Woody Pitkat Wins 18th Annual Late Model 100 at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to racing on August 19th with the Late Model cars taking top billing with their 18th Annual Late Model 100 extra distance classic. Woody Pitkat was the big winner of the night, capturing the Late Model 100 checkered flag for his third win of the 2011 season. In other NASCAR Whelen All-American Series feature racing action, Keith Rocco scored his 8th win of the 2011 season in the SK Modified® feature, Kyle Spencer picked up his first career win in a spectacular finish in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, George Nocera, Jr. picked up his fourth win of the 2011 season in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Don Wood scored his fourth win of the 2011 season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 100-lap Late Model feature event, Tony Lafo took the early lead ahead of Tom Fearn. Jim Peterson was third, with Patrick Townsend fourth and Keith Rocco fifth. Woody Pitkat and Ryan Posocco were sixth and seventh, with John Kasper, Scott Cook, and Mike Quintiliano rounding out the top-5. The caution came out with 8 laps complete for water on the track in turn 2.
Rocco took the lead on the restart as Fearn’s car didn’t come up to speed right away and Pitkat moved into second with Fearn falling back to third, just ahead of Peterson while Posocco was fifth. Rocco’s time at the front was short as Pitkat moved past to take the lead on lap-12.
At the lap-30 mark of the race, Pitkat was still the leader with Rocco and Peterson nose to tail for second and third. Posocco was now fourth, several car lengths behind Peterson and Fearn was fifth, several car lengths behind Posocco.
Dillon Moltz would get by Fearn for fifth, but on lap-35, Moltz got loose in turn 4, which allowed Fearn and John Kasper to move back by Moltz. Moltz would move back by Kasper to take the fifth spot while Pitkat continued to hold the race lead ahead of Rocco, Peterson, and Posocco.
At the halfway point of the race, Pitkat was still the leader of the race with Rocco and Peterson almost a half straightaway behind. Posocco was a full straighaway behind Rocco and Peterson in fourth place, while Moltz was now full straightaway behind Posocco in fifth place.
The race continued to run under green flag conditions and at the lap-80 mark it was still Pitkat in the lead, but Rocco had closed the gap to Pitkat while pulling away from Peterson in third. Peterson had a healthy lead over Posocco in fourth and Posocco was comfortably ahead of Moltz in fifth place. Mark St. Hilaire spun in turn 3 to bring the caution out with 83 laps complete, which bunched the field up for a restart.
Pitkat took the lead back under green with Rocco, Peterson, Moltz, and Posocco lined up in single file behind him. Pitkat was able to immediately stretch his lead out to several car lengths over Rocco. Tom Butler spun on the frontstretch to bring the yellow back out with 87 laps complete.
Pitkat again took the lead on the restart with Peterson moving into second. Posocco was able to move into third, while Rocco fell back to fourth, just ahead of Moltz. Lafo spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 88 laps complete.
Pitkat took the lead with Rocco getting back by Peterson for second on the restart. Peterson fell into line in third, just ahead of Posocco and Moltz. Pitkat pulled away from Rocco and took the checkered flag for his third win of the 2011 season. Rocco finished second, with Peterson, Posocco, and Moltz rounding out the top-5.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Chris Matthews led the first lap before Nichole Morgillo moved to the front of the field on lap-2. Michael Gervais, Jr. moved into second behind Morgillo and he took the lead from Morgillo, but the caution came out for Mark Bakaj and Frank Ruocco, who hit the wall in turn 3 to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete and put Morgillo back out front for the restart.
Morgillo led the field back under green but Gervais moved to the lead one lap after the restart. Ryan Preece and Eric Berndt also moved past Morgillo, dropping her from the lead back to fourth place. Preece went by Gervais on lap-6 to take over the lead. Berndt followed Preece by Gervais to drop him from the lead back to third, just in front of Morgillo, Glen Reen, and Keith Rocco.
Rocco got by Reen and Morgillo to move into fourth place on lap-12 while Preece was beginning to pull away from Berndt. Rocco continued to charge to the front, taking third place from Gervais on lap-14.
At lap-25, Preece had a half straightaway lead over Rocco and Berndt. Gervais was still running fourth with Morgillo rounding out the top-5. Preece was maintaining in his advantage over Rocco, but that lead was erased with 34 laps complete as Morgillo spun in turn 2 and collected the car of Curt Brainard to bring the caution out. Woody Pitkat was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Morgillo.
On the restart, Preece took the lead, but Rocco made strong run into turn 3, but he ran out of room and Preece was able to hold the lead. The next lap saw Rocco get to Preece’s inside, but Preece had the lead at the line. Preece and Rocco were still side by side with Rocco taking the lead the line by mere inches. Lap 38 was Rocco again the leader by a nose and Preece had the lead by a nose on lap-39. On the final lap, Rocco got a just a bit better drive coming off the last corner and he took his 8th checkered flag of the 2011 season. Preece finished second, with Berndt right behind him in third. Gervais finished fourth with Todd Owen rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Steve Greer jumped the start and was sent to the rear of the field. On the second start, the car of Rick Williams spun through the infield to bring the caution back out before a lap could be completed. Jay Goff took the lead at the green while Bob Charland was right behind Goff in second. Tony Membrino, Jr. was side by side with Tommy Membrino, Jr. for third with Kyle Spencer behind them in fifth place. Dylan Liseo spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 8 laps complete.
On the restart, Spencer made a move to the inside of Goff and then Zach Aszklar made a move to the inside of Spencer to come back to the stripe side by side for the lead. Spencer settled into line in second just ahead of Joey Cipriano as Goff fell from the lead back to fourth place. Charland was holding down the fifth spot just ahead of Tommy Membrino, Jr.
Cipriano made a power move to the inside of Spencer in turn 3 to take over second place on lap-15 and he continued his charge as in turn 1+2 he pulled along side Aszklar and then he went to the outside of Aszklar in turns 3+4 to take the lead at the line. Aszklar came back strong and went back to the lead on lap-16 with Cipriano falling back into a side by side duel with Spencer for second. Cipriano got clear of Spencer on lap-17 and he went back by Aszklar on lap-18 to retake the lead. Tony Membrino, Jr. spun in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out and set up a green white checkered sprint to the finish.
On the restart, Cipriano charged into the lead with Spencer moving ahead of Aszklar. Spencer dove to the inside of Cipriano to take the lead at the stripe. On the final lap, Barrett made a three wide move to the inside of both Spencer and Cipriano to take the lead in turn 3. As the cars came through turn 4, Cipriano pulled to the low side of Barrett and his car got loose, which resulted in Cipriano’s right front making contact with Barrett’s left rear and both cars spun as they headed to the checkered flag. Before either Cipriano or Barrett could cross the start/finish line backwards, Spencer came through and took the checkered flag by inches ahead of Barrett and Cipriano to record his first career victory in the most spectacular of fashions. Barrett was second, with Aszklar, Cipriano, and Frank Cardile rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Jesse Hinze took the lead at the drop of the green with Norm Sears moving up to second. Sears moved by Hinze on lap-2 to take over the lead and his pass for the lead opened the door for Dan Flannery and George Nocera, Jr. to also get by Hinze. Nocera would get by Flannery and was trying to run down Sears for the lead at the halfway point of the race. D.J. Burnham was running in fifth behind Hinze.
Nocera had caught up to Sears’ bumper on lap-13 and he was looking to make a pass for the lead. Nocera was able to make the pass for the lead on lap-15 with Sears falling back to second. Flannery was still running third, with Hinze and Kevin Gambacorta making up the top-5.
Sears made one final bid for the lead, but Nocera was able to hold him off by a car length at the checkered flag to pick up his fourth win of the 2011 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Nocera and Sears was Flannery, Hinze, and Gambacorta.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Katlyn Brice streaked into the lead at the drop of the green flag with Andy Marchese giving chase. Kris Fluckiger was third, with Vince Gambacorta and Kelsey Rottino side by side for the fourth position. Marchese went by Brice to take over the race lead on lap-2 and the lead changed hands again on lap-3 as Fluckiger went by Marchese. Gambacorta followed Fluckiger by Marchese as did Austin Bessette, David Arute, Don Wood, Kyle Casagrande, and Josh Wood, which dropped Marchese from the lead back to eighth.
On lap-8, Arute made a move to the inside of Bessette to take over third behind Fluckiger and Gambacorta. Don Wood, Kyle Casagrande, and Josh Wood all made the move by Bessette two laps later. Arute continued his charge to the front as he made a move to the inside of Gambacorta in turn 3 on lap-11 to move into second. Arute’s move brought Don Wood and Casagrande with him past Gambacorta, dropping him back to fifth after running second for most of the race. Dave Secore spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 11 laps complete.
On the restart, Brice spun in turn 2 to bring the caution right back out before the field could complete a lap. Fluckiger took the lead back under green with Don Wood moving into second. Casagrande and Arute were side by side for third with Andrew Hayes and Gambacorta side by side for fifth behind them. Wood made the move by Fluckiger for the lead coming to the white flag and Casagrande was also able to get by Fluckiger. Don Wood led Casagrande back to the checkered flag for his fourth win of the 2011 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Don Wood and Casagrande was Fluckiger, Arute, and Hayes.
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