 14. Rachel Forte, Douglas, MA; 15. Nicholas Sowa, Middletown  

Point Standings after seven events:  1. Martin, 353;  2. Chalue, 281;  3. Grala, 274;  4. Forte, 256;  5. Ternullo, 229;  6. Chris Lomartire, 222;  7. Carpenter, 220;  8. Denton, 218;  9. Morin, 214;  10. Dimatteo, 204