Stafford Speedway’s SK Lights at 200 Races

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

)---This Friday night’s SK Light feature event at Stafford Speedway will be the 200^th SK Light feature event to be run since the division was created in 2006.  From Chris Matthews winning the very first race to newcomer Marcello Rufrano winning the most recent feature event on August 5^th, here are some facts and figures to celebrate the first 199 races of the SK Light Modified division at Stafford.

·         There have been 9 different champions in 10 seasons.  Matt Galko is the only repeat champion (’10 & ’11). 

·         52 different drivers have won a race (One winner every 3.8 feature events)

·         12 current SK Modified® drivers have graduated from SK Lights (D.J. Burnham, Bob Charland, Matt Galko, Michael Gervais, Jr., Payton Henry, Tyler Hines, Stephen Kopcik, Tommy Membrino, Jr., Glen Reen, Nick Salva, Jeremy Sorel, Ronnie Williams)

·         Only 3 drivers have won feature events in both the SK Modified® and SK Light divisions (Williams, Richie Pallai, Jr., Chase Dowling)

·         Both Joe Allegro, Jr. (2008) and Gervais (2009) have won SK Light championships without winning a feature that season

·         Chris Matthews won the very first SK Light feature on April 30, 2006

·         Matthews is all-time winningest driver with 17 SK Light wins

·         Joey Ferrigno and Tony Membrino, Jr. are tied for the active lead in SK Light wins with 13 each

·         Aside from Chris Matthews winning the very first SK Light feature, Chase Dowling and Marcello Rufrano are the only 2 drivers to win their SK Light debuts

·         Shelly Perry and Heather DesRochers are the only female drivers to win an SK Light feature at Stafford

·         Shelly Perry was the first SK Light champion and she remains the only female driver in Stafford history to win a track championship

·         Fred Nees, Jr. is the only driver from the first season of SK Light competition who is still racing in the division

·         Tommy Barrett, Jr. holds the record for most SK Light wins in a season with 10 wins in 2010

·         Gervais (2009) and Sorel (2014) are the only drivers to win the SKL Championship and Rookie of the Year in the same season

·         The inaugural season is still closest title race in SK Light history with Shelly Perry winning the championship by 2 points over Richie Pallai, Jr.

·         Jay Goff is the all-time leader in SKL starts with 154

·         10 drivers have made starts in both the SK Light and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour divisions: Tommy Barrett, Jr., Chase Dowling, Glenn Griswold, Bo Gunning, Richie Pallai, Jr., Glen Reen, Nick Salva, Matt Swanson, Troy Talman, and Ronnie Williams.

As the SK Light division heads into the final 6 races of the 2016 season, Tony Membrino, Jr. and Joey Ferrigno are tied for the division point lead with Membrino holding the tiebreaker by virtue of having 5 wins to Ferrigno’s 1 win this season. 

For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.