Saturday, July 30, 2016

Avery, Fearn, Wesson, Saunders, Fearn, Hodgdon, Perry & Chapman Score July 29th Mid-Season Stretch Feature Wins at Stafford Speedway

Posted by
Wayne G. Barber

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with the Mid-Season Stretch program on Friday, July 29th that saw each NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division race an extra two laps in distance.  Joining Stafford’s five NWAAS divisions in action were the Legend Cars as well the Junior Outlaws and Senior Champs from the Monday Night Wild Thing Kart Series.  Taking down feature wins on the night were Dan Avery in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Tom Fearn in the Late Model feature, Daniel Wesson in the SK Light feature, Al Saunders in the Ltd. Late Model division, Alexandra Fearn in the DARE Stock division, Teddy Hodgdon in the Legend Cars division, Mike Perry in the Senior Champs division, and Tyler Chapman in the Junior Outlaw division.
In the 42-lap SK Modified® feature event, Dan Avery took the lead at the drop of the green with Michael Gervais, Jr. moving into second after nearly taking the lead from Avery.  Keith Rocco was third with Matt Galko moving into fourth and Tyler Hines rounded out the top-5. 
Rocco quickly took second from Gervais on lap-4 and he began to set his sights on Avery for the lead.  Galko and Hines both got by Gervais on lap-8 to drop Gervais back to fifth as Rocco was looking high and low for a way to get around Avery for the lead.
Ronnie Williams was on the charge as he got by Gervais for fifth and then took fourth from Hines on lap-10.  Williams continued his charge as he took third from Galko on lap-12 as the caution came out with 12 laps complete for a spin on the backstretch by Tommy Membrino, Jr.
The field completed one lap back under green before the caution came right back out for a spin by Matt Gallo in turn 4 that collected the car of Josh Wood.
Rocco made a bid for the lead on the restart but Avery was able to hold off his challenge and remain as the race leader.  Williams was up to third with Galko fourth and Hines in fifth.  Hines touched wheels with Todd Owen which got Hines sideways and he nearly spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 16 laps complete.
Avery took the lead on the restart with Rocco and Williams behind him.  Williams went side by side with Rocco with Ted Christopher moving up to fourth before the caution came out with 19 laps complete for a spin in the middle of turns 3+4 by Ed Spiers.
Avery and Rocco resumed their side by side duel for the lead on the restart with Avery getting clear to the lead after 2 laps.  Williams was able to get by Rocco and take over second while Christopher and Galko were fighting for fourth behind Rocco.  Christopher got clear of Galko on lap-23 and Rowan Pennink was up to sixth behind Galko after starting deep in the field.  The caution came back out with 26 laps complete for Hines, who spun in the middle of turns 3+4.
Avery took the lead back under green with Rocco and Williams going side by side for second.  Rocco took the spot on lap-28 and Christopher was able to follow him by Williams, who fell back into a side by side fight with Pennink for fourth.  Pennink would take that spot to drop Williams back to fifth after he was just challenging for the lead before the caution.  Spiers spun in turn 1 to bring the caution out with 32 laps complete.
Avery took the lead on the restart with Rocco behind him in second.  Christopher was third but he got sideways in turn 2 on lap-34 and lost 10 spots to fall back to 13th while Pennink moved into third, Williams moved up to fourth, and Woody Pitkat was now up to fifth.  Tom Bolles brought the caution out with 38 laps complete as his car was off the pace and it came to a stop before he could get it behind the pit wall.
Avery and Rocco ran nearly a full lap side by side before Avery got clear into the lead.  Pennink got by Rocco to move into second with two laps to go. Pitkat was fourth behind Rocco with Williams in fifth.  Pennink made a strong move to the inside of Avery as they were coming to the checkered flag but he couldn’t make it stick as Avery took the checkered flag for his first win since the 2013 season.  Rocco finished third with Pitkat and Williams rounding out the top-5.
At sixty-one, Avery becomes the oldest driver to win a SK Modified feature at Stafford Springs. Dan Avery repelled off all challengers in rolling to victory in the 42-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
In the 32-lap Late Model feature event, Tyler Leary led the first lap but a determined Tom Fearn moved to the lead on lap-2.  Fearn’s move opened the door for Josh Wood, Rich Hammann, Kevin Gambacorta, and Michael Wray to all get past as Leary fell back to sixth.  Joel Monahan then got by Leary to drop him back to seventh before the caution came out with 4 laps complete as Andy Marchese and P.J. Zarrella spun in turn 1.
Fearn and Wood resumed their duel for the lead on the restart with Wray making a power move to take over third with Gambacorta fourth and Hammann back to fifth.  Marchese spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 10 laps complete with Fearn still holding the lead over Wood, Wray, Gambacorta, and Hammann.
Fearn took the lead on the restart with Wray sliding his way past Wood to move into second.  Gambacorta was fourth with Tom Butler moving up to fifth.  Fearn was beginning to stretch out his lead over Wray and Wood as the race hit the halfway point. 
Gambacorta made a move to the inside of Wood in turns 1+2 to move up to third as Fearn continued to hold the lead with Wray in second.  Fearn led Wray to the checkered flag to pick up his fourth win of the 2016 season.  Gambacorta finished third with Wood and Butler rounding out the top-5.
1                Tom Fearn
In the 22-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Wesley Prucker took the early lead with Jay Goff in second.  Al Wisialko spun in the middle of turns 3+4 and collected the car of Rit Dulac to bring the caution out with 2 laps complete.
Prucker took the lead back under green with Goff right on his bumper in second.  Tony Membrino, Jr. got around David Arute for third before Joe Graf, Jr. spun in the middle of turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete.
Prucker again took the lead with Membrino moving up to second.  Goff settled into line in third with Daniel Wesson moving up to fourth and and Joey Ferrigno moved into fifth as Arute dropped back to sixth.  Vinny Anglace spun in turn 2 on lap-8 but he was able to get his car going and the race stayed under green flag conditions with Membrino now in front of Prucker and Wesson with Goff and Ferrigno making up the top-5.
Wesson got around Prucker and was now hounding Membrino for the race lead as they hit the halfway point of the feature.  Prucker was now third all by himself with Goff, Ferrigno, and Arute in a 3-car train behind him.  Wesson made a move to the inside of Membrino on lap-19 and he took the lead on lap-20 but just as he took the lead, the caution came out for Carlos Gray, who spun in turn 4.  The caution put Membrino back out front for the restart.
Membrino held Wesson off for a lap on the restart but Wesson made his move on lap-21 to get buy Membrion and take over the lead.  Wesson led Membrino to the stripe to pick up his third win of the 2016 season with Ferrigno, Prucker, and Goff rounding out the top-5.

In the 22-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Doug Phelps spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out before a lap could be completed.
R.J. Surdell powered into the lead on the restart with Frank L’Etoile, Jr. and Jeremy Lavoie side by side for second.  L’Etoile took that spot on lap-2 and brought Albert and Cliff Saunders with him as Lavoie dropped back to fifth.  Lavoie then continued to slide backwards as Duane Provost and Paul Arute were able to get by before Lavoie was able to get settled into line in seventh place.
Saunders ran Surdell down but Surdell was still the leader at the line on lap-7.  Albert Saunders took the lead on lap-8 and Cliff Saunders tried to get by Surdell to move into second on lap-9 but Surdell was able to hold him off.  Provost was now fourth with Arute in fifth.  Surdell spun in the middle of turns 3+4 after contact with Cliff Saunders and the field piled up behind him with L’Etoile’s car ending up on its side to bring the red and yellow flags out.  Saunders was sent to the rear of the field for the restart for the contact with Surdell.
Al Saunders took the lead back under green with Arute right on his bumper in second.  Lavoie was third with Justin Bren leading Cliff Saunders, David Tefft, and Surdell. 
Arute closed up to Al Saunders’ bumper but he was unable to make a pass as Saunders took down his second win of the 2016 season.  Lavoie finished third with Cliff Saunders and Surdell rounding out the top-5.

In the 17-lap DARE Stock feature event, Marcello Rufrano streaked into the lead at the drop of the green with Ryan Fearn and Johnny Walker lined up behind him.  Alexandra Fearn was fourth and Trace Beyer was fifth in the early going behind the three leaders.  Rufrano spun in turns 3+4 to bring the caution out with 8 laps complete.
On the restart, Alexandra Fearn shot into the lead with Walker in second.  Ryan Fearn got out of shape and fell to the rear before bringing his car to pit road.  This moved Brandon Michael into third with Zack Robinson fourth and Beyer in fifth.  Rufrano spun in the middle of turns 3+4 again to bring the caution back out with 12 laps complete.
Alexandra Fearn took the lead back under green with Robinson moving into second when Walker got out of shape.  Tyler Trott spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 15 laps complete and set up a green white checkered finish.
Alexandra Fearn took the lead with Robinson and Walker dueling for second.  Walker took the spot from Robinson coming to the white flag as Robinson slipped coming out of the corner and that was all Fearn needed as she took down her second feature win of the 2016 season.  Walker finished second with Michael, Beyer, and Robinson rounding out the top-5.

In the 20-lap Legend Cars feature, Teddy Hodgdon and Ryan DeCandia went wide into turn 1 allowing Noah Korner to make a 3-wide move for the lead but behind them Andrew Quealy and Steven Chapman got hooked together and spun in turn 1 to bring the caution out.
Hodgdon took the lead on the restart with Noah Korner moving into second.  Chapman was third with Glenn Korner and DeCandia dueling for fourth.  DeCandia and Glenn Korner got together and spun to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete.
Hodgdon resumed the lead on the restart with Noah and Glenn Korner behind him.  Glenn Korner spun to bring the caution out with 5 laps complete.
The race went back to green with Hodgdon in front of Noah Korner, Chapman, Glenn Korner, and Quealy.  The top-5 ran unchanged to the checkered flag as Hodgon was able to hold off Noah Korner for his second consecutive win.

In the 25-lap Senior Champs Wild Thing Karts feature, the caution came out before a lap could be completed for a multi kart wreck in turn 4.
Back under green, Chris Daley led early on before Brandon Rusczek moved to the front.  Rusczek, Mike Perry, Tim Sullivan, and Brandon Tiezi were all swapping the lead back and forth with Perry looking to have taken control during the second half o of the race.  Ron Midford, Jr. spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 21 laps complete and set up a 4-lap sprint to the finish.
Perry took the lead on the restat with Meisenhelder in second for a brief minute before Rusczek took second.  Perry led Rusczek to the checkered flag to pick up the win.  Daley finished third with Tiezi and Sullivan rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Junior Outlaws Wild Thing Karts feature, Jake Hines took the lead with a power move around the outside of Brody O’Sullivan on the opening lap.  The caution came out with 2 laps complete as several karts spun in turn 4.
Tyler Palmer took the lead from Hines on the restart with Tyler Chapman, O’Sullivan, and Hines behind him.  Palmer and Chapman were pulling away from Lucas Leone in third place and Chapman took the lead from Palmer on lap-13 but Palmer came right back and retook the lead on lap-14. 
Chapman took the lead on lap-15 from Palmer and this time he was able to stay out front as Palmer settled into line in second.  A caution came out with 17 laps complete as Hines’ kart spun in turn 2.
Chapman took the lead with Leone and Palmer side by side for second.  Steven Chapman was up to fourth but he surrendered that spot to Greg Estell.  Tyler Chapman led Palmer to the checkered flag to pick up the win.  Steven Chapman was third with Brody O’Sullivan and Colin Dandy rounding out the top-5.
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
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