2008 Spring Sizzler...

Day One. Yes, I'm deciding to play the "two entries in three days" card here as I do all of Saturday's stuff in one entry and then Sunday's stuff in another. At least I've got my priorities in one bunch here. But at least I know I'm not going to be sitting here for five hours, plugging away at a large entry. So we'll take it one step at a time.

And speaking of taking it a step at a time, let's start with the first step of Saturday afternoon: Time trials for the Whelen Modified Tour's 200-lapper on Sunday. A solid group of 35 cars lined up to present two laps each... Well, almost all of them, and some not so fortunate than others. There was the spin before Jimmy Blewett took the green flag for his two, and when he turned around, went to the start of the backstretch and tried to get as much momentum to (supposedly) take his two laps, NASCAR didn't like that and didn't accept either time. He was allowed to redo his trial, but he was only allowed to do one lap. That lap was the fourth fastest out of all drivers.

But the driver at the head of the board was 17-year-old Ryan Preece, with a time of 18.057 (or 99.684 miles an hour). That time earned him the Coors Light pole award for the Spring Sizzler. He was also the youngest driver in the history of the Modified Tour to set fast time.

Also to make note: All 35 cars were able to start in Sunday's event because track management was just so darn nice.

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Okay, so now that we got that out of the way, it was time for the Stafford weekly divisions to get their qualifying on. The order of qualifying was something like this: SK Lights, SK Modifieds, Limited Late Models, DARE Stocks, and Late Models. (I might have screwed it up somewhere down the line. Apologies.) But for the record, with the occasional close encounter of the caution kind, things went pretty smoothly.

And then we get to features. There were only three full-length features and one last chance qualifier that was actually considered a last chance qualifier (the Late Model 16 and no SK 21?), and the reasoning behind that was anyone's guess. So that allowed me to stay in the paddock area for a little while longer as the SKs were finishing up their 10-lap consolation event. After that ended, I paraded to the usual seat in the general grandstands to watch the features.

Saturday's opening feature happened to be the SK Lights. And what do you know? On the first lap, in turn one, there was a caution. It was for the cars of Michael Lane and Harry Wheeler. Lane's car needed the wrecker, so his afternoon was done before the first lap was officially counted. By this time of day, I felt extremely thirsty and needed a cool beverage. On my way to a booth, I caught myself in numerous places for the next three yellows. I wound up with different angles of CJ Lacativa's spin in the frontstretch grass on lap-2; Chris Bakaj spinning in turn two on lap-7 (and I believe it was a two-car incident but am not fully sure); and finally Wheeler's second incident on lap-10 as he spun once again in turn four. I finally got back to my usual seat to check out a wild finish, but not before a caution on lap-15 involving Neil Provost, Jr spinning in turns three and four. This is where the action heats up. Chris Matthews held onto the lead until the green came out and George Nocera powered past him (taking Mark Bakaj along with him). Unfortunately, this lead would only last a whole two laps as the caution came back out on lap-17 when Aaron Goff spun in turns three and four, setting up the field for the final laps. With two laps to go, Matthews retook the lead and that would practically be the end of it as he took down his first win of the season. Alan Provost would finish second, soon followed by Nocera and Raymond Grassetti.

Next up on the itinerary was some full-bodied action with the Limited Late Models. And I'm sorry for any early spoilerage, but this was a start-to-finish win in progress. Bill Davis gained early possession of the lead at the start of the race, and it seemed as though nothing could stop him -- including when the field was frozen on lap-11 after Darrin Havanec spun on the frontstretch to bring out the first caution of the event. Davis regained the lead on the restart, but only for four laps as the second yellow of the feature came out for a four-car accident in turns three and four (drivers involved: Jeff Hubbell, Lauren Cooper, Kevin Gambacorta, and Robert Dow). Again, Davis took the lead when the green came back out, and he would still have it on lap-17 when the caution once again revealed itself after Carla Botticello spun in turn four. Davis regained the lead, but it would start to get harder to keep as Sean Foster was breathing down his neck. The pressure would build up as a lap-19 caution would tighten the field back up one last time (the caution was for Botticello, Gambacorta, and Ed Charette, Jr who were involved in an accident/spin in turns one and two). Foster would challenge Davis for the lead by racing side-by-side with him, but it was too late. Davis would come to the finish first, picking up his first win of the season. After him was Foster, Joey Ferrigno, and Andrew Durand.

The cleanest "feature" of the afternoon happened to be the DARE Stock feature. Jeff Jolly was the first leader of the event and held onto the lead up until a lap-7 caution involving John Kasper, Todd LaPorta, and a third car that I might have misidentified in my notes. Either way, all three of them were involved in a spin/accident in turns three and four, and that obviously brought out the yellow. On the restart, it looked like Jolly had the advantage, but Norm Sears was coming up fast. At lap-8, he managed to get around Jolly, and it would ultimately be the pass for the win. Sears cruised to his first win of the season, followed by Jolly, Scott Roy, and Tom Stirk. After the race, the technical inspection experts revealed the car of Scott Roy to exceed the maximum compression ratio of 11:1, which meant that he was disqualified from the finishing order.

Saturday's final action on the race track occured when the Late Models had their 16-lap last chance qualifier. No cars were harmed in the making of this race (torn apart, I mean), and only one car lead laps. That car would be driven by Scott Foster, who would score one of the final spots in the feature on Sunday. The rest of the board looked as follows: Don Acker, Jr, Jim Mavlouganes, and Tom Fearn.

And that would be it for Saturday. Tomorrow, I finish up the action of the Sizzler by giving you reviews of the SK Modifieds and Late Models, along with a little thing about the Whelen Modified Tour race. Until tomorrow, you know what to do. Stay safe. (And dry.)

The Last of the...

Mohecans? No. Unless I was reading that book right now, of course.

I'm talking about the last of the season previews. As you may have already read up on, I kind of figured that the DARE Stocks were getting one of those preview things. And what do you know? I come to the track's site to see that it was done. The DARE Stock season preview is up, meaning we should be all set to roll off and take the proverbial green flag.

The countdown stands at 12 days (and lots of change) and counting. The wait is almost over.

Season Preview for the Limiteds; Other Pre-Sizzler News

Three previews down; two to go. This week, the Limited Late Models get their turn in the limelight as their season preview is released. Go check that out.

And in other news, the first of two swap meets will be held at the track this Sunday. The Sizzler is definitely not that far behind. Only two more weeks as of this upcoming Sunday. The waiting period is almost over. And so is the season of shorter entries.

I'll be back next week with the preview for the DARE Stocks as it gets down to crunch time.

SK Light Season Preview

I kind of figured that someone was getting a season preview in the near future. This week, it's the SK Lights who are in the limelight. When you have a free minute, check it out.

Only a little less than a month left before the Sizzler's here...

Sizzler '08 News

With a little less than 28 days to go until the Spring Sizzler, Stafford Speedway announced a few things in regards to the greatest race in the history of spring. First off, there's an open practice scheduled for the 19th of April. All divisions racing at Stafford this year are eligible to attend the practice except for the Whelen Modified Tour. (It's the week before the Sizzler, and the Tour doesn't allow drivers to practice at the upcoming track in the week leading up to the event.)

Secondly, the first two of many entries have been filed for the Whelen Modified Tour event as part of Sizzler weekend. You can expect to see this list updated multiple times in the next month. But yes... As of yesterday, two entries have been recieved.

So that's it for now. More news to come when I find it. Until then... *waves and exits*

Late Model Season Preview

I know, I know. This isn't "today" as I put it in the last entry. But I might as well come back to at least acknowledge the fact that I have tried not to slack off this offseason like I did last offseason.

Anyway, to the news. The title bascially says it all. About a week removed from the release of the SK Modified season preview, Stafford released the Late Model season preview today. Not a whole heck of a lot has to be said here. Straightforward and to the point (which is basically the same thing said twice).

I'm sure the track'll release previews for the other three divisions. Stay tuned for those if they do wind up coming out. If not, more news to come within the next 31 days. (One month removed from the Spring Sizzler. Can't wait.)

To Get You in the Mood...

I'm getting ready to head out the door, but before I go, I wanted to get you the link to the SK Modified season preview. If last season was any indication for what's coming up this season, I know I wouldn't want to miss anything.

Just think... Only 33 days and change before the Spring Sizzler gets here! (And only a week until the start of April. Where has the winter gone?)

More past news to come when I return home tonight.

Speedway Expo...

Just letting you guys know that Speedway Expo at the Big E fairgrounds starts up tonight and runs through the weekend, ending on Sunday. It is not going to be held in the same building as last year. It will be in the Mallary Complex... Down at the gate 9A entrance -- the dome-shaped top. The weekend kicks off at 5pm. Tickets are $15 per adult at the gate; adults being classified as anyone over the age of 12.

Nothing major in terms of an entry, I know. But it's something so I don't go a month without an entry. I'll try to make something longer in March, or I'll make a few somethings up along the way. But anyway... If you decide to head up that way this weekend, have a fun time.

New Year, New Headlines

Hey there! I hope your winter has been good so far, and your new year has started off on the right foot. I know I haven't been totally diving into the whole blog thing recently (and the reason is neither the fact that I haven't found the time nor the fact that I just don't want to do it during this time), but since I'm checking the Stafford site on a daily basis -- or close to it -- I see that there's a couple of stories that have popped up since around the Christmas season. I should really give you the gist of these stories. Links are provided; click on the story to go to the page at the SMS site.

-- Doug Coby has a SK Modified ride for the '08 season. He will be teaming up with the Johnson Motorsports team and will be driving the #15.
-- SMS is working in conjunction with Johnson Chassis (in Concord, NC) to come up with a new chassis project for the Late Models.

And if you're looking for something to do over the winter months that's racing related, there's an indoor dirt track in Windsor called Mototown USA. They race motocross and quads, but the track began a 12-week series a la the outdoor race track in New England on Sunday. They have sprints and Modified-like cars among the divisions participating. This series runs up until April 20th, which gives fans a chance to catch their breath before the Spring Sizzler. Stafford has a representative amongst the drivers competing in this program... Ted Christopher. I didn't go to the first program, but he is teaming up with Jack Arute in the 750cc Mini Sprint division, driving cars for a team called Haskell Motorsports. The Haskell Motorsports team claimed the track championship at the Whip City Speedway this past season.

So that's basically what's going in SMSland. As more stories start popping up on the home page, I'll try to pop in here and give you stories. They'll probably be entries like this, where I have a couple of headlines in one blog. But I will be back a few more times before the Sizzler. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the first full week of the new year.

Going "Camping" on Fall Final Weekend

The NASCAR Camping World East Series, formerly the NASCAR Busch East Series, will be running at Jack Arute's Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008. The tour will be part of the season ending Fall Final weekend, racing a 150-lap event as part of the seven division, end of September, two-day event. By bringing back the NCWES, Stafford will revert back to its 2001-2003 roots as it originally ran a twin billing of full fendered touring cars and Whelen Modified Tour machines on the same weekend. The NCWES was dropped from the Fall Final program in 2004.

First off, I'd like to know where I can find a Camping World. There doesn't seem to be one around where I live. Unless there's one of those in the state of Connecticut, I don't understand why I'm getting barraged with sponsors that don't seem to have any corporate sponsorship here. Second, I might not be the kind of person who likes the full fendered cars of the NCWES (remember their one and only appearance in '07 and how I left early), but Stafford's attempt to bring them back as part of the season ending weekend isn't as bad of a plan as I originally thought.

Getting both the NCWES and the WMT together on the same weekend will hopefully draw attention and get some more people to pay attention to the NCWES. It's been... Four years for this to surface again? It should hopefully get the attention of the fans, and this weekend could potentially start a new saga -- bringing the past to the present. Here's to hoping the NCWES will be successful under the new name. And here's to hoping I don't screw up the shortened version in future entries.

(30 x 19) + 40 + (100 x 2)

Figure that equation out, and it gives you a grand total of 710. As of yesterday, that will be the total number of laps that the Late Models will run in the 2008 season. It was announced that the Late Model 150, which was originally scheduled for August 22, would revert to a second LM 100. The date has not been changed.

According to the track, the reasoning behind the change was to make sure that teams have the time and resources at their disposal, which includes buying and installing fuel cells. It wasn't just the track management who voiced their opinion on this subject. Numerous calls came into the track from the Late Model teams, and they said that a 150-lap feature would require a second purchase of a fuel cell. Scaling the feature down fifty laps will save the teams dollars so that they wouldn't have to go out and purchase said equipment.

Yeah, it shocked me as well. Though I can see why people would be concerned about dollars. It would be a cost saver, that's for sure. Let's hope fuel cells will be conserved and teams don't go into their pockets inbetween May and August.

A Cornucopia Filled With News

Okay, first off, I'd like to wish all of the faithful readers out there a happy Thanksgiving. Hope you stuff yourselves silly. I know I will. Now first thing's first. The important stuff.

High noon has come and gone... And what do you know, the 2008 schedule has been officially released. I was hoping to come on this afternoon and be relieved to see some excitement on the schedule for next season, and I do have excitement planned. Here's what I know after reading the schedule: There is NO word on a Busch East race at the half mile this season. I've gone through the schedule about three times now, and I would hate to tell you guys that they're not racing out there. But alas... I must tell you that the Busch East at Stafford is only a mirage. But the good news is that the Whelen Modified Tour is racing their usual four times in '08 (Spring Sizzler, Fall Final, and the usual dates in May and August).

Going through the thing, the first thing I noticed was that the Late Model 100 will be run three weeks into the schedule. Huh?

You heard me right. You'll see it right. Three weeks into the season, the Late Models will be running their first extra distance race. In June, you'll have the SK Modified 100. So what does this mean? Oh, Stafford had something up their sleeves, and they've delivered the goods. Something was brought back. Well, two somethings were brought back. Mark these two dates on your calendar now and request that time be taken off from work if you have to: July 25 and August 22. Those are the dates of the SK Modified and Late Model 150s! That. Is. Right. It's been quite some time since there has been a 150 for either the SKs or Late Models, but next year, you'll be getting both. (That, to be quite frank with you, was certainly not what I was hoping to see as I checked out the feast. But hey... A blogger's heaven is an extra distance race. And I shall be awaiting every lap of it.) Four years of absence will be just what the doctor ordered. Let's see what happens when an even greater strategy comes into play.

The CARQuest Extreme Tuesday is back. It will be held on July 8 of 2008. ISMAs, NEMAs, and Pro-4 Modifieds... Oh, my!

You can see everything schedule related here.

Also on tap, we had the banquet on Friday night. Other than what I heard about a school bus transporting all of those who were coming in from the Stafford Springs area into the area of the banquet in East Windsor, it appeared to be a fun time regardless. Numerous awards were handed out, including the official crowning of the five track champions of the '07 year. The other winners of awards and the categories that they won in included:

Most Improved Driver: Brad Hietala (SK Modified), Dave Wray (Late Model), Raymond Grassetti (SK Light), Joey Ferrigno (Limited Late Model)
Rookie of the Year: Wade Mattesen (SK Modified), Corey Hutchings (Late Model), Josh Sylvester (SK Light), David Capriati (Limited Late Model)
Most Popular Driver: Woody Pitkat (SK Modified/Late Model), Chris Matthews (SK Light), Sean Foster (Limited Late Model), Dan Flannery (DARE Stock)

Third on the agenda... If you haven't seen them already, Stafford's '08 rosters are being updated as we speak. Don't hesitate to check out who'll be driving what cars in what divisions as the end of April rolls around. And with that being said, I'm out until there's more news. Gas pedal's on the right, and have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving season once again from the faithful blogger at The View From Turn One.

Modified Tire News

So... Stafford is changing the way the Modifieds run via tires. First and foremost, American Racer will not be supplying tires for the open wheeled machines in '08 -- that title will be held by Hoosier. The sizes and compounds will be 26.0/13.0-15 M45 for the left side and 27.0/13-15 M46 for the right side. SK teams will be allowed to buy two tires per week, while the SK Lights are only going to be able to buy one tire a week. They're going to be carrying some sort of serial scan number, so that those in charge of tire duty will know how many tires each team is getting. SKs will be allowed to have up to ten tires in their inventory, while the SK Lights will only get up to eight. This may change for extra distance races (SK 100, mainly), and it will be changed if one wants to practice and/or test. If this is the case (the testing/practicing), then only six tires will be the maximum for SKs, while the maximum is four for the SK Lights.

My take? This is kind of not something I was expecting, though I believe Waterford has teams on Hoosier tires to begin with and they have most of the rules (if not, a good number of them) that Stafford has set for the Modifieds. I would assume that this might help teams if they want to go back and forth between tracks each weekend, but this may or may not be the case. Either way, I'm willing to see how this will affect teams if it does.

Swearing by the [Rule]Book

The Stafford Motor Speedway's rulebook has already been tweaked, and the '08 version is officially available for your viewing pleasure. And it's a lot earlier than usual. Add in the fact that Stafford still has one swap meet to close out this season (and two swap meets at the start of next season), getting the rules out will help the drivers and crews get a jump during the offseason. Here are the changes that are taking place in '08. They're pretty minor and taken from the site. (Apologies, but as I read this, I'm not sure I could have put it into my own words. I did try. I really did.)

The SK Modified® division will have aluminum bodies allowed, a new 11.5 to 1 compression ratio for all engines, and DART Heads, part number 10024266 will be permitted.

Stafford's Late Model division will be switching its body rule to the NASCAR A-B-C body rule. Other body changes include doors can be either steel or aluminum, fenders can be either steel or plastic, and the rear deck / trunk can be either steel or aluminum. The Late Model division will have the same 11.5 to 1 compression ration for all engines like the SK Modified® division and the DART Head 10024266 will also be permitted. Other engine changes include adjustments to the valve spring and crank rule as well as a header rule adjustment. DCA lower trailing arms, part number 17822, will be permitted, and a new shock package was introduced with KONI shocks part numbers #30-7325, #30-7436, #30-7647, #30-9325, #30-9436 and #30-9414 will be permitted.

Stafford's SK Light division has the fewest changes of the five weekly divisions. Like the SK Modified® division, aluminum bodies will be permitted, and No AP racing or any other brake caliper that exceeds a racer net of $265.00 will be allowed, and the crate motors will be held to a 9 to 1 compression ratio. Also, RaD Automachine has been added to the approved SK Light service center list, while Precision Automotive has been removed. RaD Automachine is based out of Ludlow, MA and can be contacted at 1-413-583-4414.

The Limited Late Model division will be joining the Late Model division by enforcing the NASCAR A-B-C body rule. For teams running the optional crate engine package, the minimum weight of the car has been lowered to 3,000 pounds and the left side weight has been increased to 54% while the traditional non-crate engine cars will remain at 3,100 pounds and 53% left side weight. Further rule adjustments have been made to the Battery, Trailing Arm, Shock, A-Frame, Track Width, and Wheelbase rules.

The DARE Stock division body rule has been amended to include the following: Rear of car must still maintain a stock appearance, stock will be determined by NASCAR Officials. The hood rule has been adjusted to read: A maximum of a two (2) inch non-functioning hood scoop is permitted as long as its part of the stock hood i.e. (Buick Grand National). A stock OEM harmonic balancer will be permitted and there are further adjustments to the piston / rod rule, the oil pan rule, the intake manifold rule, and the starter rule. DCA 17811 upper and DCA 17822 lower trailing arms will be permitted and UB MACHINE P/N 12-0809-5R and 14-0829-6L replacement A-Frames will be permitted. The sway bar maximum diameter will be 1.25 inches and the minimum roof height will be 51 inches.

And that's what's going on in Techland. Pretty self-explanatory, if I do say so myself. Changes flying all over the place. I wonder what's going to happen at the Spring Sizzler. Ah, well. We shall soon find out come April. For more information regarding the changes, it would be very helpful if you went over to the Downloads and Rules section of the track's site. Until next time, I bid you a safe offseason.

Horsepower is Where the Cows, Sheep, and Pigs Are

Well, the 2008 Speedway Expo is going to be coming quicker than you may think. It takes place on February 29 -- March 2 of next year, but the location of the event is not where you'd expect it to be. In past years, they've used two (maybe even three) buildings of the Eastern States Exposition and the practice facility of the New England Patriots. Next year, however, they're still going to be at the Big E fairgrounds.

We're going to the Mallary Complex! (Yes. For those of you who are familiar with the building, it's where the cows, sheep, and pigs are during the fair. It also houses agility dogs for the final few days. All in all, thirteen different building changes in a little over two weeks.)

According to an article from The Chrome Horn, the change was made because it's got "room for everything". And when I mean "everything", I really mean everything. There's 130,000 square feet total in the two sections of the building, where the seminars and the autograph sessions are going to be held. I think it's going to be easier getting the cars in and out of the building as well... If the aisles can fit people and people walking cows back and forth from judging, the building can fit people and horsepower there as well.

For more information, please make your way over to speedwayexpo.com.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Well, guess what? The Fall Final at the Stafford Motor Speedway has come and gone. That means that the weekly visits to the track are over for the year. It also means that this is the last entry I'm going to do before I take the offseason to do entries as there's news afoot. I should keep the notebook filled with all of the notes I have through the season (pre and during), and as the winter progresses, I should take plenty of notes about what goes on. But before I'm nose deep in said notebook, I should at least open it up to the page where I have the notes saved for the weekend in question. It was the last weekend of the month of September, and it was unseasonably warm. (Heck, it still is unseasonably warm. You do not have 80s in early October!) So what happened as the Fall Final concluded the '07 season? Let's take one more trip down memory lane.

Whelen Modified Tour: On Saturday, it was Eric Beers taking the Bud Pole Award with a time of 18.267 seconds. On Sunday, it was a former champion who came out with the win, while a new champion was crowned with only one event to go. Mike Stefanik took down the win, which was his first of the season. The rest of the board was as follows: Tony Hirschman, Ted Christopher, and Matt Hirschman. As for the championship in '08, it was all Donny Lia. After coming across the line in seventh, he was able to secure enough points so that Todd Szegedy, who is second in the points, would not be able to earn enough points to claim the champoinship. It is Lia's first championship of his career.

SK Modifieds: The battle between the two points leaders, Woody Pitkat and Ted Christopher, came down to the wire. And it took all 50 laps for the battle to end. The third lap of the event was when the lead change that would win it all took place, and that lead was Pitkat's. But it didn't matter if Pitkat finished in the top-three. It all fell on the shoulders of Christopher, and with a second place finish, Christopher would win the championship. The rest of the top-four (at the time) were Ken Barry and Brad Hietala. In post race technical inspection, however, Barry would be disqualified for having illegal heads on his Modified.

Late Models: It was basically a story of polar opposites. One was having a really good race and was inching closer and closer to winning the championship in the Late Model division at all three tracks; the other was trying to give the fans one last hurrah before taking one last trip down to the Carolinas. The final outcome of a 40-lap feature was one to be desired. Five lead changes later, it was Dillon Moltz, the youngest person to win at the half-mile in the track's long and historic history, winning his second career Late Model win at Stafford. Following him was Tom Fearn, Corey Hutchings, and Wayne Coury, Jr. The second place finish from Hutchings secured his chances of taking the Late Model title in '07, with Jim Peterson having bad luck at the worst of times.

SK Lights: Two entries ago, I mentioned how it was Chris Matthews who won the championship with only two events to spare. Both the event for the final Friday night and the Fall Final would be run for fun, and this race was actually one of the cleaner races of the season. There were only three cautions, with two of them coming on lap-8, but other than that, it was pretty exciting as well. On the final lap, in the final turn, it all came down to two drivers: Matthews and Josh Sylvester. Sylvester had the lead coming into turn four, but he drifted up to the top of the track, giving Matthews the opportunity to go by him and win his sixth win of the season. Sylvester finished second, followed by Kyler Cafro and George Nocera.

Limited Late Models: This was the second division that was to be run for fun on the weekend, as during the last Friday night event, Sean Foster "quietly crashed" his way to a championship. So knowing that this was to be a race that wasn't even a "race", per se, how would the drivers react? Try having them put on a show on the last lap. It was dramatic. Foster and Bill Davis had been battling side by side for the lead until they got into the first and second turns. Foster sort of drifted up the track, letting Rick Lanagan take advantage of the situation. Lanagan moved past both Foster and Davis and had the lead all the way until the start/finish line. It was Lanagan's eighth win of the season, giving him the most wins out of anyone in the division and tying him for the lead in all of the divisions with Woody Pitkat. The board finished off with Foster, Andrew Durand (driving Joey Ferrigno's #87), and Davis.

DARE Stocks: Being the only division that had to decide its champion on Saturday, the DARE Stocks would have to let one final 15-lap feature decide it all for them. Now, it was supposed to come down to three people... Norm Sears, Carla Botticello, Dan Flannery, and Bill Dunn. Unfortunately, four became three last week as the car of Dunn was involved in a not-so-lovely accident back on lap-7 of the final Friday night event, putting his hopes of winning a DARE Stock championship on the backburner. So now, it was Sears and Botticello ready to battle it out for the championship. Sears was seeking his second championship in a row, while Botticello was trying to become the first female DARE Stock champion and the second female champion in the history of the track. Flannery, on the other hand, was just trying to get his first championship in general. Although it was three cautions long, it wound up being a night that both Tom Stirk and Sears would never forget. Stirk battled with John Kasper for the first half of the race, passing Kasper after Kasper passed him, but after he took over the lead, he had to battle with Flannery for the win. Stirk was able to overpower Flannery and take his first win of the season, with Flannery, Sears, and Jeff Jolly finishing off the board. And the winner of the championship? It was deja vu for Sears, who was able to win the championship in '07 with a third place finish. This season was no different, and once again, third was the ticket choice for him.

Meanwhile, it was Willie Hardie who picked up the win in the SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ. He took the lead from Richie Pallai, Jr on the seventh lap of the event and went the rest of the distance in a caution-free mini-feature. Pallai, Ken Barry, and Jeff Baral finished out the board. And Tom Stirk made it two for two on Saturday has he won the Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shootout, as that went green to checkered. Dan Flannery, Don Wood, and Norm Sears rounded out the board for that event.

That's all there is. There isn't any more. This is usually the part of the blog where I tell you about the upcoming event of the week, but seeing as there's not an upcoming event of the week to be found, I guess I should say that hockey season in Hartford starts up on Saturday night as Hartford takes on Bridgeport and I know a few of the Stafford drivers attend hockey games there. (At least one. I haven't seen more on a regular basis.) The next time I will be doing one of these weekly reviews will be at the end of April or at the start of May, depending on when the '08 edition of the Spring Sizzler is. Until we meet again, this time, for one of the special entries... I shall hopefully see you around. Gas pedal's on the right...

The Hunt, The Dream. Over?

Special edition, hot off the presses! (Well, it's warm. Someone upstairs didn't remember that it's the end of September and that it's not supposed to be 90 degrees plus. *sigh*) Remember what I wrote down in the last entry about Woody Pitkat supposedly being in the chase for the Whelen All-American Series national championship? He might be out of it after all.

Going into the final race of the season at Stafford, Pitkat trails a Wisconsin driver by twelve points. It doesn't sound too hard to get around, does it? From what I've found out, Pitkat claims that a field of at least 25 cars started the Sunoco Modified race that he had won on Thursday. The track says that 22 cars started. So who's right? Does Pitkat get six extra points if he was in fact right on the money?

Those six points will either hurt him or help him, depending on where he finishes in the race on Sunday. I'm believing that the dream has come to a close. I don't assume things, but this whole situation must be a gift from God to the Wisconsin gentlemen. (No offense to Pitkat.)

** The story came after I read a blog entry from the Hartford Courant. **

Final Friday Nighter '07

Hello, ladies and gentlemen of the blogging public (and faithful readers who have stuck by me the entire time)! This is your roaming reporter here with some special news for you... And let me tell you, this is the best news you've ever heard since the start of the season. I present to you the final Friday night edition of The View From Turn One of the 2007 Stafford Speedway season. Luckily, I have decided to do this before the rush of the pre-Friday jitterbug known as Fall Final practice. Boy, how time has certainly flown! So before I get you hooked onto the upcoming weekend, I must send you back to last Friday night, where we had the final Friday night "shootout".

SK Modifieds: The battle between the only two championship contenders left in the division, Ted Christopher and Woody Pitkat, went down the same path as usual. Though the first caution didn't occur until lap-34, the action was nonstop. Christopher was once again on the outside of the front row, but unlike last week, he had the opportunity to pass Jeff Malave and then Keith Rocco for the lead, failing against both drivers in the process. Rocco would hold off Christopher for his fourth win of the season, with Christopher, Pitkat, and Malave finishing out the board. Christopher and Pitkat have a 36 point gap going into the Fall Final, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were more Modifieds trying to make it into the race than usual in more ways than one. Pitkat's final chance to take the National Championship will be at the Stafford finale, and the more cars that start the feature, the better.

Late Models: In a span of ten laps (yes, ten laps), there were eleven caution flags. I think about half of the field was taken out, and it was nearly a combination of two heat races by the time the race was over, but they got a winner out of all of that chaos. The winner was Ryan Posocco, who in the middle of the cautionfest had made a threewide pass for the lead; Rick Charette and Corey Hutchings being the other two members of the threewide threesome. Hutchings, Jim Peterson, and Wayne Coury, Jr rounded out the board. In the race for the Late Model championship, it's down to Hutchings and Peterson, and it's only a 22 point difference. I'm betting that this race will come down to the final few laps.

SK Lights: With the championship already decided (Chris Matthews), the race could run smoother than usual. Nobody had to really "fight" for position, because they probably knew that this was all for fun. It was one of their more cleaner races of the season -- without taking it lightly -- and there was a first time winner in the CARQuest victory lane. That would be Joe Allegro, Jr, who beat out Brit Andersen, Matthews, and Glen Reen to take down the win. Like I said earlier, the final SK Light race of the season will be run for fun, as Matthews has a 150 point lead over second place Josh Sylvester. So hopefully these drivers can race the race with smiles on their faces.

Limited Late Models: The title could have been wrapped up on Friday. Sean Foster only had to stay more than 50 points ahead of second place come the race's end, and even though he was involved in a lap-3 accident in turns three and four, he was still able to lock up the championship. He is 150 points ahead of Rick Lanagan, who ended up winning his seventh race of the season over Kevin Gambacorta, Joey Ferrigno, and Charlie Newman. So this means that only two of the five features run over the course of the weekend will be run for fun. And this division will be one of those two.

DARE Stocks: The "Year of the First Time Winner" continued with one of the slower features of the season. Though there were three cautions, it didn't faze Rob Lawrence... At least for the first nine laps of the race until Norm Sears took over. But Lawrence overpowered Sears for the lead, that was it. He would win his first DARE Stock feature of the season, followed by Sears, Don Wood, and Dan Flannery. Speaking of Sears, he would take over the points lead after a so-so night by Carla Botticello and after Bill Dunn wrecked on a lap-7 restart. Sears holds a sixteen point lead over Botticello and a 26 point lead over Flannery. Dunn dropped to fourth after the race, and is now 40 points behind the leader.

And that's it for the notes for now. I give major kudos to the track's site for being updated day in and day out. The webmaster keeps things tidy, which is good for the fans and drivers alike. I shall raise a beverage in your honor... If I remember. *winks* Okay, from the notes to the site once again, and this time, it's to remind you fans and drivers that we do have not one, not two, but three days of racing on the schedule this weekend. It's time for the annual CARQuest Fall Final at the track, and this means that six divisions of racing will be out on the half mile to test their mettle. Three of the Whelen All-American Series divisions will crown their champions, while the SK Lights and Limited Late Models will officially crown their champions. The first thing I will direct your attention to is the entry list for the Whelen Modified Tour, which will make their final appearance of the season at Stafford. For more information on the schedule, I will give it to you day-by-day as the weekend actually arrives. So until then, have a happy rest of the week -- which is longer, mind you! -- and I'll see you on the flip side of Friday.

More Quickies [9/14]

Another week, another abbreviated entry. My, how the time flies. I had attended both Friday's event and Monday's season finale of Stafford's go-karting events, making this week feel like it went by very quickly. So where does that leave us now? On a Thursday, no less, with me getting this done before the stroke of twelve midnight. Luckily for you (and myself, for that matter), I have been exceptional with getting all of the entries that are race-related done and up onto the blog at a reasonable time. That means before midnight and way before I have to start getting ready to head out the door.

Speaking about heading out, I say we head out to the time machine that'll take us back to the night of September 14. It was the second night of the program known as the "September Series". And boy, did it feel like September. Let's get right to it, shall we? Watch your head; watch your step getting in. It's going to be smooth sailing from here. Everyone ready? Let's go.

SK Modifieds: I thought this was the best race of the night. The final restart on lap-22 came down between Ted Christopher and Frank Ruocco. But they weren't alone, as Jeff Malave was also ready to put himself into contention. But when Christopher and Malave started battling with each other, this gave Ruocco the edge, where he would get a big enough margin to win. It was his third victory of the season. Following him were Malave, who just managed to get by Christopher for the runner-up spot, and Brad Hietala.

Late Models: It was a battle of two possible first-time winners -- Michael Bennett and Wayne Coury, Jr. Bennett had the lead from a lap-12 restart, and Coury was all over his back bumper, but it would prove to be too little, too late as Bennett would score his first career Late Model feature win and his first win since the '05 season, when he ran Limited Late Models. Coury would finish second, followed by Woody Pitkat and Jim Peterson.

SK Lights: Chris Matthews had the championship nearly wrapped up. The stipulation of the night was that he was to finish anywhere except last, regardless of where his closest competitors were. Matthews did indeed finish somewhere that wasn't the back of the pack. He won the race, which was the first race that didn't end in a yellow/checkered situation in nearly a month. The rest of the top-four were Brit Andersen, Josh Sylvester, and Raymond Grassetti.

Limited Late Models: The last time Joey Ferrigno saw the light of victory lane, it was in '06 and he ended up being disqualified against wheel specifications. This time around, however, he wouldn't have to worry about being disqualified. He only had to worry about bad luck getting into the way of a strong performance, which had been hindering his chances of seeing victory lane for quite some time now. He managed to shake all of the bad luck off of him and take down his first career win in the Limited Late Model division. Andrew Durand, Rick Lanagan, and Sean Foster rounded out the board.

DARE Stocks: They managed to pull out yet another green-to-checkered event without cautions. This time, however, they did it with one lead change. John Kasper had the early lead, but Don Wood would manage to get by him not too long after the green was put away. (In fact, I don't even think it was put away before it had changed hands.) Dan Flannery and Norm Sears would also get by Kasper, and the four drivers would run single file until the checkered flag appeared. Wood was the third first-time winner of the night, and the rest of the top-four were in fact Flannery, Sears, and Kasper.

And this isn't it, nor is this all for this week. I still have to tell you faithful readers about the schedule for tomorrow night. It goes something like this:

• DARE Stocks
• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• Late Models
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds

So until then, I will see you tomorrow. Let's end the last Friday night program on a high note, so we can get the Fall Final in without hesitation. Speaking of the Fall Final, I will give you guys an entry list in a quickie entry tomorrow, written at some point before I leave the house. So now I bid you a good rest of tonight.

Cliff Notes of the 9/7 Program

Things to do, places to go to, and people to see! Okay, so the first one of those three things might as well be the only thing that I actually have to do, but still... It's nothing like a little get-up-and-go type energy that I need to have if I want to finish this entry up before the stroke of midnight. So that means I have to do one of those abbreviated entries like I did last time. I thought it over, and I think I'm going to be doing them quite frequently. Think of the full entries as getting all of the main details with fluff. I think if I had to do one of those full entries again, I would never be the same again. Don't worry... You still get who wins and who finished out the board, but it's done without going into full detail. So with that said, I think it's time to jump right into the start of the 2007 September Series! In a nutshell, here are the events of the September 7 program.

SK Modifieds: The race for the National Championship in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series took a drastic turn, with Woody Pitkat involved in two of five cautions that occured during the feature. He couldn't bump a bad finish from his record, but Keith Rocco, also in contention, was able to remove one of his finishes with a 50 as he took down the win. Rounding out the board were Kerry Malone, Ted Christopher, and Curt Brainard.

Late Models: History was made when Dillon Moltz became the youngest person to win in a NWAAS race at the half-mile. After making a pass for the lead at the very start of the race on the backstretch, Moltz had to hold off Corey Hutchings on a green-white-checkered restart. Hutchings was passed by Jim Peterson for second, leaving him finishing third. Woody Pitkat was fourth.

SK Lights: For the third straight week, the race exceeded its twenty minute time limit. (I wouldn't be surprised if officials talk to them. Seriously.) It wasn't a bad race, really... It was during heats that was the worst part. During SK Light qualifying, Heather DesRochers and Harry Wheeler got together, ending up with Wheeler slightly on top of DesRochers. To make a long story short, neither driver raced in the feature. But back to the action in the feature, and Chris Matthews was in first when the race was called. Josh Sylvester, Brit Andersen, and Raymond Grassetti finished out the top-four.

Limited Late Models: Andrew Durand took the lead on the fifth lap of the event, and although he was challenged by Charlie Newman and Bill Davis, he still had to worry about two late race cautions... One of which occuring when Newman and Davis got together. This would set the board up as follows: Durand, Sean Foster, Kevin Gambacorta, and Rick Lanagan.

DARE Stocks: Three cautions, drivers in different cars, and a points lead battle set the stage for this feature. But with four laps to go, the battle was between the cars of Dan Flannery and Vince Gambacorta. Gambacorta had already lead on two separate occasions, but Flannery used the outside to make a pass for the lead. It would work, but Gambacorta would remain attached to Flannery's back bumper yet would be unable to stage a comeback. Flannery and Gambacorta finished first and second respectively, followed by Don Wood and Carla Botticello. Botticello would take over the points lead in the DARE Stock race by only eight points.

And there you go. Once again, it's easier to do it this way, because then I know I've gotten everything without stressing myself even more than I already have to. I guess with this method, everyone wins in the end. *nods* Okay, time to put the past behind us. We have to look towards the future! Tomorrow is another week, and another chance for the points races in all five divisions to heat up. The September Series continues with another regular program, and the order of features goes something like this:

• SK Modified 21 Means 21 LCQ (if necessary)
• Late Model 16 LCQ (if necessary)
• Limited Late Models (20 minute time limit)
• SK Lights (20 minute time limit)
• SK Modifieds
• DARE Stocks
• Late Models

Doesn't look like it's going to be too rough of a night, does it? I hope not. From what I've heard, I say that there's a zero percent chance of rain. The only thing you have to worry about is that it might be a bit chilly. So if I were you, I'd take a coat (or two) for you and whomever you might be coming with. I hope to see you at the track tomorrow. Until then, have a safe rest of today.