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NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

Ron Silk holds off Doug Coby for Loudon Modified Tour win with help from the clock

The results also tighten the championship battle by a slight margin …

Jeff Ames

Eight years later, not much has changed for Ron Silk.

The Norwalk, Connecticut, driver picked up his third career victory at the ‘Magic Mile’ in the Eastern Propane & Oil 100 on Saturday, outlasting a field of 38 drivers on the biggest stage of modified racing. It was the third career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Silk, and his first at the 1.058-mile since 2011.

He beat Doug Coby on what turned out to be the final restart, when contact from a crash shortened the race due to damage to the outside wall in turn one.  It was the second win of the season for the former series champion and his 12th career.

“Kenny and Kevin Stuart (car owners) have really done a great job getting me everything that I have asked for,” Silk said. “It’s nice to see the effort pay off. The guys are really working hard.”

Silk didn’t lead a lap until the final stages. Following a caution with just 20 laps remaining, Silk chased the back bumper of Eric Goodale, before taking the lead from him on lap 85. From there, he never relinquished the top spot, while drivers jostled for position in the draft behind him.

The field lined up for a green-white-checkered finish on lap 101, but a quick crash in turn one slowed the field again. While safety crews went to work on the wall, the race was deemed complete in overtime. Silk took the checkered flag until caution, seven laps after the scheduled distance.

“We raced really hard the whole day,” Silk said. “There was certainly no guarantee that I would have won. But we were leading at the right time. Bummer circumstances that we didn’t get to finish.”

RECAP + RESULTS: All-Star Shootout

Chase Dowling finished third, while Jon McKennedy, who earned his first Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award in qualifying, led 19 laps and finished fourth. Matt Swanson was fifth. Eric Goodale was sixth, followed by Justin Bonsignore, Rob Summers, Tommy Catalano and Craig Lutz.

Coby leads Silk by 28 in the championship point standings with seven races remaining, while Bonsignore is third, 38 out.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track on Friday, August 2 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut.

The complete results can be found below.

1. 85 Ron Silk
2. 2 Doug Coby
3. 99 Chase Dowling
4. 7 Jon McKennedy
5. 3 Matt Swanson
6. 58 Eric Goodale
7. 51 Justin Bonsignore
8. 64 Rob Summers
9. 54 Tommy Catalano
10. 46 Craig Lutz
11. 16 Timmy Solomito
12. 70 Andy Seuss
13. 06 Sam Rameau
14. 14 Blake Barney
15. 77 Ryan Newman
16. 1 Jeff Rocco
17. 24 Andrew Krause
18. 6 Ryan Preece
19. 38 Kyle Ellwood
20. 75 Chris Pasteryak
21. 33 Wade Cole
22. 21 Jimmy Blewett
23. 32 Tyler Ryplema
24. 36 Bobby Santos III
25. 20 Max Zachem
26. 01 Melissa Fifield
27. 97 Bryan Dauzat
28. 07 Patrick Emerling
29. 34 JB Fortin
30. 92 Anthony Nocella
31. 47 Joey Mucciacciaro
32. 45 Timmy Catalano
33. 35 Andrew Molleur
34. 82 Woody Pitkat
35. 57 Todd Cooper
36. 25 Calvin Carroll
37. 78 Walter Sutcliffe Jr.
38. 23 Jacob Perry

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Matt Weaver is the owner and founder of Short Track Scene. Weaver grew up in the sport, having raced himself before becoming a reporter in college at the University of South Alabama. He also has extensive experience covering NASCAR, IndyCar and Dirt Sprint Cars.

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