Despite these intentions however, Pitkat would end up having to pit after contact on lap 121 left him with a flat right rear.

“I was under Frank (Ruocco) for about a lap,” said Pitkat.  “His spotter must not have told him I was there because he came down on me.  We got together and I brushed it against the frontstretch wall before straightening it out.”

The resulting pit stop and repair would put Pitkat back into 19th place, one of the last cars on the lead lap, but another quick caution allowed him to regain several positions.  Over the next three cautions and the remaining laps of the race, Pitkat would regain several more positions, finally crossing the finish line in eighth spot.

“I’m glad we came to Waterford,” said Pitkat.  “We didn’t really struggle and we didn’t embarrass ourselves at all.  It made me feel good to go there and run well.  I was pretty happy with that.”

Pitkat returns to action at Stafford Motor Speedway as part of their season opening Spring Sizzler weekend, April 25th through 27th.

Woody had a stout run in his re-numbered #89 at Waterford.

(Rick Ibsen photo)

“I was actually pretty surprised at how good the car was early,” said Pitkat.  “It wasn’t great, but it was exactly how I wanted and how my crew chief wanted it.  I was free getting into the corners, and free on exit.  We knew that as the fuel burned off, the car would tighten up, and that’s exactly what it did.”

Pitkat progressed through the field at what normally could be viewed as a leisurely pace, but given that it was a 150 lap race, there was no great need to aggressively seek the front.  After starting 21st, Pitkat was up to 10th by lap 50, and fifth by lap 100.

“Early on we were pretty much cruising,” explained Pitkat.  “I just wanted to put laps on the tires.  I knew we didn’t have a car that could win necessarily, but I knew we could come away with a solid top-five finish.  We had no intention of making a pit stop.”

As season opening events go, Waterford Speedbowl’s Bud Nationals traditionally brings out the best of the Modified drivers in the area, and this year was no different.  Woody Pitkat was among those who ventured to the Connecticut shoreline track, joining a cast that included several Whelen Modified Tour veterans and other short track aces.

Though Pitkat finished first in the consi race to earn a berth into the 150 lap feature, he sustained enough damage that the team was still thrashing on the renumbered #89 car while the Pit Party session was underway.  The car was good, but how good would it run in the feature?  The answer came quickly enough.

Patient Pitkat Finishes Eighth at Bud Nationals

Young Standout Overcomes Adversity for Top-10 Run at Waterford