"Ricci an All Star at Lee, Becomes Sixth Different Winner"

One thing can be said about race drivers. They develop a great deal of fondness for certain speedways. Dwight Jarvis makes it clear he loves the Monadnock Speedway, and by right he should. The 33 year veteran has had a great deal of success there throughout his career. And now, only a few weeks after Jarvis told fans in a Monadnock post race interview, "I love this place," another driver disclosed Friday night his feelings for the 3/8 mile Lee USA Speedway, "I love this place, I think this place was built for me." Those were the words of 24 year old Westbrook, ME modified driver Tony Ricci, shortly after he piloted  the J.A. Ricci and Sons, Mulkern Excavating, Rebound Technologies Pontiac # 4 modified to victory to become the sixth different winner in six events on the 2006 True Value Modified Racing Series season. Ricci passed race leader Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT, on lap 94 to go on and win his first event of the year in the annual "All Star 100" for modified race cars at the New Hampshire seacoast area speedway.

Starting eleventh in a twenty four car lineup, Ricci drove a smooth race to insure tire maintenance for the end and gradually made his move to the front when the time was right racing many laps side by side with Jimmy Kuhn, W. Bridgewater, MA, Chris Wenzel, Holyoke, MA, and then Hinckley for the lead.  The faithful followers of the tour and the regular Friday night fan following at Lee voiced a loud cheer when the 24 year old charger made his move to the outside of Hinckley to contest for the lead. The win was Ricci's second career win at Lee. He won the Oktoberfest 2004 there, his first time in a modified driving the Czarnecki Bros. car substituting for the legendary Bob Polverari. The young charger added  "Every time I come here I feel so comfortable, we had a good race car the day we got rained out here, (in May) tonight I felt a little nervous, we wrecked at Waterford, we put the car back together, and it was working".  Tires were a little concern but the Ricci team had a plan in place. "I tried to ride the middle part of the race and save my stuff, I knew we were going to be there at the end, I knew the car was going to be there, I have had a fast car every time I have unloaded it this year but patience has not been one of my virtues, it's time to be patient and it paid off in the end." He added, "When we won on 2004 we had a good car but this is the first time I've won a race in my own car, out of my own shop, and my guys, we work all week to prepare but yes this one is right up there with that first one."

Hinckley, who started on the pole and led until Ricci took the top spot, developed  power steering problems with 10 laps remaining that eventually led to Hinckley's undoing and a fifth place finish. Ricci's charge to the front was not the only strong finish that met with the crowd's approval. Canton, MA driver Richard Savary, in the Superior Oil sponsored Monte Carlo started 23rd on the grid and made a late race charge to finish in second, his best tour finish to date. Kuhn drove a steady race and put the W.S.Shepard, Modern Auto Body, # 72 Monte Carlo into a strong third spot, while another late race story developed when GMH Transportation Rookie of the Year contender Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA, made his move to the front and piloted Marco Turcotte's # 40 McKennedy Bros, Kingsley Automotive sponsored racer to a fourth, his best finish to date, with Hinckley in the Custom Tinting Unlimited # 06 finishing fifth. Sixth through tenth were, Dale Evonsion, Jimmy Dolan, Dwight Jarvis, Jim Boniface, and Kirk Alexander.  The race was slowed by six caution flags and one red flag when a late race incident involving five cars created a blockage of the speedway.

Qualifying races were won by Hinckley, Kuhn, and Wenzel, with Dachenhausen winning the 15 lap consolation race.

The point standings take on a different look following the Lee race with Jarvis still sitting at the top of the rankings but with a little more breathing room as a result of Ed Dachenhausen's misfortune, as he was involved in a crash. Jarvis has 242 points with Alexander and Kuhn tied for second with 216, Dachenhausen fourth at 215, and Rob Goodenough fifth with 182.

The next point's race for the tour will be Tuesday night July 18 at Lee USA Speedway when the rescheduled twin 100's for the ACT tour and the TVMRS will be run with a 6PM starting time.  Several teams will be competing this Friday night July 14th at the Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, NH, as that track hosts an "open" for modified race cars with $5,000 to win.

The True Value Modified Racing Series would like to thank the fans for their contributions to the New Hampshire Make a Wish Foundation and for their generous support. Drivers canvassed the grandstands following qualifying races and fans contributed close to $1100 to the organization. Several families and their terminally ill children were on hand as guests of the MacDonald family. Bobbi Seuss, mother of driver Andy Seuss, and her family and friends work tirelessly for the Make-A-Wish organization.

Race Summary:
Lee USA Speedway July 7, 2006
All-Star 100 Race # 8
Race Time: 50:18
Race Leader: Hinckley 1-93 Ricci: 94-100
6 caution flags, 1 Red Flag (track blocked by crash)
Black Mountain Painting 1/2 way: Hinckley
Sherwood Wheel Award: McKennedy
Koszela Speed: 5th Hinckley   15th Goodenough
Sunoco Hard Charger: Richard Savary   (most cars passed)
Next event:  Canaan NH (non point's race) July 14, 2006
Next event:  Lee USA Speedway (point's race) July 18, 2006
6:00 pm start.  This is the reschedule of the May 21 event.