SK Modified® Points Leader Woody Pitkat Looking for First Win of 2013 in Coors Light Xtra Mart Xtra D 80 at Stafford
Stafford Springs, CT — After driving the #89 SK Modified® owned by Kelly Iverson and Bob Hitchcock for the past 2 seasons at Stafford, Woody Pitkat moved to the #27 Gunsmoke Stables car owned by Steve Greer for the 2013 season. While not getting finishes that show how well the car ran in the first three races, Pitkat has not finished lower than fourth in the next 6 races and he leads the SK Modified® standings going into the premier event of the year, the 40th Annual Coors Light Xtra Mart Xtra D 80.
“It’s been good, we’ve been running good and we’ve been consistent,” said Pitkat. “It’s a little frustrating that we haven’t won a race yet but I really can’t complain being a first year team and not knowing what to expect. I think we’ve exceeded expectations. If we can keep running like we have been, a win is going to happen for us. The first couple races we didn’t have the showing we could have, but 75% or 80% of this is luck. We spun out in the top-5 at the Sizzler, so that could have been a top-5 finish, and a couple weeks later we had a screw fall out of the carburetor. We finished 11th, which was good, but I think we could have had a podium finish that night. Maybe with the next race being sponsored by Coors Light and Xtra Mart extra distance, hopefully we can win.”
In a year where Ryan Preece has been the dominant force in CARQUEST Victory Lane with 5 wins in the first 9 SK Modified® races, it could be assumed that he would also be running away with the lead in the chase for the championship. But through Pitkat’s consistency, he holds the point lead by a slim 2-point margin, or one position on the track. Despite the slim lead, Pitkat and the #27 team are still searching for the speed that will allow them to knock down the door to CARQUEST Victory Lane and keep them in the thick of the championship chase.
“You try to not put pressure on yourself when you see guys you race with win multiple times, but you can’t give up,” said Pitkat. “You just need to go out there and do the best you can and give the guys the best input on what the car is doing to make it better for the next week. I think we’ve made the car better every week but we’re still not good enough. Ryan is having a spot on year, Keith [Rocco] has had years like that in the past, and I’ve had years like that when I was driving the 52 car so we just need to keep on doing what we’re doing. I feel like we have a lot of adjustability in the car and we’re still trying to learn the car because it’s new to me and it’s new to the team. With the competition level at Stafford in the SK Modified® division to be doing what we’ve been doing is awesome. I know the lead is really small, but it goes to show you how much of a factor consistency is. He has 5 wins, but he’s had a couple of bad weeks where our worst week so far has been an 11th. That’s what you have to do to be up front and compete for the championship. I think it’s a pretty cool feat for a new team to be where we are right now and hopefully we can keep things going.”
Another top-5 finish in the 40th Annual Coors Light Xtra Mart Xtra D 80 will not only help keep Pitkat in the championship chase, but it would pay him an additional bonus from Xtra Mart Convenience Stores as well.
“That would definitely help us out,” said Pitkat. “Any extra money that comes in is great for the team. Xtra Mart has been a huge supporter of racing at Stafford and with how long they’ve been with Jim Mavlouganes, it shows how much they like racing. We’re definitely looking to come out of there with a win and some extra cash this Friday night.”
The 40th Annual Coors Light SK Modified® 80 Xtra Mart Xtra D event is scheduled for July 19th. Tickets are priced at $20.00 for adult general admission, $5.00 for children ages 6-14 general admission, and Free for Children ages 5 & under. Reserved seating is available for $23.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.
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