Reen, Saunders, Narducci, Provost, & Robinson Score BFF Friday / Scout Night Feature Wins at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action on May 17 with the BFF Friday / Scout Night program. Glen wired the field to take the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Al Saunders followed up his twin brother Cliff’s feature win last week with a win of his own in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Bryan Narducci took down his second win of 2019 in the 20-lap SK Light feature, Duane Provost took the 15-lap Limited Late Model feature, Zack Robinson won the 20-lap Street Stock feature, and 5-year old Madelyn Boudreau from Stafford won the Kids Big Wheel race that was held on the frontstretch as part of Scout Night.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Glen Reen took the early lead with Tyler Hines and David Arute giving chase. Stephen Kopcik was fourth in line with Nick Salva in fifth. Kopcik took third from Arute on lap-5 and he took second from Hines on lap-9 as Reen was still in command of the race.
Michael Christopher, Jr. took sixth from Todd Owen on lap-15 with Reen still leading the pack of Kopcik, Hines, Arute, and Salva. At the halfway point of the race, Reen was still out front with Kopcik, Hines, Salva, Christopher, Owen, Michael Gervais, Jr., Arute, Keith Rocco, and Joey Cipriano making up the top-10. Jeff Malave spun coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution out with 28 laps complete.
Reen took the lead on the restart with Hines and Kopcik going side by side for second. Salva was fourth with Christopher in fifth. Cipriano spun coming out of turn 2 and collected several others cars including Tony Membrino, Jr. and Andrew Molleur to bring the caution back out with 30 laps complete.
Reen took the lead back under green with Kopcik taking second. Christopher took third with Owen moving into fourth and Salva was side by side with Hines for fifth before taking the spot while Christopher also got by Kopcik to move into second as Reen began to stretch out his advantage on lap-33. Eric Berndt brought the caution back out with 36 laps complete with a spin coming out of turn 4.
There was a pileup of several cars mid-pack as the cars were coming back to green that kept the caution flag out. The next restart saw Reen take the lead with Christopher glued to his back bumper. Kopcik and Owen were side by side for third with Kopcik taking the position on lap-38. Reen led Christopher to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2019 season. Kopcik finished third with Owen and Gervais rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Chase Cook took the lead at the green and set the early pace out front. Paul Varricchio, Jr. was second with Al Saunders, Paul Arute, and Tom Fearn lined up behind him. Varricchio lost second to Al Saunders on lap-5 and he slid back to seventh in line as Arute, Fearn, Cliff Saunders, and Michael Wray all followed Al Saunders by.
Al Saunders continued his charge to the front as he took the lead from Cook on lap-9. Arute was now third behind Cook with Fearn in fourth. Fearn got sideways on lap-10 coming out of turn 4 with Wray moving into fourth and Kevin Gambacorta taking fifth as Fearn slid back to sixth. Greg DeMone brought the caution out with 10 laps complete with a spin in turn 3 with Cliff Saunders also coming to a stop against the wall in the middle of turns 3+4.
Saunders took the lead on the restart with Arute taking second. Fearn moved up to third with Michael Bennett and Kevin Gambacorta going 3-wide with Michael Wray for fourth place. Scott Cook spun in turn 3 to bring the caution back out with 12 laps complete.
Saunders took the lead back under green with Fearn and Arute going side by side for second. Fearn took the spot one lap after the restart and both Bennett and Gambacorta also got by Arute with Gambacorta also taking third from Bennett in the process. Arute settled back into line in fifth with Wray just behind him in sixth.
Fearn was starting to apply heavy pressure to Saunders’ bumper on lap-18 and with 10 laps to go, there was virtually no space between the two cars as they raced into turn 1. Fearn touched bumpers with Saunders on lap-22 but Saunders was able to keep the lead. Gambacorta was now working Fearn over for second and he was able to charge his way by Fearn in turn 3 on lap-24.
Gambacorta couldn’t get close enough to Saunders to make a move as Saunders took the checkered flag to follow his twin brother’s win from one week ago. Fearn finished third with Bennett and Arute rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Wesley Prucker made a 3-wide move at the start to pass both Todd Douillard and Nathan Pytko and take the early lead. Douillard slotted into second with Mikey Flynn quickly working his way around Pytko to take third and then Douillard to move into second on lap-3. Flynn was leading Prucker, Pytko, Douillard, and Joey Ferrigno when the caution came out with 4 laps complete for Amanda West, who came to a stop in turn 2.
The field completed one lap before the caution came back out for Robert Bloxsom, III, who spun in turn 4.
Flynn and Prucker took the top-2 spots on the restart with Pytko and Douillard side by side for third until Douillard got loose in turn 3 on lap-8 and slid back outside the top-10. A multi-car crash in turn 3 involving the cars of Bloxsom, Douillard, Bob Charland, Alexander Pearl, and Glenn Korner brought the caution back out with 9 laps complete.
Flynn took the lead back under green with Ferrigno taking second. Pytko was third in line with Prucker fourth and Glenn Griswold was up to fifth. Bryan Narducci was on a charge in the outside lane as he streaked his way past Griswold, Prucker, and Pytko to take second just before the caution came out for Douillard, who spun in the middle of turns 3+4.
Narducci continued his outside lane charge on the restart as he powered his way into the lead with Flynn settling into second. Ferrigno was up to third with Griswold and Pytko side by side for fourth place. Pytko got clear to fourth on lap-16 with Prucker and Mark Bakaj also getting by Griswold to drop him back to seventh. Norm Sears and Nick Anglace both spun through the frontstretch infield grass to bring the caution out with 16 laps complete.
Narducci took the lead on the restart with Flynn right behind him in second. Ferrigno was third in line with Prucker in fourth. Narducci led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2019 season. Flynn finished second with Ferrigno third. Bakaj got the better of a side by side duel with Prucker to take fourth at the line.
In the 15-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Gary Patnode took the early lead with Alexandra Fearn quickly looking to his inside in a bid to take the lead. Kyle Casagrande spun coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete. Last week’s winner Matt Clement pulled off the track early with a loose wheel and was finished for the evening.
Fearn took the lead from Patnode on the restart with Jeremy Lavoie slotting into third. Duane Provost was fourth with Kyle Casagrande in fifth. Provost took third from Lavoie on lap-5 as Patnode was hounding Fearn for the race lead.
Fearn got loose coming out of turn 4 on lap-6 which allowed Patnode to pull alongside and he took the lead with a pass in turn 3 on lap-7. Lavoie was now coming back to the inside of Provost in a fight for third with Casagrande still holding down fifth place.
Provost moved into second on lap-9 and his move opened the door for Lavoie to follow him through and drop Fearn from second back to fourth. Casagrande was also able to get by Fearn on lap-10 to move into fourth and drop Fearn back to fifth in line.
Provost was stalking Patnode for the lead and as they took the white flag Provost pulled alongside Patnode for the lead. They raced side by side through turns 1+2 and down the backstretch. They were still side by side through turns 3+4 with Provost edging Patnode at the line by a nose to take down his first win of the 2019 season. Lavoie finished third with Casagrande and Fearn rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, Chris Danielczuk spun in turn r4 on the opening lap which collected the cars of Vince Gambacorta and Dave Secore, Jr. to bring the caution out before a lap could be completed.
Jason Lafayette took the early lead back under green with Nicole Chambrello, Zack Robinson, Steve Kenneway, and Adrien Paradis, III lined up behind him. Armand Cote, Jr’s. car blew an engine in turns 1+2 to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Lafayette took the lead on the restart with Zack Robinson making a 3-wide move to roll into second. Kenneway was third with Chambrello fourth and George Bessette, Jr. up to fifth. Meghan Fuller went by Paradis on lap-6 to move into sixth place as Robinson was looking high and low for a way to get by Lafayette to take the lead.
Kenneway’s car dropped off the pace on lap-8 and he pulled off the track and went behind the wall. Lafayette and Robinson had pulled away from Chambrello in third when the caution flew with 10 laps complete for Mike Hopkins, who got into the wall and came to a stop on the frontstretch.
Lafayette took the lead back under green with Robinson still glued to his back bumper in second. Chambrello was third in line but she lost that position to Bessette on lap-13. Fuller was fifth in line just behind Chambrello. Up front, Robinson was able to get alongside Lafayette and he took the lead on lap-15 with a pass in turn 4. Bessette was now third with Fuller up to fourth and Chambrello back to fifth. Just behind Chambrello in sixth was Travis Hydar. Bessette and Fuller made contact with Fuller spinning in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 18 laps complete. Bessette was sent to the rear of the field by NASCAR officials for making contact with Fuller.
Robinson took the lead on the restart with Chambrello moving into second. Lafayette was third with Hydar in fourth and Paradis in fifth. Robinson led Chambrello to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2019 season. Lafayette finished third with Hydar and Paradis 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.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
2) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
3) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown
4) Todd Owen, Somers
5) Michael Gervais, Jr., Wolcott
6) Nick Salva, Cheshire
7) Tyler Hines, North Haven
8) Keith Rocco, Berlin
9) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
10) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
11) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven
12) Tom Bolles, Ellington
13) Michael Rutkoski, Mattituck, Ny
14) Tyler Leary, Hatfield, Ma
15) Matt Galko, Meriden
16) Andrew Molleur, Shelton
17) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
18) Joey Cipriano, Waterbury
19) Jeff Malave, Manchester
20) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
21) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma
22) Ed Spiers, Beacon Falls
23) John Catania, Agawam, Ma
24) David Arute, Stafford Springs
25) Matt Vassar, Plantsville
26) Tony Membrino, Jr., Berlin
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Al Saunders, Stafford
2) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
3) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
4) Michael Bennett, Willington
5) Paul Arute, Northridge, Ma
6) Michael Wray, Northford
7) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
8) Chase Cook, Oakdale
9) Tyler Leary, Hatfield, Ma
10) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
11) Eric Finkbein, Jr., Vernon
12) Greg DeMone, Ludlow, Ma
13) Scott Cook, Oakdale
14) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
15) Richard Ciriello, Reading, Ma
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Bryan Narducci, Colchester
2) Mikey Flynn, Hampden, Ma
3) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
4) Mark Bakaj, Lebanon
5) Wesley Prucker, Stafford
6) Steven Chapman, Ellington
7) Nathan Pytko, Douglas, Ma
8) Glenn Griswold, Vernon
9) Noah Korner, Canton
10) Jonathan Puleo, Branford
11) Teddy Hodgdon, Danbury
12) Norm Sears, Andover
13) Todd Douillard, Palmer, Ma
14) Nick Anglace, Oxford
15) Sami Anderson, Wolcott
16) Chris Bagnall, Winsted
17) Rit Dulac, Plantsville
18) Mark Alkas, Berlin
19) Paul French, Andover
20) Bob Charland, Stafford
21) Alexander Pearl, Salem
22) Cassandra Cole, Westbrook
23) Ed Chicoski, New Hartford
24) Robert Bloxsom, III, Stratford
25) Glenn Korner, Canton
26) Amanda West, Colchester
27) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester
LIMITED LATE MODEL (15)
1) Duane Provost, Palmer, Ma
2) Gary Patnode, Barkhamsted
3) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
4) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
5) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
6) Kevin Crosby, Coventry
7) Matt Clement, Wethersfield
STREET STOCK (20)
1) Zack Robinson, Putnam
2) Nicole Chambrello, Kensington
3) Jason Lafayette, Somers
4) Travis Hydar, Woodbury
5) Adrien Paradis, III, Plainville
6) Meghan Fuller, Auburn, Ma
7) George Bessette, Jr., Danbury
8) Dave Secore, Jr., Union
9) Chuck Harrison, Woodstock Valley
10) Rob Sears, Stafford Springs
11) Paul Bourdon, Jr., Jewett City
12) Marvin Minkler, Stamford
13) Michael Hopkins, Springfield, Ma
14) Steve Kenneway, Lowell, Ma
15) Jake Higginson, Waterbury
16) Armand Cote, Jr., Rocky Hill
17) Chris Danielczuk, Goshen
18) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington