2014 Stafford Speedway SK Light Season Preview
Stafford Springs, CT — With the 2014 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season set to kick off this weekend at Stafford Motor Speedway, today we take a sneak preview look at the track’s SK Light Modified division. The 2014 pre-season outlook for the SK Lights could be summed up in one word: change.
Defending track champion Tony Membrino, Jr., Chase Dowling, Troy Talman, and Ronnie Williams have all graduated to the SK Modified® division for the 2014 season. Those 4 drivers combined to win 14 of the 18 SK Light feature events run last season. All four drivers will try their hand in the SK Modified® division, leaving the door fully wide open for new faces to occupy the top spots in the points standings as well as the top step of the podium in NAPA Victory Lane each Friday night.
With the defection of Membrino, Dowling, Talman, and Williams, there is a robust rookie crop this season with 11 newcomers signed up for SK Light competition. Of the 11 newcomers, only D.J. Burnham has previous driving experience at Stafford, driving in the Limited Late Model division for the past 3 seasons. With the 2013 SK Light season seeing rookie drivers Dowling and Talman not only win races but contend for the championship, the sky is the limit for the 2014 rookie class. Burnham may have an initial advantage over the rest of the rookie drivers with his track knowledge, but Brandon Dion, Paul Buzel, Jeff Fialkovich, Chris Gombos, Sean McDonald, Joey Fraulino, Jr., Stephen Kopcik, Paul French, Jodi Johnson, and Jeremy Sorel will look to emulate the achievements of Dowling and Talman and win races and contend for the championship this season as rookie drivers.
But in order for the rookie drivers to do that, they will have to contend with a strong roster of veteran drivers. Returning feature winners from the 2013 season include Bob Charland, Joey Ferrigno, Jay Goff, and Payton Henry and they will certainly be looking to maintain their winning ways in 2014. In addition to Charland, Ferrigno, Goff, and Henry, Tyler Hines is a former winner in the SK Light division, taking his first victory in the SK Lights as a rookie driver himself during the 2012 season; Robert Palmer has won in the Late Model division, winning 3 races during the 1996 and 1997 seasons; and Nick Salva has a win in the DARE Stock division at Stafford.
Drivers who will be looking to not only add their names to the SK Light winners list this season, but record their first career feature victory at Stafford include Rick Dyer, John Studley, Geoff Boisjolie, Fred Nees, Jr., Rit Dulac, Todd Douillard, Dylan Campbell, Wesley Prucker, Rich Hammann, Rick Williams, Glenn Griswold, Pete Lopuch, and Shayne Prucker.
Last season the SK Lights consistently put on some of the best races of the entire 2013 season. With the SK Light division developing a reputation for rookie drivers finding success, the large mix of rookie and veteran drivers will be sure to once again provide some heart stopping entertainment for race fans all season long at Stafford.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com. To view the Sizzler event schedule or to order tickets online, please CLICK HERE.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway