Tom Butler Takes Late Model 100 at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to action with its Second Annual Late Model 100 on Friday, September 4th. Tom Butler was the big winner of the night, taking his second win of the 2009 season in the 100-lap extra distance race. Woody Pitkat scored his first win of 2009 in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Earl Pelletier was the winner in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Andrew Durand won the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Bill Dunn was the winner in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
The 100-lap Late Model feature took the green flag with Adam Gray taking the early lead with Doug Blowers, Jr., Scott Cook, J.J. Hill, and Michael Bennett behind him. At the 10-lap mark, Gray was still out front, with Bennett moving up to second. Tom Butler was third, with Dillon Moltz and Ryan Posocco behind him.
Gray would lead until lap-13 when Bennett took over the race lead. Gray began to fade back through the field as Butler, Moltz, Posocco, and Jim Peterson all got by. The field ran in line up to lap-36 when the caution came out for Ed Gertsch, Jr., who hit the turn 4 wall.
Butler moved by Bennett to take the lead on the restart. Bennett remained in second place until lap-42 when Moltz took the position. Bennett settled into third place, with Peterson in fourth and Posocco holding fifth place. The top-5 then ran in line until the caution came back out with 61 laps complete for Brian Chapin, who hit the wall and came to a stop in turn 4.
Butler took the lead on the restart, with Peterson moving into second. Moltz was third, with Posocco fourth and Woody Pitkat moving into fifth place. There were several position swaps among the top-5 over the final 39 laps of the race, but it was all Butler out front as he dominated the extra distance affair to take his second feature victory of the 2009 season. Peterson came home in second place, with Moltz, Posocco, and Pitkat making up the top-5.
The 40-lap SK Modified® feature took the green flag with Matt Gallo pacing the field ahead of Tom Bolles, Doug Coby, Mark Bakaj, and Todd Owen. Bolles would slide back several spots as Coby, Bakaj, and Owen would all move by before the first caution of the race slowed the action with 8 laps complete.
Gallo held the lead back under green with Bakaj moving into second place. Bakaj had a strong car in the outside groove and he took several looks to the outside of Gallo, but was not able to make a pass for the lead. The top-5 ran in single file until lap-23 when Owen moved by Coby for third place.
The running order was still Gallo, Bakaj, and Owen when the caution came back out with 29 laps complete for a spin by Kirk Zervas. On the restart, Gallo powered into the lead with Owen moving past Bakaj for second place. Owen was then making a move on Gallo to take the lead, but just as Owen made his bid for the lead, the caution came out for a spin by Chris Matthews, putting Gallo back into the lead for the restart. On the restart there was a 9-car pileup in turn 1 that brought the yellow back out.
Bakaj moved by Gallo on the next restart to take over the lead for the first time during the race. Woody Pitkat was on the charge from fifth on the restart, moving up to second behind Bakaj on lap-34. Just as Owen had a lead pass stifled by a yellow flag, Pitkat had a pass for the lead on lap-36, but just as he moved to the lead, the caution came out, putting Bakaj back out front. Another pileup in turn 3 slowed the action on the restart.
Pitkat grabbed the lead from Bakaj on the restart, but the field only completed one lap before debris brought the yellow back out to set up a three-lap dash to the finish. Pitkat powered into the lead on the restart and he was able to hold Bakaj off over the final three laps to take his first feature victory of the 2009 season. Bakaj finished second, with Owen, Coby, and Ted Christopher rounding out the top-5.
The 20-lap SK Light Modified feature took the green flag with Adam Skowyra taking the early lead. Skowyra’s night ended on the second lap when he hit the backstretch wall and collected the car of Kyle Spencer to bring the caution out.
Tony Santangelo took the lead on the restart, but his stay at the front was brief as Jay Goff moved to the lead on lap-4. Goff held the lead until lap-8 when Earl Pelletier moved to the front of the pack. Goff settled into second for several laps, but he began to reel Pelletier in and was looking to retake the lead. Several times, Goff would make a run in the middle of the corners, but wasn’t able to carry the momentum off the corner to make the pass.
Santangelo was running third behind Pelletier and Goff, but he spun with on lap-18, which dropped him back in the running order. The caution came out 18 laps complete for debris on the track, which set up a green white checkered restart. Pelletier and Goff battled door to door with Pelletier coming out with the lead. Michael Gervais, Jr. was able to move by Goff for second and Raymond Grassetti also was able to move past Goff, and that is how they came to the line as Pelletier took his second feature victory of the 2009 season. Gervais finished second, with Grassetti, Goff, and John Montesanto rounding out the top-5.
The 20-lap Limited Late Model feature took the green with a spin by Carla Botticello, which collected the car of Brian Clement and brought the yellow flag out. Jeff Hubbell led the first lap back under green, but he was overtaken by Dave Yardley, III on lap-2. Yardley held the lead until lap-4 when Andrew Durand moved to the front. Yardley settled into second, with Norm Sears, Bill Davis, and George Nocera, Jr. behind him.
This was the running order when the caution came out for a spin by John Morgillo, Jr. with 9 laps complete. Durand continued to hold the lead back under green with Yardley and Sears right on his heels. The caution came back out with 12 laps on the scoreboard for a spin by Kevin Gambacorta and Nocera.
