Cardile, Casagrande & Rottino Score CARQUEST Fall Final Saturday Feature Victories at Stafford Motor Speedway; Galko, Gambacorta & Wood Score Track Championships
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway kicked off its final race event of the 2011 season with feature events for its SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions as part of the Saturday CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend festivities. Frank Cardile picked up his first feature victory of the 2011 season in the SK Light feature and Matt Galko secured his second consecutive track championship with a 9th place finish. Cory Casagrande picked up his third win of the 2011 season in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature and Kevin Gambacorta locked down his second career Ltd. Late Model track championship with a 7th place finish. Kelsey Rottino captured his first career victory in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event while Don Wood captured his second DARE Stock track championship with a second place finish. Albert Saunders was the winner of the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Cody Gneiting took the lead at the start with Tony Membrino, Jr., Tony Santangelo, Harry Wheeler, and Frank Cardile behind him. Jay Goff touched wheels with the car of Dylan Liseo and damaged his right front tire, which brought the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Membrino took the lead on the restart and held the lead ahead of Gneiting until the caution came back out with 9 laps complete for a spin by Steve Greer on the backstretch.
Back under green, Frank Cardile got around Membrino for the race lead, while Gneiting, Joey Cipriano, and Dylan Liseo made up the top-5. The caution came back out with 13 laps complete for a spin by Paul Tommasino in turn 4.
Cardile took the lead back under green with Membrino right behind him. Cipriano moved into third, with Santangelo and Liseo making up the top-5 as Gneiting fell back to seventh. With 2 laps to go, the order shuffled as Cipriano moved into second place. But Cardile led the field around to the checkered flag for his first win of the 2011 season. Cipriano finished second, with Membrino, Santangelo, and Tommy Barrett, Jr. rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Jesse Hinze took the early race lead ahead of Cory Casagrande, Chris Cook, Carla Botticello, and George Nocera, Jr. Kevin Gambacorta was right behind Nocera in sixth place, with Norm Sears and Shawn Thibeault right behind Gambacorta.
Hinze continued to hold the race lead ahead of Casagrande, but one lap after the halfway point of the race, Casagrande made a pass for the lead in turn 4. Cook continued to run in third, with Nocera in fourth and Gambacorta was in fifth. Sears was all over the back bumper of Gambacorta in sixth place, while Thibeault was right behind Sears.
On lap-14, Sears was finally able to find his way past Gambacorta and one lap later, Thibeault got by Gambacorta to move into fifth place. Casagrande was still the race leader and he had pulled out to a large lead over Hinze in second. Sears got by Cook to move into fourth coming to the white flag, but it was all Casagrande at the front as he picked up his third feature victory of the 2011 season. Nocera finished second, with Hinze, Sears, and Cook rounding out the top-5. Gambacorta came home in sixth place, which was good enough to secure the Limited Late Model championship.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, Kaitlyn Brice took the lead into turn 1 at the green flag, but Kelsey Rottino quickly took the lead and led the first lap. Andy Marchese moved into second as Brice fell back to third, with Kyle Casagrande and Andrew Hayes rounding out the top-5. Donnie Swan spun to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Rottino maintained the lead on the restart with Hayes making a strong move into second. Cliff Saunders moved into third, as Marchese fell back to fourth, just ahead of Albert Saunders. Don Wood got by Marchese for fifth several laps later and Rottino continued to hold the lead.
With 5 laps to go, Rottino continued to hold the race lead with Albert and Cliff Saunders right behind him. Wood was in fourth with Kris Fluckiger in fifth as Hayes fell from second back to sixth place. Brice and David Macha made contact in turn 2 with Macha spinning to bring the caution out with 12 laps complete.
Rottino and Saunders were side by side for the lead on the restart with Rottino getting clear to the lead at the start/finish line. Swan spun again in turn 4 to bring the caution out.
Rottino took the lead on the restart with Wood settling into second. Wood almost took the lead coming to the white flag, but Rottino was able to hold him off. Rottino led Wood around to the checkered flag to pick up his first career DARE Stock victory. Wood finished second, which clinched the 2011 DARE Stock track championship. Albert Saunders came home in third, with Hayes and Fluckiger rounding out the top-5.
In the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out, Albert Saunders and Andrew Hayes stayed side by side for the lead on the first lap while Kyle Casagrande and Don Wood were side by side behind them for third. Albert Saunders got clear of Hayes on lap-2 and Casagrande got ahead of Wood on the second lap with Kris Fluckiger riding in fifth place.
Casagrande went around on the backstretch on lap-5, but he was able to keep his car going and the race stayed green with Albert Saunders leading Hayes. Hayes made a bid for the lead on the final lap, but Albert Saunders was able to hold him off for the win. Rounding out the top-5 behind Albert Saunders and Hayes was Wood, Cliff Saunders, and Fluckiger.
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 LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Frank Cardile, Bolton
2) Joey Cipriano, III, Waterbury
3) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
4) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
5) Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, Ma
6) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
7) Cody Gneiting, Broad Brook
8) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
9) Matt Galko, Meriden
10) Bob Charland, Stafford
11) Nick Boivin, Belchertown, Ma
12) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
13) Dylan Kopec, Palmer, Ma
14) Nick Salva, Prospect
15) Steve Greer, Harwinton
16) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
17) Rick Dyer, Shelton
18) Rick Williams, Haddam
19) Paul Tommasino, Meriden
20) Mike Parolo, Feeding Hills, Ma
21) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
22) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
2) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
3) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
4) Norm Sears, Andover
5) Chris Cook, Pepperell, Ma
6) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
7) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
8) Carla Botticello, Manchester
9) Dan Flannery, Ellington
10) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
11) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
12) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
13) Corky Hinze, Farmington
14) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
15) Art Moran, Preston
16) Marshall Usher, Monson, Ma
17) Michael Nadeau, Enfield
18) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
19) Justin Bren, Monson, Ma
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
2) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
3) Albert Saunders, Stafford
4) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
5) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
6) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
7) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
8) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
9) David Arute, Tolland
10) Andrew Marchese, Tolland
11) Dave Secore, Jr., Union
12) James Carroll, West Hartford
13) Gary Spinnato, Jr., Wallingford
14) Brandon Michael, Cranville, Ma
15) Ky Jensen, Stafford Springs
16) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester
17) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, Ma
18) Donnie Swan, Manchester
19) David Macha, Columbia
20) Monte Gibbs, Killingworth
21) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
22) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
PARADISO-MUSKA DARE STOCK SHOOT-OUT (8)
1) Albert Saunders, Stafford
2) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
3) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
4) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
5) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
6) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
7) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
8) David Arute, Tolland
9) Andrew Marchese, Tolland
10) James Carroll, West Hartford
11) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
12) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester
13) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, Ma
14) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs