Preece, Stuart, & Wells Score NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler Sunday Feature Victories at Stafford
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway’s 43rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler Weekend continued on Sunday with feature events for the SK Modified®, Late Model, and NorthEast Mini Stock Tour divisions. Ryan Preece scored a dominating win in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Jay Stuart in the 30-lap Late Model feature event, and Toby Wells was the winner of the 25-lap NorthEast Mini Stock Tour feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Joey Cipriano took the lead at the green with Matt Galko settling into second behind him. Tom Bolles was third with Rowan Pennink moving up to fourth. Sean Foster was side by side with Curt Brainard for fifth for a lap before taking the position. Bolles dropped off the pace on lap-8 while Cipriano continued to lead the race with Galko behind him.
The car on the move was Ryan Preece, who broke into the top-5 by the time lap-10 was complete. Preece quickly moved into fourth place with Eric Berndt taking over fifth behind him while Cipriano continued to lead the race. Pennink was able to get around Galko to move into second when the caution came out with 13 laps complete as Ted Christopher spun coming out of turn 2.
Cipriano maintained the lead on the restart but behind him Ronnie Williams made hard contact with the turn 3 wall, which collected several cars behind him including Tommy Membrino, Jr., Cam McDermott, Jay Sundeen, David Webb, Keith Rocco, Troy Talman, and Brett Gonyaw, which brought the caution right back out.
Back under green, Pennink got a good run to the outside of Cipriano and moved into the race lead. Preece followed in Pennink’s tire tracks and also went around Cipriano to move into second. The caution came back out after one lap for Doug Coby, whose car got out of shape and spun, collecting the car of Frank Ruocco in the process.
Preece got a strong restart and he powered his way by Pennink to take over the race lead. The field completed one lap before the caution came back out for Tommy Membrino, Jr., who came to a stop on track just before the entranced to pit road.
The next restart saw Preece and Pennink stay side by side for half a lap before Preece took the lead. Pennink slotted into second, just in front of Matt Galko. One lap after the restart, Cipriano pulled alongside Galko in a fight for third but the caution flag slowed the action with 17 laps complete for Sean Foster and Berndt, who came together and spun into the turn 3 wall.
Preece again took command back under green and he immediately began to open a gap back to Pennink in second. Cipriano remained in third with Danny Cates moving up to fourth place and Chase Dowling moving up to fifth. Galko was back to sixth, with Dan Avery, Todd Owen, Ted Christopher, and Doug Coby rounding out the top-5.
Dowling made a move around Cates for fourth place on lap-26 and he immediately began to pressure Cipriano for third. Preece was setting sail in the lead, continuing to pull away from Pennink in second with 10 laps to go. The caution came back out with 34 laps complete as Cipriano spun coming off turn 4.
Preece again took the lead back under green with Cates getting by Pennink to move into second. Dowling was fourth behind Pennink with Galko in fifth. Owen was sixth, followed by Christopher, Coby, and a side by side duel between Avery and Glen Reen.
Preece pulled away from Cates and he led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up the first SK Modified® feature win of the 2014 season. Cates finished second, with Pennink, Dowling, and Galko rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature, Jay Stuart took the lead from the pole with Jim Mavlouganes in second, but the caution came out with one lap complete for Tom Fearn, who lost the right side door and had a flat right rear tire after contact with the wall.
On the restart, Mavlouganes was able to stay side by side with Stuart for the race lead for a lap before Stuart edged ahead on lap-3. Jim Peterson was riding in third behind Mavlouganes, with Dennis Botticello and J.J. Hill rounding out the top-5. Michael Scorzelli was sixth, followed by Cory Casagrande, Michael Bennett, and Kevin Gambacorta. The caution came back out with 4 laps complete for the cars of Josh Wood and Peter Thickett, who came together and hit the turn 2 wall.
Stuart took the lead back under green with Mavlouganes again slotting into second behind Stuart after a one lap side by side duel. Peterson remained in third with Hill locked in a side by side battle for fourth with Botticello. Adam Gray was now up to sixth, with Gambacorta, Michael Bennett, and Fearn lined up behind him.
At the halfway mark of the race, Stuart was still in command of the race with Mavlouganes second. Peterson continued to run in third, with Gray fourth and Hill fifth. Gambacorta was applying heavy pressure to the back bumper of Hill for fifth and he made the pass on lap-18. The caution came out with 18-laps complete for Mark Heim, who spun coming out of turn 4.
Stuart took the lead on the restart with Peterson making a move on Mavlouganes to take over second place. Mavlouganes was able to get back in line in third, just in front of Hill, Gray, and Wood. The caution came out with 22 laps complete for Hill and Kyle Casagrande, who came together in turn 2.
Stuart again took the lead on the restart but now it was Gray making a move into second place. Mavlouganes was third with Wood up to fourth after his earlier mishap and Michael Scorzelli was up to fifth. The caution came back out with 27 laps complete for Scott Cook, who spun in turn 2 to set up a 3-lap dash to the finish.
Stuart took the lead ahead of Gray and Mavlouganes on the restart, but Botticello spun in turn 4 and collected the cars of Gambacorta and Hill to bring the caution back out to set up a green white checkered finish.
Stuart took the lead on the restart with Gray right behind him. Stuart led Gray back to the checkered flag to pick up the first Late Model feature win of the 2014 season. Mavlouganes finished third, with Scorzelli and XXX rounding out the top-5.
In the 25-lap NorthEast Mini Stock Tour Feature, Joe Baxter took the lead at the green with Toby Wells making a quick move from fifth up to second. Chad Baxter slotted into third place with Roger Ducharme fourth and Shawn Swallow made a bonanza start to take over fifth after starting 16th in the first several laps of the race.
Wells went around Joe Baxter to take over the race lead and began to open up a lead. Emerson Cayer, who won last year’s Mini Stock feature at Stafford, was now up to fifth on lap-7.
By lap-10, Wells had built up a half straightaway lead over Joe Baxter. Joe Baxter, Chad Baxter, Swallow, and Cayer were lined up in a four-car train from second back to fifth place while Wells continued to hold a comfortable lead. On lap-13, Justin Larsen made a three-wide move and squeezed his way into fifth place as Cayer moved up a spot to fourth and Swallow moved up to third.
Swallow made a move around Joe Baxter for second and Swallow’s move brought Cayer with him as Baxter fell from second back to fourth. The caution came out with 19 laps complete for Nik Cotes, who came to a stop in the middle of the backstretch.
The restart saw Wells move to the lead but before he got back to the stripe to complete the lap, Swallow powered his way past Wells and into the lead. Wells came back strong and retook the lead in turns 1+2 and then began to stretch out his advantage over Swallow. Cayer and Nicholas Anderson were side by side for several laps in a duel for third with Cayer eventually taking the spot.
Wells led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up the feature victory. Swallow finished second, with Anderson, Cayer, and Matt Sonnhalter rounding out the top-5.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Ryan Preece, Berlin
2) Danny Cates, Chaplin
3) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
4) Chase Dowling, Roxbury
5) Matt Galko, Meriden
6) Todd Owen, Somers
7) Ted Christopher, Plainville
8) Doug Coby, Middletown
9) Dan Avery, Somers
10) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
11) Keith Rocco, Berlin
12) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
13) Joey Cipriano, Waterbury
14) Curt Brainard, Canton
15) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma
16) Kurt Lenahan, Roxbury
17) Brett Gonyaw, Vernon
18) Jay Sundeen, Douglas, Ma
19) Sean Foster, Willington
20) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
21) David Webb, New Milford
22) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
23) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
24) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
25) Nick Boivin, Belchertown, Ma
26) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
27) Cam McDermott, Scituate, Ri
28) Tom Bolles, Ellington
29) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Jay Stuart, Preston
2) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
3) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany
4) Michael Scorzelli, Feura Bush, Ny
5) Michael Bennett, Willington
6) Skip Breunig, Milford
7) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
8) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
9) Scott Cook, Uncasville
10) Dennis Botticello, Suffield
11) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
12) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
13) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
14) Mark Heim, Ware, Ma
15) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
16) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
17) Peter Thickett, Watertown
NORTHEAST MINI STOCK TOUR (25)
1) Toby Wells
2) Shawn Swallow
3) Nicholas Anderson
4) Emerson Cayer
5) Matt Sonnhalter
6) Joe Baxter
7) Pete Zakarite
8) Justin King
9) Michael Viens
10) Louis Maher
11) Mitchell Bombard
12) Nik Coates
13) Jamie Swallow
14) Jacob Rheaume
15) Jim Windrow
16) Justin Larsen
17) Chad Baxter
18) Roger Ducharme
19) Ian Brew
20) Mike Parker
21) Ricky Labrecque
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR