Pitkat, Rzeszutek, Bakaj, Durand, LaPorta Score Sept. 19th Final Friday Night Shoot-Out Feature Wins at Stafford; Posocco Wraps Up Late Model Track Championship
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway closed out its Friday night racing season with a wild night of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action. Woody Pitkat picked up his fourth win of the 2008 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Joe Rzeszutek picked up his second win of 2008 in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Mark Bakaj scored win number 4 of 2008 in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Andrew Durand scored his third win of 2008 in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Todd LaPorta was a first time career winner in the 15-lap DARE Stock season. Ryan Posocco clinched his fourth Late Model track championship with a third place finish with four more championships to be decided next weekend at the 36th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Woody Pitkat drove to his fourth feature victory of the 2008 season. Corey Hutchings took the early race lead and held the lead until lap-6 when Chris Jones moved to the front. Pitkat moved to second on lap-8 and he took the lead from Jones on a lap-11 restart. Over a long green flag stretch, Pitkat was steadily stretching his advantage over the rest of the field. Several late cautions kept the field tight, with Pitkat holding off Keith Rocco to the checkered flag. Zach Sylvester finished third, Ted Christopher finished fourth, and Jones rounded out the top-5. Heading into next weekend’s CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend, Keith Rocco holds a 14-point lead over Ted Christopher.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Joe Rzeszutek drove to a dominating victory, his second feature win of the 2008 season. Scott Cook used a three-wide move on the opening lap to take the early lead. Rick Charette moved to the front of the pack on lap-3 and held the lead until lap-7 when Dave Wray moved to the front. Wray held the lead until a hard charging Rzeszutek moved to the lead on lap-10. Once Rzesztuek was in the lead, he was pulling away from the field lap by lap, holding a full straightaway lead over Wray before a caution with 27 laps complete erased that lead. Rzeszutek held strong over the final three laps, holding off a determined challenge from Corey Hutchings to take his second feature victory of the 2008 season. Ryan Posocco finished third behind Rzeszutek and Hutchings, with Brian Chapin and Mike Mordino rounding out the top-5. Posocco’s third place finish was enough to clinch his fourth Late Model track championship.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Mark Bakaj came through a wild dash to the checkered flag to score his fourth feature win of the 2008 season. Heather DesRochers powered past polesitter Ted Cain to take the lead at the drop of the green flag. After a multi-car accident brought out the red flag with 3 laps complete, DesRochers took the lead on the restart and proceeded to pull away from the field. But her large lead was erased by the caution flag for a spin by Kyle Spencer with 18 laps complete. DesRochers maintained the race lead, but coming to the checkered flag, contact from Cain sent her sideways into the infield grass, allowing Bakaj to dive to the low groove and move from third place to the victory. Joe Allegro, Jr. finished second, with Shawn Brule, Jay Goff, and Mike Lane rounding out the top-5. Heading into next weekend’s CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend, Joe Allegro, Jr. holds a 4-point lead over Chris Matthews, a 12-point lead over Mark Bakaj, and a 14-point lead over Raymond Grassetti.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Andrew Durand took the win in a wild and crazy feature finish. Michael Nadeau led the first lap from the pole, but Shawn Thibeault overtook him for the race lead on lap-2. Thibeault proceeded to check out from the field as the race stayed green until lap-16, building a lead of a full straightaway over second place. The first caution of the race came out with 16 laps complete for debris on the track in turn 4 after Carla Botticello drove through the grass. The caution came back out for a spin by Charlie Newman on lap-18. On the restart, Sean Foster powered past Thibeault, who had held the race lead since lap-2. Thibeault made a run back at Foster on the final corner, but the two cars made contact and went into a drift in the corner, allowing Durand to charge from third place to the win. Ed Charette finished second, with Bill Davis, Dave Yardley, III, and David Capriati rounding out the top-5. Heading into next weekend’s CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend, Bill Davis holds a 28-point lead over Sean Foster.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Todd LaPorta took his first career victory. Cliff Saunders spun on the first lap while leading the race to bring the caution out. John Kasper took the lead and he held the lead until lap-10 when he spun after contact with a lapped car, which handed the race lead over to Don Wood. Wood’s time out front didn’t last long as he was passed by LaPorta on the restart. The final caution of the race came out with 14 laps complete after contact between Wood and Dan Flannery sent Flannery spinning on the backstretch. LaPorta took the lead on the green-white-checkered restart and he went unchallenged over the final two laps to take the victory. Robert Thompson finished second, with Matt Chiarizio, Tony Membrino, Jr., and Vince Gambacorta rounding out the top-5. Heading into next weekend’s CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend, Norm Sears holds a 10-point lead over Scott Roy and a 48-point lead over Don Wood.
For more information 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