Tommy Barrett, Jr. Becomes Youngest Winner in Stafford History; Gallo, Pitkat, Gambacorta and Wood Also Score USG Event Night Feature Victories
Stafford Springs, CT –Friday, June 4th was USG Event night at Stafford Motor Speedway and it was a history making night. Three weeks after Joey Cipriano became the youngest driver to ever win a feature race at Stafford, Tommy Barrett, Jr. lowered that record by winning the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature for his first career win. There were two other first time winners at Stafford as Matt Gallo scored his first career SK Modified® victory in the 40-lap feature, and Josh Wood was a first time career winner in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature. Woody Pitkat continued his white hot start to the 2010 season with his second consecutive and third overall win of the year in the 30-lap Late Model feature, and Kevin Gambacorta nailed down his second win of the year in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Eric Berndt took the lead at the drop of the green and he led the first two laps before Matt Gallo moved out front on lap-3. Gallo held the lead until the caution came out with 6 laps complete for a multi-car incident in turn 3 that began when Brit Andersen’s left front tire appeared to lock up and Tom Bolles spun and collected Jeff Baral, Chris Jones, and Nichole Morgillo.
On the restart Frank Ruocco powered by Gallo to take over the race lead. Gallo settled into second with Berndt, Sean Foster, and Ted Christopher making up the top-5. Christopher quickly moved by both Foster and Berndt to take third, and on lap-15 he went by Gallo for second. Christopher and Ruocco touched on lap-16, which allowed Gallo to power his way past both cars to retake the race lead.
Ruocco took several runs to the inside of Gallo, but could not make a pass stick. The race ran to the checkered flag and Gallo held Ruocco off to capture his first career SK Modified® feature victory. Ruocco finished second, with Christopher, Keith Rocco, and Berndt rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Tom Fearn took the early lead from the pole position. Moving up quickly into second was Michael Bennett and Bennett took the lead from Fearn on lap-8. Woody Pitkat was also charging his way through the field, passing cars in wholesale fashion to work his way into third place behind Bennett and Fearn on lap-8. Ryan Posocco was fourth and Scott Cook was fifth.
Pitkat rode in third until lap-13 when he took second from Fearn. Posocco followed Pitkat by Fearn to drop Fearn from second back to fourth. Bennett held the lead until lap-19 when Pitkat moved to the front of the pack. Posocco again followed the path of Pitkat and was also able to move by Bennett to take over second place.
Posocco gave Pitakt several looks for the lead over the final 10 laps but Pitkat was too strong to be overtaken and he locked down his second consecutive and third overall feature victory of the 2010 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Pitkat and Posocco was Bennett, Fearn, and Joe Rzeszutek.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Zach Aszklar took the early race lead ahead of John Hanafin, David Webb, Heather DesRochers, and Kyle Spencer. Shayne Prucker had hard contact with the turn 4 wall with 3 laps complete to bring the caution out.
On the restart, Hanafin powered past Aszklar to take over the race lead and DesRochers moved into second. DesRochers made a move to the inside of Hanafin on lap-5, but she got loose and fell back several spots as Webb, Tommy Barrett, Jr., Erica Santos, and Ted Cain moved into the top-5.
Aszklar brought the caution out with a spin at the halfway point of the race. Hanafin continued to lead on the restart, with Cain and Barrett side by side for second. Barrett would get the spot as Spencer and Webb were now fourth and fifth. Steve Greer’s car stalled at the entrance to pit road with 12 laps complete to bring the yellow flag back out.
Barrett got the jump on the restart and he motored into the lead with Hanafin and Cain dueling for the second place. The two cars made contact, which sent Hanafin up the track and collected the cars of Webb, Chad Trombley, and Anthony Flannery to bring the yellow back out.
Barrett took the lead back under green with Matt Galko and Jay Goff now side by side for second. Spencer was fourth and Santos was fifth. Goff got out of shape and fell back several spots, but a spin by Todd Clark brought the caution back out with 19 laps complete to set up a green white checkered finish.
Barrett again took the lead, but Galko didn’t quite come up to speed right away, which boxed up the field behind Barrett. Joey Cipriano made a spectacular pass to move from fifth to second, but the bobble by Galko afforded Barrett all the room he needed out front and he cruised to his first career SK Light Modified feature victory to break the record set by Cipriano three weeks ago as the youngest feature winner in the history of Stafford Motor Speedway. Cipriano finished second, with Galko, Santos, and DesRochers rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Jesse Hinze and Duane Provost were locked in a thrilling side by side duel for several laps battling for the race lead, which Hinze got on lap-2. Carla Botticello quickly worked her way by Provost to take over second and she took the lead from Hinze on lap-5. Hinze fell back to sixth place as Kevin Gambacorta, Dan Flannery, George Nocera, Jr., and Shawn Thibeault all got by.
Hinze had a loose car and he continued to backslide until he spun in turn 4 with 10 laps complete to bring out the caution. Gambacorta took the lead on the restart and he began to pull away from the field as Flannery and Nocera were dueling side by side for second. Flannery took the spot and the side by side action allowed Andrew Durand to close in and he also moved by Nocera to drop him back to fourth. Nocera and Thibeault had a body rubbing battle for the fourth position with Thibeault moving into fourth only to have Nocera retake the spot on the next lap.
At the front of the field, Flannery was eating into Gambacorta’s lead, but Flannery ran out of time as he came up just short at the checkered flag as Gambacorta took his second feature win of the 2010 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Gambacorta and Flannery was Durand, Dave Yardley, III, and Nocera.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Josh Wood took the lead at the drop of the green flag ahead of Stephanie Berardi, Steve Daddio, Vince Gambacorta, and Nick Salva. Kaitlyn Brice’s car came to a stop in turn 3 with 3 laps complete to bring out the first caution.
Back under green Wood powered his way into the lead with Daddio moving in to second. Salva moved into third, with Don Wood fourth and Tommy Membrino, Jr. moving into fifth place. Don Macho, Sr. spun with 9 laps compelte to bring the yellow flag back out.
The field completed another lap before Jeff Jolly and Kyle Casagrande spun through the frontstretch infield to bring the caution back out. Wood again powered into the lead on the restart and he pulled away from Salva in second place over the final 5 laps to score his first career DARE Stock victory. Rounding out the top-5 behind Wood and Salva was Don Wood, Membrino, and Daddio.
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Matt Gallo, Kensington
2) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
3) Ted Christopher, Plainville
4) Keith Rocco, Meriden
5) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
6) Sean Foster, Ellington
7) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
8) Dan Avery, Somers
9) Zach Sylvester, Lebanon
10) Jeff Malave, Manchester
11) Curt Brainard, Canton
12) Todd Owen, Somers
13) Jeff Baral, Enfield
14) Raymond Grassetti, Monson, Ma
15) John Montesanto, North Branford
16) Adam Skowyra, Brimfield, Ma
17) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
18) Josh Sylvester, Lebanon
19) Tom Bolles, Ellington
20) Mark Bakaj, Lebanon
21) Brit Andersen, Branford
22) Chris Jones, New Milford
23) Nichole Morgillo, Wallingford
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
2) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
3) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
4) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
5) Joe Rzeszutek, South Hadley, Ma
6) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
7) Corey Hutchings, Salem
8) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
9) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
10) Scott Cook, Uncasville
11) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany
12) Walt Wosko, Jr., West Suffield
13) Doug Blowers, Jr., Newton Highlands, Ma
14) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
15) Alan Provost, Monson, Ma
16) John Kasper, Wilbraham, Ma
17) Tony Lafo, Higganum
18) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
19) Keith Rocco, Meriden
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Tommy Barrett Jr., Millis, Ma
2) Joey Cipriano Iii, Waterbury
3) Matt Galko, Meriden
4) Erica Santos, Franklin, Ma
5) Heather DesRochers, Granby, Ma
6) Ted Cain, Plymouth
7) Todd Clark, Bristol
8) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
9) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
10) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
11) Victoria Bergenty, Plainville
12) Anthony Flannery, East Hampton
13) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
14) Rick Williams, Haddam
15) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
16) David Webb, New Milford
17) Chad Trombley, Bethany
18) Josh White, Ellington
19) John Hanafin, Quincy, Ma
20) Frank Cardile, Bolton
21) Stephen Greer, Harwinton
22) Shayne Prucker, Stafford Springs
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
2) Dan Flannery, Ellington
3) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
4) Dave Yardley, III, Meriden
5) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
6) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
7) Michael Wray, Northford
8) Keith Minchella, Springfield, Ma
9) Rob Dow, Stafford Springs
10) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
11) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
12) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
13) Carla Botticello, Manchester
14) Marshall Usher, Palmer, Ma
15) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
16) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
2) Nick Salva, Prospect
3) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
4) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
5) Stephen Daddio, Seymour
6) Andrew Hayes, Enfield
7) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
8) Albert Saunders, Stafford
9) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
10) Stephanie Berardi, Broad Brook
11) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
12) Donald Cook, Agawam, Ma
13) James Carroll, West Hartford
14) David Macho, Sr., Columbia
15) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
16) Jeff Jolly, Wallingford
17) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester