Strong Entry List for Stafford’s May 24th Open Modified 80
Stafford Springs, CT — Race teams are busy preparing for the Friday’s Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night Open Modified 80, the first Open Modified event of 2019. Over 30 teams are entered for Friday’s 80 lap shootout. Highlighting the entry-list is Tommy Barrett, Jr. and Eric Goodale, both drivers who scored Open Modified wins during the 2018 season. Additional entries include 8 drivers who plan to run both the SK Modified® feature and the Open 80 and 2 drivers who plan to run the SK Light Modified feature and the Open 80.
Last season Tommy Barrett, Jr., a former SK Light Modified star, returned to Stafford in impressive fashion and thrilled fans with a late race pass on Rowan Pennink to win the Inaugural Twisted Tea Open 80. In July, Eric Goodale turned in a dominate run to win the Bud Light Open 80, proving that his 2017 NAPA Fall Final win was no fluke. Both Barrett and Goodale enter Friday’s Open 80 as favorites.
8 drivers plan to pull double duty running both the SK Modified® and Open Modified 80 including two drivers that have been known to have intense on track battles, Ronnie Williams and Keith Rocco. Williams, the 2018 SK Modified® track champion and 3-time SK Modified® Champion Keith Rocco are currently two of the top drivers in Northeast modified racing and will be ones to watch throughout the Open 80 event.
Other SK Modified® competitors who plan to run both features are Todd Owen, Joey Cipriano, Michael Gervais, Matt Galko, Andrew Molleur, and Marcello Rufrano. SK Light drivers Mark Bakaj and Robert Bloxsom, III also plan to run both features this Friday.
A total of 32 teams have registered for the event, some highlights include:
- #1 Andy Jankowiak – Upstate New York driver, coming off an ROC Modified Tour win last weekend at Chemung
- #1 Andrew Molleur – SK Modified® Rookie, 4 career Stafford wins
- #00 Chase Dowling – Former SK Light Modified driver, 13 career Stafford wins, 2 runner-up finishes in last season’s Open 80 events
- #09 Brad VanHouten – Long Island driver making his Stafford debut
- #3 Matt Galko – Two-time SK Light Champion, 2-time SK Modified® winner
- #4 Jeff Gallup – Wild Thing Kart graduate, coming off a Modified Racing Series win last weekend at Lee
- #8 Cam McDermott – Former SK Modified® and SK Light Modified driver, debuting his Open Modified
- #9 Tommy Barrett – 18 career Stafford wins including the 2018 Twisted Tea Open 80
- #20 Max Zachem – 4th place finisher in the NAPA Spring Sizzler®
- #27 Joey Cipriano – Made his Whelen Modified Tour at the Spring Sizzler®, 8 career Stafford wins
- #28 Kreig Heroth – Upstate New York driver making his Stafford debut
- #33 Michael Gervais – 2009 SK Light Modified Champion, current SK Modified® point leader
- #34 Dave Etheridge – Former pro-stock driver, 5 career Stafford wins
- #50 Ronnie Williams – Defending SK Modified® Champion
- #52 Mark Bakaj – Made his Whelen Modified debut at the NAPA Spring Sizzler®, 6 career Stafford wins
- #58 Eric Goodale – 2017 NAPA Fall Final winner, 2018 Bud Light Open winner, Instagram Celebrity
- #68 Marcello Rufrano – 2018 SK Light Modified track champion
- #81 Todd Owen – 18 career Stafford wins, currently 2nd in SK Modified® points
- #88 Keith Rocco – 3-time SK Modified® track champion, 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion
- #99 Richard Savary – 1 career Stafford win coming last August
- #176 Dana DiMatteo – former Legend Car champion, brother of SK Modified® driver Corey DiMatteo
May 24 Open Modified 80 Entry List
The Open Mod 80 will share the spotlight on May 24 with Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night being the longest and biggest race of the 2019 SK Light season with over $10,000 in total posted awards up for grabs. With contingency bonuses, the winner of the Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night feature will take home $2,025. Tickets for the May 24 Open Mod 80 / Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night are $30.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids 6-14, and as always 5 & under free. Reserved seating is priced at $32.00 for all ages. All tickets include 10% CT Admission Tax. General admission gates open at 5:15pm, with qualifying races beginning at 6:00pm and feature races to follow.
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