Column By: BRITTANY NUTILE / RPW – STAFFORD SPRINGS, CT – Double duty…double the fun for Andrew Molleur this year at the Stafford Motor Speedway.
Molleur is competing in the both the SK Modified and Late Model divisions at the Stafford Springs, CT track.
“It definitely is different to drive an SK mod and Late Model in the same night,” Molleur said. “The Late Model has a lot less tire with more weight so it doesn’t have as much grip as an SK does.”
Driving an SK Mod and Late Model are extremely different. One’s an open wheel car and the other is a full-size stock car. The first two weeks of SK competition were not as Andrew had wanted. He was involved in accidents that weren’t even his fault. It was a matter of wrong place at the wrong time.
The first week he was racing with another driver and they got into Andrew and ended his night. Andrew finished 22nd. Then, in week two, he got into a jingle with Ronnie Williams and Chase Dowling which put Andrew up into the wall, relegating him to a 13th place finish.
The finish from that event wasn’t that bad. However, he wanted to finish a little higher since he had a better car than 13th.
The third night of the season saw Andrew have a better finish. He looked a lot more comfortable, getting a feel for his SK as well as the Late Model. Andrew finished the SK feature in eighth place while grabbing a top 10 in the Late Model (ninth).
“The two top 10’s are definitely confidence boosters for sure,” he said. “Things can only get better from here.”
Something that is helping Andrew out is that he has the same spotter for both divisions, Anthony. Andrew can get a feel for both cars and the two work well together at the same time in both events.
“Anthony moved up here from North Carolina to spot for me full-time and it’s been great,” he said. “He’s a smart guy and knows what he’s talking about. We’re super happy to have him.”
Moving forward, we’ll see great things happening with the driver / spotter combo and fans can’t wait to see what they do for the rest of the season.
Molleur’s Late Model results have been a little better than the SK. The first week was April 24th and he finished 11th. There were no real issues…just dusting off the cobwebs.
The second race of the season took place last week and he finished ninth.
“The past few weeks in the Late Model have been good,” he said. “We took P11 and P9, respectively. We’ll keep getting better every week.”
Competing in the track’s two top divisions may be a challenge but something that Andrew and both of his teams are up for. Getting used to the Late Model car in the next few weeks will help Andrew out in both divisions, he believes.
“I don’t think its really an advantage,” he said. “However, it not a disadvantage, either. When I go out in one car, and then come back before my next feature, I can tell my guys what the track is doing. As the night goes on, that’s very important, especially when we have other divisions come in and they run the Late Model or SK’s when the sun’s still out.”
Being an 18-year-old and wanting to go double duty at a track like Stafford Speedway is very exciting for Andrew. This season, though, he knows what he has to do. While winning is important, finishing well means the most and he’s up for the task.