Durand continued to run out front with Yardley behind him, but Rob Dow moved up to third, dropping Sears back to fourth place. The caution came back out for hard contact by Jeff Hubbell into the turn 4 wall with 16 laps complete.
Durand, Yardley, Dow, and Sears continued to duel for the lead back under green, with Dow moving by Yardley for second place. Durand kept the field covered over the final laps and he took his fifth win of the 2009 season. Dow finished second, with Yardley, Sears, and Flannery rounding out the top-5.
The 15-lap DARE Stock feature took the green flag with Kyle Nosal moving to the lead ahead of Bill Dunn, Stephanie Berardi, Robert Thompson and Duane Provost. The top-5 ran in line until Provost spun into the frontstretch wall to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.
On the restart, Dunn powered past Nosal to take over the race lead. Berardi continued to run third, with Don Wood moving into fourth and Todd LaPorta moving into fifth place. This was the order when the caution came back out with 10 laps complete for Ryan Nicewicz, who hit the backstretch wall.
After several more caution periods slowed the field, the decision was made to yellow/checker the field with 13 laps complete, making Dunn a winner for the first time in 2009. Wood took second, with Barry Fluckiger, Thompson, and LaPorta 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.
LATE MODEL (100)
1) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
2) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
3) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
4) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
5) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
6) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
7) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
8) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
9) Duane Noll, Monroe
10) Dave Wray, Meriden
11) Brian Chapin, Three Rivers, Ma
12) Doug Blowers, Jr., Newton Highlands, Ma
13) Scott Cook, Uncasville
14) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
15) John Blake, North Haven
16) Tony Lafo, Higganum
17) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
18) Tracy Brouillette, Prospect
19) John Kasper, Wilbraham, Ma
20) Ed Gertsch, Jr., East Haven
21) Walt Wosko, Jr., West Suffield
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
2) Mark Bakaj, Lebanon
3) Todd Owen, Somers
4) Doug Coby, Milford
5) Ted Christopher, Plainville
6) Richie Pallai, Jr., Yorktown Heights, Ny
7) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
8) Chris Jones, New Milford
9) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
10) Wade Mattesen, Tolland
11) Nichole Morgillo, Yalesville
12) Zach Sylvester, Lebanon
13) Curt Brainard, Canton
14) Ronnie Silk, Norwalk
15) Willie Hardie, Jr., Willington
16) Matt Gallo, Kensington
17) Keith Rocco, Wallingford
18) Joe Allegro, Jr., Vernon
19) Brad Hietala, Ellington
20) Jeff Malave, Manchester
21) Fran Siana, Enfield
22) Tom Bolles, Ellington
23) Kirk Zervas, Winthrop, Ma
24) Kurt Lenahan, Roxbury
25) Sean Foster, Ellington
26) Chris Matthews, Stafford
SK LIGHT (20)
1) Earl Pelletier, Wolcott
2) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
3) Raymond Grassetti, Monson, Ma
4) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
5) John Montesanto, North Branford
6) John Hanafin, Quincy, Ma
7) David Webb, New Milford
8) Shawn Brule, West Thompson
9) Ted Cain, Plymouth
10) Frank Cardile, Bolton
11) Lauren Cooper, Southbury
12) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
13) Steven Greer, Harwinton
14) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
15) Todd Clark, Bristol
16) Rick Williams, Haddam
17) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
18) Heather DesRochers, Granby, Ma
19) Adam Skowyra, Brimfield, Ma
20) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
21) Brit Andersen, Mooresville, Nc
22) Fred Nees, Jr., New Milford
LTD. LATE MODEL (20)
1) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
2) Robert Dow, Stafford Springs
3) Dave Yardley, III, Meriden
4) Norm Sears, Andover
5) Dan Flannery, Ellington
6) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
7) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
8) Bill Davis, Monson, Ma
9) Michael Nadeau, Enfield
10) Pete Cayer, Bristol
11) Michael Wray, Northford
12) John Morgillo, Jr., Yalesville
13) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
14) Marc Russell, Oxford, Ma
15) Chris Cook, Pepperell, Ma
16) William Goldrick, III, Chicopee, Ma
17) Jeff Hubbell, Naugatuck
18) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
19) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
20) Robert Farrington, Jr, Belchertown, Ma
21) Carla Botticello, Manchester
22) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
23) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Bill Dunn, Prospect
2) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
3) Barry Fluckiger, Vernon
4) Robert Thompson, Springfield, Ma
5) Todd LaPorta, Waterbury
6) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
7) Kyle Nosal, Higganum
8) Stephanie Berardi, Broad Brook
9) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
10) Albert Saunders, Stafford
11) Andrew Hayes, Enfield
12) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
13) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
14) Melissa Blowers, Cromwell
15) Al Jurczyk, Brimfield, Ma
16) Paul Jensen, East Hampton
17) Nicholas Salva, Porspect
18) Victoria Bergenty, Plainville
19) Matt Chiarizio, Stafford Springs
20) Seth Wallace, East Hartford
21) Brian Routhier, East Hampton, Ma
22) Jeff Jolly, Wallingford
23) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
24) Ryan Nicewicz, Stafford Springs
25) Peter Coughlin, New Britain
Sources:Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR