Berndt & Pitkat Score CARQUEST Fall Final Sunday Feature Victories at Stafford; Posocco Clinches 6th Track Championship
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway brought the curtain down on its 2011 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season with its final SK Modified® and Late Model feature events of the year as part of the 39th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend. Eric Berndt took the checkered flag in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature for his first Stafford SK Modified® victory since Sept. 2006 and Woody Pitkat scored his third consecutive and sixth win of the 2011 season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, but Ryan Posocco clinched the 2011 Late Model track championship with a fifth place finish.
The 40-lap SK Modified® feature went green with Michael Gervais, Jr. and Chris Matthews dueling side by side for the race lead. Gervais cleared Matthews for the lead on lap-2 and Dan Avery moved into third behind Gervais and Matthews. Tom Bolles took up the fourth position with Todd Owen rounding out the top-5 in the early going. With 7 laps complete, Kirk Zervas and Dave Salzarulo spun in turn 4 to bring the caution flag out.
Gervais took the lead again on the restart, but Matthews’ good run came to a premature end as his car dropped off the pace and he came to pit road. Nichole Morgillo spun on the backstretch to bring the caution back out with 9 laps complete.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Gervais was the leader back under green with Todd Owen pulling alongside Dan Avery in a fight for second. Owen took the position and now Eric Berndt was side by side with Avery for third. Owen moved by Gervais to take over the race lead on lap-12 and his pass brought both Berndt and Ryan Preece with him by Gervais as Gervais fell from the lead back to fourth place. Avery was running in fifth behind Gervais with Doug Coby right behind Avery in sixth.
Owen held the lead until lap-16 when Berndt made a move to the inside of Owen in turn 4 to take over the race lead. Owen was able to settle into second just in front of Preece, but John Montesanto spun in the middle of turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 16 laps complete.
Berndt took the lead from Owen back under green with Preece and Gervais side by side for third behind Owen. Gervais spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 18 laps complete. On the restart, Berndt took the lead with Preece able to get alongside Owen in a fight for second place. Avery was fourth with Glen Reen and Keith Rocco side by side for fifth place. With 20 laps complete, Sean Foster spun in turn 4 and Michael Bennett climbed up and over the car of Matt Gallo to bring the caution back out.
Berndt and Preece were locked in a side by side fight for the lead on the restart with Berndt getting clear of Preece after one lap. Avery was third, with Rocco taking to the outside of Owen to move into fourth. Morgillo and Jeff Baral spun into the turn 1 wall and collected the car of Joe Gada to bring the caution back out with 22 laps complete.
Berndt and Preece were again locked in a side by side duel for the lead, but Avery and Rocco touched wheels on the backstretch, which sent Rocco spinning and brought the caution back out with 23 laps complete. Avery was sent to the rear of the field for the contact.
Berndt and Preece were again side by side for the lead, but Avery and Kurt Lenahan spun in turn 2 to bring the caution back out with 24 laps complete. Keith Rocco was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with the Lenahan car.
Back under green, Berndt and Preece were again side by side for the lead for a lap before Berndt was able to get cleared to the lead, but Doug Coby spun in turn 3 and collected the cars of Todd Owen and Sean Foster to bring the caution back out with 25 laps complete.
Berndt took the lead back under green with James Civali pulling to the inside of Preece in a duel for second. Just behind Civali and Preece was Ted Christopher and Glen Reen in a side by side duel for fourth place. Berndt began to pull away from Christopher, who worked his way into second place. Reen was third, with Tom Bolles and Preece behind him with 9 laps to go. John Montesanto spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 33 laps complete.
The field quickly settled into single file on the restart with Berndt taking the lead ahead of Christopher, Reen, Preece, and Bolles. Rocco and Civali were having a spirited fight for sixth place and Civali was given the black flag and was parked for the remainder of the race for repeated contact with Rocco’s bumper. John Jensen spun in turn 4 to bring the caution back out with 36 laps complete.
Berndt took the lead back under green with Reen and Christopher side by side for second place. Bolles and Preece were side by side for fourth behind Reen and Christopher. Reen was able to move into second behind Preece and Christopher settled into third ahead of Bolles. Berndt led the field around to the checkered flag for his first SK Modified® victory at Stafford since September 1, 2006. Reen finished second, with Christopher, Bolles, and Rocco rounding out the top-5.
The 30-lap Late Model feature took the green flag with Walt Wosko, Jr. taking a big lead on the opening lap over Mark St. Hilaire, Jim Peterson, Peter Thickett, and Dillon Moltz. Ryan Posocco pulled to the outside of Moltz and tried to take the spot, but fell back into line in sixth place, just in front of Tom Butler and Woody Pitkat. Tom Fearn spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 4 laps complete.
Back under green, Wosko again was the race leader, but Peterson moved to Wosko’s inside and took over the lead on lap-6. Pitkat moved into third behind Peterson and Wosko, but Moltz came to a stop in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out.
Peterson took the lead back under green but Pitkat worked his way to Peterson’s inside and took the lead one lap after the restart. Jim Mavlouganes was now up to third, with Mike Quintiliano and Adam Gray behind him. Corey Hutchings spun with 7 laps complete to bring the caution out.
Pitkat got the jump on Peterson at the restart, but Peterson came back strong down the backstretch to move into the lead. Pitkat went back by Peterson the lap after the restart to retake the race lead. Mavlouganes moved into second behind Pitkat and Quintiliano was also able to get by Peterson as Peterson fell from the lead back to fourth place, just in front of J.J. Hill.
Pitkat began to stretch out his lead over Quintiliano, who had moved by Mavlouganes for second. Hill was fourth behind Mavlouganes, with Peterson now in fifth. Joe Rzeszutek came to a stop in the middle of turns 3+4 to bring the caution back out with 14 laps complete.
Pitkat took the lead back under green and immediately put several car lengths between himself and Mavlouganes in second. Jim Peterson made hard contact with the turn 3 wall to bring the caution back out with 16 laps complete. Adam Gray spun in turn 3 on the restart, but the field was able to complete one lap before the caution came back out.
On the restart, Moltz looked to make it three wide for the lead with Pitkat and Mavlouganes, but he backed out and settled into line in second behind Pitkat. Hill and Rick Charette spun in turn 3 to bring the caution back out with 18 laps complete. Tom Fearn was parked for the remainder of the race for contact with the two cars.
Pitkat took the lead back under green with St. Hilaire taking second. Moltz fell back a spot to third, with Patrick Townsend in fourth, just ahead of Quintiliano and Posocco. Posocco got around Quintiliano for fifth place on lap-23 to take over fifth place.
Pitkat led the field around to the checkered flag for his third consecutive Late Model feature victory. St. Hilaire finished second, with Moltz, Townsend, and Posocco rounding out the top-5. Posocco’s fifth place finish was enough to clinch his sixth career Late Model track championship at Stafford Motor Speedway.
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 MODIFIED® (40)
1) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
2) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
3) Ted Christopher, Plainville
4) Tom Bolles, Ellington
5) Keith Rocco, Meriden
6) Ryan Preece, Berlin
7) Danny Cates, Chaplin
8) Dan Avery, Somers
9) Curt Brainard, Canton
10) Matt Galko, Meriden
11) Brian Sullivan, South Windsor
12) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
13) Doug Coby, Middletown
14) Kirk Zervas, Winthrop, Ma
15) Joe Gada, Salem
16) John Montesanto, North Branford
17) Adam Skowyra, Brimfield, Ma
18) Kurt Lenahan, Roxbury
19) James Civali, Meriden
20) John Jensen, Wolcott
21) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
22) Nichole Morgillo, Wallingford
23) Chris Matthews, Stafford
24) Sean Foster, Willington
25) Todd Owen, Somers
26) Jeff Baral, Enfield
27) Matt Gallo, Kensington
28) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
29) Mike King, Agawam, Ma
30) Heather DesRochers, Granby, Ma
31) Bob Parker, Jr., Southbury
32) David Salzarulo, Monson, Ma
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
2) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
3) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
4) Patrick Townsend, Springifeld, Ma
5) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
6) Mike Quintiliano, Shelton
7) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
8) Walt Wosko, Jr., West Suffield
9) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
10) Peter Thickett, Watertown
11) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany
12) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
13) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
14) Rick Charette, Vernon
15) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
16) Sean Foster, Willington
17) John Pysher, Brimfield, Ma
18) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
19) Joe Rzeszutek, South Hadley, Ma
20) Tim Fogg, Stafford Springs
21) Corey Hutchings, Salem