Salva, Hayes, & Jolly Score May 23rd TSI Harley-Davidson Feature Wins at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in the house for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125. Taking down NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly feature wins on the night were Nick Salva in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Andrew Hayes in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Jeff Jolly in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature. Inclement weather halted the race program with 8 laps complete in the SK Modified® feature. All rain checks from tonight’s TSI Harley-Davidson 125 program will be honored next Friday night when the Whelen Modified Tour will return for the TSI Harley-Davidson 125. The NWMT cars will be joined by Stafford’s five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions plus the Legend Cars. The SK Modified® feature will be resumed from lap-9 and all other feature events will be their regular distance.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Sean Foster took the lead at the green but in turn 3 Woody Pitkat made a pass to take over the lead. Behind them, Curt Brainard spun in turn 3, which collected Glen Reen, and Dan Avery to bring the caution out with 0 laps complete and erase the pass that Pitkat made on Foster.
Pitkat took the lead on the restart with Joey Cipriano moving into second behind him. Pitkat led the first several laps but Cipriano made a move around Pitkat on lap-3 to take over the lead. Eric Berndt was third, Foster was fourth, and Todd Owen was running in fifth. Foster spun coming off turn 4 to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.
Cipriano took the lead on the restart but Pitkat was hanging tough to Cipriano’s outside. Cipriano cleared Pitkat after a lap of wheel to wheel dueling and Pitkat was now in a side by side battle with Berndt for second. Foster spun in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 8 laps complete as Tommy Membrino, Jr. also spun in turn 1. Inclement weather halted the race at this point and the feature will be resumed from lap-9 at a date to be determined.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Nick Salva and Wesley Prucker were dueling for the top spot at the drop of the green flag but as the field went into turn 3 on the first lap, Bob Charland and Todd Douillard touched wheels and went up the track, which collected several other cars and brought out the caution before a lap could be completed.
Salva got a good run on the outside of Prucker on the restart to take the lead. Glenn Griswold moved into second but Jay Goff came to a stop in the bottom of turn 2 to bring the caution out with 0 laps complete, negating the passes Salva and Griswold made and putting Prucker back on the point for the restart.
Salva again took the lead on the restart with Griswold moving into second. Dylan Menditto moved into third, with Paul French taking fourth and Jeremy Sorel moving into fifth place. Prucker slid all the way back to 9th after starting on the pole.
On lap-5 Menditto pulled alongside Griswold for second place. The duo spent an entire lap wheel to wheel with Menditto finally making the pass on lap-6. Ferrigno made a move to the inside of Griswold on lap-7 and he was able to complete the pass on lap-8 to move into third. Menditto was stalking Salva for the race lead but Salva was able to maintain a small gap to Menditto as the laps were clicking off the scoreboard. With 5 laps to go, Ferrigno was all by himself in third with Sorel in fourth and Griswold in fifth. Menditto spun in turn 2 trying to close the gap to Salva to bring the caution out with 17 laps complete.
Salva took the lead on the restart with Ferrigno moving into second. Sorel moved up to third with Griowld and D.J. Burnham making up the top-5. Ferrigno made a last ditch effort on the final lap, but couldn’t make a pass as Salva held him off to take the checkered flag. Sorel finished third, with Griswold, and Burnham rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Paul Arute took the lead at the green with Albert Saunders moving into second. Jesse Hinze and Norm Sears were side by side for third place with Austin Bessette looking for a way past both cars in fifth. Lined up behind Bessette was Andrew Hayes, David Arute, Duane Provost and Cliff Saunders. Joe Nogiec spun in the middle of turns 1+2 on lap-4 but he was able to get his car moving and the race stayed green.
Sears won the battle with Hinze to move into third behind Paul Arute and Albert Saunders with Bessette moving up to fourth and Hayes moving up to fifth. Hinze fell back to 8th place as David Arute and Provost were also able to get by. Paul Arute was beginning to pull away from the pack and on lap-10 Sears went 3-wide with Bessette and Hayes to move into second place. Bessette took third with Hayes in fourth. Behind the 3-wide scramble, David Arute moved his way into fifth with Provost following him by Albert Saunders to move into fifth and drop Saunders back to sixth.
Sears began to slide backwards as Bessette, Hayes, and David Arute all got past to drop Sears back to fifth. Once he was in second, Bessette slowly began to reel in Paul Arute and by lap-17 he had erased the gap that Arute had built up. Bessette made a move to the inside of Paul Arute in turn 3 on lap-18 and the two cars rubbed fenders with Bessette developing a flat tire, which allowed Hayes to move into the lead. Arute came to a stop in turns 1+2 to bring the caution out with 18 laps complete and set up a 2-lap sprint to the finish.
Hayes took the lead on the restart with Sears and Arute dueling for second. Hayes led the field back to the checkered flag with David Arute and Sears taking second and third. Provost finished fourth with Cliff Saunders rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Andy Marchese took the lead at the green flag but the man on the move was Johnny Walker, who used a three-wide pass to move up to second behind Marchese. Jeff Jolly was third in line, with Ryan Fearn and Allison Coelho making up the early top-5. Bill McNeil got around Coelho to take over fifth while Marchese continued to hold the race lead in front of Walker with 3 laps complete. Nichole Chambrello, Trace Beyer, and Doug Phelps spun in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 5 laps complete.
Marchese took the lead on the restart, but Jolly went by Marchese to move into the race lead one lap after the restart. Marchese settled into second with McNeil and Walker side by side for third. Walker began to slide backwards in the outside groove as McNeil took third, Frank L’Etoile, Jr. moved up to fourth, and Ryan Fearn moved into fifth as Walker settled back into line in sixth place.
With 10 laps complete, Jolly was beginning to pull away from Marchese in second. Jolly led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Marchese’s car seemed to lose it’s handling over the final laps as he slid backwards. L’Etoile and Ryan Fearn waged a spectacular side by side battle for second with L’Etoile nipping Fearn at the line for second. McNeil finished fourth, with David Comeau 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 atwww.staffordspeedway.com.
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Nick Salva, Prospect
2) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
3) Jeremy Sorel, Westfield, Ma
4) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
5) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
6) Branden Dion, Taunton, Ma
7) Wesley Prucker, Stafford
8) Paul French, Andover
9) Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn
10) Todd Douillard, Palmer, Ma
11) Rich Hammann, Tolland
12) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
13) Bob Charland, Stafford
14) Geoff Boisjolie, East Hampton, Ma
15) Tyler Hines, North Haven
16) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown
17) Chris Gombos, Naugatuck
18) Robert Palmer, Lisbon
19) Rit Dulac, Plantsville
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
2) David Arute, Tolland
3) Norm Sears, Andover
4) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
5) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
6) Albert Saunders, Stafford
7) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester
8) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
9) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
10) Justin Bren, Palmer, Ma
11) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
12) Paul Arute, Tolland
13) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
14) R.J. Surdell, Manchester
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Jeff Jolly, Wallingford
2) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
3) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
4) Bill McNeil, Preston
5) David Comeau, Palmer, Ma
6) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
7) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma
8) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
9) Andrew Marchese, Tolland
10) Gus Coelho, Jr., Wilbraham, Ma
11) Allison Coelho, Wilbraham, Ma
12) Trace Beyer, Brewster, Ny
13) Bryan Iwaniuk, Vernon
14) Matt Davis, Stafford Springs
15) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, Ma
16) Nicole Chambrello, Kensington
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR