Pitkat, Hutchings, Cipriano, Burnham & Casagrande Score September 2nd NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Feature Victories at Stafford
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway was back on track with a 5-division NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event on Friday, September 2nd. Woody Pitkat nailed down his first win of the 2011 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Corey Hutchings picked up his first win of 2011 in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Joey Cipriano scored his fifth win of 2011 in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, D.J. Burnham picked up his first career victory in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Kyle Casagrande picked up his division leading 5th win of the 2011 season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Curt Brainard took the lead at the drop of the green with Brian Sullivan and Sean Foster locked in a side by side duel for second. Side by side behind Brian Sullivan and Foster was Nichole Morgillo and Dan Avery. Sullivan got cleared of Foster for second with Avery taking third. Glen Reen was now into fourth and Woody Pitkat was up to fifth with 8 laps compete.
Brainard held the lead until lap-9 when Sullivan went to the front, but his lead was short lived as Avery moved to the front on lap-10. Pitkat moved into second behind Avery with Eric Berndt moving by Sullivan to take over third place. Pitkat quickly moved by Avery to take the lead on lap-12. Berndt got by Avery for second place on lap-17 while Pitkat continued to lead the race.
After a trip through the grass that lost his several positions a few laps earlier, Ryan Preece was charging his way back towards the front of the pack as he moved into sixth on lap-18. Berndt pulled to the outside of Pitkat and the two cars began to run side by side for the race lead with Pitkat able to keep Berndt behind him at the start/finish line.
Berndt made the pass for the lead on lap-22 as Preece went by Todd Owen to take over fifth place. The order was now Berndt ahead of Pitakt, Avery, Glen Reen, and Preece. The top-5 remained unchanged until lap-33 when Preece moved by Reen for fourth place, but Reen came right back and took the spot back. Preece made another pass on Reen for fourth place on lap-37 in turns 1+2 and this time he made the pass stick. As the cars came back around and down the frontstretch, Reen made a run back to the inside of Preece and the cars touched wheels with Reen climbing Preece’s tires, which launched his car into the air for a split second and the caution came out as Reen’s car was showering sparks as it made its way back to pit road.
Back under green, Pitkat charged into the lead with Berndt settling into second. Todd Owen made a great move to get up to third with Preece behind him in fourth. Pitkat lead Berndt to the checkered flag by less than a car length to score his first victory of the 2011 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Pitkat and Berndt was Owen, Preece, and Brainard.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Tom Fearn went around Corey Hutchings at the green to take the lead. Hutchings settled into second place with Dillon Moltz and Walt Wosko, Jr. behind him. Behind Wosko, J.J. Hill and Mark St. Hilaire were side by side for fifth place. Moltz got a bit out of shape in turn 3 on lap-3, which allowed Hill, Ryan Posocco, and Woody Pitkat to move by as Moltz and Wosko began to slide backwards.
Fearn was able stay out front until lap-5, when Hutchings went past to take over the race lead. Posocco and Pitkat moved by Hill to drop him from third back to fifth place.
The top-5 ran in line until lap-19 when Posocco drifted up the track in turn 2, allowing Pitkat and Hill to get past and drop him from third back to fifth place. Hutchings had a lead of several car lengths over Fearn, who came under pressure from Pitkat on lap-22. Pitkat and Fearn drifted up the track in turn 4, allowing Hill to pass them both and move into second while Hutchings continued to lead. Hill’s great run ended on lap-25 as his car lost power on the backstretch and he pulled off the track.
Hutchings led the field around to the checkered flag to pick up his first victory of the 2011 season. Pitkat finished second, with Posocco, Fearn, and Moltz rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Tony Membrino, Jr. went around Steve Greer to take the lead and Zach Aszklar followed Membrino by Greer. Aszklar moved by Membrino to take the lead on lap-2 and Joey Cipriano and Tommy Barrett, Jr. followed Aszklar by Membrino to drop him back to fourth after leading the first lap. Cipriano moved by Aszklar on to take the lead on lap-4 and he brought Barrett with him as Aszklar fell back to third place, just in front of Membrino and Frank Cardile, who were racing side by side for fourth place.
Cardile would take the spot from Membrino in the high groove and Dylan Liseo followed him by Membrino on lap-7 and Liseo pulled to the inside of Cardile on lap-8, but was not able to get by as Liseo and Cardile began a side by side fight. Liseo got clear of Cardile on lap-9 while Cipriano and Barrett were nose to tail for the lead.
Barrett worked his way to the inside of Cipriano for the lead on lap-15, but Cipriano came right back to the inside of Barrett and the duo began to race side by side for the lead. They stayed side by side until lap-18 when Cipriano got loose and Barrett charged into the lead. Cardile spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 17 laps complete.
On the restart, Cipriano charged into the lead with Barrett, Liseo, Aszklar, and Matt Galko lined up behind him. Aszklar spun in turn 2 on the final lap, but Cipriano led the field to thoe checkered flag to pick up his fifth win of the 2011 season. Barrett finished second, with Liseo, Galko, and Jay Goff rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, D.J. Burnham powered by polesitter Jesse Hinze to take the early race lead ahead of Hinze, Duane Provost, Dan Flannery, and Kevin Gambacorta. On the second lap, Flannery and Gambacorta tried to spit Provost in a three wide move coming out of turn 2 and there was a melee which involved Provost, Flannery, Cory Casagrande, and Shawn Thibeault.
Back under green, Burnham powered into the lead with Gambacorta, George Nocera, Jr., Norm Sears, and Hinze making up the top-5. The cars ran nose to tail in that order until lap-18 when Nocera made a move around Gambacorta to take over second. Nocera’s move opened the door for Sears to follow him by Gambacorta, dropping him back to foruth place.
Nocera tried several moves to get by Burnham, but Burnham was able to hold Nocera off as he took the checkered flag for a wire to wire victory, his first career victory. Nocera finished second, with Sears, Gambacorta, and Hinze rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Austin Bessette took the lead from the pole and began to set the early pace ahead of Andy Marchese, Vince Gambacorta, Kelsey Rottino, and Kyle Casagrande. Casagrande quickly worked his way by Rottino on lap-2 and Gambacorta made a move by Marchese on lap-3, which brought Casagrande by Marchese as well. Albert Saunders and Brandon Michael spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete. Points leader Don Wood had some sheet metal damage to his car and he had to pull onto pit road, finished for the evening.
Back under green, Besette took the lead with Casagrande moving into second. Gambacorta continued to run in third, with Rottino and Josh Wood behind him. Monte Gibbs spun through the frontstretch grass, but he was able to get his car moving again and the race stayed green. Casagrande made a pass for the lead on lap-6, getting to the inside of Bessette. Dave Secore spun to bring the yellow flag back out with 10 laps complete.
Casagrande took the lead ahead of Bessette back under green with Gambacorta, Josh Wood, and Rottino making up the top-5. Casagrande led the field around to the checkered flag to pick up his division leading fifth win of the 2011 season. Bessette finished second, with Josh Wood, Gambacorta, and Rottino making up 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