Christopher, Posocco, Montesanto, Boticello & Fluckiger Score July 10 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Feature Victories at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to action with a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program of five divisions on Friday night, July 10th. Ted Christopher took down his second consecutive victory in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Ryan Posocco took his third feature victory of the 2009 season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, John Montesanto came out the big winner in a thrilling duel with Jay Goff to score his first career victory in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Carla Botticello outdueled her father to take her first win of 2009 in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Barry Fluckiger took down his first feature victory of the 2009 season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
The 40-lap SK Modified® feature took the green with Joe Allegro, Jr. leading the first lap, but he was overtaken by Curt Brainard on lap-2. Brainard held the lead unitl lap-8 when the caution came out. On the restart, Woody Pitkat powered past Brainard in the outside groove to take the lead. Frank Ruocco followed Pitkat past Brainard, as did Ted Christopher, Jeff Malave, and Keith Rocco.
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The action was slowed again by the caution with 14 laps complete for a spin by Kirk Zervas. On the restart, Pitkat charged into the lead, but he was overtaken by Christopher for the lead the very next lap. The caution came back out for a spin by Dave Salzarulo and Wade Mattesen to slow the field and set up a restart.
Pitkat hung tough to the outside of Christopher on the restart and he took the lead at the stripe before the caution came back out for a spin by Richie Pallai, Jr. in turns 3 & 4. Pitkat and Christopher again put on a great duel for the lead in a side by side battle that lasted for two laps before Christopher was able to move out front. Contact between Brainard and Kenny Horton in turn 2 sent both cars around and brought the caution back out.
Christopher took the lead on the restart, but Pitkat and Rocco spun through the backstretch grass. Both cars were able to get fired up and the race stayed under green. Pitkat and Rocco were able to get caught back up to the field as the caution came out the next lap for a three-car spin in turn 1.
This put Frank Ruocco alongside Christopher for the restart, and he was able to keep pace with Christopher through several more caution periods, but his night ended with a faulty distributor when the caution came out with 27 laps complete. Ruocco’s misfortune put Doug Coby alongside Christopher with Malave and Rocco on row 2.
Christopher charged into the lead, with Rocco moving to the outside of Malave to take over third place. The top-3 cars then ran in line to the checkered flag with Christopher nailing down his second consecutive victory of the 2009 season. Coby finished second, with Rocco, Malave, and Horton rounding out the top-5.
The 30-lap Late Model took the green with Adam Gray setting the early pace ahead of John Kasper, Brian Chapin, and Jim Mavlouganes. The caution came out with 6 laps complete for a spin by Tom Butler and Dillon Moltz. On the restart, the car of Rick Charette spun through the frontstretch grass and ended up in turn 1, which collected the car of Mark St. Hilaire and brought the caution back out.
The next restart saw spins by Posocco, Doug Blowers, Jr., J.J. Hill, and Victor Pomerleau to bring the caution back out. Chapin moved by Gray on the next restart, but one lap later, contact between Chapin and Gray sent Chapin around and heavily damaged the cars of Gray, Moltz, Jim Peterson, Butler, and Michael Bennett, which brought the caution back out.
Scott Cook moved to the lead on the next restart, but his right side sheet metal came loose and he was black flagged. Several cars spun on the backstretch to bring the caution back out. This put Dave Wray and Tom Fearn on the front row with Kasper and Posocco in the second row. Posocco moved to the low side and moved to the lead on the restart with Fearn, Woody Pitkat, Wray, and Blowers behind him.
Peterson was on the charge with a repaired racecar and he was picking his way through the field back towards the front of the pack. Peterson would work his way up to third place, but he could not catch up to either Posocco or Fearn as Posocco took down his third Late Model feature victory of the 2009 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Posocco, Fearn, and Peterson was Pitakt and Chapin.
The 20-lap SK Light Modified went green with a crash on the frontstretch that knocked the cars of Fred Nees, Jr. and Rick Burwood from the competition. Ted Cain held the early lead under green, with John Hanafin, Earl Pelletier, John Montesanto, and Erica Santos behind him. Montesanto quickly worked his way past Pelletier for third, while Jay Goff moved past Santos for fifth.
Hanafin’s car dropped off the pace on lap-8, which moved Montesanto into second place behind Cain. Montesanto moved by Cain on lap-12 to take over the race lead. A caution with 16 laps complete slowed the action and set up a restart. Montesanto’s car didn’t come up to speed on the restart as he dropped from the lead back to fourth place. Cain moved to the front of the pack with Goff, Kyle Spencer, and Montesanto behind him.
The caution came back out a lap later and again the leader didn’t get up through the gear box. Goff powered past Cain for the lead with Montesanto moving into second. As Goff and Montesanto came to the white flag, Montesanto moved to the outside of Goff and pulled alongside. The two cars drove the final lap side by side with Montesanto getting the jump on Goff coming off turn 4 to the checkered flag to record his first career victory in spectacular fashion. Goff finished second, with Cain, Pelletier, and Spencer rounding out the top-5.
The 20-lap Limited Late Model took the green with Keith Minchella showing the way in the early laps. Bill Davis quickly moved into second, with Dennis Botticello, Dave Yardley, III, and Norm Sears behind him. After a caution with 9 laps complete, several cars got out of shape on the restart and Sears shot through the field into second behind Minchella.
Another caution with 12 laps complete slowed the action. Sears fell back several spots before spinning in turn 3 which collected the car of Jesse Hinze to bring the caution back out. The next restart saw Minchella and Davis come together and scrape the backstretch wall all the way into turn 3 to bring the yellow back out. Shawn Thibeualt was given a black flag for rough riding, which put Dennis Botticello and Carla Botticello on the front row for the restart, with George Nocera, Jr. and Kevin Gambacorta behind them.
Dennis Botticello got the jump on the restart, but Carla Botticello powered past her father to take over the lead. Gambacorta moved into third behind the two Botticellos, but it was all Carla over the final 6 laps of the race as she took her first victory of the 2009 season. Dennis Botticello finished second, with Gambacorta, Dan Flannery, and Thibeault rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature took the green took the green flag with Stephanie Berardi taking the early lead from the pole position. Melissa Blowers charged up to second, with Barry Fluckiger, Bill Dunn, and Duane Provost making up the early top-5.
Kyle Casagrande moved into the top-5 on lap-8, moving by Provost and he quickly moved by Dunn for fourth place. Berardi was running strong out front, but the battle was raging for second between Blowers and Fluckiger. The two cars made contact in turn 2 with 11 laps complete, which sent Blowers spinning and collected several cars to bring the caution flag out.
On the restart, the cars of Fluckiger and Berardi drifted up the track in turn 3 with Dunn moving to the low groove. As Dunn moved to low groove, he and Casagrande made contact, which sent Casagrande spinning to end his night and brought the caution came out.
Fluckiger powered to the outside of Berardi on the restart to take over the race lead. Berardi began to fall back several spots as Dunn, Cliff Saunders, and Matt Chiarizio. Fluckiger ran strong over the final three laps as he took down his first feature victory of the 2009 season. Dunn finished second, with Cliff Saunders, Chiarizio, and Robert Thompson rounded 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.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR