Michael Gervais, Jr. Wins Reliable Welding & Speed SK Light Modified® Rookie of the Year Honors at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford’s 2009 SK Light Modified division saw Michael Gervais, Jr. drive to a rare feat in that he won the Reliable Welding and Speed Rookie of the Year title as well as the track championship. What makes the accomplishment even more amazing is that prior to the 2009 season, Gervais had never sat behind the wheel of an open wheeled modified car. Gervais came to Stafford from legends cars to Stafford’s SK Light Modified division and displayed a consistency that kept him at the top of the Rookie of the Year chase as well as the championship chase all season long.
“At the beginning of the year, our main goal was to keep the car clean, learn about the car and the track, and win Rookie of the Year,” said Gervais. “We never really changed all that much from week to week, we just kept doing what we were doing, and that strategy worked out for us.”
Gervais’ 2009 season got off to a rough start with a seventh in the season opening Spring Sizzler event and a 21st place finish in the second event of the year, which some might say was a typical start to a rookie season. But top-5 finishes in the next four events vaulted Gervais to the head of the 2009 rookie class as well as the lead in the championship standings, a position that Gervais would not relinquish for the remainder of the 2009 season.
“We expected to have highs and lows like any rookie season, but we were strong right from the start and I felt really comfortable in the car,” said Gervais. “About halfway through the season we were finishing in the top-10 every week and we started thinking that we had a real shot at the Rookie of the Year and the championship. We never let points get in our way. We figured that what we were doing was working for us, so we just kept on doing what we had been doing every week for the rest of the season and we figured whatever would happen would happen. We definitely had a lot of luck on our side this year, we didn’t get caught up in any wrecks this year.”
With a Rookie of the Year title and a track championship under his belt, Gervias and his team are looking to make the next move up the Stafford open wheel ladder to the SK Modified® division to try win another Reliable Welding and Speed Rookie of the Year title.
“Our plan for this year was to get our feet wet in the SK Lights and go for Rookie of the Year and then make the move up to the SK Modifieds®,” said Gervais. “Right now, we’re looking at some different things and we’re trying to make that move up for next season.”
For the 2009 season, Gervais tied Jay Goff for the most top-5 finishes with 9 and he led the division with 15 top-10 finishes in 16 starts to outpoint Erica Santos by 202 points in the chase for the Reliable Welding and Speed Rookie title. Gervais will receive his 2009 SK Light Modified Rookie of the Year award at the 40th Annual Stafford Motor Speedway Champions Awards Ceremony on Friday, November 20, 2009 at the La Renaissance Banquet Facility in East Windsor.
For more information about the Champions Awards Ceremony, or to order 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