A Twin Billing
on the Final
Friday Night
September 30,
Bolton, CT---
Friday night was
the final Friday
night event on
Stafford's
schedule. Five
divisions equal
one heck of a
night, and there
was a little bit
of business that
had to be taken
care of before
things really
got going. Last
week's
controversy
between Ted
Christopher and
Keith Rocco
earned the two
SK Modified
drivers
suspensions for
the week. While
they weren't
there, the cars
that they each
drive at the
half-mile were.
Filling in for
them were their
twin brothers.
It was Mike
Christopher in
Ted's #13 and
Jeff Rocco in
Keith's #88 for
the evening.
How'd they fare?
I'll save that
for the recap of
September 25.
Action for the
evening kicked
off with the
DARE Stocks. It
started off in
style, as Duane
Provost claimed
the lead,as
Andrew Hayes and
Victoria
Bergenty followed
behind him.
Lap-3 featured
two cars
spinning in the
turn two area of
the race track,
but when they
managed to get
going again, the
green remained
out. Meanwhile,
Provost's lead
started to
shrink as
Bergenty moved
into second
around Hayes and
looked for the
lead. It was a
successful lead
change on lap-6
when Bergenty
managed to take
the lead from
Provost. On the
very next lap,
Nicholas Salva
spun while going
into turn two
and didn't get
back into motion
before it was
too late --
CAUTION. When
the green came
back out for the
restart, it was
Bergenty still
with the lead.
Don Wood was now
on the move,
making his way
up to second
from fourth not
long after the
restart and was
now trying to
find a way
around Bergenty
for the lead.
Before Wood had
an opportunity
to pass, there
was a one-car
spin in turns
three and four
(lap-13) --
CAUTION. The
restart was
where business
officially
picked up.
Bergenty got a
bit loose when
the green
returned, and
that gave Wood
the opportunity
to drop to the
outside and take
over the lead.
Bill Dunn also
passed Bergenty,
and began to run
down Wood, who
was securely in
the lead. It
wasn't enough,
however, as Wood
picked up his
second win of
the year as Dunn
unofficially
finished second.
Bergenty and
Hayes rounded
out the
top-four. After
the race, it was
found that
Dunn's issued
AVM plate was
missing and
there was some
sort of illegal
modification to
the AVM plate
that was on the
car. Because of
this, he was
disqualified
from the feature
and indefinitely
suspended.
The modified
portion the
program began
with the SK
Lights. Shawn
Brule started it
off by having
the lead in the
course of the
first few laps.
Ted Cain and
Harry Wheeler
sat in second
and third
respectively. On
lap-6, the
running order at
the front of the
field started to
change hands.
David Webb, who
was running
fourth, passed
Wheeler for
third. Wheeler
ended up falling
backwards
through the
field. After
about three cars
passed Wheeler,
the running
order was
seemingly frozen
for a while. On
lap-16, Tommy
Membrino spun on
the
frontstretch; no
harm, no damage,
but he couldn't
get the car
going again in
time -- CAUTION.
This set up a
restart that
Brule won. Cain
was still in
second, but
third was now in
possession of
Brit Andersen.
It took Andersen
three laps to
manage to get
around Cain for
second. Only
problem was that
he had tapped
Cain's back
bumper and sent
Cain into the
turn three wall
-- CAUTION. The
black flag came
out for
Andersen,
meaning he was
to park it for
the rest of the
event. Brule was
now coming up to
take the restart
with Webb next
to him. As the
greens came back
out, it was Webb
who moved out in
front and
claimed the
lead. If Brule
was going to go
down, he was
going to go down
trying. And try
he did. It
wasn't quite
enough, however,
and it was Webb
to win his
second race of
the season.
Brule finished
second, with Jay
Goff in third
and John
Montesanto in
fourth. With a
fifth place
finish, Michael
Gervais, Jr not
only won the
Rookie of the
Year title in
the SK Lights,
but also won his
first
championship in
the division.
The SK Modifieds
were the
division that
ended up running
smack-dab in the
middle of the
program that
night. It began
with Wade
Mattesen as the
leader, but
quickly slowed
down after one
lap as Nicole
Morgillo hit the
wall in turn two
on lap-2 --
CAUTION. Upon
resuming the
race, Doug Coby
managed to pass
Mattesen for the
lead, becoming
the race's
second leader. A
multi-car spin
(in turn two)
one lap later
slowed the field
down again --
CAUTION. The
restarts that
followed didn't
change much.
Coby still
maintained the
lead with
Mattesen in
second. On
lap-6, Mike
Christopher
harmlessly spun
in turn three --
CAUTION. Again,
nothing changed
on the restart.
It was still
Coby out in
front, and
remained so
until lap-12,
when both
Christopher and
Jeff Rocco spun
in turns three
and four --
CAUTION. On the
restart, it was
back to Coby as
the leader, but
a new
second-place
driver emerged
in Richie Pallai,
Jr. Pallai was
itching to take
the lead, but
the two of them
plus the rest of
the top-five ran
single file
until lap-20
when Frank
Ruocco spun in
turn two --
CAUTION. When
the race went
back to green,
it was Coby out
in front again,
with Pallai
still in second.
Pallai's good
run came to an
end on lap-23,
when Woody
Pitkat got
together with
him and spun
coming out of
turn two
(another car was
also involved)
-- CAUTION. Todd
Owen had now
moved up to
second, and a
duel for the
lead with Coby
erupted on the
restart. The two
battled for a
little bit under
the green, with
Owen passing
Coby for the
lead on lap-25.
Two laps later,
on lap-27, Rob
Summers and two
other drivers
spun in turns
three and four
-- CAUTION. The
race resumed
with Owen and
Coby in yet
another duel for
the lead. The
two drivers ran
side by side for
what seemed like
the longest
time. In all
reality, they
had been
battling for the
lead for ten
solid laps.
Lap-37 slowed
the field down
yet again when
Pallai spun
around exiting
turn two --
CAUTION. Coby
regained the
lead on the
restart and Owen
was once again
on his back
bumper, not
willing to back
down without a
fight. But it
was Coby who had
enough momentum
to get him to
the finish line
first, picking
up his first win
of the season.
Owen had to
settle for
second. Joe
Allegro, Jr and
Jeff Malave
finished third
and fourth. As
for the points
championship
battle? Even
though he didn't
race in the
night's events
due to the
aforementioned
suspension, Ted
Christopher
still managed to
win his seventh
track
championship in
the division.
The "quickest
feature of the
night" award
should go to the
Limited Late
Models. Bill
Davis started
out on the pole,
and when the
green came out
to start the
race, he pulled
out into the
lead. Dave
Yardley, III sat
in second, right
behind him. The
two of them and
the rest of the
top-five drivers
fell into a
single line and
paraded around
the track. On
lap-7, Carla
Botticello, who
was running
fourth, passed
Michael Wray
(then third).
The next lap saw
Kevin Gambacorta
move into the
top-five as he
passed George
Nocera, Jr. Then
Gambacorta
quickly got by
Wray for fourth.
The top-four
continued to run
single file.
This was how
they ran for
pretty much the
entire race
(yes, single
file), and the
race ran
caution-free as
Davis picked up
his first win of
the season. The
rest of the
board was
Yardley,
Botticello, and
Gambacorta.
It was time for
the final
feature of the
night. The Late
Model feature
was also the
craziest race of
the night, and
in more ways
than one. Where
to begin? How
about at the
start of this
one, where it
was Doug Blowers
with an early
lead. It was a
short lead;
particularly
one-lap long. On
the very next
lap, he seemed
to spin around
the exit of turn
two, collecting
others as the
field seemingly
started to stack
up behind him --
CAUTION. Drivers
involved in this
accident
included both
Dillon Moltz and
Ryan Posocco,
who (may or may
not have) ended
up stuffed under
the back bumper
of the other.
Both of them
started in the
back of the
field when
the green came
back out. The
new leader of
the race was Joe
Rzeszutek, with
Adam Gray
following him in
second. The two
of them ran in
that order until
lap-5, when Tom
Butler and
another driver
spun going into
turn three --
CAUTION. This
set the field up
for a restart,
with Gray
winning the
battle when the
green came back
out. Rzeszutek
was not going to
back down so
easily, and on
lap-15, he
powered past
Gray to retake
the lead. Gray's
car started to
head into the
point of no
return, and he
fell back
numerous spots.
He'd eventually
end his race by
pulling behind
the wall.
Meanwhile, the
battle at the
front of the
pack was just
beginning. There
was debris found
in turn four on
lap-20 --
CAUTION. The
restart was the
next time a lead
change took
place. This
time, it was Jim
Peterson getting
by Rzeszutek on
the restart, and
he began to pull
away. It wasn't
until five laps
later
(lap-25), when
the next yellow
came out for
Blowers, who
spun again; this
time, in the
grass on the
frontstretch --
CAUTION.
Peterson got the
lead again on
the restart, but
this only lasted
another full
lap. On lap-26,
things got scary
quick. Rzeszutek,
Ed Charette, and
another car
ended up
crashing on the
frontstretch,
with Charette
riding the
concrete barrier
on the outside
for a little bit
on two tires --
CAUTION. The car
managed to land
on its tires,
but the red flag
was quickly
brought out
because the
second ambulance
came out onto
the track and
there was just a
little too much
debris to clear
up. Thankfully,
Charette got out
of the car under
his own power.
The yellow
replaced the
red, and the
green replaced
the yellow not
too long
afterward.
Peterson still
had the lead,
now followed by
Moltz, Butler,
and Posocco...
Three drivers
involved in
early-race
incidents. This
was the running
order for two
laps, as debris
was spotted on
the frontstretch
on lap-28 --
CAUTION. And on
the next
restart? Oh, the
next lap ticked
off smoothly. It
was what
happened after
that that
didn't. Dave
Wray and John
Kasper got
tangled together
and came to a
rest in the
grass in turn
three --
CAUTION. They
were literally
tangled
together. It
took the track
safety team a
bit of time to
untangle the
mess. When they
were untangled,
it signaled the
start of a
green-white-checkered
finish. It was a
great finish. On
the restart, Tom
Fearn found his
way through the
traffic in front
of him and
managed to get
around Peterson
before they got
to the
backstretch.
Posocco also
managed to get
by Peterson as
well, but
Posocco couldn't
catch Fearn as
he went
on to claim his
second win of
the season.
Posocco finished
second, with
Peterson in
third and Butler
in fourth.
And that's the
way it was. Next
up on the
schedule is the
last racing
event on the
schedule, and
that's the Fall
Final. You will
have a large
crowd that's
going to be in
attendance for
that: Stafford's
five weekly
divisions, the
Whelen Modified
Tour as they run
a 150-lap
feature, and the
Mini Stock
invitational
event, which
brings in cars
and drivers from
all over New
England. It
should be a wild
weekend. On the
schedule for the
weekend: Open
practice on
Friday,
qualifying for
everyone and
features for
some on
Saturday, and
the weekend ends
with more
features. Should
be fun. I hope
you stick around
and attend. This
is all subject
to pending
weather.
racing coverage, is updated daily.