Rocco, Membrino, Thibeault & Wood Score June 24th Lincoln Tech Modified Racing Series Feature Victories at Stafford Speedway
Stafford Speedway returned to racing on June 24th with the Inaugural Lincoln Tech Modified Racing Series event. Picking up feature wins were Keith Rocco in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Tommy Membrino, Jr. in the 20-lap SK Light feature, Shawn Thibeault in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Don Wood in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature. The race program was halted by rain during the Modified Racing Series feature event with 32 laps complete. The Lincoln Tech MRS feature and the SK Modified® feature will be made up on Friday, July 29th and rain checks from tonight’s race will be honored on July 29th.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Tony Lafo led the field to green, but he drifted up the track slightly in turn 2 and J.J. Hill made a strong three-wide move to take the lead. Keith Rocco followed Hill and moved into second. John Kasper spun in turn 3 to bring the caution out with one lap complete. Under the caution, Corey Hutchings’ car came to a stop on the frontstretch and had to be towed behind the wall.
On the restart, Rocco was hanging tough to the outside of Hill for the race lead and he led the next two laps at the line. Jim Peterson was third behind the Hill/Rocco duel with Ryan Posococ and Adam Gray making up the top-5. On lap-5, Hill got out of shape in turns 3+4 and Peterson moved into the lead with Posocco taking second. Hill fell from the lead back to fifth place.
Lap-8 saw Rocco move to the inside of Posocco to take over second. Peterson continued to lead while Posocco was third and Gray was fourth. Hill was fifth, but he lost that position to Woody Pitkat on lap-11. Hill was stuck in the outside groove and he fell back several more spots as Dillon Moltz, Tom Fearn, and Jim Mavlouganes all got by Hill.
At the halfway point, Peterson continued to hold the lead with Rocco, Posocco, Pitkat, and Moltz making up the top-5. Rocco was hounding Peterson for the lead and Rocco was able to make the pass for the lead on lap-20. As Rocco and Peterson swapped positions, Posocco and Pitkat closed in on the lead duo, but Posocco drifted up the track in turn 2 on lap-22, which allowed Pitkat to move into third place.
Rocco led the final 10 laps to take his second feature win of the 2011 season. Peterson finished second, with Pitkat, Posocco, and Moltz rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Joey Cipriano spun in turn 1 at the start and collected were the cars of Frank Cardile and Zach Aszklar.
Cody Gneiting took the lead on the restart with Harry Wheeler behind him in second. Tommy Membrino, Jr. was third, with Rick Williams fourth and Jay Goff fifth. The field completed one lap before Shayne Prucker and Dylan Kopec spun through the frontstretch grass to bring the caution back out. Both Prucker and Kopec had flat tires and were finished for the evening.
Gneiting again took the lead on the restart with Wheeler and Tommy Membrino behind him. Membrino went to second past Wheeler on lap-3 and both Kyle Spencer and Jay Goff followed him by Wheeler. Dylan Liseo was also able to move by Wheeler on lap-5. The order continued to shuffle as Membrino moved by Gneiting to take over the race lead on lap-10. Gneiting continued to hold down second with Spencer and Goff behind him.
The closing laps saw a flurry of action as Spencer and Goff both were able to move by Gneiting to drop him from second back to fourth. But it was all Membrino at the front as he scored the victory and a $600 contingency bonus from Gunsmoke Stables. Spencer finished second, with Goff, Gneiting, and Matt Galko rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, there was trouble at the start as Jesse Hinze spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow out. Also collecting damage was D.J. Burnham, but Burnham was able to continue while Hinze retired from the race.
On the restart, Joe Nogiec spun on the backstretch, which collected the cars of Norm Sears, Carla Botticello, Kevin Gambacorta, and Duane Provost. Provost, Botticello, and Sears were all done for the night, while Gambacorta was able to continue on.
Cory Casagrande took the lead as the race restarted with Shawn Thibeault moving into second. George Nocera, Jr. moved into third, with Dan Flannery moving past Chris Cook to take fourth in the early laps. Casagrande and Thibeault began to inch away from Nocera in third, who had pulled away from Flannery in fourth. At the halfway point, Casagrande and Flannery were nose to tail in the fight for the lead.
The top-2 ran in line until lap-16 when Casagrande got a bit out of shape in turn 2, which opened the door for Thibeault to move by and take the lead. Nocera continued to run third, with Flannery and Gambacorta making up the top-5.
Thibeault led Casagrande around for the final 4 laps to take his second win of the 2011 season. Casagrande finished second, with Nocera, Flannery, and Gambacorta rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, the race started with a bang as Kyle Casagrande spun in turn 4 and collected the car of Nick Salva to bring the caution out before one lap could be completed.
Austin Bessette took the early lead, but David Arute charged to the front on lap-2. Don Wood was also on the charge at the start of the race and he took the lead from Arute on lap-4. Albert Saunders followed Wood past Arute to take over second.
With Wood and Albert Saunders in the first two spots, they began to pull away from the remainder of the field. Arute was now locked in a hard fight for third with Cliff Saunders. Lap after lap, Saunders looked like he was going to make a pass on Arute, but Arute was able to hold him off.
With no caution flags, Wood and Albert Saunders were turning the race for the win into a two car race. Saunders took several looks, but Wood was able to maintain the lead as the laps clicked off the scoreboard. Saunders took one final look on the last lap, but he couldn’t make a pass as Wood took down his second feature victory of the 2011 season. Albert Saunders finished second, with Arute, Cliff Saunders, and Josh Wood 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
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Keith Rocco, Meriden
2) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
3) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
4) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
5) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
6) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
7) J.J. Hill, Stafford Springs
8) Jim Mavlouganes, Bethany
9) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
10) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
11) Tony Lafo, Higganum
12) Scott Cook, Uncasville
13) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
14) Walt Wosko, Jr., West Suffield
15) John Kasper, Wilbraham, Ma
16) Tim Fogg, Stafford Springs
17) Corey Hutchings, Salem
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
2) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
3) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
4) Cody Gneiting, Broad Brook
5) Matt Galko, Meriden
6) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
7) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
8) Joey Cipriano, Iii, Waterbury
9) Jesse Ruocco, Cheshire
10) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
11) Rick Williams, Haddam
12) Bob Charland, Stafford
13) Steve Greer, Harwinton
14) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
15) Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, Ma
16) Shayne Prucker, Stafford Springs
17) Dylan Kopec, Palmer, Ma
18) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
19) Frank Cardile, Bolton
LIMITED LATEL MODEL (20)
1) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
2) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
3) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
4) Dan Flannery, Ellington
5) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
6) Chris Cook, Pepperell, Ma
7) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
8) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
9) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
10) Carla Botticello, Manchester
11) Norm Sears, Andover
12) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
2) Albert Saunders, Stafford
3) David Arute, Tolland
4) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
5) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
6) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
7) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
8) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
9) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
10) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
11) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
12) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester
13) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, Ma
14) David Macha, Columbia
15) Nick Salva, Prospect
16) Andrew Marchese, Tolland