Preece, Gray, Griswold, Saunders, Comeau, & DiMatteo Score May 2nd Opening Night / BFF Friday Feature Wins at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway was back on track under the lights for the first time in 2014 with the BFF Friday program on Friday night, May 2nd. Ryan Preece made it two for two in 2014 as he picked up the win in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Adam Gray was the winner in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Glenn Griswold was the winner of the 20-lap SK Light feature, Albert Saunders won the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, David Comeau won the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, and Cory DiMatteo won the 20-lap Legend Cars feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Joey Cipriano got a good run on the outside of Sean Foster to take the early race lead. Keith Rocco followed Cipriano past Foster in the high groove to move into second. Foster settled into third, with Woody Pitkat and Ryan Preece making up the top-5 with 3 laps complete. Tommy Membrino, Jr. spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete.
Cipriano took the lead on the restart with Foster briefly moving into second before Rocco took the spot from Foster. Foster continued to slide backwards Preece, Pitakt, and Ted Christopher all got by him. Doug Coby went by Foster on lap-6 to drop him back to 7th in the running order.
Rocco was looking to the high side of Cipriano for the race lead but the red/caution flags were displayed with 8 laps complete as Rowan Pennink ended up on his roof going down the backstretch.
Cipriano took the lead back under green with Preece pulling alongside Rocco in a fight for second. Christopher was side by side with Pitkat for fourth place and Doug Coby was behind them in sixth. The cars quickly settled into a single file line with Cipriano leading Rocco, Preece, Christopher, Coby, and Pitkat. Rocco spun coming off turn 4 to bring the caution out with 12 laps complete.
Cipriano took the lead on the restart with Preece, Coby, Christopher, and Pitkat making up the order behind them but as the field completed lap-13, there was a multicar incident in turn 1 involving Troy Talman, Tommy Membrino, and Curt Brainard that brought the caution right back out.
Preece got a good run on the outside of Cipriano to take over the race lead on the restart. Cipriano slotted into second with Christopher, Coby, and Tom Boles making up the top-5. Frank Ruocco found the turn 3 wall to bring the caution out with 15 laps complete.
Preece took the lead back under green with Christopher moving into second. Cipriano was third and Coby was fourth, but Rocco was a man on a mission as he cracked back into the top-5 after just spinning several laps earlier. Rocco continued his charge back to the front by getting past Coby to move into fourth on lap-20 as Preece continued to lead the race.
Rocco made contact with Cipriano on lap-25 as he was making a move for third, but Cipriano was able to save his car and they fell back to fifth and sixth in the running order behind Preece, Christopher, Coby, and Dan Avery. The race settled into a groove with the top-5 remaining unchanged until lap-37 when Rocco made a move around Avery to take over fourth place. Eric Berndt followed Rocco past Avery to drop Avery back to sixth place and at the front of the pack, Christopher was beginning to reel Preece in.
Christopher was able to close to Preece’s bumper, but he couldn’t make a pass a Preece scored his second consecutive SK Modified® feature win to start the 2014 season. Rounding out the top-5 behind Preece and Christopher was Coby, Rocco, and Berndt rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, J.J. Hill led the field to green and took the early race lead, but on the first lap Dennis Botticello drove into the back of Scott Cook, which lifted the rear end of Cook’s car off the ground and both cars ended up in the turn 3 wall to bring the caution out.
Hill took the lead ahead of Cory Casagrande, Jim Mavlouganes, Adam Gray, and Kevin Gambacorta on the restart but the field was only able to complete one lap before the caution came back out for Botticello, who hit the turn 1 wall.
Cory Casagrande got around Hill to take over the race lead on the restart and Gray followed him past Hill to move into second. Gray then took the lead from Casagrande on lap-6. Tom Fearn followed Gray by Casagrande to move into second with Casagrande falling back to third. Hill was fourth and Mavlouganes was fifth when the caution came out with 8 laps complete for a spin by Kevin Gambacorta in turn 2.
Gray took the lead back under green with Fearn sticking right on his back bumper. Casagrande was third with Jim Peterson in fourth and last week’s winner Jay Stuart was now up to fifth. The race then went into a long green flag run and with 10 laps to go, Gray and Fearn had pulled away from the group of Casagrande, Peterson, and Stuart, who had a large gap back to Hill and Gambacorta.
The order stayed the same until lap-25 when Stuart was able to get past Peterson to move into fourth place. At the front of the pack it was all Gray who led Fearn back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2014 season. Casagrande finished third, with Stuart and Peterson rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Glenn Griswold got a good jump at the green and took the early lead. Coming off turn 4, Rit Dulac got out of shape a bit and Nick Salva spun through the infield grass with Joey Ferrigno joining him on a trip through the infield. The caution came out with 2 laps complete with Griswold leading Dylan Menditto, Todd Douillard, Jay Goff, and Dulac.
Griswold took the lead back under green with Menditto slotting into second. Goff moved up to third, dropping Douillard back to fourth and D.J. Burnham was now up to fifth. By the halfway point of the race, the top-3 cars of Griswold, Menditto, and Goff had pulled away from a pack of 8 cars that was led by Douillard. Behind Douillard was Burnham, Jeremy Sorel, Salva, Tyler Hines, Bob Charland, Stephen Kopcik, and Branden Dion.
Menditto was applying heavy pressure to the back bumper of Griswold, even bump drafting him down the straightaways, but he was unable to make a pass. The caution came back out with 13 laps complete for Douillard, who spun in turn 2.
Griswold took the lead on the restart with Menditto and Goff right behind him. Salva moved into fourth and he had Burnham right on his bumper as the top-5 cars were lined up nose to tail with little space in between them. Menditto was taking the high line looking for a way around Griswold but on lap-16 Menditto made a move to the inside of Griswold and looked to have the lead. But as the cars came off turn 4, contact between the two cars sent Menditto into the wall which collected the car of Salva and brought the caution out with 16 laps complete.
Griswold took the lead on the restart but Burnham got a good run on Griswold’s outside going down the backstretch and he led the lap by a nose over Griswold. Griswold inched his way back in front of Burnham and he took the lead as they came to the white flag. Griswold was able to hold Burnham off in the run to the checkered flag to pick up his first SK Light feature win. Sorel finisihed third, with Charland and last week’s winner Tyler Hines rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Justin Bren led the field to green and took the early race lead. Albert Saunders was second, with Jesse Hinze, Paul Arute, and Austin Bessette making up the top-5. The order remained the same until lap-5 when Hinze went past Saunders to move into second. Hinze’s move opened the door for Paul Arute to move into third and Bessette into fourth, dropping Saunders back to fifth place. Andrew Hayes spun to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.
On the restart, last week’s feature winner Duane Provost spun but he was able to keep going and the race stayed under the green flag with Bren and Hinze side by side for the lead. Bren stayed out front until lap-9 when Bessette made a move to take over the lead. Paul Arute moved into second with Bren falling back to third. David Arute was now fourth and Hinze had fallen back to fifth after dueling for the lead several laps earlier.
The race settled into a rhythm until 12 laps were complete and the caution came out for Hinze and Glenn Bartkowski, who both found the turn 1 wall. On the restart, Bessette drifted up the track and began to fall off the pace as did the car of Paul Arute. This moved Bren back into the lead with Cliff Saunders, Provost, Norm Sears, and Albert Saunders making up the new top-5.
Cliff Saunders made a move around Bren to take over the race lead on lap-14 and once he was out front, he led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the season. Provost finished second, with Sears, Hayes, and Albert Saunders rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Gus Coelho took the lead from the pole, but he spun in turns 1+2 and fell to the rear of the field as the race stayed green. Allison Coelho, who started alongside her father on the front row, took over the lead with Alexandra Fearn behind her. David Comeau was third, with Andy Marchese and Dan Dembek making up the top-5.
Fearn made a move around Coelho to take over the race lead on lap-3 and Marchese spun through the infield grass but was able to get going and the race stayed green. Comeau was now second behind Fearn with Dembek, Bill McNeil, and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. making up the top-5.
Comeau rode behind Fearn until lap-8 when he took over the lead. With 8 laps complete, the car of Marchese looked like something went south under the hood as there was smoke and a small fire that brought the caution out as Marchese drove his car back to pit road.
Comeau took the lad back under green with McNeil moving into second, but behind them Dembek and Alexandra Fearn spun to bring the caution back out with 9 laps complete
Comeau again took the lead on the restart with L’Etoile moving around McNeil to take over second place. McNeil settled into third with Dembek and Jeff Jolly making up the top-5. The top-5 then ran in line until the last lap where Dembek spun in turn 2. Comeau led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2014 season. L’Etoile finished second, with McNeil, Jolly, and Brandon Michael rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Legend Cars feature, Kyle Rogers got a great start to take the early lead at the green flag. Cory DiMatteo was second behind Rogers with Mike Christopher, Jr., Jordan Lamothe, and Joey Ternullo making up the top-5. The caution came out with 4 laps complete for Ternullo, who spun in turn 2 of the Stafford Mini-Mile.
Rogers took command again on the restart with Cory Dimatteo, Christopher, and Lamothe behind him. DiMatteo nearly took the lead from Rogers, but he got sideways coming out of turn 4 and remained in second. DiMatteo’s slip allowed Rogers to pull away slightly, but DiMatteo caught Rogers back up in several laps and on lap-11 he moved into the lead. DiMatteo’s pass for the lead opened the door for Lamothe to follow him past Rogers, dropping Rogers from the lead back to third place. Dana DiMatteo was now up to fourth behind Rogers with Christopher in fifth.
Lamothe made a move around DiMatteo to take the lead on lap-17, but DiMatteo came right back and took the lead in the next corner. Ternullo spun to bring the caution out with 17 laps complete and set up a 3-lap dash to the finish.
Cory DiMatteo took the lead on the restart with Dana DiMatteo moving into second. Lamothe was third, Christohper, Jr. was fourth, and Rogers was fifth. The Dimatteo brothers dueled for the lead over the final laps and it was Cory coming out ahead of Dana at the checkered flag to win the first weekly Legend Cars feature at Stafford since the 1994 season. Lamothe finished third behind the Dimatteo brothers, with Christohper and Rogers 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.
May 2 SK Modified Feature Results
Updated 2014 SK Modified Points Standings
May 2 Late Model Feature Results
Updated 2014 Late Model Points Standings
May 2 SK Light Feature Results
Updated 2014 SK Light Points Standings
May 2 Limited Late Model Feature Results
Updated 2014 Limited Late Model Points Standings
May 2 DARE Stock Feature Results
Updated 2014 DARE Stock Points Standings
May 2 Legend Cars Feature Results
Updated 2014 Legend Cars Points Standings
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Ryan Preece, Berlin
2) Ted Christopher, Plainville
3) Doug Coby, Middletown
4) Keith Rocco, Berlin
5) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
6) Dan Avery, Somers
7) Joey Cipriano, III, Waterbury
8) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
9) Todd Owen, Somers
10) Matt Galko, Meriden
11) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
12) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
13) Sean Foster, Willington
14) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
15) Tom Bolles, Ellington
16) Chase Dowling, Roxbury
17) Dave Salzarulo, Monson, Ma
18) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
19) Brett Gonyaw, Vernon
20) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
21) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma
22) Curt Brainard, Canton
23) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
LATE MODEL (35)
1) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
2) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
3) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
4) Jay Stuart, Preston
5) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
6) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
7) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany
8) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
9) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
10) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
11) Michael Bennett, Willington
12) Michael Scorzelli, Feura Bush, Ny
13) Mark Heim, Ware, Ma
14) Scott Cook, Uncasville
15) Dennis Botticello, Suffield
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
2) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
3) Jeremy Sorel, Westfield, Ma
4) Bob Charland, Stafford
5) Tyler Hines, North Haven
6) Geoff Boisjolie, East Hampton, Ma
7) Rick Dyer, Shelton
8) Wesley Prucker, Stafford
9) Rit Dulac, Plantsville
10) Rich Hammann, Tolland
11) Chris Gombos, Naugatuck
12) Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn
13) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
14) Nick Salva, Prospect
15) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown
16) Todd Douillard, Palmer, Ma
17) Branden Dion, Taunton, Ma
18) Paul French, Andover
19) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
2) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
3) Norm Sears, Andover
4) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
5) Albert Saunders, Stafford
6) Justin Bren, Palmer, Ma
7) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
8) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
9) Paul Arute, Tolland
10) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
11) David Arute, Tolland
12) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
13) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester
DARE STOCK (15)
1) David Comeau, Palmer, Ma
2) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
3) Bill McNeil, Preston
4) Jeff Jolly, Wallingford
5) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma
6) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
7) Allison Coelho, Wilbraham, Ma
8) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
9) Doug Phelps, New Salem, Ma
10) Gus Coelho, Wilbraham, Ma
11) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
12) Bryan Iwaniuk, Vernon
13) Dan Dembek, Hamden, Ma
14) Nicole Chambrello, Kensington
15) Chris Bagnall, Norfolk
16) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester
17) Trace Beyer, Brewster, Ny
18) Andy Marchese, Tolland
LEGEND CARS (20)
1) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
2) Dana DiMatteo, Farmington
3) Jordan Lamothe, Woodstock
4) Mike Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
5) Kyle Rogers, Waterbury
6) Chris Fuller, Boylston, Ma
7) Cornelius Flynn, Hampden, Ma
8) Connor Holderbach, Wolcott
9) Caterina LaBella, Plainville
10) Joey Ternullo, Middletown
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR