Kopcik, Arute, Marchese, LaMothe, Walker, Roberts, & Kammer Score NAPA Fall Final Saturday Feature Victories at Stafford Motor Speedway; Sorel, Hayes, & L’Etoile Clinch Track Championships
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway kicked off its final race event of the 2014 season with feature events for its SK Light, Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions, as well as twin feature events for the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience as part of the Saturday NAPA Auto Parts Fall Final Weekend festivities. Taking feature wins were Stephen Kopcik in the SK Light feature, David Arute in the Limited Late Model feature, Andy Marchese in the DARE Stock feature, Jordan LaMothe in the Legend Cars feature, Johnny Walker in the Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out, and George Roberts and Steve Kammer in the twin Rusty Wallace Racing Experience feature events. Clinching track championships on the day were rookie Jeremy Sorel in the SK Lights, Andrew Hayes in the Ltd. Late Models, Frank L’Etoile, Jr. in the DARE Stocks, and Dana DiMatteo in the Legend Cars.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Bob Charland took the early lead while behind him there was some 3-wide shuffling with D.J. Burnham taking second ahead of Mike Christopher, Geoff Boisjolie, and Joey Ferrigno. Jason Lafayette spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Charland took the lead on the restart with Burnham right behind him in second. Jeremy Sorel and Boisjolie were side by side for third with Branden Dion making up the top-5. Kyle Jette spun in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 5 laps complete.
Charland again took the lead on the restart with Burnham, Sorel, Boisjolie, and Nick Salva making up the top-5. Paul French and Rit Dulac came together and spun in turn 3, but they were able to get their cars moving and the race stayed green. Sorel took a look to the inside of Boisjolie for third on lap-11 but he dropped out of the move and faded back to sixth. Salva was now up to fourth with Stephen Kopcik in fifth. Salva made a move to the inside of Boisjolie for third on lap-15, but Boisjolie was able to hold him off and keep the position. Mike Christopher, Jr. spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 15 laps complete.
Charland took the lead on the restart, but as the leaders hit turn 3, Charland spun and collected the cars of Boisjolie and Burnham, which brought the caution right back out and promoted Salva to the lead with Kopcik alongside him in second for the restart. All 3 cars were able to continue in the race.
The next restart saw a melee break out midpack as Ferrigno spun, which blocked the track and collected several other cars and brought the caution back out.
Sorel and Kopcik were side by side for the lead on the restart with Rich Hammann, Sorel, and Jette making up the top-5. Ferrigno made a 3-wide move to climb up to sixth and he was in fourth as the white flag came out. After a lap of side by side racing for the lead, Kopcik got around Sorel to take over the lead. Salva also got by Sorel to move into second, but Sorel came back strong on the final lap and he retook second from Salva at the line as Kopcik scored his second consecutive victory. Ferrigno finished fourth with Hammann rounding out the top-5. Sorel merely had to take the green flag in the race to clinch the championship but his fabulous overtake on the final lap put the icing on the cake for his championship celebration.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, the field took the green with R.J. Surdell taking the lead at the green, but before a lap could be completed, Norm Sears and Paul Arute came together and spun in turn 2. Arute was able to continue in the race while Sears was done for the day.
Surdell led the first lap but David Arute streaked his way past Surdell and into the lead on lap-2. Surdell was stuck in the outside groove and he fell back to 11th in line as Austin Bessette took second, Jesse Hinze third, Duane Provost fourth, and Albert Saunders fifth.
At the halfway point of the race, Arute was still in command of the race with Hinze now in second. Bessette got back around Hinze for second on lap-13 while Provost was fourth and Andrew Hayes had moved from 7th up to 5th.
As Arute took the white flag, Bessette was right on his back bumper. Bessette got loose in turns 3+4 as he tried to make a move for the lead and Arute repeated his Fall Final victory of one year ago and picked up his second win of the 2014 season. Hinze finished third behind Arute and Bessette, with Hayes and Provost rounding out the top-5. Hayes’ fourth place finish was good enough to make him the 2014 Limited Late Model champion.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, Tyler Trott streaked into the lead from the green flag but Andy Marchese was quickly on his back bumper at the completion of the first lap and Marchese went into the lead on lap-2. Brandon Michael was third, with David Comeau and Johnny Walker making up the top-5 in the early laps.
Trott came back strong on the outside of Marchese in a side by side duel for the lead, but he got loose and hit the turn 2 wall to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete. Trott’s spin collected the cars of Alexandra Fearn and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. but both Fearn and L’Etoile were able to continue in the race while Trott’s race came to a premature end.
Marchese took the lead back under green after a brief challenge from Michael and Walker spun but was able to keep going and the race stayed green. Michael settled into second behind Marchese with Comeau, Alexandra Fearn, and Trace Beyer making up the top-5.
With 5 laps to go, Marchese had built up a lead of several car lengths over the 4-car train of Michael, Comeau, Alexandra Fearn, and Beyer. Comeau went around Michael on lap-12 to take over second place as Marchese continued to lead the field. Zack Robinson did a quick 360 spin in turns 3+4 but was able to keep moving and the race stayed green. Marchese led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2014 season. Comeau finished second, with Michael, Fearn, and Beyer making up the top-5. L’Etoile finished sixth, which was good enough to make him the 2014 DARE Stock champion.
In the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shoot-Out, Andy Marchese took the lead with Alexandra Fearn right behind him in second. Brandon Michael was third with Frank L’Etoile, Jr. in fourth and Johnny Walker was fifth. Marchese spun coming off turn 4, which collected the car of L’Etoile and brought the caution out with 4 laps complete.
Michael and Walker were side by side for the lead with Trace Beyer and David Comeau behind them. Comeau and Michael spun in turn 3 on lap-6 but they were able to get going and the race stayed green. The spin allowed Walker to pull away from Beyer in second and he cruised to the win. Beyer finished second, with Comeau, Michael, and Alexandra Fearn rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Legend Cars feature, Chris Fuller took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Noah Korner, Jordan LaMothe, Mikey Flynn, and Michael Rutkoski making up the top-5. The caution came out with 1 lap complete for Cassandra Cole, who spun in turn 4.
Fuller again took the lead with LaMothe getting by Korner to move into second. Flynn settled into line in fourth with Cory DiMatteo taking fifth just in front of his brother Dana who moved up to sixth. LaMothe took the lead from Fuller on lap-3 and Dana DiMatteo moved around Cory DiMatteo to move up to fifth on lap-4. DiMatteo then took fourth from Flynn on lap-6. Dana continued his charge as he took third from Korner on lap-8 while LaMothe began to pull away from Fuller in second.
Dana DiMatteo got around Fuller to move into second on lap-17 but it was all LaMothe at the front of the field as he streaked his way to his second consecutive Legends Car victory at Stafford. Dana DiMatteo’s second place finish was good enough to make him the 2014 Legend Cars champion. Fuller finished third, with Korner, and Flynn rounding out the top-5.
In the first 25-lap Rusty Wallace Racing Exp. feature, Steve Kammer took the lead at the green with George Roberts in second and George Farrar made a strong move to move into third. Ted Simpson got into the wall and came to a stop to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Kammer took the lead on the restart with Farrar moving into second. David Sear took third, with Roberts falling back to fourth and Mike Sullivan was fifth. Roberts began to get his bearings after falling back on the restart and he slowly worked his way towards the front of the pack and he took the lead from Kammer on lap-10.
Once Roberts was into the lead, he began to pull away from Kammer and Farrar in second and third. Farrar spun coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution out with 22 laps complete and erase the large lead that Roberts had built up.
Roberts took the lead with Kammer and Farrar side by side for second. The cars of Mike Trainor and Sear came together and sent up some smoke in a race for fourth but both cars continued on. Roberts led the field to the checkered flag to pick up the victory. Kammer finished second, with Farrar, Trainor, and Sear rounding out the top-5.
In the second 25-lap Rusty Wallace Racing Exp. feature, Mike Trainor took the lead while Ted Simpson nearly backed his car into the turn 2 wall. Simpson was able to get moving and the race stayed green with Trainor leading Steve Kammer, David Sear, George Farrar, and Mike Sullivan.
Sear made a move to the inside of Kammer for second on lap-5. Sear then took the lead from Trainor but the caution came out with 6 laps complete for a spin by Farrar in turns 1+2.
Sear took the lead on the restart with Kammer second and Trainor in third. At the halfway point, Sear had opened up his lead over Kammer to nearly a half straightaway. Trainor continued to run in third, with Sullivan and Farrar making up the top-5.
Trainor got around Kammer for second and with 5 laps to go, Trainor had closed the gap down to Sear. Trainor made contact with Sear with Sear hitting the wall coming out of turn 2 to bring the caution out with 21 laps complete.
Trainor spun coming to the green flag, which handed the lead over to Kammer. Farrar was now second and Sullivan was third as Trainor rejoined the field in fourth. Trainor came to a stop on pit road which ended his race a couple of laps from the end. Kammer led Sullivan to the checkered flag to pick up the win.
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) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown
2) Jeremy Sorel, Westfield, MA
3) Nick Salva, Prospect
4) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
5) Rich Hammann, Tolland
6) Kyle Jette, New Milford
7) Mike Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
8) Geoff Boisjolie, East Hampton, MA
9) Jason Lafayette, Somers
10) Wesley Prucker, Stafford
11) Rit Dulac, Plantsville
12) Pete Lopuch, West Redding
13) Branden Dion, Taunton, Ma
14) Chris Gombos, Naugatuck
15) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
16) Bob Charland, Stafford
17) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
18) Todd Clark, Bristol
19) Paul French, Andover
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) David Arute, Tolland
2) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
3) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
4) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, MA
5) Albert Saunders, Stafford
6) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, MA
7) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
8) Justin Bren, Palmer, MA
9) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester
10) R.J. Surdell, Manchester
11) Paul Arute, Tolland
12) Matt Clement, Wethersfield
13) Robert Bloxsom, III, Stratford
14) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
15) Norm Sears, Andover
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Andy Marchese, Tolland
2) David Comeau, Palmer, Ma
3) Brandon Michael, Granville, MA
4) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, MA
5) Trace Beyer, Brewster, NY
6) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
7) Dan Dembek, Hamden, MA
8) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, MA
9) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, MA
10) Zach Robinson, Putnam
11) Dan Kennedy, Tewksbury, NJ
12) Paul Bourdon, Jr., Jewett City
13) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, MA
14) Tyler Trott, East Hartford
15) Armand Cote Jr., Rocky Hill
LEGEND CARS (20)
1) Jordan LaMothe, Woodstock
2) Dana DiMatteo, Farmington
3) Chris Fuller, Boylston, MA
4) Noah Korner, Canton
5) Mikey Flynn, Hampden, MA
6) Michael Rutkoski, Mattituck, NY
7) Andrew Molleur, Shelton
8) Cassandra Cole, Westbrook
9) George Whitney, Westbrook
10) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
11) Curtis Snow, West Warren, MA
RUSTY WALLACE RACING EXP. #1 (25)
1) George Roberts, Somers
2) Steve Kammer, Stamford
3) George Farrar, Charlton, MA
4) Mike Trainor, Tampa, FL
5) David Sear, La Jolla, CA
6) Mike Sullivan, Ontario, Canada
7) Ted Simpson, Ontario, Canada
RUSTY WALLACE RACING EXP. #2 (25)
1) Steve Kammer, Stamford
2) Mike Sullivan, Ontario, Canada
3) George Farrar, Charlton, MA
4) Mike Trainor, Tampa, FL
5) David Sear, La Jolla, CA
6) Ted Simpson, Ontario, Canada
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR