Charland, Casagrande, Bessette, Fluckiger, Coates & Richardi Score CARQUEST Fall Final Saturday Feature Victories at Stafford Motor Speedway; Aszklar, Casagrande & Saunders Score Track Championships
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway kicked off its final race event of the 2012 season with feature events for its SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions, as well as feature events for the Pro-4 Modifieds and N.E. Truck Series as part of the Saturday CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend festivities. In the SK Light Modifieds, Bob Charland took down his first win of the season while Zach Aszklar was crowned champion, Cory Casagrande won the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature to secure the championship, Austin Bessette won the DARE Stock feature, but came up short in the championship chase as Cliff Saunders took home the track title. Kris Fluckiger won the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out, Corey Coates won the 20-lap N.E. Truck Series feature, and Rob Richardi, Jr. won the 20-lap Pro-4 Modified feature.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Payton Henry took the lead at the green in front of Bob Charland, Frank Cardile, Rick Williams, and Joey Ferrigno. There was a three-car spin in turn involving Tyler Hines, Rick Dyer, and Dylan Campbell to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Henry took the lead back under green, but Charland got a good run on the outside groove and he took the lead from Henry. Cardile also went to the outside to get around Henry, but the caution came out again with 3 laps complete for a spin by Jason Lafayette.
The restart saw a spin by Jay Goff, Williams, and Victoria Bergenty to bring the yellow back out. Back under green, Charland charged into the lead while Cardile dropped off the pace and brought his car to pit road. Henry was now second behind Charland, with Tony Membrino, Jr., Joey Ferrigno, and Cam McDermott making up the top-5.
McDermott went around Ferrigno for fourth place on lap-7 and he went around Membrino to move into third on lap-9. Charland, Henry, McDermott, and Membrino were now in a 4-car train for the race lead with Bo Gunning and Zach Aszklar fighting hard for fifth behind them. The caution came out with 13 laps complete for a spin by Victoria Bergenty in turn 2.
On the restart, Aszklar spun in turn 2 and Dylan Kopec’s car climbed up and over Aszklar’s car, which brought the caution out and drastically changed the SK Light championship picture, as Aszklar was 20 points or 10 positions ahead of Membrino coming into the final race.
Charland took the lead back under green with McDermott and Henry side by side for second place. Membrino was fourth, with Ferrigno and Gunning side by side for fifth place. Henry got a run to the inside of McDermott on lap-16, but he spun coming out of turn 4. Membrino tried to avoid hitting Henry, and as he tried to avoid Henry, Membrino got into the frontstretch wall, which bent his right front tire and eliminated him from the race.
On the restart, Harry Wheeler spun to bring the yellow back out. Charland took the lead back under green with McDermott sliding into second. Ferrigno was third, with Shawn Brule fourth and Goff in fifth. McDermott was all over the back of Charland but Charland was strong enough to hold him off to the checkered flag. Goff, Ferrigno, and Brule rounded out the top-5.
In the chase for the championship, Aszklar's 19th place finish was enough to give him the championship over Membrino, who ended the race in the 14th position.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Joe Nogiec led the field to the green, but he got sideways in the first corner and Jesse Hinze shot into the lead. Andrew Hayes moved into second, with David Arute powering his way by Nogiec to take over third. Josh Wood was also able to move by Nogiec to take over fourth while Nogiec fell back to fifth on lap-3.
Cory Casagrande nearly spun while racing in a group of traffic, but he was able to collect his car and he kept running in fifth place on lap-6. There was a torrid battle for second between Arute, Wood, and Hayes going on with the cars going three wide several times. Arute came out with the spot, but Wood went back by Arute on lap-10 to move back into second. Casagrande was now in third as the three-wide action allowed him to close in on the trio, while D.J. Burnham was fourth and Arute was back to fifth place. With all the position swapping going on behind him, Hinze was able to pull out to a comfortable lead.
On lap-13, Wood got very loose in turn 1 and he fell from second back to fourth place as Casagrande and Burnham both went by. Casagrande was beginning to reel Hinze in for the race lead with Burnham keeping pace with Casagrande. Wood was still in fourth, just ahead of Arute with 5 laps to go.
Casagrande made a move to the inside of Hinze to take over the lead on lap-17 and he brought Burnham with him as Hinze fell back to third. Casagrande took the checkered flag for his sixth win of the season and he also clinched the Limited Late Model track championship. Burnham finished second, with Hinze, Wood, and Arute rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, Kyle Casagrande looped his car in turn 1, but he was able to rejoin the action at the rear of the field. Johnny Walker held the race lead, but coming out of turn 4, Monte Gibbs spun and collected the cars of Kaitlyn Brice and Donnie Swan, while Jeff Berry spun to avoid the Gibbs car, which brought out a red flag with 1 lap complete.
The race restarted with Walker taking the lead ahead of Andy Marchese, Albert Saunders, Austin Bessette, and Kris Fluckiger. Albert Saunders took over second from Marchese on lap-4 while Walker continued to hold the race lead. Bessette was glued to the back bumper of Marchese in a fight for third, while Fluckiger and Cliff Saunders were lined up right behind Bessette.
Saunders made a move to the inside of Walker for the lead on lap-9, but he got loose and fell back to third place as Bessette moved into second behind Walker. Fluckiger was now in fourth, with Cliff Saunders in fifth place. Walker came back to the inside of Bessette for the race lead and going into turn one on lap-12, Saunders and Walker tangled with both cars going up the track and then spinning down to the infield, collecting the car of Marchese. This put Bessette into the lead for the restart, with Fluckiger, Cliff Saunders, Duane Provost, and Jeremy Lavoie lined up behind him.
Bessette took the lead on the restart, with Fluckiger, Cliff Saunders, Provost, and Kyle Casagrande behind him. Matt Chiarizio spun on the backstretch to bring the caution back out with 2 laps to go.
Bessette again took the lead on the restart with Fluckiger settling into line behind him. Cliff Saunders was third, with Lavoie just ahead of Provost and Casagrande. Bessette took the checkered flag ahead of Fluckiger to pick up his third win of the season, but Cliff Saunders’ third place finish was enough to make him the 2012 DARE Stock champion. Provost and Kelsey Rottino rounded out the top-5.
In the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out, James Carroll took the lead from the pole while Kris Fluckiger moved up to second. Austin Bessette was third, but he got loose in turns 3+4, which allowed Cliff Saunders, Kyle Casagrande, and Johnny Walker to all get by Bessette.
Fluckiger moved to the lead on lap-3 with Casagrande, Saunders, Walker, and Bessette lined up behind him as Carroll fell back to eighth place behind Jeremy Lavoie.
Fluckiger held Casagrande off to take the checkered flag, with Saunders, Walker, and Bessette rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap N.E. Truck Series feature, Jason Lafayette got a good run on the outside of polesitter Andy Lindeman to take the lead. Duane Noll settled into third, with Bert Ouellette and Shane Michalski making up the top-5. Lindeman moved back around Lafayette to take the lead on lap-2 and his pass allowed Noll to also get by Lafayette, but the caution came out for a spin by Daniel McGouran and John Brand in turn 3.
Lafayette and Lindeman were side by side for the lead on the restart with Noll in third place. Ouellette was fourth and Michalski was running in fifth. The top-3 briefly went three wide for the lead, but Lafayette was able to maintain the lead. Lindeman went around Lafayette for the lead on lap-5 and Noll got by Lafayette for second on lap-6. Corey Coates, who started shotgun on the field, was no running fourth with Nate Bubello in fifth.
The action was heating up at the front of the field as Noll moved to the inside of Lindeman to take over the lead on lap-9. Coates continued his charge as he took second from Lindeman on lap-10. Coates made a charge to the inside of Noll on lap-12 and he took over the race lead.
Lindeman was able to get back by Noll for second on the final lap, but it was all Coates at the front as he took the checkered flag after nearly not making out of the paddock area to take the green flag. Lafayette finished fourth, with Bubello finishing fifth.
N.E. TRUCK SERIES (20)
1) Corey Coates, Ledyard
2) Andy Lindeman, Poestenkill, NY
3) Duane Noll, Monroe
4) Jason Lafayette, Somers
5) Nate Bubello, Holliston, MA
6) Chris Correll, Montville
7) Bert Ouellette, Dayville
8) Shane Michalski, Woodstock
9) Glen Noll, Naugatuck
10) Daniel McGouran, Westerly, RI
11) John Brand, Long Beach, NY
PRO-4 MODIFIEDS (20)
1) Rob Richardi, Jr., N. Easton, MA
2) Dave Richardi, N. Easton, MA
3) Robin Berghman, E. Providence, RI
4) Dan Fresh, Holliston, MA
5) Dan Meservey, Sr., W. Chatham, MA
6) Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH
7) Phil Lausier, Hudson, NH
8) Dan Meservey, Jr., Brewster, MA
9) Mark Charette, Wolcott
10) Dick DuBois, E. Brookfield, MA
11) Randy Clark, W. Yarmouth, MA
12) Stan Mertz, Whitinsville, MA
13) Mark Giordano, Dudley, MA
14) Derek Robbie, Bellingham, MA
In the 20-lap Pro-4 Modified feature, Robin Berghman led the first lap but Dan Meservey, Jr. overtook her for the lead on lap-2. Rob Richardi, Jr. followed Meservey by Berghman to take over second with Berghman settling into line in third. Phil Lausier was fourth with Dave Richardi right behind him in fifth place.
Rob Richardi was applying heavy pressure to Meservey for the lead while Dave Richardi was doing the same to Lausier. Dave Richardi was able to get the spot from Lausier, while Meservey was able to stay in front of Rob Richardi.
Rob Richardi gave Meservey a big bump on lap-14 in turn 3, but Meservey was able stay in front. Dave Richardi was now third, with Berghman fourth. Lausier spun in turn 3 to bring the caution out with 16 laps complete.
On the restart, Rob Richardi got a good run to the inside of Dan Meservey and he inched ahead to take the lead. Richardi got clear of Meservey on lap-18, but Meservey came back strong to the inside of Richardi for the lead on lap-19. The two cars touched in turn 3 with Meservey hitting the wall and Richardi going on to win the race. Dave Richardi finished second, with Berghman, Dan Fresh, and Dan Meservey, Sr. rounding out 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