Brett Gonyaw,takes the checkered flag and a pay check of over $2,700 in the 40-lap SK Light feature

Posted By Wayne G. Barber

First Brett Gonyaw spanked the field at the April 2017 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Ice Breaker and then followed up with a 10 place Military Night race finish. Now his biggest payday in the SK Lite Division to date.

In the 40-lap SK Light feature event, Keith Caruso took the lead at the green on the outside of Noah Korner.  Korner was side by side with Todd Douillard for second with Glenn Korner side by side with Jay Goff for fourth behind them.  Goff got clear into fourth on lap-4 as Noah Korner and Douillard were still side by side for second.  The caution came out with 5 laps complete for a multi car wreck coming out of turn 2 involving Tony Santangelo, Marcello Rufrano, Wesley Prucker, and several others.

Caruso powered into the lead on the restart with Noah Korner all over his back bumper.  Goff slotted into third with Glenn Korner fourth and Douillard in fifth.  Dan Wesson got around Douillard to move into fifth on lap-7 and up front, Noah Korner made a move to the inside of Caruso to take the lead by a nose at the line.  Another multicar accident in turn 3 involving Rufrano, Glenn Griswold, Joe Graf, Jr., and Chris Matthews brought the caution back out with 10 laps complete.

Noah Korner used the outside groove to his advantage as he got a good run through turns 3+4 after the restart to power his way past Caruso to take over the race lead.  Goff was third with Wesson right behind him in fourth and Glenn Korner was fifth.  Wesson took third from Goff and he began to close in on Caruso in second as Noah Korner had pulled away to a several car length lead.  Chris Viens and Joey Ferrigno spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 18 laps complete.

Caruso took the lead  from Noah Korner on the restart with Wesson and Goff side by side for third.  Glenn Korner was fifth with David Arute and George Nocera, Jr. side by side for sixth.  Noah Korner retook the lead on lap-21 and Wesson moved into second.  Noah Korner got loose in turn 4 and overcorrected his car and took a hard hit into the turn 4 wall to bring the yellow and red flags out.  Korner was able to climb out of his car and walk to the ambulance.  Wesson was sent to the rear of the field under the caution for over aggressive driving.

Caruso took the lead on the restart with Glenn Korner in second.  Goff was third with Arute and Nocera side by side for fourth.  Nocera got clear into fourth and Arute took slotted into fifth on lap-24.  Glenn Korner pulled alongside Caruso for the lead on lap-28 while Nocera moved into third with Arute and Goff now side by side for fourth.  Korner and Caruso were still side by side for the lead with the two drivers trading the lead at the line by a nose.  Korner led lap 30 and lap 31 but on lap-32 Nocera made a power move and was able to get alongside Korner for the lead.  As the leaders hit turns 1+2 on lap-33, Arute and Glenn Korner touched wheels with Arute taking a hit into the turn 2 wall to bring the caution out.   Chris Matthews also got into the turn 2 wall.

Nocera took the lead on the restart with Cory DiMatteo taking second.  Caruso was third with Brett Gonyaw in fourth and Douillard was fifth with Goff right behind him in sixth.  DiMatteo made a move for the lead on lap-33 and when he made his move, Nocera made contact with DiMatteo and Nocera spun along with Douillard getting into the wall and Caruso’s great run came to an end as he came to a stop in turn 4 to bring the caution out.  This put Brett Gonyaw into the lead with Goff second, Bob Charland third, Prucker fourth, Glenn Griswold fifth, and Geoff Nooney in sixth for the restart.

Gonyaw took the lead with Charland pulling alongside Goff for second.  Griswold and Prucker were side by side for fourth behind Charland and Goff as Gonyaw began to stretch out his lead ever so slightly.  Charland got clear into second on lap-36 and now Griswold and Goff were side by side for third. 

Charland was hounding Gonyaw for the lead but Gonyaw was able to fend off his challenges and he took the checkered flag for the first win of his career at Stafford.  Griswold finished third with Goff and Rick Williams rounding out the top-5.

SK LIGHT MODIFIED (40)

1) Brett Gonyaw, Vernon

2) Bob Charland, Stafford

3) Glenn Griswold, Vernon

4) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs

5) Rick Williams, East Hampton

6) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven

7) Glenn Korner, Canton

8) Geoff Nooney, Southwick, Ma

9) Wesley Prucker, Stafford

10) Chris Correll, Old Lyme

11) Ted Cain, Plymouth

12) Rit Dulac, Plantsville

13) Marc Burke, Tolland

14) Mark Alkas, Berlin

15) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville

16) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington

17) Keith Caruso, Millbury, Ma

18) Todd Douillard, Palmer, Ma

19) Dan Wesson, Monson, Ma

20) Chris Viens, Putnam

21) David Arute, Tolland

22) Chris Matthews, Stafford

23) Joe Graf, Jr., Mahwah, Nj

24) Noah Korner, Canton

25) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford

26) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield

27) Glenn Bartkowski, Manchester