Preece, St. Hilaire, Dowling, & Saunders Twins Score July 5th SK Light Xtra Mart Xtra D Feature Wins
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with a the SK Light division taking center stage with a 25-lap Xtra Mart Xtra D feature that paid a $100 bonus to each of the top-5 finishers. Taking down weekly feature wins on the night were Ryan Preece for the second consecutive week and fifth overall of the 2013 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Mark St. Hilaire in a wild and crazy finish in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Chase Dowling racked up his division leading third win in the Xtra Mart Xtra D 25-lap SK Light Modified feature, Albert Saunders was a first time winner in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and his twin brother Cliff Saunders was the big winner in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Zach Aszklar led the field to the green but it was Keith Rocco slicing and dicing his way to the lead as he went from third to the lead on the first lap. Aszklar settled into second, wit Sean Foster, Todd Owen, and Tom Bolles making up the top-5. Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat, Eric Berndt, Rowan Pennink, and Ted Christopher made up the early top-10.
Rocco was pulling away from Aszklar in second and Aszklar lost that spot to Owen on lap-6. Preece moved into fifth, but Pitkat quickly made a move to the inside of Preece and they began a side-by-side battle for fifth. Preece eventually took the spot and then moved into fourth as Pitkat moved into fifth while Foster was going backwards. Pennink and Christopher got by foster on lap-10 to drop Foster back to eighth and Aszklar spun with 11 laps complete to bring out the first caution of the race.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Preece side by side with Owen for second. Owen was able to keep Preece behind him as Christopher got around Pitkat to move into fourth place. Owen and Rocco touched coming off turn 4 with Rocco spinning and Owen had heavy damage to his right front tire as the caution came out with 13 laps complete. This put Preece into the race lead with Christopher, Pitkat, Pennink, Berndt, and Doug Coby behind him for the restart.
Preece took the lead back under green with Pitkat getting by Christopher one lap after the restart to move into second. Pennink was now challenging Christopher for third on lap-15 with Coby and Berndt behind them. Christopher took the position on lap-16, but the caution came back out with 16 laps complete as Pennink spun and collected several other cars including Coby and Frank Ruocco.
Preece held off a challenge from Pitkat to keep the lead back under green with Christopher, Berndt, and Danny Cates making up the top-5. Christopher was applying heavy pressure to Pitkat for second but Pitkat was able to keep Christopher behind him. Christopher dropped off the pace on lap-24 and came to pit road and pulled behind the wall. Preece was still in the lead, with Pitkat, Berndt, Cates, and Matt Galko making up the new top-5 minus Christopher.
Preece’s magic carpet ride of a season continued as he picked up his second consecutive victory and his fifth of the 2013 season. Pitkat came home in second, with Berndt, Cates, and Galko rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Jim Peterson took the lead at the green with Kevin Gambacorta slotting into second behind him. Michael Scorzelli and Andrew Durand were side by side for third place with Mark St. Hilaire and Woody Pitkat side by side behind them. Scorzelli drifted up the track a bit on lap-2, which opened the door for St. Hilaire to move into third. Durand moved into fourth and J.J. Hill took fifth as Scorzelli was backsliding through the field in the outside groove.
Gambacorta made a move to the inside of Peterson on lap-6 in turn 1 to take over the race lead. St. Hilaire was now pressuring Peterson for second with Durand right behind St. Hilaire in fourth. There was a bit of space back to Hill in fifth, who had a comfortable margin over Adam Gray and Tom Fearn, who had charged their way up to sixth and seventh. Ryan Posocco spun coming off turn 2 to bring the caution out with 7 laps complete.
Peterson got a good run in the outside groove on the restart to retake the lead from Gambacorta. But Gambacorta came back on lap-8 and got back by Peterson for the lead. St. Hilaire followed Gambacorta by Peterson as did Gray, dropping Peterson from second back to fourth. Woody Pitkat’s bad luck in the Late Model division continued as he backed his car into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution out with 9 laps complete. Jay Stuart also spun into the turn 3 wall as there was fluid on the track from Pitkat’s car.
Gambacorta took the lead back under green, but Gray quickly made a move to Gambacorta’s inside to take over the lead before they got back to the stripe. Hill was third behind Gambacorta and Gray with St. Hilaire fourth and Dennis Botticello fifth. Late Model points leader Tom Fearn developed a flat right front tire and he had to limp his way back to pit road to get the tire changed.
At the halfway point of the race, Gray Gambacorta, Hill, and St. Hilaire were in a four-car train for the lead with Botticello, Cory Casagrande, Posocco, Durand, and Rick Charette in a five-car train behind the lead foursome. St. Hilaire got around Hill to move into third place on lap-18 as Gray continued to lead with Gambacorta in second. The caution came out with 18 laps complete for Pitkat, who spun in turn 4. Under this caution, Fearn was the lucky dog recipient and got back on the lead lap after losing a lap during his green flag pit stop.
Gray took the lead back under green with St. Hilaire working his way by Gambacorta to move into second. Botticello and Casagrande got by Gambacorta one lap later and Gambacorta fell from second back to fifth. Fearn’s back luck continued as smoke began to pour from under his hood and he immediately pulled off the track and behind the pit wall. Hill slid up the track on lap-22 and lost a host of spots as he slid back outside the top-10.
With 5 laps to go, Gray had several car lengths on St. Hilaire, while Casagrande had taken over third place. Botticello was fourth with Gambacorta in fifth. Scorzelli did a quick spin in turn 2, which brought the caution out for debris on the track with 26 laps complete.
Gray took the lead on the restart with Casagrande moving into second. Durand was third, with St. Hilaire falling back to fourth, but the caution came out for Posocco, who spun in turn 2 before a lap could be completed, putting St. Hilaire back up to second for the restart.
St. Hilaire muscled his way to the lead on the restart with Gray forcing his way into second. Gray made a move to the inside of St. Hilaire for the lead on lap-28 and as they both slid up the track a bit, Botticello made it three-wide for the lead. Botticello made contact with Gray’s left rear and Gray fell back to third as St. Hilaire took the lead and Hill moved into second. St. Hilaire led Hill back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Gray finished third, with Durand and Casagrande rounding out the top-5.
In the 25-lap SK Light Modified Xtra Mart Xtra D feature event, Jason Lafayette and Glenn Griswold were dueling side by side for the lead with Griswold getting clear to the lead on lap-3. Lafayette was second with Jay Goff right behind him in third. Lafayette and Goff touched on the frontstretch with Lafayette spinning to bring the caution with 3 laps complete and Troy Talman spun to avoid Lafayette’s car.
Griswold took the lead back under green with Chase Dowling moving into second. Tony Membrino, Jr. and Dylan Menditto were side by side for third with Cam McDermott and Rich Hammann right behind them. Menditto got a good run in the outside groove to move into third, but his good run came to an end as he spun in turn 1 to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.
Griswold and Dowling were side bys die for the lead back under green with Membrino and McDermott side by side behind them. John Studley and Hammann were also in the mix for the lead as Dowling went to the front on lap-8 and McDermott moved into second. Studley continued to drop Griswold back in the order as he moved by Griswold in the outside groove.
McDermott made a move to the inside of Dowling for the lead on lap-11, but Dowling was able to hold McDermott off and he maintained the lead. Studley was now on the outside of McDermott for second on lap-13 with Membrino and Griswold lined up behind them. McDermott took the spot on lap-16 and Membrino was now side by side with Studley for third place as Dowling continued to lead the race.
With 5 laps to go, Dowling was beginning to pull away from McDermott in second. Studley was right behind McDermott in third, with Membrino right behind Studley in fourth. Dowling led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his division leading third win of the 2013 season. McDermott held Studley off for second, with Membrino and Griswold rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, the field took the green with Justin Bren and Don Wood side by side with Albert Saunders and Andrew Hayes side by side behind them for the first two laps before Bren took the lead on lap-3. Saunders came back strong to Bren’s inside on lap-4 to move the point. Don Wood pulled alongside Bren for second on lap-5 with David Arute now in third. D.J. Burnham was fourth with Bren sliding back to fifth place. Josh Wood was right behind Bren in sixth along with Jesse Hinze in seventh.
With 8 laps complete, Saunders had the lead with Don Wood, Arute, Burnham, Josh Wood, and Hinze lined up in single file behind him. Arute made the move around Don Wood for second on lap-11 and Burnham followed him through as Don Wood fell from second back to fourth as Saunders now had a lead of nearly a half straightaway over Arute.
With 5 laps to go, Saunders still had the lead over Arute, with Burnham, Josh Wood, Hinze, Hayes, and Austin Bessette behind him. Arute was unable to close the gap to Saunders as Saunders took down his very first career victory in the Limited Late Model division. Rounding out the top-5 behind Saunders and Arute was Burnham, Hinze, and Hayes.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Alexandra Fearn took the lead at the green, but the caution came out before a lap was completed as Vince Gambacorta lost a tire and hit the wall in turn 4. The race went back to green, but the caution came out again before a lap could be completed as Kris Fluckiger spun and came to a stop in turn 3.
The third restart attempt saw Fran Siana power into the lead with Brandon Michael moving into second. There was some four wide racing behind the lead duo and the cars of Kyle Casagrande and Alexandra Fearn became locked together and the caution came out with 1 lap complete.
Siana and Michael were side by side for the lead on the restart with Johnny Walker moving into third. Dave Secore made a strong move to take over fourth and Cliff Saunders was fifth. Siana got clear of Michael for the lead on lap-3 and Secore moved by Walker to take over third place. Saunders followed Secore by Walker to drop Walker from third back to fifth as Frank L’Etoile, Jr. was now sixth and Ryan Fearn was seventh.
Secore continued his charge towards the front of the field as he took second from Siana on lap-5 and Siana lost several more spots as Cliff Saunders and Walker both moved by Siana to drop him back to fifth place. Secore was able to get close to Michael, but he couldn’t make a pass on Michael.
Secore took a look to the inside of Michael on lap-13, but Michael was able to hold him off in turns 1+2. Secore got another good run to the inside of Michael in turns 3+4 on alp-13, but again Michael was able to hold him off. Secore again tried the inside line on lap-14, but couldn’t make the pass. The two cars touched in turns 1+2 on the final lap with Secore driving over the left front of Michael and both cars were out of shape as Saunders took over the lead. Saunders led Walker back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Kyle Casagrande finished third, with Siana and Michael 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.
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Ryan Preece, Berlin
2) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
3) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
4) Danny Cates, Chaplin
5) Matt Galko, Meriden
6) Dan Avery, Somers
7) Tom Bolles, Ellington
8) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
9) Doug Coby, Middletown
10) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
11) Keith Rocco, Meriden
12) Sean Foster, Willington
13) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
14) Curt Brainard, Canton
15) Dave Salzarulo, Monson, Ma
16) Rit Dulac, Plantsville
17) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
18) Ted Christopher, Plainville
19) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
20) Todd Owen, Somers
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
2) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
3) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
4) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
5) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
6) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
7) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
8) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
9) Rick Charette, Vernon
10) Art Caruso, Windsor
11) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
12) Skip Breunig, Milford
13) Michael Scorzelli, Feura Bush, Ny
14) Dennis Botticello, Suffield
15) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
16) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
17) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
18) Tony Lafo, Higganum
19) Jay Stuart, Preston
20) Peter Thickett, Watertown
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (25)
1) Chase Dowling, Roxbury
2) Keith McDermott, Scituate, Ri
3) John Studley, Framingham, Ma
4) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
5) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
6) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
7) Bob Charland, Stafford
8) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma
9) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
10) Tyler Hines, North Haven
11) Rick Williams, Haddam
12) Wesley Prucker, Stafford
13) Fred Nees, Jr., New Milford
14) Payton Henry, Willington
15) Rich Hammann, Tolland
16) Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn
17) Geoffrey Boisjolie, East Hampton, Ma
18) Pete Lopuch, West Redding
19) Mike Parolo, Feeding Hills, Ma
20) Jason Lafayette, Somers
21) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
22) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Albert Saunders, Stafford
2) David Arute, Tolland
3) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
4) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
5) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
6) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
7) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
8) Justin Bren, Monson, Ma
9) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester
10) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
11) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
12) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
13) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
2) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
3) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
4) Fran Siana, Springfield, Ma
5) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma
6) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
7) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
8) Gus Coelho, Jr., Wilberham, Ma
9) Stacey Botticello, Manchester
10) Doug Phelps, New Salem, Ma
11) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
12) Allison Coelho, Wilbraham, Ma
13) Dave Secore, Jr., Union
14) Bryan Iwaniuk, Middletown
15) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
16) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
17) Scott Nordman, Woodstock
18) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
19) David Comeau, Palmer, Ma
20) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks