Pitkat, Moltz, Cipriano, Durand & Casagrande Score May 14th NASCAR Whelen All-American Feature Victories at Stafford
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway returned to racing action with a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program on Friday, May 14th. Woody Pitkat picked up his first win of the 2010 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Dillon Moltz got win number two of 2010 in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Joey Cipriano scored his first career victory in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Andrew Durand won the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Cory Casagrande was the second first time career winner of the night by taking the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Brad Hietala took the early lead ahead of Ted Christopher, Todd Owen, Woody Pitkat, and Sean Foster. The action was slowed with 3 laps complete for Curt Brainard, who came to a stop in turn 2. Hietala took the lead back under green with Owen moving into second. The car on the charge was Frank Ruocco, who restarted 10th and quickly moved into a battle with Dan Avery for fourth place on lap-7. Ruocco took third from Christopher on lap-8 while Hietala and Owen continued to hold down the top two positions.
Ruocco ran in third until lap-13 when he moved by Owen for second. The action was slowed with 17 laps complete for a spin by Raymond Grassetti. On the restart, the cars of Hietala and Ruocco made contact while dueling for the lead and both cars spun, which collected several other cars and brought the yellow back out. The order was now Owen and Christopher on the front row, with Avery and Pitkat behind them for the restart.
Owen took the lead with Christopher taking second and Pitkat getting past Avery for third. Christopher ran behind Owen until lap-22 when he made a pass for the lead. Pitkat and Chris Jones followed Christopher past Owen, dropping him from the lead back to fourth place. After several laps of trying to get by Christopher, Pitakt was finally able to get alongside Christopher on lap-32 and he took the lead from Christopher on lap-33. Pitkat led the final 7 laps and took his first feature win of the 2010 season ahead of Christopher. Jones finished third, with Owen and Avery rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Keith Rocco led the field to the green flag and he took the early race lead ahead of Michael Bennett. The caution came out with 2 laps complete when Brian Chapin backed into the turn 1 wall. Chapin’s spin collected the cars of Adam Gray and Joe Rzeszutek as well.
Rocco was still out front back under green with Bennett behind him. Moltz was third with Ryan Posocco and Jim Peterson making up the top-5. The top-5 ran in line until lap-10 when Moltz moved by Bennett to take over second place. Posocco continued to run third, with Peterson and Woody Pitkat behind him.
Moltz closed the gap to Rocco over the next several laps and on lap-17 he made a move to the inside of Rocco. The two cars touched doors and went sideways through turns 1+2 and Moltz came off turn 2 with the race lead. Bennett moved back to second with Posocco moving into third, dropping Rocco back to fourth place with Pitkat still running fifth. Moltz looked to have the race under control, but the caution came out with 26 laps complete for Bennett, who had something break on the right front of his race car which sent him to the infield grass.
Moltz powered into the lead on the restart with Rocco and Posocco dueling side by side for second. Rocco would take the spot and Posocco would fall back to fourth as Pitkat worked his way into third. Moltz pulled away from Rocco and took down his second feature victory in three races during the 2010 season. Rocco finished second, with Pitkat, Posocco, and Peterson rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, the top-6 cars ran the first lap side by side before Heather DesRochers went to the front ahead of John Hanafin, Earl Pelletier, Jay Goff, and Zach Aszklar. The action was furious at the front with Goff moving into second and he brought Aszklar and Joey Cipriano with him to drop Hanafin from second back to fifth. With all the action going on for positions, DesRochers was pulling away out front.
Cipriano moved into second place on lap-8 and DesRochers’ lead was erased one lap later when Kyle Spencer brought out the caution with a spin in turn 2. DesRochers again held the lead back under green and began to open up a margin to second over Goff and Cipriano. Cipriano quickly got back by Goff and began to eat into DesRochers’ lead. The caution came back out with 15 laps complete for a spin by David Webb in turns 1+2.
Cipriano got the jump on the restart and powered by DesRochers to take over the race lead. Tom Barrett, Jr. moved alongside DesRochers for second, but DesRochers hung tough on the outside and kept the spot. Goff settled into fourth with Chad Trombley running in fifth. Once in front, Cipriano pulled away and drove to his first career victory. DesRochers finished second, with Barrett, Goff, and Trombley rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Carla Botticello led the field to the green flag but contact from Rob Dow in turn 3 sent her around and brought out the caution before a lap could be completed. Dow was sent to the rear of the field by NASCAR officials for the restart.
Dave Yardley, III was the new race leader with Jesse Hinze, Shawn Thibeault, Duane Provost, and Andrew Durand behind him. The cars ran in line until lap-7 when Thibeault made a move to the inside of Hinze to take over second. Thibeault’s move opened the door for Dan Flannery, Durand, and Kevin Gambacorta to all follow Thibeault by Hinze to drop Hinze from second back to sixth place.
Thibeault rode behind Yardley until lap-10 when he took over the lead, but Durand spun to bring the caution out and the lineup went back to the previous lap, putting Thibeault in second alongside Yardley for the restart. Yardley powered into the lead on the restart, but he would only hold the lead for 2 more laps as Thibeault went back to the front of the pack on lap-12. Following Thibeault past Yardley was Flannery, Dow, and Gambacorta, dropping Yardley from the race lead back to fifth place. The caution came back out with 13 laps complete for a spin by Robert Farrington.
Thibeault and Flannery dueled for the lead on the restart and coming out of turn 4 the two cars came together and spun to bring the yellow back out. This put Gambacorta and Dow on the front row for the restart. Durand moved from third to the lead at the drop of the green with Gambacorta settling into second. Durand pulled away from Gambacorta and cruised to his first victory of the 2010 season. Gambacorta finished second, with Dow, Flannery, and Yardley rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Stephanie Berardi took the early lead with a flurry of side by side action behind her. Albert and Cliff Saunders were side by side for second, while Josh Wood settled into fourth. Cory Casagrande and Nick Salva were side by side for fifth place and Andrew Hayes and Don Wood were side by side for the 7th.
The fast and furious pace was slowed with 5 laps complete when contact between Don Wood and Hayes sent Hayes around and Salva went into the turn 4 wall after driving up and over Wood’s car while trying to avoid the spinning car of Hayes.
Back under green, the action continued to be hot at the front of the field as Berardi, Albert Saunders, and Josh Wood were three-wide for the race lead. Wood came out with the lead while Stephen Daddio and Berardi went around with 7 laps complete to slow the field once again.
On the restart, Josh Wood and Jeff Jolly touched while battling for the lead which sent Wood into the wall and brought the yellow back out. Jolly took the lead on the restart, but Albert Saunders was hanging right with Jolly. The two cars made contact on lap-11, which sent Saunders through the backstretch grass and Jolly was given a drive through penalty for the contact, which put Cory Casagrande into the race lead.
Kyle Casagrande was now in second behind his brother with Donald Cook third, Tony Membrino, Jr. fourth, and Berardi in fifth. Cory would lead his brother around the track for the final 4 laps and he took down his first career feature victory at Stafford. Kyle Casagrande finished second, with Cook, Membrino, and Donovin Secore 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.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
2) Ted Christopher, Plainville
3) Chris Jones, New Milford
4) Todd Owen, Somers
5) Dan Avery, Somers
6) Keith Rocco, Meriden
7) John Montesanto, North Branford
8) Raymond Grassetti, Monson, Ma
9) Tom Bolles, Ellington
10) Brit Andersen, Branford
11) Sean Foster, Ellington
12) Joe Allegro, Jr., Vernon
13) Mark Bakaj, Lebanon
14) Curt Brainard, Canton
15) Brad Hietala, Ellington
16) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
17) Kurt Lenahan, Roxbury
18) Ryan Preece, Berlin
19) Keith Carzello, Enfield
20) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
21) Adam Skowyra, Brimfield, Ma
22) Matt Gallo, Kensington
23) Josh Sylvester, Lebanon
24) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
25) Jeff Baral, Enfield
26) Zach Sylvester, Lebanon
27) Jeff Malave, Manchester
28) Nichole Morgillo, Wallingford
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
2) Keith Rocco, Meriden
3) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
4) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
5) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
6) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
7) Corey Hutchings, Salem
8) Scott Cook, Uncasville
9) John Kasper, Wilbraham, Ma
10) Joe Rzeszutek, South Hadley, Ma
11) Alan Provost, Monson, Ma
12) Tony Lafo, Higganum
13) Dave Wray, Meriden
14) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
15) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
16) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany
17) Brian Chapin, Three Rivers, Ma
18) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
19) Wayne Coury, Jr., Milford
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Joey Cipriano, III, Waterbury
2) Heather DesRochers, Granby, Ma
3) Tom Barrett Jr., Millis, Ma
4) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
5) Chad Trombley, Bethany
6) Erica Santos, Franklin, Ma
7) Ted Cain, Plymouth
8) Lauren Cooper, Southbury
9) Victoria Bergenty, Plainville
10) Earl Pelletier, Wolcott
11) Matt Galko, Meriden
12) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
13) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
14) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
15) Josh White, Ellington
16) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
17) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
18) David Webb, New Milford
19) John Hanafin, Quincy, Ma
20) Paul Colla, Jr., Portland
21) Frank Cardile, Bolton
22) Rick Williams, Haddam
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
2) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
3) Rob Dow, Stafford Springs
4) Dan Flannery, Ellington
5) Dave Yardley, III, Meriden
6) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
7) Robert Farrington, Jr., Belchertown, Ma
8) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
9) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
10) Chris Cook, Pepperell, Ma
11) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
12) Marshall Usher, Palmer, Ma
13) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
14) Carla Botticello, Manchester
15) Michael Wray, Northford
16) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
2) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
3) Donald Cook, Agawam, Ma
4) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
5) Donovin Secore, Vernon
6) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
7) Albert Saunders, Stafford
8) Stephanie Berardi, Broad Brook
9) Jeff Jolly, Wallingford
10) Stephen Daddio, Seymour
11) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
12) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
13) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester
14) Andrew Hayes, Enfield
15) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
16) Nicholas Salva, Prospect