QUALIFYING: Santos Captures Fall Final Pole
Third Whelen Modified Pole In A Row At Connecticut Oval
STAFFORD, Conn. – Bobby Santos is such a dominant qualifier at Stafford Motor Speedway that the procedure has nearly become a formality.
Santos, from Franklin, Massachusetts, posted a fast lap of 18.506 seconds (97.266 mph) Saturday to capture the Coors Light Pole Award for the sixth time in the last eight NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events at the historic Connecticut half-mile oval.
The NAPA Fall Final 150 qualifying effort secured Santos his 16th career Coors Light Pole Award in tour competition overall, and was his ninth at Stafford, including the last three races in a row there.
Santos, a two-time winner of the Fall Final, will be joined on the front row Sunday by rookie Tommy Barrett Jr., who laid down a fast lap of 18.529 (97.145). Season points leader Doug Coby qualified third at 18.548 (97.046).
Defending NAPA Fall Final 150 winner Donny Lia qualified fourth and Eric Goodale was fifth. Woody Pitkat, Ryan Preece, Glen Reen, Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore rounded out the top 10 qualifiers.
Coby, who enters the season’s penultimate event with a 26-point lead on Bonsignore, has an outside shot on Sunday at clinching what would be his second Whelen Modified Tour title. He would have to win the NAPA Fall Final 150 and see subpar finishes from the remaining contenders for an early championship clinch to happen.
Racing action begins on Sunday at Stafford with NASCAR Whelen All-American Series features at 1 p.m. The Whelen Modified Tour NAPA Fall Final 150 will go green at approximately 3:15 p.m.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
NWMT Stafford 9/28/14 Qualifying
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed
1 44 Bobby Santos Tinio Corporation/ImperialCars.com 18.506 97.266
2 22 Tommy Barrett Jr.* Canto Paving/Ferguson Waterworks 18.529 97.145
3 2 Doug Coby Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Perf./Fox 18.548 97.046
4 4 Donny Lia Mystic Missile Racing 18.572 96.920
5 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing/RBSCorp. 18.599 96.779
6 88 Woody Pitkat Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East 18.626 96.639
7 16 Ryan Preece East West Marine/Diversified Metals 18.627 96.634
8 8 Glen Reen Reflex Enegy/Baja Construction 18.681 96.355
9 6 Ron Silk TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm 18.695 96.282
10 51 Justin Bonsignore chem3.com 18.722 96.144
11 07 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevrolet/Buffalo Auto Auction 18.808 95.704
12 13 Ted Christopher M&T Enterprises/J&R Pre-Cast 18.849 95.496
13 75 Timmy Solomito* Eastport Feeds/Axel Anderson Inc. 18.907 95.203
14 52 Keith Rocco Wheelers Auto/Mr. Rooter 18.921 95.132
15 99 Jamie Tomaino Dunleavy Truck Repair/N.A. Contractors 18.962 94.927
16 3 Max Zachem* Dunleavy’s Repair/Lu-Mac’s 19.066 94.409
17 93 Rowan Pennink Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner 19.098 94.251
18 38 Dave Salzarulo* Perf. Engines/Kendall OilRyan’s 19.217 93.667
19 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood 19.328 93.129
20 33 Wade Cole Perf. Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s 19.451 92.540
21 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscaping/TRC Electric 19.809 90.868
22 01 Melissa Fifield* Big Moose RV 20.361 88.404
Sources: Jason Cunningham, NASCAR PR