Santos Springs Back to Victory Lane
Rebounds with Whelen Modified win at Stafford’s Sizzler
Stafford Springs, CT — Bobby Santos rebounded from an opening season mechanical failure with a win Sunday in Stafford Speedway’s Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST.
Santos, the defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, held off points leader Rowan Pennink over the closing laps to claim the victory. Santos opened the season with the Coors Light Pole Award at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway but lasted just 16 laps before engine issues ended his day.
Sunday at Stafford, the engine was never a problem.
It was Santos’ third career win at Stafford and first in the track’s annual season kickoff, which was running its 40th edition. Those three wins for Santos and the No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing team have come in the last four races at the historic half mile.
[Stafford 04/30/11] by Nicholas Teto
[Stafford – 05/01/11] by Nicholas Teto
Ron Silk edged Eric Beers for third, while Mike Stefanik finished fifth. Erick Rudolph was sixth. Ted Christopher, three-time defending race winner, finished seventh. Matt Hirschman, Tom Rogers Jr. and Woody Pitkat rounded out the top 10.
Doug Coby, who won the Coors Light Pole Award on Saturday, was involved in the first caution of the day and finished 29th.
Santos led a race-high 152 laps while Christopher paced the other 48. The first of four races in 2011 at Stafford was slowed by eight cautions for 43 laps.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to Stafford on Friday, May 27 for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125. It will mark the 100th race at Stafford in the Tour’s history.
RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | AUDIO: POST-RACE VICTORY LANE WITH WINNER BOBBY SANTOS | AUDIO: POST-RACE INTERVIEW WITH ROWAN PENNINK | AUDIO: POST-RACE INTERVIEW WITH RON SILK
Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR WMT PR