Story By: SCOTT RUNNING / STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY – STAFFORD SPRINGS, CT – Stafford Speedway hosted another round of Weekly Racing on Friday, Aug. 16th.
Steven Chapman was the big winner of the night, scoring his first career SK Modified® feature victory in the 40-lap feature event. Darrell Keane was victorious for the second time this season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Amanda West was a first time career winner in the SK Light feature, Kevin Cormier notched his second win of the season in the Limited Late Model feature, and Tyler Trott was also a winner for the second time this season in the Street Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Austin Beers took the early lead and he would lead the first 4 laps before Steven Chapman moved to the front on lap-5. RJ Marcotte was third behind Chapman and Beers with Cory DiMatteo in fourth and Andrew Molleur fifth. With 10 laps complete the order was Chapman, Beers, Marcotte, DiMatteo, Molleur, Anthony Flannery, David Arute, Troy Talman, Dylan Kopec, and Jon Puleo making up the top-10.
Molleur took fourth from Marcotte on lap-18 as DiMatteo had moved into third several laps earlier while Chapman was still in the lead with Beers in second. Brett Sandberg came to a stop in turn 2 to bring the caution flag out with 27 laps complete.
Chapman took the lead on the restart with Beers right behind him in second. DiMatteo took third with Molleur in fourth and Marcotte back to fifth. Arute was now up to sixth with Flannery, Puleo, Marcello Rufrano, and Troy Talman making up the top-10.
Chapman led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his first career SK Modified® feature win at Stafford. Beers finished second with DiMatteo, Molleur, and Marcotte rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature, Chris Buffone took the early lead at the drop of the green flag with Wayne Coury, Jr., Darrell Keane, Andrew Durand, and P.J. Zarrella lined up behind him. Alexandra Fearn came to a stop in the turn 1 grass to bring the caution flag out with 2 laps complete.
The restart saw a huge plume of smoke coming from the car of Zarrella as the field rumbled into turn 3 on the restart with several cars, including Chris Meyer, Cliff Saunders, and Paul Varricchio, Jr. getting collected to bring the caution flag right back out before a lap could be completed.
Keane charged into the lead on the restart with Durand following right behind him in second. Coury slotted into third with Buffone falling back to fourth and Adam Gray took fifth place from Bobby Stirk, III on lap-9. Tom Fearn spun coming off turn 4 which collected Varricchio, Meyer, and Al Saunders to bring the caution back out with 9 laps complete.
Keane maintained the lead back under green with Durand and Coury in second and third. Adam Gray moved into fourth with Kevin Gambacorta taking fifth. Stirk slid back to sixth with Alexandra Fearn, Tom Butler, Cliff Saunders, and Tom Fearn making up the top-10.
At the halfway point of the race, it was still Keane out front with Durand, Coury, Gray, and Gambacorta giving chase. Gray was beginning to pressure Coury for third place and he made a move on lap-21 to move into third. Gray’s move opened the door for Gambacorta to follow him through and take fourth, dropping Coury back to fifth place.
Keane led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2024 season. Durand finished second with Gray, Gambacorta, and Coury rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature, Casey Vogt took the lead by a nose at the end of lap-1 which saw Josh Morrison nearly go 3-wide with Vogt and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. for the lead. Amanda West charged by Vogt to take the lead on lap-3 and the caution came out with 3 laps complete for a spin coming out of turn 2 by Aiden D’Agata.
West took the lead back under green with Morrison taking second from Vogt. Nickolas Hovey worked his way into fourth and Robert Bloxsom, III was fifth. Austin Goff spun in turn 4 to bring the caution flag out with 6 laps complete.
West again took the lead on the restart with Morrison in second. Hovey used the outside line to get around Vogt and take third with Bloxsom still fifth behind Vogt. Nick Anglace was up to sixth with Meghan fuller, Tyler Chapman, Alexander Pearl, and Chris Viens making up the top-10.
With 5 laps to go it was still West leading Morrison, Hovey, Anglace, and Chapman. Bloxsom was now sixth with Fuller, Pearl, Viens, and Vogt making up the top-10. Morrison made one last bid for the lead on the final lap, but he came up just short as West scored her very first career SK Light feature victory. Hovey finished third behind West and Morrison with Anglace and Chapman rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Jeremy Lavoie led the field to the green and he led the first lap before Kevin Cormier went to the front on lap-2. Connor Jencik was third in line behind Cormier and Lavoie with Matthew Winter, II in fourth and RJ Surdell in fifth. Winter moved into third on lap-4 and Surdell followed him past Jencik to move into fourth and drop Jencik back to fifth, just in front of Kyle Theriault.
Connor Jencik spun in turn 2 to bring the caution flag out with 12 laps complete and Cormier still leading Lavoie, Winter, Surdell, and Theriault.
Cormier again took the lead back under green with Lavoie, Surdell, Winter, and Matt Clement in tow. Clement took fourth from Winter on lap-15 and Rich Hammann moved past Winter on lap-16 to move into fifth place. Winter would lose several more spots to eighth place as Theriault took sixth and Devon Jencik seventh.
Cormier led Lavoie to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2024 season. Surdell finished third with Matt Clement and Hammann rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature, Marvin Minkler took the lead at the green and he began to set the early pace with Chris Danielczuk, Jeff Asselin, Tyler Trott, and Brandon Warren lined up behind him. Minkler held the lead until lap-6 when Asselin made a move coming out of turn 4 to take over the lead. Trott followed him by to take second as did Travis Downey to third, Travis Hydar to fourth, and Warren to fifth as Minkler slid back to seventh place behind Jason Lafayette.
Trott was applying heavy pressure to Asselin for the lead and he was finally able to make a pass stick in turn 1 on lap-12 to move into the lead. Downey spun on the backstretch and collected Warren, Hydar, and Warren to bring the caution flag out with 11 laps complete. The caution flag put Asselin back into the lead with Trott in second for the restart.
Hydar charged into the lead back under green with Trott taking second. Lafayette moved up to third with Sean Petlock taking fourth and Jason Raymond in fifth. Hydar’s car dropped off the pace with flat tire as he was coming around to complete lap-15 which allowed Trott to move into the lead. Lafayette was now second with Raymond, Bert Ouellette, and Petlock making up the top-5.
Trott led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2024 season. Lafayette finished second with Raymond, Ouellette, and Petlock rounding out the top-5.
SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Steven Chapman, Ellington
2) Austin Beers, Northampton, PA
3) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
4) Andrew Molleur, Shelton
5) RJ Marcotte, Millville, MA
6) David Arute, Tolland
7) Jon Puleo, Branford
8) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
9) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven
10) Anthony Flannery, East Hampton
11) Troy Talman, Oxford, MA
12) Todd Owen, Somers
13) Michael Gervais, Jr., Wolcott
14) Mikey Flynn, Hampden, MA
15) Keith Rocco, Berlin
16) Wesley Prucker, Stafford Springs
17) Dylan Kopec, Meriden
18) Tyler Hines, North Haven
19) Curt Brainard, Canton
20) Brett Sandberg, South Windsor
21) Art Caruso, Windsor
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Darrell Keane, Enfield
2) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, MA
3) Adam Gray, Granby, MA
4) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
5) Wayne Coury, Jr., Fairfield
6) Bobby Stirk, III, Naugatuck
7) Alexandra Fearn, Hampden, MA
8) Cliff Saunders, Stafford Springs
9) Al Saunders, Stafford Springs
10) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
11) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, MA
12) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
13) Duane Noll, Monroe
14) Scott Foster, Jr., Enfield
15) Chris Buffone, Belchertown, MA
16) Chris Meyer, Franklin
17) P.J. Zarrella, Morris
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Amanda West, Colchester
2) Josh Morrison, Ashford
3) Nickolas Hovey, Chaplin
4) Nick Anglace, Seymour
5) Tyler Chapman, Ellington
6) Alexander Pearl, Salem
7) Robert Bloxsom, III, Milford
8) Meghan Fuller, Auburn, MA
9) Ron Midford, Jr., Ellington
10) Chris Viens, Putnam
11) Chris Matthews, Stafford
12) Bob Charland, Stafford Springs
13) Peter Bennett, Windsor
14) Matt Brewer, Norwich
15) Casey Vogt, Windsor Locks
16) Sami Anderson, Wolcott
17) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
18) Stephen Kalogiannis, New Hartford
19) Paul Arute, Tolland
20) Paul Arcari, Somers
21) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
22) Cassandra Cole, Westbrook
23) Wade Gagner, East Longmeadow, MA
24) Carsten Cole, Westbrook
25) Austin Goff, Stafford Springs
26) Ed Chicoski, New Hartford
27) Aiden D’Agata, Willington
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Kevin Cormier, Agawam, MA
2) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
3) RJ Surdell, Willington
4) Matt Clement, Wethersfield
5) Rich Hammann, Tolland
6) Kyle Theriault, Three Rivers, MA
7) Adrien Paradis, III, Plainville
8) Devon Jencik, Canton
9) Matthew Winter, II, Springfield, VT
10) Darryl Vertefeuille, Willington
11) Dana Wray, Northford
12) Trinity Provost, Holland, MA
13) Shelby Swan, Durham
14) Gary Patnode, Barkhamsted
15) Connor Jencik, Canton
16) Samantha Dell, Pascoag, RI
17) Cindy Stirk, Naugatuck
STREET STOCK (20)
1) Tyler Trott, East Hartford
2) Jason Lafayette, Somers
3) Jason Raymond, Somers
4) Bert Ouellette, Ellington
5) Sean Petlock, Ware, MA
6) Bill Cote, Belchertown, MA
7) Brandon Warren, Chicopee, MA
8) Marvin Minkler, Stamford
9) Ashton Young, Griswold
10) Jason Haribans, Galway, NY
11) Rob Sears, Stafford Springs
12) Doug Riley, Naugatuck
13) Garrett Pease, Enfield
14) Nick Ullrich, Cranston, RI
15) Alex Spinnato, Wallingford
16) Travis Hydar, Woodbury
17) Nick Lockhart, Mahopec, MA
18) Jeff Asselin, Granby, MA
19) Travis Downey, Barkhamsted
20) Chris Danielczuk, Goshen
21) Mike Caprio, Clinton
22) Matt Martel, Stafford Springs
