Story By: SCOTT RUNNING / STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY – STAFFORD SPRINGS, CT – Stafford Speedway hosted its five weekly racing divisions along with open modified cars as part of the GAF Roofing Modified Masters program on Friday, July 26th.
Mikey Flynn was the big winner of the night taking his first career SK Modified® feature victory in the 40-lap feature event. Adam Gray was a Late Model feature winner for the second consecutive week, Chris Matthews was a first time 2024 winner in the SK Light feature, Matt Clement notched his second win of the season in the Limited Late Model feature, and Jason Lafayette scored his second win of 2024 in the Street Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® event, Dylan Kopec took the early lead at the green flag with RJ Marcotte in second. Mikey Flynn took second from Marcotte on lap-3 with Cory DiMatteo in fourth and Todd Owen fifth. Flynn was all over Kopec’s back bumper looking to take the lead but he couldn’t complete a pass. Flynn’s persistence paid off as on lap-11, he made a run to the inside of Kopec and took the lead by a nose at the line. Flynn got clear of Kopec on lap-12 and lap-14 would see DiMatteo take second from Kopec. Michael Gervais, Jr. was now fourth behind Flynn, DiMatteo, and Kopec with Owen in fifth.
Owen took fourth place from Gervais on lap-20 while Flynn was still out front with DiMatteo and Kopec giving chase. Kopec went back by DiMatteo for second on lap-23 while behind Gervais in fifth, Andrew Molleur and Keith Rocco were racing lap after lap wheel to wheel for seventh place. Molleur took that position on lap-27 with Michael Christopher, Jr. taking eighth as Rocco fell back to ninth.
With 5 laps to go, Flynn was still in command with Kopec, Owen, Rufrano, Gervais, Christopher, Molleur, Rocco, and DiMatteo making up the top-10. Flynn led Kopec to the checkered flag to pick up his first career SK Modified® feature win and his first Stafford feature victory since winning a pair of Legend Cars races during the 2015 season. Rufrano finished third behind Flynn and Kopec with Owen and Gervais rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Chris Buffone took the lead at the green flag with Tom Butler all over his back bumper in second. Alexandra Fearn was third in the early going with P.J. Zarrella in fourth and Andrew Durand fifth. The caution came out with 3 laps complete as the cars of Darrell Keane, Al Saunders, and Glen Reen all came to a rest against the backstretch wall.
Buffone and Butler went door to door on the restart with Alexandra Fearn in third, Zarrella fourth, and Bobby Stirk, III fifth. Butler had the lead by a nose at the line to complete lap-5 and he would spin in turn 4 on lap-6 to bring the caution flag back out. Buffone was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Butler. This put Alexandra Fearn into the lead for the restart with Zarrella in second.
Alexandra Fearn charged into the lead on the restart with Stirk taking second. Wayne Coury, Jr. moved into third with Adam Gray taking fourth and Cliff Saunders fifth. Zarrella fell from second back to the rear of the field while Paul Varricchio, Jr. took fifth place from Cliff Saunders on lap-10 and Gray took third from Coury on lap-11.
Stirk was applying heavy pressure to Fearn for the lead and he took the lead by a nose at the line on lap-15. Stirk cleared Fearn on lap-16 and Gray took second to drop Fearn back to third. Varricchio was now fourth with Coury in fifth as Cliff Saunders had fell back to seventh place, just behind Chris Meyer.
Gray took the lead from Stirk on lap-19 with Varricchio moving into second. Stirk’s car let off a plume of smoke before dropping off the pace and limping back to pit road on lap-21. Fearn was still in third behind Gray and Varricchio with Meyer now fourth and Coury fifth with 8 laps to go.
Varricchio rode on Gray’s bumper for the final 8 laps but couldn’t get close enough to make a move for the lead as Gray took down his second consecutive win of the season. Meyer finished third behind Gray and Varricchio with Alexandra Fearn and Coury rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Robert Bloxsom, III brought the field to the green and he took the early lead with Casey Vogt in second. Nick Anglace was third with Frank L’Etoile, Jr. fourth and Sami Anderson fifth. Anglace steamed his way into the lead on lap-3 with Bloxsom falling back to second. Vogt was third in line with Anderson fourth and the side by side duo of Chris Matthews and Ron Midford, Jr. fighting for fifth place. Nickolas Hovey spun in turn 4 and collected several other cars including Jason Chapman, Amanda West, and Midford to bring the caution out with 7 laps complete.
Anglace took the lead back under green with Bloxsom right behind him in second. Matthews was up to third with Vogt in fourth and Anderson fifth. Chris Viens got into the turn 1 wall which collected the cars of Peter Bennett, Wade Gagner, Aiden D’Agata, and Pete Lopuch to bring the caution back out with 8 laps complete.
Matthews went by both Anglace and Bloxsom on the restart to take the lead. Anglace slotted into second behind Matthews with Tyler Chapman going side by side with Bloxsom for third before taking that position on lap-11. Josh Morrison was up to fifth with Vogt right behind him in sixth.
Anglace was hounding Matthews for the lead but Matthews was able to maintain the lead and keep Anglace behind him. Anglace made several bids for the lead but was not able to make a pass stick as Matthews took down his first win of the 2024 season. Tyler Chapman finished third behind Matthews and Anglace with Bloxsom and Josh Morrison rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Gary Patnode took the early lead at the drop of the green with Connor Jencik and Jeremy Lavoie going door to door for second. The duo ran side by side for the first lap with Jencik taking second on lap-2. Lap-4 saw Matt Clement take third from Lavoie with Devon Jencik and RJ Surdell both following him by Lavoie to move into fourth and fifth and drop Lavoie back to sixth. Matt Clement continued to charge to the front by taking second from Jencik which allowed 8 more cars to get past Jencik before he could settle back into line in 10th place. Devon Jencik was now third behind Patnode and Matt Clement with Surdell, Rich Hammann, Matt Winter, II, Adrien Paradis, III, Mike Hopkins, Lavoie, Kyle Theriault, and Connor Jencik making up the top-10.
Clement took the lead from Patnode on lap-9 with Devon Jencik taking second to drop Patnode back to third place. The caution flew with 11 laps complete for a spin in turn 3 by Scott Clement.
Matt Clement took the lead on the restart with Patnode and Devon Jencik side by side for second. The field completed one lap before the caution came back out for a spin in the middle of turns 3+4 by Connor Jencik.
Matt Clement again took the lead back under green while Patnode’s car dropped off the pace and he pulled behind the pit wall on lap-13. The caution came back out with 14 laps complete for a spin in turn 4 by Trinity Provost.
Matt Clement took the lead on the restart with Devon Jencik right behind him in second. Winter was third in line with Hopkins up to fourth, Theriault fifth, and Lavoie sixth. Shelby Swan spun in turn 3 to bring the caution flag back out with 16 laps complete.
Clement and Jencik went door to door for half a lap on the restart before Clement took the lead going into turn 3. Winter took second and dropped Jencik back to third in line with Theriault fourth and Hopkins in fifth. Clement led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the season. Devon Jencik finished second with Theriault, Hopkins, and Winter rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature, Chris Danielczuk took the early lead with Jason Lafayette taking second. Tyler Trott quickly moved into third with Sean Petlock and Brandon Warren door to door for fourth place. Warren took the position with Jason Raymond taking fifth on lap-4 as Petlock was fading fast.
Travis Hydar was on the move, taking fifth on lap-10 while Danielczuk was still in the lead with Lafayette, Warren, and Trott lined up behind him. Hydar charged into third on lap-12 and he took second from Danielczuk on lap-13 as Lafayette took the lead from Danielczuk and opened the door for Hydar. Hydar took the lead on lap-15 but he dropped off the pace just as he took the lead with what appeared to be a flat tire. Lafayette was back in front with Travis Downey now into second. Raymond was third with Warren fourth and Danielczuk fell back to fifth place.
Downey made a move to the inside of Lafayette in turn 2 on lap-19 but he got loose and lost two spots as Raymond took second and Warren third. Raymond couldn’t make a move on Lafayette as Lafayette scored his second win of the season. Warren finished third with Downey and Danielczuk rounding out the top-5.
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Mikey Flynn, Hampden, MA
2) Dylan Kopec, Meriden
3) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven
4) Todd Owen, Somers
5) Michael Gervais, Jr., Wolcott
6) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
7) Andrew Molleur, Shelton
8) Troy Talman, Oxford, MA
9) Keith Rocco, Berlin
10) Jon Puleo, Branford
11) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
12) Tyler Hines, North Haven
13) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, NY
14) Steven Chapman, Ellington
15) Jack Baldwin, Mooresville, NC
16) Wesley Prucker, Stafford Springs
17) David Arute, Tolland
18) RJ Marcotte, Millville, MA
19) Anthony Flannery, East Hampton
20) Curt Brainard, Canton
21) John Sandberg, South Windsor
22) Art Caruso, Windsor
23) David Flammia, Jr., Waterbury
24) Austin Beers, Northampton, PA
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Adam Gray, Granby, MA
2) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
3) Chris Meyer, Franklin
4) Alexandra Fearn, Hampden, MA
5) Wayne Coury, Jr., Fairfield
6) Cliff Saunders, Stafford Springs
7) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
8) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
9) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, MA
10) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, MA
11) P.J. Zarrella, Morris
12) Duane Noll, Monroe
13) Chris Buffone, Belchertown, MA
14) Bobby Stirk, III, Naugatuck
15) Al Saunders, Stafford Springs
16) Darrell Keane, Enfield
17) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, MA
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Chris Matthews, Stafford
2) Nick Anglace, Seymour
3) Tyler Chapman, Ellington
4) Robert Bloxsom, III, Milford
5) Josh Morrison, Ashford
6) Casey Vogt, Windsor Locks
7) Bob Charland, Stafford Springs
8) Meghan Fuller, Auburn, MA
9) Paul Arute, Tolland
10) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
11) Ron Midford, Jr., Ellington
12) Matt Brewer, Norwich
13) Austin Goff, Stafford Springs
14) Chris Viens, Putnam
15) Amanda West, Colchester
16) Stephen Kalogiannis, New Hartford
17) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
18) Carsten Cole, Westbrook
19) Wade Gagner, East Longmeadow, MA
20) Paul Arcari, Somers
21) Sami Anderson, Wolcott
22) Chris Bagnall, Winsted
23) Anthony Forino, Waterbury
24) Peter Bennett, Windsor
25) Pete Lopuch, West Redding
26) Ed Chicoski, New Hartford
27) Aiden D’Agata, Willington
28) Alexander Pearl, Salem
29) Nickolas Hovey, Chaplin
30) Jason Chapman, Ellington
31) Cassandra Cole, Westbrook
32) Steve Midford, Ellington
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Matt Clement, Wethersfield
2) Devon Jencik, Canton
3) Kyle Theriault, Three Rivers, MA
4) Mike Hopkins, Stafford Springs
5) Matthew Winter, II, Springfield, VT
6) Ari Jencik, Canton
7) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
8) Rich Hammann, Tolland
9) Jay Clement, Charlotte, NC
10) Adrien Paradis, III, Plainville
11) Darryl Vertefeuille, Willington
12) Samantha Dell, Pascoag, RI
13) Dana Wray, Northford
14) Scott Clement, Wethersfield
15) Cindy Stirk, Naugatuck
16) Shelby Swan, Durham
17) Kevin Cormier, Agawam, MA
18) Connor Jencik, Canton
19) Trinity Provost, Holland, MA
20) Gary Patnode, Barkhamsted
21) RJ Surdell, Willington
STREET STOCK (20)
1) Jason Lafayette, Somers
2) Jason Raymond, Somers
3) Brandon Warren, Chicopee, MA
4) Travis Downey, Barkhamsted
5) Chris Danielczuk, Goshen
6) Tyler Trott, East Hartford
7) Shawn Monahan, Waterford
8) Jeff Asselin, Granby, MA
9) Sean Petlock, Ware, MA
10) Bill Cote, Belchertown, MA
11) Bert Ouellette, Ellington
12) Marvin Minkler, Stamford
13) Ashton Young, Griswold
14) Garrett Pease, Enfield
15) Travis Hydar, Woodbury
16) Jay Adams, Herndon, VA