Saturday, September 17, 2016

Glen Reen Scores First SK Modified Win at Stafford Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Ronnie Williams took the lead on lap-4 after a side by side duel with Tom Bolles.  Tyler Hines was third with Jeff Baral fourth and Eric Berndt fifth.  Berndt took fourth from Hines on lap-8 and he brought Woody Pitkat with him up to fifth as Hines fell back to sixth.  The caution came out with 8 laps complete for a spin in turn 4 by Robert Goulet.
Williams took the lead back under green with Baral moving up to second.  Pitkat and Bolles were side by side for third with Berndt fifth by himself and Todd Owen and Hines side by side for sixth.  Baral had pulled alongside Williams for the lead on lap-11 and the leaders were now side by side 3 deep like a pace lap but that all came to an end as several cars got out of shape coming off turn 4 and the cars of Hines, Michael Gervais, Jr., Mike Christopher, Jr., D.J. Burnham, Stephen Kopcik, Nick Salva, and Matt Galko were all involved in a melee that brought the caution out with 12 laps complete.
Williams and Baral were side by side on the restart, but before they could complete a lap Tommy Membrino, Jr. spun on the frontstretch to bring the caution back out.
Baral had the lead by a nose at the line on the restart but Williams came back and took over the lead on the next lap.  Pitkat and Bolles were side by side for third with Berndt in fifth.  The two leaders were continuing to run side by side with Baral now back on the inside of Williams.  Baral was maintaining the lead at the stripe by less than a car length while Pitkat was now third with Berndt fourth and Keith Rocco was up to fifth on lap-19.
Williams and Baral continued to swap the lead with Williams taking the lead by a nose on lap-20 while Pitkat and Berndt were now side by side for third with Rocco in fifth.  The caution came out with 21 laps complete as Payton Henry got into the turn 3 wall and collected the car of Jeff Gallup.
The restart saw the caution come right back out as Burnham’s car came to a stop on the frontstretch.  The next restart saw the inside line get bogged down with allowed Glen Reen to move into the lead with Baral in second and Pitkat in third.  Williams fell back to fourth with Berndt in fifth behind him.  Rocco and Rowan Pennink were side by side for sixth place.
With 10 laps to go, Reen was in command with Baral in second.  Pitkat and Williams were side by side for third with Berndt, Rocco, Ted Christopher, and Pennink lined up behind them.  Reen was staring to pull away from the train being led by Baral that consisted of Baral, Pitkat, Berndt, Rocco, Williams, Christopher, and Pennink with 5 laps to go.
Reen led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his first SK Modified® win of the 2016 season and his second win of the night to go along with his Late Model feature win.  Baral finished second with Pitkat, Berndt, and Rocco rounding out the top-5.  Pennink finished the race in eighth place which was good enough to make him the 2016 SK Modified® track champion.

SK MODIFIED® (40)

1) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
2) Jeff Baral, Southington
3) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
4) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
5) Keith Rocco, Berlin
6) Ted Christopher, Plainville
7) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
8) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa
9) Todd Owen, Somers
10) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
11) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
12) Tom Bolles, Ellington
13) Dylan Izzo, Monroe
14) Danny Cates, Chaplin
15) Dan Avery, Somers
16) Les Rose, Jr., Southbridge, Ma
17) Robert Goulet, Plainville
18) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
19) Payton Henry, Willington
20) Jeff Gallup, Agawam, Ma
21) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
22) Matt Galko, Meriden
23) Nick Salva, Prospect
24) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown
25) Tyler Hines, North Haven
26) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
27) John Catania, Agawam, Ma

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