Ted Christopher Wins 40th Annual Coors Light SK Modified® Xtra Mart Xtra D 80 at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with the 40th Annual Coors Light SK Modified® Xtra Mart Xtra D 80. Taking home the big win of the night was Ted Christopher in the extra distance classic. Christopher’s win was not only his second SK Modified® win of the 2013 season, but it was his 100th career SK Modified® win at Stafford. Christopher was one of five drivers to take home a $300 bonus from Xtra Mart Convenience Stores as Xtra Mart put up a total of $1,500 that was divided evenly among the top-5 finishers. In other NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action, Adam Gray continued his hot 2013 season with his third win in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Jay Goff scored his first win of the season in the 20-lap SK Light feature, D.J. Burnham was victorious for the second time in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Kyle Casagrande took his first win of the year in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the Coors Light Xtra Mart Xtra D 80-lap SK Modified® feature event, Sean Foster took the lead at the green with Doug Coby moving into second. Ted Christopher jumped into third but that was all changing as Coby went to the lead on lap-4 and Christopher moved into second as Foster fell back to third. Curt Brainard was fourth and Todd Owen was fifth, with Eric Berndt, Keith Rocco, Woody Pitkat, Dan Avery, and Danny Cates making up the early top-10.
Christopher went around Coby to take over the race lead on lap-5 and the caution came out with 8 laps complete as Nichole Morgillo’s car was off the pace and creeping back to pit road.
Christopher and Coby resumed their fight for the lead on the restart with Foster and Brainard side by side for third place. Berndt and Rocco were side by side behind Foster and Brainard with Pitkat, Rowan Pennink, Cates, and Ryan Preece making up the top-10.
With 20 laps complete, Christopher and Coby were still the lead two cars. Foster was third, with Berndt, Rocco, Pitkat, Brainard, Pennink, Cates, and Preece making up the top-10. Tommy Membrino, Jr. and Nichole Morgillo came together to bring the caution back out with 27 laps complete.
Christopher and Coby reoccupied the top two spots on the restart with Berndt getting a good run in the outside groove to move into third. Foster was fourth in line behind Berndt, with Rocco, Brainard, Cates, Tom Bolles, Todd Owen, and Michael Gervais, Jr. making up the top-10.
At the halfway point of the race, Christopher and Coby were still the front runners with Berndt, Rocco, Cates, Foster, Owen, Bolles, Joey Cipriano, and Pitkat making up the top-10 as Brainard’s car dropped off the pace and he began to slide backwards through the field. Tommy Membrino, Jr. spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 48 laps complete.
Christopher took the lead back under green with Coby slotting into second right behind him. Coby had a good run on the outside of Christopher, but couldn’t make the pass and he fell into line. Berndt was third, with Cates fourth and Rocco in fifth. Owen was sixth, just ahead of Pennink, Foster, Shawn Thibeault, and Michael Bennett.
Pennink got around Owen for sixth place on lap-56 while behind him Pitkat was closing in on Bolles for 10th place. Christopher and Coby were still setting the pace at the front of the field and they were pulling away from Berndt, Cates, and Rocco.
With 10 laps to go, the top-6 were split into three 2-car breakaways with Christopher and Coby in front of Berndt and Cates, who had Rocco and Pennink behind them. Thibeault spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 71 laps complete.
Christopher took the lead on the restart while Coby was able to hold off strong challenge from Berndt to stay in second. Cates was fourth behind Berndt with Pennink up to fifth. Coby was all over the back bumper of Christopher for the lead. Coby was searching for grip both high and low to find a way to get around Christopher, but Christopher was able to stay out front. Christopher kept Coby behind him all the way to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2013 season and his 100th career SK Modified® feature win at Stafford Motor Speedway. Berndt finished third, with Cates and Rocco rounding out the top-5. Each of the top-5 finishers took home a $300 bonus from Xtra Mart Convenience Stores, who put up a $1,500 bonus for the race.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, George Nocera, Jr. went sliding through the infield from the pole position and Jim Peterson got high in turn 1 and brushed the wall, but the race stayed green with Rick Charette in the lead. Kevin Gambacorta took the lead from Charette on lap-2 and Cory Casagrande followed him by Charette to take over second. Woody Pitkat was third, but he spun in turn 2 as did Peter Portante to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete.
Gambacorta took the lead on the restart with Charette and Mark St. Hilaire both getting by Casagrande to move into second and third. Adam Gray also got by Casagrande to move into fourth as Casagrande settled into line in fifth place. Gray quickly worked his way by St. Hilaire on lap-6 and he got by Charette to move into second on lap-7.
Gray continued his charge to the front as he took the lead from Gambacorta on lap-8. St. Hilaire was third behind Gambacorta with Casagrande in fourth and J.J. Hill was now up to fifth place. This was still the running order at the midway point of the race but Tom Fearn was hot on Hill’s trail for fifth place.
Gray was beginning to stretch out his advantage over Gambacorta with 10 laps to go in the race as he had nearly a half straightaway margin. St. Hilaire, Casagrande, Hill, and Fearn were all lined up in a train of cars behind Gray, but Gray was continuing to pull away.
St. Hilaire was pressuring Gambacorta for second and Hill was pressuring Casagrande for fourth, but neither driver could make a pass as Gray continued to dominate the race. St. Hilaire was able to get by Gambacorta for second on lap-28.
Gray led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2013 season. St. Hilaire finished second, with Gambacorta, Casagrande, and Hill rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Jay Goff took the early lead at the drop of the green flag. Dylan Menditto held off a challenge from Rich Hammann to take second as Joey Ferrigno got by Payton Henry to move into fourth. Pete Lopuch and Wesley Prucker spun in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete.
Back under green Goff took the lead with Ferrigno working his way into second. Menditto was third with Glenn Griswold and Bob Charland rounding out the top-5. Tyler Hines was in sixth, but he quickly worked his way past both Charland and Griswold to move into fourth.
Hines continued his charge as he took third from Menditto on lap-12 and Ronnie Williams, who had followed Hines by Charland to move into fifth, again followed Hines by Menditto to move into fourth on lap-14. Ferrigno was applying heavy pressure to Goff for the race lead, but Goff was able to keep Ferrigno behind him.
While Ferrigno was trying to take the lead from Goff, Hines and Williams had caught up to Ferrigno and it was a four car train for the lead as the field took the white flag. Ferrigno made one last ditch effort but came up just short as Goff took down his first win of the 2013 season. Williams made contact with Hines and both cars spun in turn 4 coming to the checkered flag, which promoted Menditto to third, Chase Dowling to fourth, and Griswold to fifth at the checkered flag.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Don Wood took the lead from Brian Clement at the green flag to set the early pace. Clement settled into second while Andrew Hayes moved by Duane Provost to take over third after several laps of side by side racing. Jesse Hinze, D.J. Burnham, Austin Bessette, and David Arute all followed Hayes by Provost over the next several laps as Don Wood continued to hold the race lead ahead of Clement.
Burnham made a move to the inside of Hinze to move into fourth on lap-6 and Bessette followed him through as Hinze began to slide backwards. Provost, Arute, and Josh Wood all got by Hinze in the next two laps as Hinze fell from fourth back to ninth place.
Hayes ran Clement down and he made a pass for second on lap-10. Burnham was following Hayes by Clement when the two cars touched and Clement spun and collected the cars of Provost and Josh Wood as Arute was able to avoid hitting Clement.
Don Wood took the lead on the restart with Burnham moving into second. Arute took third with Hinze and Hayes dueling side by side for fourth place. Hinze took the spot and Burnham was closing in on the Don Wood for the lead. Burnham took the lead on lap-14 and just as Burnham took the lead, Wood’s car dropped off the pace and he came to pit road to retire from the race. Arute was now second behind Burnham with Hinze, Hayes, and Bessette rounding out the top-5.
Burnham led Arute and Hinze back to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2013 season. Hayes came home in fourth with Bessette rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, David Comeau took the lead at the green flag with Kyle Casagrande and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. side by side for second. Casagrande took the spot on lap-2 and Dave Secore moved to the inside of L’Etoile to take over third. Cliff Saunders followed in the tracks of Casagrande and Secore and got by L’Etoile for fourth place on lap-4 while Casagrande had caught up to Comeau at the front of the field.
Casagrande took the lead from Comeau on lap-5 as the top-5 cars were now in a single file line. Comeau was second behind Casagrande with Secore, Cliff Saunders, and L’Etoile making up the top-5. Jeremy Lavoie was just outside to the top-5 in sixth with Ryan Fearn, Kris Fluckiger, Johnny Walker, and Brandon Michael making up the top-5 at the midway point of the race.
With 5 laps to go, Casagrande and Comeau had pulled away from Secore and Saunders, who had pulled away from L’Etoile and Lavoie to make three two-car packs at the front of the field. Casagrande led Comeau back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Secore finished third, with Saunders and L’Etoile making up 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
SK MODIFIED® (80)
1) Ted Christopher, Plainville
2) Doug Coby, Middletown
3) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
4) Danny Cates, Chaplin
5) Keith Rocco, Meriden
6) Todd Owen, Somers
7) Sean Foster, Willington
8) Tom Bolles, Ellington
9) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
10) Joey Cipriano, Waterbury
11) Matt Galko, Meriden
12) Dave Salzarulo, Monson, Ma
13) Dan Avery, Somers
14) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
15) Ryan Preece, Berlin
16) Ed Puleo, Branford
17) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
18) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
19) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
20) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
21) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
22) Curt Brainard, Canton
23) Nichole Morgillo, Wallingford
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
2) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
3) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
4) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
5) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
6) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
7) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
8) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Ma
9) Rick Charette, Vernon
10) Michael Scorzelli, Feura Bush, Ny
11) Dennis Botticello, Suffield
12) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
13) Ed Ricard, Stafford Springs
14) Peter Portante, Plainville
15) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
16) Art Caruso, Windsor
17) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
18) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
2) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
3) Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn
4) Chase Dowling, Roxbury
5) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
6) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
7) Tyler Hines, North Haven
8) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma
9) Bob Charland, Stafford
10) Rich Hammann, Tolland
11) Payton Henry, Willington
12) Geoff Boisjolie, East Hampton, Ma
13) Fred Nees, Jr., New Milford
14) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
15) Dylan Campbell, Southborough, Ma
16) Pete Lopuch, West Redding
17) Wesley Prucker, Stafford
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
2) David Arute, Tolland
3) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
4) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
5) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
6) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
7) Justin Bren, Monson, Ma
8) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
9) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
10) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
11) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
12) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester
13) Albert Saunders, Stafford
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
2) David Comeau, Palmer, Ma
3) Dave Secore, Jr., Union
4) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
5) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
6) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
7) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
8) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
9) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma
10) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
11) Doug Phelps, New Salem, Ma
12) Fran Siana, Springfield, Ma
13) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
14) Gus Coelho, Jr., Wilberham, Ma
15) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
16) Darrell Keane, Srpingfield, Ma
17) Bryan Iwaniuk, Middletown