2-Time Wild Thing Kart Senior Outlaw Champion Frank L’Etoile, Jr. Moving to Stafford’s DARE Stock Division for 2013
Stafford Springs, CT — When the green flag is displayed to kick off the 2013 DARE Stock season at Stafford Motor Speedway, Wethersfield native Frank L’Etoile, Jr. will realize a vision that has been three years in the making. L’Etoile is a veteran of the Wild Thing Kart ranks, winning the Senior Outlaw championship in 2008 and 2009. L’Etoile finished second in the 2012 Senior Outlaw points standings as well as making his DARE Stock debut at the CARQUEST Fall Final in preparation for his first full season of DARE Stock competition in 2013.
“Joey Ferrigno had an old Monte Carlo laying around, so we got the car from him and my Dad and me spent 3 years going through the car putting a DARE Stock together,” said L’Etoile. “We did everything ourselves, we built the motor and the rear end, and we’ve had a lot of parts that were pitched in by other guys. The Casagrande’s have helped us a lot and Gil Grismale from GRP Services helped me build the engine and we had help from Dave Miller from Auto Machine in East Windsor with the engine. I’m trying to learn everything I can along the way. If you know how something works, then you can easily fix it if it breaks.”
L’Etoile debuted his #33 sponsored by Zeke’s Pump Service in the 2012 CARQUEST Fall Final and he finished 14th after starting 20th. L’Etoile learned a lot in his first race and he says that a brake issue prevented them from getting a top-10 finish in that race.
“That was my first race in a DARE Stock,” said L’Etoile. “I was really looking forward to the Friday practice session because I had never driven anything other than a go kart. The Friday practice got rained out, so I made sure that I was the first car out on the track for practice on Saturday after I’d been waiting for three years. I got my doors blown off and it wasn’t until the second half of my heat race that I started trying to drive the car harder. During the feature, we had an issue with the brakes and I had nothing but rear brakes, so the car was very loose to drive. It got loose once on me and I saved it, but the second time it got loose I spun it into the infield and we went a lap down. Because of that we finished 14th instead of finishing 8th like I think we should have. But that race was a blast, I got the jitters out and now I can show up at the Spring Sizzler with a clear head and not be worrying about what to expect.”
While L’Etoile is excited for the 2013 season, he knows he still lacks experience and has set a realistic goal for himself this season. L’Etoile is going to take full advantage of the practice time leading up to the season opening CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler.
“I definitely need more seat time,” said L’Etoile. “I know the line I need to run, but with the brake issues we had, I’m still not sure just how deep I can take the car into the corners. But I know what I can do in a go kart and hopefully we can transfer that into the DARE Stock. My main goal is to keep the car in one piece and get my feet wet. We’re not going for the championship by any means. We don’t have a lot of money so we want to keep the car together so we can keep coming back the following week and race. I’m excited about being able to race at Stafford, that’s where I grew up and I’m looking forward to racing on Monday nights in the Wild Thing Karts and racing on Friday nights in the DARE Stock.”
L’Etoile’s #33 entry will carry sponsorship from Zeke’s Pump Service, Carl’s Custom Auto, GRP Services, Auto Machine, K & W Custom Auto, and Better Letter Signs. If L’Etoile can successfully transfer his Wild Thing Kart success into the DARE Stock ranks, he may one day have another championship trophy to add to his cabinet.
The 2013 season kicks off for L’Etoile and the rest of the DARE Stock field with the 42nd Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler on April 26-28. Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” may be ordered by calling the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is $42.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.
For more information on the 42nd Annual CARQUEST TECH-NET Spring Sizzler®, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR