Kid Rock spanks the field at Stafford Speedway SK Sizzler

Photo from Wayne G. Barber Library

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature,  Keith Rocco took the lead at the green with Michael Christopher, Jr., Eric Berndt, and Glen Reen briefly going 3-wide before Christopher took second with Berndt to his outside and Reen on his back bumper in fourth.  Ronnie Williams was fifth behind Reen.  Berndt slid back several spots to sixth as Reen moved into third, Williams into fourth, and Rowan Pennink took over fifth on lap-3.  The caution came out with 5 laps complete for Troy Talman and Stephen Kopcik with Kopcik spinning on the frontstretch after a flat right rear tire. 

Rocco took the lead back under green with Reen providing heavy pressure to his back bumper for the lead.  Pennink was up to third behind Reen and he was also looking for the lead.  But the caution came out with 6 laps complete for spins in turn 3 by Tyler Jones, John Catania, and Tony Membrino, Jr.

Rocco and Reen resumed their duel for the lead on the restart with Pennink in third but the field was only able to complete one more lap before the caution came back out for Membrino, who came to a stop against the turn 2 wall.

Rocco took the lead on the restart with Reen slotting into second just in front of Pennink but the caution came back out with 8 laps complete for spins by Matt Vassar and Jones.

Rocco took the lead back under green with Reen again able to slot himself into second.  Pennink was third but Christopher, Jr. took the spot on lap-9 with Jeff Baral up to fifth behind Pennink.  Joey Cipriano was sixth with Williams, Todd Owen, Cory DiMatteo, and Tyler Hines making up the top-10.  Reen was applying heavy pressure to Rocco for the lead while Pennink was looking high and low for a way around Christopher.  Pennink’s car dropped off the pace on lap-14 and the caution came out with 14 laps complete as he limped back to pit road.  Pennink would rejoin the race after making the pit stop.

The caution came out on the restart for a spin in turn 1 by David Arute with the car of Vassar put to the rear for contact.  Rocco took the lead on the next restart with Christopher, Jr. pulling alongside and then taking second from Reen.  Christopher, Jr. made a move for the lead in turn 3 on lap-15 and touched tires with Rocco, but everyone was able to keep going with Rocco keeping the lead and Reen getting around Christopher, Jr. for second.  Baral was up to fourth with Williams in fifth.  The order was the same when the caution flew with 26 laps complete for a spin on the backstretch by Owen. 

Rocco took the lead on the restart while Reen got loose in turn 2 which allowed Christopher, Jr. to charge into second.  Kopcik was recovered from his early race flat tire and he took third with Williams fourth and Reen falling back to fifth.  Cipriano was sixth with Michael Gervais, Jr. seventh, Arute eighth, Berndt ninth and Chase Dowling tenth.  The caution came back out with 33 laps complete as Kopcik got into the backstretch wall after something on his car broke and then spun in turn 3 with a flat tire which also collected Arute and Berndt.

The restart saw Christopher, Jr. get a great jump and he surged into the lead, but behind him Robert Palmer almost got into the turn 1 wall which brought the caution out before a melee erupted in turn 3 that involved Baral, Owen, and several other cars.  This put Rocco back out front for the restart with Christopher, Jr. to his outside and Williams and Reen in the second row.

The restart saw another caution come out for a spin on the backstretch by Joey Cipriano that collected Tom Bolles.  Rocco took the lead on the next restart with Williams taking second.  Christopher, Jr. was third with Reen fourth and Gervais in fifth.  The caution came back out with 37 laps complete for a spin in turn 3 by Dowling and Josh Wood.

Rocco took the lead on the restart with Christopher, Jr. taking second.  Williams slotted into third with Reen fourth and Matt Galko fifth.  Rocco held Christopher, Jr. off to the checkered flag to pick up the first SK Modified® feature win of the 2018 season.  Williams finished third with Reen and Galko rounding out the top-5.

Following post race inspection, the cars of Michael Christohper, Jr. and Glen Reen were found to be 11 and 5 pounds underweight respectively and they were each penalized one position per pound underweight, dropping Reen to 9^th  and Christopher, Jr. to 13^th.  The new top-5 is Rocco, Williams, Galko, Gervais, and Tyler Hines.Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release.

SK MODIFIED® (40)

1) Keith Rocco, Berlin

2) Ronnie Williams, Tolland

3) Matt Galko, Meriden

4) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury

5) Tyler Hines, North Haven

6) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa

7) Matt Vassar, Plantsville

8) Doug Meservey, Jr., Chatham, Ma

9) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma

10) Tyler Jones, New Milford

11) Chase Dowling, Roxbury

12) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma

13) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott

14) Joey Cipriano, III, Waterbury

15) Tom Bolles, Ellington

16) Jeff Baral, Southington

17) Todd Owen, Somers

18) Dan Wesson, Monson, Ma

19) Stephen Kopcik, Newtown

20) David Arute, Stafford Springs

21) Eric Berndt, Cromwell

22) Robert Palmer, Lisbon

23) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington

24) Jeff Malave, Manchester

25) Tony Membrino, Jr., Berlin

26) John Catania, Agawam, Ma

27) Troy Talman, Oxford, Ma

Stafford Speedway Sizzler Results Day 1

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Bren, Walker, Grassie, Billings, & Coates Score NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® Saturday Feature Victories At Stafford

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Motor Speedway opened its doors for racing in 2018 with feature events for its Limited Late Model and Street Stock divisions as well as the New England Truck Series and Vintage All-Stars as part of the Saturday NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® Weekend festivities.  Taking down feature wins were Justin Bren in the Limited Late Model feature, Johnny Walker in the Street Stock feature, Chip Grassie and Glen Billings in the Vintage All-Stars feature events, and Allen Coates in the N.E. Truck Series feature.

The 20-lap Limited Late Model feature took the green with Duane Provost powering into the lead with R.J. Surdell right on his bumper in second.  Justin Bren was third and he quickly overtook Surdell to move into second on lap-2.  Ryan Fearn was fourth with Alexandra Fearn in fifth. 

Bren continued his charge to the front by taking the lead from Provost on lap-4.  Surdell followed Bren into second to drop Provost back to third in the running order with Ryan and Alexandra Fearn continuing to make up the top-5.

With 5 laps to go, it was still Bren in command with Surdell and Provost locked in a duel for second behind him.  The two Fearns were still running fourth and fifth.  Bren went unchallenged to pick up a win in his return to Limited Late Model competition after sitting out the 2017 season.  Surdell finished second with Provost, Ryan Fearn, and Alexandra Fearn rounding out the top-5.

The 20-lap Street Stock feature took the green with Michael Hopkins taking the early lead with 2-time defending Street Stock champion Johnny Walker right behind him.  George Bessette, Jr. quickly took third with Vince Gambacorta and Nicole Chambrello making up the top-5.  Paul Boudon, Jr. spun in turn 3 to bring the caution out with 2 laps complete.

Walker stayed even with Hopkins on the restart before falling back into line in second as the two leaders completed the third lap.  Bessette was third with Chambrello fourth and Gambacorta in fifth.  Travis Hydar was sixth with Brandon Michael, Greg DeMone, Meghan Fuller, and Jason Lafayette making up the top-10.  Tess Beyer spun in turns 1+2 to bring the caution back out with 5 laps complete.

Hopkins again took the lead back under green with Walker right behind him.  Bessette, Chambrello, and Gambacorta continued to make up the top-5 with Hydar, Michael, Lafayette, Demone, and Fuller making up the top-10.  The leaders ran in line until lap-13 when Bourdon and Jonathan Zunitch came together in turn 2 and brought the caution out. 

Walker tried a crossover move on Hopkins but Hopkins was able to maintain the lead with Walker in second.  Fuller got into the wall in turn 3 and collected Beyer to bring the caution right back out without completing a lap.

Hopkins took the lead but Walker took the lead from Hopkins in turn 1 on lap-15.  Bessette was able to pull alongside Hopkins for second but he caution came back out for Beyer, who spun in turn 2.

Walker took the lead on the restart with Hopkins pulling alongside Bessette in a fight for second.  Hopkins took the spot on lap-16 with Lafayette fourth and Chambrello fifth.  The cutoin came back out with 16 laps complete for a spin in turn 2 by Fuller and Nick Bendiak.

Walker again took the lead while Bessette got by Hopkins to move into second.  Chambrello was fourth with Gambacorta in fifth.  Bessette was glued to Walker’s back bumper as they took the white flag.  Walker held Bessette off over the final lap to take the first feature win of the 2018 season.  Hopkins finished third with Chambrello and Gambacorta rounding out the top-5.

            In the 15-lap Vintage All-Stars amateur feature, Gregg Massini took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Scott Poirier taking second from Jocelyn Laliberte on lap-2.  Laliberte’s car dropped off the pace on lap-2 and he brought his car to pit road while Poirier took the lead from Massini on lap-3.  Dean Mizzoni took second from Massini on lap-4 with Daryl Dutch fourth.  The caution came out for a spin by Eddie Bohn in turn 1 with 6 laps complete.

  On the restart, Massini and John Furno came together in turn 1 and brought the caution right back out.  The next restart saw Poirier take the lead with Mizzoni right behind him in second.  Dutch made a move to take over second on lap-8 with Seth Crocker up to fourth and Chip Grassie in fifth. 

            Dutch was hounding Poirier for the lead when on lap-12 Mizzoni took second going into turn 3.  Grassie then got around Dutch for third and then Mizzoni for second before the caution came out with laps complete for a spin in turn 3 by Art Merchant.

            The restart saw the top-4 of Poirier, Grassie, Mizzoni, and Dutch two wide like a pace lap with Grassie taking the win by a nose over Poirier.  Dutch edged out Mizzoni for third at the line with Crocker taking fifth.

            In the 15-lap Pro Vintage All-Stars feature, Ryan Preece and Ray Evernham swapped the lead on first lap and they swapped the lead again on lap-2 and lap-3 before the caution came out with 4 laps complete.  Preece fell to the back under the caution, putting Glen Billings and Ray Evernham on the front row.  Evernham took the lead but Billings was able to get back around him on lap-6 to move into the lead.  Jeff Hummel was now up to second with Marty Van Druten in third with Evernham and Preece dueling for fourth.

            Preece drove around Van Druten and Evernham to take third on lap-11 as Gagner continued to lead with Hummel in second.  Evernham and Preece were dueling for third.  Billings led Hummel to the checkered flag with Preece edging out Evernham for third.  Van Druten finished fifth with El Herbert in sixth.

            In the 25-lap N.E. Truck Series feature, Corey Coates took the lead at the green but the caution came out with 1 lap complete for spins in turn 1 by John Zoller and Mike Cavallaro. 

            Corey Coates took the lead on the restart with his father Allen Coates right behind him in second.  Andy Lindeman was third with Gerald Giordano, Jr. fourth and Jim Boyle fifth.  Dave Koenig spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 5 laps complete.

            Corey Coates didn’t come up to speed on the restart allowing Allen Coates to streak into the lead with Lindeman  taking second.  Corey Coates settled into third with Giordano and Boyle making up the top-5.  Allen Coates began to stretch out his lead over Lindeman and Lindeman would lose second to Corey Coates on lap-10.  Giordano took third from Lindeman on lap-11 with Boyle in fifth as Allen Coates was still out front by a comfortable margin. 

            Giordano caught Corey Coates and got around him to move into second on lap-15.  Allen Coates was still out front with Lindeman fourth and Boyle fifth.  Josh Stringer was closing in on the duo of Lindeman and Boyle for fourth and fifth with 7 laps to go.  Stringer got around Boyle for fifth on lap-19 and he was all over the back bumper of Lindeman for fourth place. 

            Allen Coates went unchallenged to the checkered flag to take the win with Giordano, Corey Coates, Stringer, and Boyle rounding out the top-5.

LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)

1) Justin Bren, Palmer, Ma

2) R.J. Surdell, Willington

3) Duane Provost, Palmer, Ma

4) Ryan Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma

5) Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma

6) Matt Clement, Wethersfield

7) Gary Patnode, Barkhamsted

8) Andy Marchese, Tolland

9) Steven Midford, Ellington

10) Steve Martel, Barkhamsted

11) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks

STREET STOCK (20)

1) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma

2) George Bessette, Jr., Danbury

3) Michael Hopkins, Springfield, Ma

4) Nicole Chambrello, Kensington

5) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington

6) Jason Lafayette, Somers

7) Travis Hydar, Woodbury

8) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma

9) Greg Demone, Ludlow, Ma

10) Chris Bagnall, Winsted

11) Chuck Harrison, Woodstock Valley

12) Richard Ciriello, Reading, Ma

13) Meghan Fuller, Auburn, Ma

14) David Macha, Sr., Columbia

15) Chris Danielczuk, Goshen

16) Nick Bendiak, Hopkinton, Ma

17) Jonathan Zunitch, Pittsfield, Ma

18) Tess Beyer, Stratton, Vt

19) Dan Kennedy, Tewksbury, Nj

20) Paul Bourdon, Jr., Jewett City

21) Mark Hopson, Bristol

22) Rob Sears, Stafford Springs

VINTAGE ALL-STARS AMATEUR (15)

1) Chip Grassie

2) Scott Poirier

3) Daryl Dutch

4) Dean Mizzoni

5) Seth Crocker

6) John Furno

7) Eddie Bohn

8) Tom Beauregard

9) Art Merchant

10) Jim Williams

11) Doug Sogolow

12) Scott Dion

13) Jocelyn Laliberte

14) Greg Massini

VINTAGE ALL-STARS PRO (15)

1) Glen Billings

2) Jeff Hummel

3) Ryan Preece

4) Ray Evernham

5) Marty Van Druten

6) El Herbert

N.E. TRUCK SERIES (25)

1) Allen Coates

2) Gerald Giordano, Jr.

3) Josh Stringer

4) Corey Coates

5) Jim Boyle

6) Andy Lindeman

7) Dave Koenig

8) Jim Thompson

9) Tony Naglieri

10) Rick Ashlaw

11) Cassandra Coates

12) John Zoller

13) Mike Cavallaro

Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release

Confident Bobby Santos, III, Prepared for NAPA Spring Sizzler®

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Confident Bobby Santos, III, Prepared for NAPA Spring Sizzler®

(Stafford Springs, CT)---When it comes to Bobby Santos, III and the NAPA Spring Sizzler® at Stafford Motor Speedway, not many drivers can claim a better record.  In only 8 career starts in “The Greatest Race in the History of Spring,” Santos has recorded 3 wins, 4 top-5, and 5 top-10 finishes for an average finish of 10.9.  Santos has also led in four of his eight career Sizzler starts with a total of 488 laps led in those 4 races.  With the NAPA Spring Sizzler® taking the green flag this weekend, Santos is ready to try to add a fourth Sizzler win to his racing resume and tie Mike Stefanik for 2^nd place on the All-Time Sizzler Winners List.

“Another Sizzler win would be pretty cool,” said Santos.  “Winning at Stafford means a lot and the Sizzler is such a big race.  To be in any category alongside Mike would be meaningful.  He’s done a lot in a modified and it would be neat to be tied with him in anything.  The Sizzler is such a tough race to win that just to be in contention will be nice.  I always look forward to Stafford, it’s one of my favorite tracks.  I definitely have some good history at Stafford and I like the 200-lap race.  Our goal is to be able to put ourselves into position to win and it’s been far too long since we won at Stafford, I feel way overdue for a Stafford win.”

If Santos is going to add a fourth Sizzler win to his credit this year, he and the #44 Tinio Corporation team will have to figure out a different race strategy than in years past as teams will only be allowed to change one tire per pit stop.  Santos is relishing the prospect of race strategy playing a large part in who is battling for the win in the closing laps of the NAPA Spring Sizzler® and he likes his chances of being one of the cars in the mix for the win.

“The one tire deal really does change things and puts some strategy into the race,” said Santos.  “I feel like for the last 5 or 7 years the races have become pretty predictable with the fast guys all pitting together and there’s a race off pit road.  I like the multiple pit stops and multiple opportunities to get on to different strategies during the race.  Any time strategy gets involved, it certainly can give someone that maybe doesn’t have the fastest car an opportunity to win the race.  Typically you look at the rules and think about what you want to do but at the end of the day you just have to take the race as it comes with the yellow flags.  I’m confident we’ll be competitive and there’s a lot of good teams and drivers so anything can happen.  If we do a good job, I think we’ll have just as good a shot at winning the race as anyone else.  It’s all thanks to the Tinio Family, Olivas Market, my dad and my family, Danny my car chief, and really all the guys who volunteer their time to help us go racing.”

Santos and the Tinio team are not running the full NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule in 2018, which may come in handy during the race with pit strategy calls.  Santos and his team have the freedom to make whatever calls they want from pit road without worrying about how a call might affect their finishing position.

                                    

“We’ve done a partial schedule last year and this year and in a weird way it seems like there’s less pressure,” said Santos.  “We always come to the track trying to win no matter what but it seems like it’s more relaxed and less tension for us than the guys who are racing for points.  I don’t think it really hurts us.  With our team situation I think that maybe it helps us where we’re not spreading ourselves too thin and we’re better prepared for the races that we go to.  I might not be racing a modified 16 or 17 times a year like some of the other drivers but I’m racing other divisions and I think that driving other cars only helps.”

The 47th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® takes the green flag this weekend, April 27-29.  Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office.  Tickets are priced at $40.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.  Reserved seating is priced at $42.00 for all ages.  As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.  Tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday admission.  All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax.  Discount Tickets are now available at participating NAPA Auto Parts stores.  For a full list of the 72 participating locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, please call the speedway office or point your web browser to www.staffordmotorspeedway.com/participating-napa-auto-parts-stores.

Source: Scott Running Stafford Speedway Press Release