WALL TOWNSHIP — Tommy Martino Jr. raced to victory in the non-stop 40-lap main event for Modified stock cars at Wall Stadium Speedway on the night of June 25. The victory was the first career win for the Farmingdale resident.
Martino jumped to the lead at the outset with Brick Township’s Eddie McCarthy charging into second and Howell’s Jimmy Blewett taking up third. That trio led the test through the first seven laps as Holmdel’s Andrew Krause advanced through the pack and into fourth place, according to a press release.
As the non-stop laps ticked off, Martino and McCarthy spent most of their time tussling for the lead while Blewett and Krause wrestled for third. Traffic came into play on lap 23 when the top two drivers had to slice through lapped cars; after a tense moment both were able to race through and continue.
At the checkered flag it was Martino, McCarthy, Blewett and Krause, as Carsten DiGiantomasso of Jackson was fifth.
“We finally did it,” Martino said of his fist career win. “I have to thank my father for this. He started building motors for racers here and I fell in love with the place. Eddie (McCarthy) was fast tonight. I kept hearing on the radio that he was one car back or two cars back. He kept me on my toes.”
Taking the top spot in the closing laps of the Factory Stock contest, Johnny Carpenter of Howell raced to his first win of the season, taking the checkered flag after 25 laps.
Howell’s Brian Osborn, Manchester’s Scott Riggleman and early leader Matt Badessa of Cranford completed the top four while defending champion Bryan O’Shea of Neptune City was fifth.
Neil Rutt III of Colts Neck grabbed his first win of the 2022 season in the Sportsman stock car 25-lap race, wrestling the lead from early front-runner and eventual runner-up Tyler Truex of Egg Harbor Township.
Howell’s Kevin Davison, Michael Carr of Point Pleasant Beach and Jackson’s Jarret DiGiantomasso wrapped up the top five.
Mike Lavery of Orangeburg, N.Y., led the entire non-stop 50-lap distance to win the Fast 4 stock car main event.
Sean Vuksanic of Wall Township, Ryan Maher of Neptune and Burlington’s Alonzo Morales, all of whom challenged for the lead during the race, wrapped up the top four, and Chuck McDonald of Groton, Conn., was fifth.
Former champion Howie Conk of Freehold won the 25-lap race for the Limited Late Models, while Kyle Taraska of Woodbridge won the 30-lap J.J. Lane Memorial for the touring ATQMRA Three Quarter Midgets, according to the press release.
Wall Stadium Speedway will be dark on July 2 for the Independence Day holiday weekend. The regular season will resume on July 9 with the NASCAR Modified Tour in the spotlight.
