When the pit strategy lines up in your favor, you can’t help but get excited.  That’s what happened to Woody Pitkat at Martinsville Speedway (VA) in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Made in America 200.  A late race yellow allowed him to take his tires with only a handful of laps to go, but a broken alternator belt end his day and left him 20th in the final rundown. 

“I think we had a top 10 car at the end of the race,” said Pitkat.  “I don’t think anyone in front of us at the time had fresh tires so we could really drive hard, but the motor had issues and we never determined it was the alternator until later on.  We even were charging the battery during a red flag period.”  

Pitkat also logged a fifth at Stafford Motor Speedway (CT) on Friday night and a 15th the night before at Thompson Int’l Speedway (CT).  Stafford will be the site of Pitkat’s next racing weekend as he will run both a NASCAR Modified and an SK Modified in this coming weekend’s Annual Fall Final.

“We always run well at the Fall Final,” said Pitkat.  “I have won the SK Modified race each of the last two seasons.  We have also run really well there recently.  Hopefully we can put it all together and have a solid finish in the Tour race as well.”

Practice begins on Friday, October 2nd with qualifying in all divisions on Saturday, October 3rd the 150-lap Whelen Modified Tour Race will be on Sunday, October 4th along with the SK feature.

Woody Pitkat's # 88 NASCAR Whelen Modified. (Jim DuPont Photo)

Woody Pitkat Ends Up 20th at Martinsville

Alternator Belt Problems Forced Connecticut Driver Out Early