Raymond Grassetti Joins Stafford Speedway SK Modified® Rookie Class of 2009 Season
Stafford Springs, CT — Raymond Grassetti will make the move from Stafford Speedway’s SK Light Modified division up to the track’s SK Modified® division and challenge for 2009 Reliable Welding and Speed SK Modified® Rookie of the Year honors. Grassetti began his Stafford career in the DARE Stock division in 2004 and he won 2 races in that division before making the move to the SK Light Modified division for the 2007 season. Grassetti was the Most Improved Driver of the 2007 SK Light Modified season and he scored his first SK Light feature victory last season and he was one of four drivers who were locked in a season-long duel for the championship.
Grassetti joins a robust rookie class for the SK Modified® division that includes fellow SK Light Modified alums Joe Allegro, Jr., Chris Matthews, Mark Bakaj, Matt Gallo, and Michael Sweeney as well as Frank Hirt, Mike Sedor, Brett Gonyaw, Jodi Johnson, and Nicole Morgillo. Grassetti and his team will be utilizing the SMS spec engine package for their rookie season of competition in the SK Modified® division, and he has modest goals set for himself.
“We decided as a team we wanted to make the move up this year,” said Grassetti. “Right now, we’re at the stage where we just want to make the races and finish the races. We’re not looking to set the world on fire by any means. We just want to have some fun on the track and learn the car. The spec motor made a big difference for us, we spent about half of what we would have spent on a regular SK engine.”
Grassetti has finished 5th and 4th in the points standings in his two years of SK Light competition at SMS, and he will be driving the same chassis that he drove in the SK Light division. Although the chassis will be the same, Grassetti says that he will have to learn all over again how he needs to drive the car to be fast.
“I think the SK Light will give me an idea of what to expect driving an open wheel car, but I think it’s going to be tougher to drive,” said Grassetti.
“The SK has more power than the SK Light, so I’ll have to learn how to drive the car all over again. It will be fun for sure to have more power and see how much deeper into the corner I can drive the SK. I’d like to think I’ll be able to keep up, but it will be a learning experience for me the first few times I go out on the track. After the season, we took the car apart and now we’re in the process of updating some things on the chassis and getting the car back together.”
Grassetti kicks off his SK Modified® rookie season the weekend of April 24-26 with the 38th Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, “The Greatest Race In the History of Spring.”
Tickets for the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler are priced at $35.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, $38.00 for reserved seats, and free for children ages 5 & under. Tickets are good for admission to the Saturday April 25, and Sunday, April 26 portions of the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, with the Friday, April 24 practice session open to the public free of charge.
For more information, or to order Spring Sizzler 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