Coby, Hutchings, Santangelo, Foster & Wood Score Wins at SMS
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway returned to racing action on Friday, August 8 with the 18th Annual New England Dodge Dealers 150 Whelen Modified Tour event with five divisions of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing. Doug Coby nailed down his first win of the season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, defending Late Model track champion Corey Hutchings scored his first win of the 2008 season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Tony Santangelo was a first time winner in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Sean Foster scored his third feature win of 2008 in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Don Wood took down win number 2 of the 2008 season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, it was Doug Coby taking down his first feature win of the 2008 season with a dominating drive. Zach Sylvester took the early race lead and he lead the first 8 laps before Coby took over the lead on lap-9. Jimmy Blewett followed Coby past Sylvester and moved into second place. The race was slowed by caution with 17 laps complete with Coby still out front. The final 23 laps of the race ran green to checkered with Coby dominating the action. Blewett and Chris Jones put on a spirited battle for second in the closing laps, which allowed Coby to pull away. Blewett came home second behind Coby, with Jones, Frank Ruocco, and Wade Mattesen rounding out the top-5.
The 30-lap Late Model feature, defending Late Model track champion Corey Hutchings took the lead from Tom Butler on lap-2 and proceeded to lead the final 29-laps to pick up his first feature win of the 2008 season. Woody Pitkat, Butler, Brian Chapin, and Mike Quintiliano were giving chase to Hutchings in the first half of the race. Ryan Posocco was coming on strong over the second half of the race as he methodically moved his way into the top-5. A late caution set up a three-lap sprint to the finish, but Hutchings was too strong to be overtaken. Posocco edged Pitkat for second at the checkered flag with Michael Bennett and Tom Fearn rounding out the top-5 at the finish.
The 20-lap SK Light Modified feature saw Tony Santangelo wire the field to pick up his first career victory. Santangelo took the race lead from the pole position with Mike Lane and Kyle Spencer giving chase in the early going. Santangelo was strong out front, as both Lane and Spencer could not get close. Santangelo continued to stretch his lead lap by lap as Mark Bakaj was working his way up to fourth place. The 20-lap race ran green to checkered with Santangelo taking down his first career victory in dominating fashion. Lane finished second with Spencer, Mark Bakaj, and Chris Bakaj rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Sean Foster charged through the field after a penalty for jumping a restart to claim his third win of the 2008 season. Ed Charette took the early lead and he held the race lead for the first 8 laps before giving way to Michael Nadeau on lap-9. Nadeau lost the lead to David Capriati on a lap-10 restart, but Capriati’s time out front was short as Andrew Durand took the lead on lap-11. Foster was charging back through the field after his earlier penalty, and he moved into second place behind Durand on lap-17. A late caution set up a three-lap dash to the finish and Foster moved by Durand on the restart. Once in front, Foster was never headed and he took his third checkered flag of the 2008 season. Durand finished second, with Bill Davis, Charlie Newman, and Rob Dow rounding out the top-5.
The 15-lap DARE Stock feature took the green flag with Matt Chiarizio taking the early lead from the pole position ahead of Don Wood, Jesse Hinze, and Melissa Blowers. Chiarizio pulled away in the early laps, but by lap-10, Wood had caught up to Chiarizio’s bumper. The two cars put on a full contact battle for the lead, bouncing off one another several times. Wood appeared to have the faster car, but he couldn’t complete a pass on Chiarizio. On the final lap of the race, coming to the checkered flag, Chiarizio drifted up the track and hit the wall, which allowed Wood to move past and take his second feature victory of the 2008 season. Last week’s winner Kyle Casagrande finished second with Dan Flannery, Chiarizio, and Jeff Jolly 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) Doub Coby, Milford
2) Jimmy Blewett, Howell, Nj
3) Chris Jones, New Milford
4) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
5) Wade Mattesen, Tolland
6) Ted Christopher, Plainville
7) Rob Summers, Jr., Vernon
8) Curt Brainard, Canton
9) Richie Pallai, Jr., Yorktown Heights, Ny
10) Todd Owen, Somers
11) Kenny Horton, Guilford
12) Billy Pauch, Jr., Frenchtown, Nj
13) Corey Hutchings, Salem
14) Kurt Lenahan, Roxbury
15) Rich Hammann, Tolland
16) Jeff Malave, Manchester
17) John Rufrano, North Haven
18) Zach Sylvester, Lebanon
19) Brad Hietala, Ellington
20) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
21) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
22) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
23) Steven Reed, Freehold, Nj
24) Keith Rocco, Wallingford
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Corey Hutchings, Salem
2) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
3) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
4) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
5) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
6) Scott Foster, Jr., Willington
7) Duane Noll, Monroe
8) Mike Quintiliano, Shelton
9) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
10) Dave Wray, Meriden
11) John Warren, Chicopee, Ma
12) Doug Blowers, Jr., Brighton, Ma
13) Joe Rzeszutek, South Hadley, Ma
14) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
15) Brian Chapin, Three Rivers, Ma
16) Patrick Townsend, Springifeld, Ma
17) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
18) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
19) Rick Charette, Ellington
20) Scott Cook, Uncasville
21) Wayne Coury, Jr., Milford
22) Kyle Nosal, Higganum
23) Victor Pomerleau, Enfield
SK LIGHT (20)
1) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
2) Mike Lane, Middlefield
3) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
4) Mark Bakaj, Lebanon
5) Chris Bakaj, New Britian
6) Neil Provost Jr., Union
7) Alan Provost, Monson, Ma
8) Joe Allegro, Jr., Vernon
9) Ted Cain, Plymouth
10) John Walmsley, Scotland
11) Earl Pelletier, Wolcott
12) Chris Matthews, Stafford
13) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
14) Shawn Brule, West Thompson
15) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
16) Heather DesRochers, Granby, Ma
17) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
18) Adam Skowyra, Bromfield, Ma
19) Fred Nees, Jr., New Milford
20) Todd Clark, Bristol
21) Raymond Grassetti, Monson, Ma
22) Steve Zukowski, Wallingford
23) Rick Burwood, Enfield
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Sean Foster, Ellington
2) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
3) Bill Davis, Monson, Ma
4) Charlie Newman, Stafford Springs
5) Rob Dow, Stafford Springs
6) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
7) Ed Charette, Jr., Plainville
8) Michael Nadeau, Enfield
9) Dave Yardley, III, Meriden
10) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
11) Stacey Botticello, Manchester
12) Jeff Hubbell, Naugatuck
13) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
14) Darrin Havanec, Storrs
15) David Capriati, Ludlow, Ma
16) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
17) Carla Botticello, Manchester
18) Lauren Cooper, Southbury
19) Michael Chaves, South Windsor
20) Corky Hinze, Farmington
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
2) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
3) Dan Flannery, Ellington
4) Matt Chiarizio, Stafford Springs
5) Jeff Jolly, Wallingford
6) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
7) Scott Roy, Windsor
8) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
9) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
10) Todd Laporta, Waterbury
11) Norm Sears, Andover
12) Robert Thompson, Springfield, Ma
13) John Kasper, Wilbraham, Ma
14) Tom Stirk, West Haven
15) Victoria Bergenty, Plainville
16) David Gambacorta, Coventry
17) Jim Brice, Manchester
18) Tony Membrino, Jr., Southington
19) Barry Fluckiger, Vernon
20) Melissa Blowers, Cromwell
21) Ky Jensen, Stafford Springs
22) Albert Saunders, Stafford
23) Al Jurczyk, Brimfield, Ma
24) Anthony Petrella, East Hartford
Sources:Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR