Well, I've decided to do a little something different in discussing what I wanted to discuss. I made a video instead of writing this down.
Hear me talk about the SK Modified points situation going into tonight's event:
After my hiatus since May, I've decided on a new lease on life. I've re-emerged from the dark layers of hell with a new location for all things VFT1.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Results of September 18
Welcome to the wonderful world of yet another Friday night of racing! Sure, the weather hasn't been real kind to Stafford this season, but at least when it hasn't been around, things do pick up. And action did pick up this past Friday, with five divisions lined up for a night of racing. It was a crazy night, with a few unplesantries exchanged (to be named later in this story), so let's get down to it. Here are the results of the September 18 program.
First up was the Limited Late Model feature event. And the night began with George Nocera, Jr as the early leader. Dave Yardley, III was second and Norm Sears was third. Nocera's lead lasted all of nine laps as the period of yellows came into play. On lap-9, Bill Goldrick and Jeff Hubbell spun in turn two -- CAUTION. Yardley took over as the leader on the restart, but the time he had out front was short-lived. On the very next lap, Greg Butler, Jr hit the backstretch wall -- CAUTION. And then on lap-11, Brian Clement spun in turns three and four -- CAUTION. Again, it was Yardley out in front, but not for long. As he reached the exit of turn two, Yardley spun around and collected a few other cars in a multi-car accident -- CAUTION. Four yellow flags in four laps. Something had to work. Luckily for Sears, who had inherited the lead from Yardley after the last caution, things went a bit smoother than before. Sears kept the lead as the green came back out, but Andrew Durand was on his back bumper. The two of them raced until lap-17 when a two-car accident on the backstretch prompted the yellow to come out -- CAUTION. Sears regained the lead on the restart, Durand was still on his back, and moving into third was Dan Flannery. But it was a two-car race to the end, and when it was all said and done, it was Sears getting his second win of the season. Durand, Flannery, and Nocera finished off the top-four.
Second on the docket were the Late Models. To start, there was a spin by Adam Gray in turn two... But that was only the beginning. John Kasper was in a solo-car accident in turn three; regardless of which incident slowed the field, the first lap of the race wasn't completed before the yellow came out -- CAUTION. When the green came back out, it was Joe Rzeszutek out in front as the leader. Dave Wray sat in line behind him in second. There was no further movement within the top-five cars until lap-9, when Duane Noll spun in turn three. Tom Fearn, who had been running in the top-five at the time, was assessed a drive-thru penalty for both blocking and overaggressive driving. On the restart, it was Wray taking the lead from Rzeszutek. Dillon Moltz was a man on a mission after the green came back out. By lap-10, he was into fourth, and three laps later, he found himself in third. Ryan Posocco followed Moltz in his tire tracks and was ultimately up to fourth. The running order up front remained locked into place until the lap-23 mark, when Moltz and Posocco took advantage. They both made it around Rzeszutek, bringing Jim Peterson along with them. Moltz was then looking for the lead, and on lap-26, he passed Wray for the lead. Wray began to fall back numerous spots through the field as Posocco, Peterson, and others easily ran the inside groove while Wray was stuck on the outside. Moltz, meanwhile, was just too strong to be overtaken, and he cruised to his fifth win of the season. Posocco was second, with Peterson in third and Hill in fourth.
If there was an award for best race of the night, it should go to the SK Lights. Entertaining from beginning to end. It starts with a three-wide battle for the lead on the opening lap. Ted Cain was able to win the battle for the lead and became the leader early on. The yellow flags were very frequent in the first half of the race. On lap-2, Earl Pelletier and John Montesanto became tangled up and wrecked on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. On the very next lap, which was lap-3, Steve Greer and Lauren Cooper ended up in an accident in turn four -- CAUTION. And on lap-5, there was a multi-car accident in turns one and two -- CAUTION. During the stretch of yellow flags, Cain maintained his lead. He was still in the lead on lap-11, when three cars, including that of Brit Andersen, spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. Cain once again took the lead on the restart, but he wasn't going to be alone up front for much longer. Tommy Membrino, Jr was coming fast, and the lead finally switched over from Cain to Membrino on lap-17. Membrino did not have an easy task of keeping the lead, especially when Andersen had made it through the field after being in a mid-race incident. Andersen found himself in second and was ready to take over first. There were times where Andersen almost had the lead, but Membrino held him off. It was a close finish, but Membrino edged out Andersen to claim his second win of the season. Michael Gervais, Jr was third, while Heather DesRochers was fourth.
All of the action started during and after the SK Modified feature. The race itself started with Matt Gallo out in front as numerous yellows came out during the first few laps of the race. Lap-2 was the scene for a few incidents, starting with one involving two cars that got together in turn two -- CAUTION. The restart wasn't much better. Actually, it never really picked up, as there were three cars that ended up in various stages of mess on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. When the green came back out, it was Keith Rocco taking advantage and pulling away from Gallo on the restart. Not too long after the lead change, Chris Jones spun in turn four (lap-6) -- CAUTION. Sometime after the green came back out, more positions out front changed in a hurry. Ted Christopher managed to get around Gallo for second and was now hunting down Rocco for first. It was lap-10 when Christopher finally reached Rocco and made the move for the lead. Lap-11 came, and a multi-car accident occured in turn four, including Matt Gallo and others -- CAUTION. This put Christopher and Rocco on the front row, and this was where the fun began. Christopher managed to get the lead back on the restart, with Rocco settling down into second. Behind them, the rest of the front-runners managed to race in a single-file line. Meanwhile, back up to the top-two drivers, and they were still putting on a show. Lap-20 saw the next lead change as Rocco came back by to take the lead away from Christopher. Christopher didn't take this sitting back, and he retook the lead on lap-23. The next lap (lap-24) saw Christopher Jones (son of Chris Jones) spin in turns one and two -- CAUTION. On the restart, Christopher originally took the lead, but Rocco was right there on him and managed to take the lead away on lap-30. Woody Pitkat also came around and got around Christopher for second. Christopher managed to get back around Pitkat on the very next lap. Debris was spotted in turns one and two on lap-34. Not much; just some dirt kicked up onto the racing surface -- CAUTION. This set up a nice little duel between Christopher and Rocco. Christopher got the lead back on lap-35, and it originally looked like he had enough momentum to win the race. But looks can be and were in fact deceiving that night, and when the leaders went into the final turns on the final lap, that was when everything started to unravel. Rocco tapped Christopher, sending Christopher slightly high as Rocco managed to squeak by on the low side of the track. By doing this, he not only gave himself the lead back, but Rocco also managed to pick up his fifth win of the season. After the race, Christopher apparently didn't like the move Rocco put on him in the closing seconds, and retaliated by tapping Rocco's car with his own, and the two wound up in the turn one wall. Christopher finished second, followed by Pitkat in third and Richie Pallai, Jr in fourth.
The DARE Stocks were the ones who closed out the program. Stephanie Berardi began the race on the outside of the front row, but managed to find herself in the lead as the race got underway. Andrew Hayes sat in second. Early on in the event, there were two cars that got together in turns one and two; one of the cars left a piece of sheet metal lying in the grass close to the racing surface. No caution was called, although there were plenty of people who saw the debris just sitting there. The first half of the race ran green, with Jolly moving up and around Hayes for second by lap-9. The second incident of the race occured on lap-13, when Paul Jensen spun in turn two -- CAUTION. The debris was cleared up during this yellow flag and Jensen was able to pull away from the scene of the spin. When the race resumed, it was still Berardi out in front. Jolly was behind her all the way, but wasn't able to find a way up and around Berardi for the lead. The final laps of the race also ran green, and it was Berardi taking her first career DARE Stock race. Jolly ended up in second and Hayes managed to finish third. Tony Membrino, Jr finished fourth.
So... Wow. What a night. And that's just another week at the half-mile. We'll be back with another exciting night of racing this upcoming Friday night, when it will be the last Friday night of racing for the season. Five divisions, and plenty of action is on tap. If the last program was any indication of what will happen this Friday night, you don't want to miss this. All of this happens weather permitting.
First up was the Limited Late Model feature event. And the night began with George Nocera, Jr as the early leader. Dave Yardley, III was second and Norm Sears was third. Nocera's lead lasted all of nine laps as the period of yellows came into play. On lap-9, Bill Goldrick and Jeff Hubbell spun in turn two -- CAUTION. Yardley took over as the leader on the restart, but the time he had out front was short-lived. On the very next lap, Greg Butler, Jr hit the backstretch wall -- CAUTION. And then on lap-11, Brian Clement spun in turns three and four -- CAUTION. Again, it was Yardley out in front, but not for long. As he reached the exit of turn two, Yardley spun around and collected a few other cars in a multi-car accident -- CAUTION. Four yellow flags in four laps. Something had to work. Luckily for Sears, who had inherited the lead from Yardley after the last caution, things went a bit smoother than before. Sears kept the lead as the green came back out, but Andrew Durand was on his back bumper. The two of them raced until lap-17 when a two-car accident on the backstretch prompted the yellow to come out -- CAUTION. Sears regained the lead on the restart, Durand was still on his back, and moving into third was Dan Flannery. But it was a two-car race to the end, and when it was all said and done, it was Sears getting his second win of the season. Durand, Flannery, and Nocera finished off the top-four.
Second on the docket were the Late Models. To start, there was a spin by Adam Gray in turn two... But that was only the beginning. John Kasper was in a solo-car accident in turn three; regardless of which incident slowed the field, the first lap of the race wasn't completed before the yellow came out -- CAUTION. When the green came back out, it was Joe Rzeszutek out in front as the leader. Dave Wray sat in line behind him in second. There was no further movement within the top-five cars until lap-9, when Duane Noll spun in turn three. Tom Fearn, who had been running in the top-five at the time, was assessed a drive-thru penalty for both blocking and overaggressive driving. On the restart, it was Wray taking the lead from Rzeszutek. Dillon Moltz was a man on a mission after the green came back out. By lap-10, he was into fourth, and three laps later, he found himself in third. Ryan Posocco followed Moltz in his tire tracks and was ultimately up to fourth. The running order up front remained locked into place until the lap-23 mark, when Moltz and Posocco took advantage. They both made it around Rzeszutek, bringing Jim Peterson along with them. Moltz was then looking for the lead, and on lap-26, he passed Wray for the lead. Wray began to fall back numerous spots through the field as Posocco, Peterson, and others easily ran the inside groove while Wray was stuck on the outside. Moltz, meanwhile, was just too strong to be overtaken, and he cruised to his fifth win of the season. Posocco was second, with Peterson in third and Hill in fourth.
If there was an award for best race of the night, it should go to the SK Lights. Entertaining from beginning to end. It starts with a three-wide battle for the lead on the opening lap. Ted Cain was able to win the battle for the lead and became the leader early on. The yellow flags were very frequent in the first half of the race. On lap-2, Earl Pelletier and John Montesanto became tangled up and wrecked on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. On the very next lap, which was lap-3, Steve Greer and Lauren Cooper ended up in an accident in turn four -- CAUTION. And on lap-5, there was a multi-car accident in turns one and two -- CAUTION. During the stretch of yellow flags, Cain maintained his lead. He was still in the lead on lap-11, when three cars, including that of Brit Andersen, spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. Cain once again took the lead on the restart, but he wasn't going to be alone up front for much longer. Tommy Membrino, Jr was coming fast, and the lead finally switched over from Cain to Membrino on lap-17. Membrino did not have an easy task of keeping the lead, especially when Andersen had made it through the field after being in a mid-race incident. Andersen found himself in second and was ready to take over first. There were times where Andersen almost had the lead, but Membrino held him off. It was a close finish, but Membrino edged out Andersen to claim his second win of the season. Michael Gervais, Jr was third, while Heather DesRochers was fourth.
All of the action started during and after the SK Modified feature. The race itself started with Matt Gallo out in front as numerous yellows came out during the first few laps of the race. Lap-2 was the scene for a few incidents, starting with one involving two cars that got together in turn two -- CAUTION. The restart wasn't much better. Actually, it never really picked up, as there were three cars that ended up in various stages of mess on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. When the green came back out, it was Keith Rocco taking advantage and pulling away from Gallo on the restart. Not too long after the lead change, Chris Jones spun in turn four (lap-6) -- CAUTION. Sometime after the green came back out, more positions out front changed in a hurry. Ted Christopher managed to get around Gallo for second and was now hunting down Rocco for first. It was lap-10 when Christopher finally reached Rocco and made the move for the lead. Lap-11 came, and a multi-car accident occured in turn four, including Matt Gallo and others -- CAUTION. This put Christopher and Rocco on the front row, and this was where the fun began. Christopher managed to get the lead back on the restart, with Rocco settling down into second. Behind them, the rest of the front-runners managed to race in a single-file line. Meanwhile, back up to the top-two drivers, and they were still putting on a show. Lap-20 saw the next lead change as Rocco came back by to take the lead away from Christopher. Christopher didn't take this sitting back, and he retook the lead on lap-23. The next lap (lap-24) saw Christopher Jones (son of Chris Jones) spin in turns one and two -- CAUTION. On the restart, Christopher originally took the lead, but Rocco was right there on him and managed to take the lead away on lap-30. Woody Pitkat also came around and got around Christopher for second. Christopher managed to get back around Pitkat on the very next lap. Debris was spotted in turns one and two on lap-34. Not much; just some dirt kicked up onto the racing surface -- CAUTION. This set up a nice little duel between Christopher and Rocco. Christopher got the lead back on lap-35, and it originally looked like he had enough momentum to win the race. But looks can be and were in fact deceiving that night, and when the leaders went into the final turns on the final lap, that was when everything started to unravel. Rocco tapped Christopher, sending Christopher slightly high as Rocco managed to squeak by on the low side of the track. By doing this, he not only gave himself the lead back, but Rocco also managed to pick up his fifth win of the season. After the race, Christopher apparently didn't like the move Rocco put on him in the closing seconds, and retaliated by tapping Rocco's car with his own, and the two wound up in the turn one wall. Christopher finished second, followed by Pitkat in third and Richie Pallai, Jr in fourth.
The DARE Stocks were the ones who closed out the program. Stephanie Berardi began the race on the outside of the front row, but managed to find herself in the lead as the race got underway. Andrew Hayes sat in second. Early on in the event, there were two cars that got together in turns one and two; one of the cars left a piece of sheet metal lying in the grass close to the racing surface. No caution was called, although there were plenty of people who saw the debris just sitting there. The first half of the race ran green, with Jolly moving up and around Hayes for second by lap-9. The second incident of the race occured on lap-13, when Paul Jensen spun in turn two -- CAUTION. The debris was cleared up during this yellow flag and Jensen was able to pull away from the scene of the spin. When the race resumed, it was still Berardi out in front. Jolly was behind her all the way, but wasn't able to find a way up and around Berardi for the lead. The final laps of the race also ran green, and it was Berardi taking her first career DARE Stock race. Jolly ended up in second and Hayes managed to finish third. Tony Membrino, Jr finished fourth.
So... Wow. What a night. And that's just another week at the half-mile. We'll be back with another exciting night of racing this upcoming Friday night, when it will be the last Friday night of racing for the season. Five divisions, and plenty of action is on tap. If the last program was any indication of what will happen this Friday night, you don't want to miss this. All of this happens weather permitting.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Schedule for September 25
Hi. We're one week away from the Fall Final! Or a little more than a week. Either way, there's just one more event that stands between the last Friday night show of the season and the final event of the season.
Now what could go wrong there? Don't know; would like to find out live for myself.
Which is why I'm presenting the schedule for the September 25 program. Five divisions; still some great battles for championships, and controversy peeking behind its own little shadow. I'm pretty sure the last one is just there to get you ready, but after the last Friday night at the races, I wouldn't be surprised if there's some hint of it going around.
This all happens weather permitting. Because I just can't stress that enough.
Now what could go wrong there? Don't know; would like to find out live for myself.
Which is why I'm presenting the schedule for the September 25 program. Five divisions; still some great battles for championships, and controversy peeking behind its own little shadow. I'm pretty sure the last one is just there to get you ready, but after the last Friday night at the races, I wouldn't be surprised if there's some hint of it going around.
This all happens weather permitting. Because I just can't stress that enough.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Consequences Laid Down After SK Modified Race
It was a crazier than usual end to Friday night's SK Modified race at Stafford. And I mentioned that I wasn't going to be surprised to see penalties handed out after it. Monday afternoon, it was official -- penalties were in fact handed out.
And it will be a quieter night at SMS when the SKs take to the track.
As the Hartford Courant states, both Ted Christopher and Keith Rocco were suspended one event each. Both drivers were fined. Christopher lost ten points in the process. You should see this up on the track's site at some point in time Tuesday.
This doesn't mean that he can't win the championship, either. Stay tuned later this week as I explain just what can still happen even though Christopher's not racing.
And it will be a quieter night at SMS when the SKs take to the track.
As the Hartford Courant states, both Ted Christopher and Keith Rocco were suspended one event each. Both drivers were fined. Christopher lost ten points in the process. You should see this up on the track's site at some point in time Tuesday.
This doesn't mean that he can't win the championship, either. Stay tuned later this week as I explain just what can still happen even though Christopher's not racing.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
A Few Unpleasantries and Debris Isn't a Problem?
Two things I want to tackle that were pretty much a cause for conversation on September 18.
First, let's get right down to it. Not a pretty sight at the tail end of the SK Modified race. Keith Rocco passes Ted Christopher in the final corners of the event, and Christopher doesn't seem to like what he just went through. To make it up, a little pushing ensues after the checkered flag between Christopher and Rocco. Two wind up in turn one. Rocco pulls away doing donuts and just making things look ten times worse than what they probably already were. Rocco pulls into victory lane still doing all of the celebration stuff (probably will be fined and/or losing points in the process). Both he and Woody Pitkat (third place) end up talking about Christopher. Not very nice things to say there. I wouldn't be surprised to see penalties for Christopher, Rocco, or both. I will be surprised to see nothing come out of it.
Second, take a good look at the picture here to the left. This is a picture taken by me during the DARE Stock race. On the first lap, there was a two-car spin that resulted in the piece of debris that you see in this photo resting in the grass right next to the track. Now, there were two cautions for dirt getting kicked up onto the racing surface. And that's going to get called over a piece of sheet metal in the grass next to the track? It didn't get picked up until the first and only caution of the event came out many laps later. I know I wasn't the only one who saw this sitting there. Some of the officials saw it. And nothing was done about it. I wouldn't want to have been the first guy (or girl) to run over this thing if I happened to have been sliding through the grassy part of turn one. It would have done some good damage to anyone's car.
Sorry about the rants. Just had this stuff run over from what I was going to write in this week's recap -- which will be up around Wednesday.
First, let's get right down to it. Not a pretty sight at the tail end of the SK Modified race. Keith Rocco passes Ted Christopher in the final corners of the event, and Christopher doesn't seem to like what he just went through. To make it up, a little pushing ensues after the checkered flag between Christopher and Rocco. Two wind up in turn one. Rocco pulls away doing donuts and just making things look ten times worse than what they probably already were. Rocco pulls into victory lane still doing all of the celebration stuff (probably will be fined and/or losing points in the process). Both he and Woody Pitkat (third place) end up talking about Christopher. Not very nice things to say there. I wouldn't be surprised to see penalties for Christopher, Rocco, or both. I will be surprised to see nothing come out of it.
Second, take a good look at the picture here to the left. This is a picture taken by me during the DARE Stock race. On the first lap, there was a two-car spin that resulted in the piece of debris that you see in this photo resting in the grass right next to the track. Now, there were two cautions for dirt getting kicked up onto the racing surface. And that's going to get called over a piece of sheet metal in the grass next to the track? It didn't get picked up until the first and only caution of the event came out many laps later. I know I wasn't the only one who saw this sitting there. Some of the officials saw it. And nothing was done about it. I wouldn't want to have been the first guy (or girl) to run over this thing if I happened to have been sliding through the grassy part of turn one. It would have done some good damage to anyone's car.Sorry about the rants. Just had this stuff run over from what I was going to write in this week's recap -- which will be up around Wednesday.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Schedule for September 18
Let's try this again. There are only two weeks left before the Fall Final next month.
There's five divisions on tap for this upcoming Friday night, which is September 18. The schedule can be found at the usual place, which you will go to if you click the link.
Some great points battles are still going. Will there be major shakeups in the races for the championships? Stay tuned.
There's five divisions on tap for this upcoming Friday night, which is September 18. The schedule can be found at the usual place, which you will go to if you click the link.
Some great points battles are still going. Will there be major shakeups in the races for the championships? Stay tuned.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Make it Rain
How about it stops raining? No? Darn. Well, once again, it's raining on a Friday afternoon. And that means that something's got to give. Stafford isn't racing tonight on a count of the rain and it doesn't look like it's going to stop for a while.So the next time we can meet is next week, which is September 18. That was the week added onto the schedule back a few weeks ago because of all the August showers that had come. Speaking of added weeks, there's another week that was added to the schedule. Let's run on September 25. That means there's still two weeks of racing before the Fall Final, and as we all found out so far this season, anything can happen between now and the first weekend of October.
The rain is kicking our butts. Let's try again next week, weather permitting. Okay?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Entries for Fall Final WMT Race In
You know that the Fall Final is coming when the entry list for the Whelen Modified Tour race is up with a few entries. And with nine entries already in, the entry list for the aforementioned race is taking shape.
Keep checking the link in the sidebar as it's updated, or you can click the link above.
Keep checking the link in the sidebar as it's updated, or you can click the link above.
Results of September 4
Hope everyone had a nice and safe Labor Day weekend. Stafford finally got back to work with another five-division program as the holiday weekend got underway, with the Late Models finally getting their second 100-lap feature of the season into the record books. With the bugs out in full force (how many times did someone have to smack themselves just to kill one of those pesky little things?), it was racing at its finest. Here are the results of September 4.
Beginning the night off in style were the SK Lights. And the race started with Adam Skowyra out in front early. Any luck he may have been holding went out the door on lap-3, when his car and a few others wrecked on the backstretch -- CAUTION. The whole incident on the backstretch gave the lead to Tony Santangelo. His lead was also short lived, as on lap-4, a new leader emerged in Jay Goff. Four laps passed before musical leaders started up all over again and Earl Pelletier took over as the leader on lap-8. Goff fell back into second. Throughout the race, Goff tried to make a move around Pelletier. Goff found momentum in the corners but eventually lost it on the straightaway. The top-two ran as the top-two until the white flag lap, as there was a car that spun in turn four -- CAUTION. This sent the race into overtime and a green-white-checker finish loomed over the horizon. On the restart, Pelletier and Goff battled for the lead. Pelletier won the battle and started to pull away. Michael Gervais, Jr moved past Goff for second, and Raymond Grassetti also found a way around Goff; this time, for third. But out in front, it was Pelletier who cruised to his second win of the season. Gervais finished in second, with Grassetti in third and Goff in fourth.
Second on the schedule was the Limited Late Models. And it didn't start off too well. On the first lap, not long after the green came out to start the race, Carla Botticello spun on the backstretch and collected two other cars in the now accident -- CAUTION. The race went back to green, and it was Jeff Hubbell with the early lead. His lead lasted all of one full lap as Dave Yardley, III took over on lap-2. And Yardley's lead was two laps long. On lap-4, Andrew Durand became the third leader of the race. Yardley was in second. Norm Sears and Bill Davis were behind them, and they ran in that order until lap-10 as a car spun on the backstretch -- CAUTION. Durand retook control on the restart, still with Yardley and Sears behind him. Lap-12 had Kevin Gambacorta and George Nocera spinning in turns three and four -- CAUTION. On the restart, it was still Durand and Yardley in first and second, but Rob Dow moved into third. A scary occurrance happened on lap-17, as Hubbell smacked the turn four wall hard -- CAUTION. The red flag was brought out and Hubbell was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. When the race went back to green, it was Durand still out in front. The real battle was for second, third, and fourth between Yardley, Dow, and Sears. Dow got around Yardley for second, but neither of them could catch Durand. It was his fifth win of the year. Dow ended up finishing second. Yardley was third and Sears was fourth.
Closing out the open-wheeled portion of the show was the SK Modified division. And to start, it was Matt Gallo ahead of the field. Tom Bolles was in second early on, but soon started to slide backwards as many drivers moved past him to improve position. On lap-9, Willie Hardie and the bad luck streak continued as he hit the wall in turns three and four -- CAUTION. Gallo retook the lead on the restart, followed by Mark Bakaj right behind him. Bakaj attempted numerous passes throughout the course of the long green flag run, but to no avail. Todd Owen moved into third place on lap-23, getting around Doug Coby. Only seven laps later, on lap-30, Kirk Zervas spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. Gallo kept a hold on the lead on the ensuing restart with Owen right behind him after taking second from Bakaj. Owen was about to make a move on Gallo, but on lap-32, Chris Matthews spun in turn four -- CAUTION. When the restart came back out, it was Gallo still out in front. But the lead was short lived when there was a multi-car accident in turn one on lap-33 -- CAUTION. Bakaj took over as the leader when the green came back out, but he was about to be challenged from someone coming up through the field over the course of the green flag session. That driver was Woody Pitkat, who by lap-34 had moved into the second spot. But it was "make a move deja vu", and as Pitkat had finally managed to make it up to the lead, which happened on lap-37, there was a three-car accident in turn one -- CAUTION. Bakaj retained the lead with Pitkat now on the outside of the front row. They tried to make it up on the restart and failed immediately as there was a multi-car accident in turns three and four on the restart lap -- CAUTION. Pitkat took the lead from Bakaj on the restart and was able to lead a lap before debris was found in turn four on the next lap -- CAUTION. It set up three laps to the finish line. Pitkat won the lead on the restart and began to pull away from the field to take down his first win of the season. Bakaj finished second, as Owen and Coby finished the top-four.
The last race before the main event belonged to the DARE Stocks. Kyle Nosal started on the outside of the front row, but managed to find himself in the lead as the green came out to start the race with Bill Dunn not too far behind him. All was fine until lap-7, when Duane Provost spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. The restart had Nosal and Dunn on the front row, and when the green came back out, it was Dunn taking over as leader. Nosal slipped into second. Stephanie Berardi and Don Wood held onto third and fourth respectively. That was how they ran until lap-11. Ryan Nicewicz ended up wrecking on the backstretch -- CAUTION. They restarted nice, with Dunn still out in front. In two laps' time, Cliff Saunders wasn't able to get off the track after going through some kind of car issue; coming to a stop so close to pit road on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. The next attempt at a restart was a short one, at best. A five-car accident in turn three prompted little hesitation to throw the yellow -- CAUTION. When they did get back under green, it was still Dunn as the leader. One more lap was completed as a two-car spin in turns three and four (lap-14) resulted in -- CAUTION. By this time, time had expired on the feature, something that hadn't been done in a while with the DARE Stocks. Officials threw out both the yellow and checkered flags, giving Dunn the win; his first of the season. Don Wood finished second. Barry Fluckiger and Robert Thompson rounded out the board.
Finally, it was time for the main event. It was time for the Late Models to run 100 laps. The race began with Adam Gray in control in the early laps. A wide variety of drivers ran behind him, with the driver picking up a few spots through the first nine laps being Michael Bennett. On lap-10, things started to take effect in terms of position changes as Bennett found himself in second and looking to take over the top spot. Bennett was successful on lap-13, when he finally passed Gray for the lead. Gray started to fall backwards through the field as Tom Butler, Dillon Moltz, Ryan Posocco, and Jim Peterson all easily passed him. No other changes among the top-four drivers occured until lap-37, as Ed Gertsch wrecked in turn four and didn't stop until he reached the frontstretch -- CAUTION. And that set up the first restart of the race, which also saw the second lead change of the event. Butler passed Bennett on the restart, and Moltz quickly followed suit around Bennett, this time for second. The positioning of the lead drivers didn't change until lap-62, when Brian Chapin hit the wall in turn four -- CAUTION. On the restart, it was Butler still in the lead, now with Peterson in second and Moltz in third. Through the course of the final 38 laps, many position changes took place within the top-five drivers, but none of them included Butler. He was pressured a bit by Moltz and Peterson a couple of times, but aside from that, he commanded the race from the last restart to the end, picking up his second win of the season. Peterson, Moltz, and Posocco finished off the top-four.
And that was it for the week. Sounded pretty wild, didn't it? I agree with you. Coming up Friday night, it's another five-division program at the half-mile. It's also September 11, which means I'm pretty certain there's going to be some memorial for what happened eight years ago on that date. As usual, it all goes down as long as the rain also doesn't come down along with it. Everything happens weather permitting.
Beginning the night off in style were the SK Lights. And the race started with Adam Skowyra out in front early. Any luck he may have been holding went out the door on lap-3, when his car and a few others wrecked on the backstretch -- CAUTION. The whole incident on the backstretch gave the lead to Tony Santangelo. His lead was also short lived, as on lap-4, a new leader emerged in Jay Goff. Four laps passed before musical leaders started up all over again and Earl Pelletier took over as the leader on lap-8. Goff fell back into second. Throughout the race, Goff tried to make a move around Pelletier. Goff found momentum in the corners but eventually lost it on the straightaway. The top-two ran as the top-two until the white flag lap, as there was a car that spun in turn four -- CAUTION. This sent the race into overtime and a green-white-checker finish loomed over the horizon. On the restart, Pelletier and Goff battled for the lead. Pelletier won the battle and started to pull away. Michael Gervais, Jr moved past Goff for second, and Raymond Grassetti also found a way around Goff; this time, for third. But out in front, it was Pelletier who cruised to his second win of the season. Gervais finished in second, with Grassetti in third and Goff in fourth.
Second on the schedule was the Limited Late Models. And it didn't start off too well. On the first lap, not long after the green came out to start the race, Carla Botticello spun on the backstretch and collected two other cars in the now accident -- CAUTION. The race went back to green, and it was Jeff Hubbell with the early lead. His lead lasted all of one full lap as Dave Yardley, III took over on lap-2. And Yardley's lead was two laps long. On lap-4, Andrew Durand became the third leader of the race. Yardley was in second. Norm Sears and Bill Davis were behind them, and they ran in that order until lap-10 as a car spun on the backstretch -- CAUTION. Durand retook control on the restart, still with Yardley and Sears behind him. Lap-12 had Kevin Gambacorta and George Nocera spinning in turns three and four -- CAUTION. On the restart, it was still Durand and Yardley in first and second, but Rob Dow moved into third. A scary occurrance happened on lap-17, as Hubbell smacked the turn four wall hard -- CAUTION. The red flag was brought out and Hubbell was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. When the race went back to green, it was Durand still out in front. The real battle was for second, third, and fourth between Yardley, Dow, and Sears. Dow got around Yardley for second, but neither of them could catch Durand. It was his fifth win of the year. Dow ended up finishing second. Yardley was third and Sears was fourth.
Closing out the open-wheeled portion of the show was the SK Modified division. And to start, it was Matt Gallo ahead of the field. Tom Bolles was in second early on, but soon started to slide backwards as many drivers moved past him to improve position. On lap-9, Willie Hardie and the bad luck streak continued as he hit the wall in turns three and four -- CAUTION. Gallo retook the lead on the restart, followed by Mark Bakaj right behind him. Bakaj attempted numerous passes throughout the course of the long green flag run, but to no avail. Todd Owen moved into third place on lap-23, getting around Doug Coby. Only seven laps later, on lap-30, Kirk Zervas spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. Gallo kept a hold on the lead on the ensuing restart with Owen right behind him after taking second from Bakaj. Owen was about to make a move on Gallo, but on lap-32, Chris Matthews spun in turn four -- CAUTION. When the restart came back out, it was Gallo still out in front. But the lead was short lived when there was a multi-car accident in turn one on lap-33 -- CAUTION. Bakaj took over as the leader when the green came back out, but he was about to be challenged from someone coming up through the field over the course of the green flag session. That driver was Woody Pitkat, who by lap-34 had moved into the second spot. But it was "make a move deja vu", and as Pitkat had finally managed to make it up to the lead, which happened on lap-37, there was a three-car accident in turn one -- CAUTION. Bakaj retained the lead with Pitkat now on the outside of the front row. They tried to make it up on the restart and failed immediately as there was a multi-car accident in turns three and four on the restart lap -- CAUTION. Pitkat took the lead from Bakaj on the restart and was able to lead a lap before debris was found in turn four on the next lap -- CAUTION. It set up three laps to the finish line. Pitkat won the lead on the restart and began to pull away from the field to take down his first win of the season. Bakaj finished second, as Owen and Coby finished the top-four.
The last race before the main event belonged to the DARE Stocks. Kyle Nosal started on the outside of the front row, but managed to find himself in the lead as the green came out to start the race with Bill Dunn not too far behind him. All was fine until lap-7, when Duane Provost spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. The restart had Nosal and Dunn on the front row, and when the green came back out, it was Dunn taking over as leader. Nosal slipped into second. Stephanie Berardi and Don Wood held onto third and fourth respectively. That was how they ran until lap-11. Ryan Nicewicz ended up wrecking on the backstretch -- CAUTION. They restarted nice, with Dunn still out in front. In two laps' time, Cliff Saunders wasn't able to get off the track after going through some kind of car issue; coming to a stop so close to pit road on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. The next attempt at a restart was a short one, at best. A five-car accident in turn three prompted little hesitation to throw the yellow -- CAUTION. When they did get back under green, it was still Dunn as the leader. One more lap was completed as a two-car spin in turns three and four (lap-14) resulted in -- CAUTION. By this time, time had expired on the feature, something that hadn't been done in a while with the DARE Stocks. Officials threw out both the yellow and checkered flags, giving Dunn the win; his first of the season. Don Wood finished second. Barry Fluckiger and Robert Thompson rounded out the board.
Finally, it was time for the main event. It was time for the Late Models to run 100 laps. The race began with Adam Gray in control in the early laps. A wide variety of drivers ran behind him, with the driver picking up a few spots through the first nine laps being Michael Bennett. On lap-10, things started to take effect in terms of position changes as Bennett found himself in second and looking to take over the top spot. Bennett was successful on lap-13, when he finally passed Gray for the lead. Gray started to fall backwards through the field as Tom Butler, Dillon Moltz, Ryan Posocco, and Jim Peterson all easily passed him. No other changes among the top-four drivers occured until lap-37, as Ed Gertsch wrecked in turn four and didn't stop until he reached the frontstretch -- CAUTION. And that set up the first restart of the race, which also saw the second lead change of the event. Butler passed Bennett on the restart, and Moltz quickly followed suit around Bennett, this time for second. The positioning of the lead drivers didn't change until lap-62, when Brian Chapin hit the wall in turn four -- CAUTION. On the restart, it was Butler still in the lead, now with Peterson in second and Moltz in third. Through the course of the final 38 laps, many position changes took place within the top-five drivers, but none of them included Butler. He was pressured a bit by Moltz and Peterson a couple of times, but aside from that, he commanded the race from the last restart to the end, picking up his second win of the season. Peterson, Moltz, and Posocco finished off the top-four.
And that was it for the week. Sounded pretty wild, didn't it? I agree with you. Coming up Friday night, it's another five-division program at the half-mile. It's also September 11, which means I'm pretty certain there's going to be some memorial for what happened eight years ago on that date. As usual, it all goes down as long as the rain also doesn't come down along with it. Everything happens weather permitting.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Schedule for September 11
Only two more Friday night events between now and the Fall Final. This upcoming Friday night is one of them. I've got the schedule for the September 11 program, which may or may not include a pre-race memorial to the fallen from eight years ago.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Late Model Disqualification
Why Stafford didn't announce this earlier is anyone's guess. But there was a disqualification from the August 14 program (the last event that was run before the rainfest).
This was official for a little under three weeks.
Ryan Posocco was disqualified because the tires that were on the car that night were found to be "chemically altered".
Now, I don't know if track officials found out three weeks ago or recently, but either way, this is something I've never heard of before. In the nine and a half years I've been going to Stafford, I have never heard of anyone chemically altering their tires. I don't know how that benefits a driver.
But alas, this hurts Posocco in the points race. He dropped from first to third in the standings, now 28 points back on leader Jim Peterson. Posocco's also placed on probation until the end of the year and is suspended until he pays a $200 fine.
This was official for a little under three weeks.
Ryan Posocco was disqualified because the tires that were on the car that night were found to be "chemically altered".
Now, I don't know if track officials found out three weeks ago or recently, but either way, this is something I've never heard of before. In the nine and a half years I've been going to Stafford, I have never heard of anyone chemically altering their tires. I don't know how that benefits a driver.
But alas, this hurts Posocco in the points race. He dropped from first to third in the standings, now 28 points back on leader Jim Peterson. Posocco's also placed on probation until the end of the year and is suspended until he pays a $200 fine.
Thursday News and Rumors
A few things on the docket on this beautiful Thursday afternoon.
+ We're trying to run the second of two Late Model 100s on Friday. The schedule's been up for a while now. The Late Models will close out the program. If you have a rain check from either the August 21 or August 28 program, feel free to use it.
+ According to the NASCAR Home Track's Twitter page, the new age limit for support and entry-level divisions at Whelen All-American Series tracks is 14. Will 2010 be the Year of the Youth Movement at Stafford? Only time will tell before we know for sure.
+ Finally, from the "rumor mill" files: Heard that Stafford is in the process of adding more races to the schedule. They'll be pushing back the Fall Final to Halloween weekend if that happens. If that happens, I've got two words for you. Bundle up.
+ We're trying to run the second of two Late Model 100s on Friday. The schedule's been up for a while now. The Late Models will close out the program. If you have a rain check from either the August 21 or August 28 program, feel free to use it.
+ According to the NASCAR Home Track's Twitter page, the new age limit for support and entry-level divisions at Whelen All-American Series tracks is 14. Will 2010 be the Year of the Youth Movement at Stafford? Only time will tell before we know for sure.
+ Finally, from the "rumor mill" files: Heard that Stafford is in the process of adding more races to the schedule. They'll be pushing back the Fall Final to Halloween weekend if that happens. If that happens, I've got two words for you. Bundle up.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Major Modified Changes
Starting Friday (or whenever it doesn't rain next), there's going to be a face missing and a face returning. And more faces in new places as the end of the season approaches as well.
Jimmy Blewett is out of the TS Haulers SK Modified and Whelen Modified Tour rides, per the Courant's racing blog. The question is, who's getting behind the wheel? The answer: Not just one driver, but two. Keith Rocco will be taking over in the Tour ride, starting Thursday at Thompson. Ron Silk, who was recently removed from his Tour ride, will be driving the SK at Thompson and Stafford.
Jimmy Blewett is out of the TS Haulers SK Modified and Whelen Modified Tour rides, per the Courant's racing blog. The question is, who's getting behind the wheel? The answer: Not just one driver, but two. Keith Rocco will be taking over in the Tour ride, starting Thursday at Thompson. Ron Silk, who was recently removed from his Tour ride, will be driving the SK at Thompson and Stafford.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
I know, more rain-related lyrics. How fun.
But seriously, this was supposed to be a regular week with fireworks. Thanks to the hurricane that's coming, however, we're not getting it in. Here's another week where you get to hang back at home and wait out the rain until next Friday night.
That week should be interesting. The second of the Late Model 100s. Can't wait.
It happens with the usual "weather pending" disclaimer tagged to it.
EDIT: It seems as though we're not getting two weeks off next month. Stafford has added another date to their calendar. We're now going racing on September 18, weather permitting. That still means there's a week off inbetween the final Friday night and the Fall Final.
But seriously, this was supposed to be a regular week with fireworks. Thanks to the hurricane that's coming, however, we're not getting it in. Here's another week where you get to hang back at home and wait out the rain until next Friday night.
That week should be interesting. The second of the Late Model 100s. Can't wait.
It happens with the usual "weather pending" disclaimer tagged to it.
EDIT: It seems as though we're not getting two weeks off next month. Stafford has added another date to their calendar. We're now going racing on September 18, weather permitting. That still means there's a week off inbetween the final Friday night and the Fall Final.
It's Raining Again
Your weather report doesn't look too good for tonight. It's colder than usual for late August (63 degrees? Really?), and the rain's starting to fall. And there's more rain on the way.
Who wants to bet that someone's going to pull the plug on this event in a few minutes?
Who wants to bet that someone's going to pull the plug on this event in a few minutes?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Imagine This...
While there's no news to report about this week, why not think about this for a minute...
Waterford Speedbowl fans, drivers, and crew members have been talking about the Mini Stock 15-lap race that will run during Stafford's Fall Final weekend. Some of the posts have been about drivers confirming that they will be racing in the event, but some of the posters are talking about how this is all for hyping up.
Is this a sign that there's going to be a Mini Stock division at Stafford in 2010?
An idea from the thread linked is that Stafford could rotate between the DARE Stocks and Mini Stocks every other week. Or they'd have the DARE Stocks and Mini Stocks there at the same time, but not have them qualify.
(And then what about when the Tour's there on a Friday? Drop a division for ha-has? Or really cut it close with a seven-division show? Oh, how interesting that would be.)
Could six divisions get heats and features in before the curfew? They could, but only if they just start about a half hour or an hour earlier. But let's not talk about it until the race is over.
Waterford Speedbowl fans, drivers, and crew members have been talking about the Mini Stock 15-lap race that will run during Stafford's Fall Final weekend. Some of the posts have been about drivers confirming that they will be racing in the event, but some of the posters are talking about how this is all for hyping up.
Is this a sign that there's going to be a Mini Stock division at Stafford in 2010?
An idea from the thread linked is that Stafford could rotate between the DARE Stocks and Mini Stocks every other week. Or they'd have the DARE Stocks and Mini Stocks there at the same time, but not have them qualify.
(And then what about when the Tour's there on a Friday? Drop a division for ha-has? Or really cut it close with a seven-division show? Oh, how interesting that would be.)
Could six divisions get heats and features in before the curfew? They could, but only if they just start about a half hour or an hour earlier. But let's not talk about it until the race is over.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Schedule for August 28
As of today, there's only three races remaining until the Fall Final. This upcoming Friday, it's going to be a regular week on the track, with fireworks on and off of it. The schedule for August 28 calls for fireworks after dark. Should be a fun night. It's weather permitting. Maybe it can be a better night this week than what it was only a few days ago?
Oh, yes. Before I forget: Friday night should also be a qualifier for the North-South Shootout. The SK Modifieds will be racing for an automatic trip to North Carolina.
Oh, yes. Before I forget: Friday night should also be a qualifier for the North-South Shootout. The SK Modifieds will be racing for an automatic trip to North Carolina.
Friday, August 21, 2009
I Love a Rainy Night
Well, not really. But alas, it had to happen eventually. Friday's program, including the second of two Late Model 100s? Rained out.
The big question is now... When are they going to run this extra-distance race? The answer is... Two weeks from now, on September 4. Next Friday night, weather permitting, is a regular night at the track. So that's when everyone shall congregate.
We'll try this again in seven days.
The big question is now... When are they going to run this extra-distance race? The answer is... Two weeks from now, on September 4. Next Friday night, weather permitting, is a regular night at the track. So that's when everyone shall congregate.
We'll try this again in seven days.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Results of August 14
Welcome to the wonderful world of a regular week! Yes, that's right. Stafford had a regular program lined up for the fans Friday night, which meant it was the five weekly divisions and nothing else. I'd like to say that it was a quiet night for a program like this, but nothing can be considered normal at the half-mile, and there was plenty to talk about. I have nothing more to say before we start. Here are the results of August 14, also known as USG Event Night.
The program stated off with the Limited Late Models. It also started with Jeff Hubbell as the leader. His interrupted reign in front only lasted four laps, as Norm Sears hit the wall in turns three and four on lap-5 -- CAUTION. The race went back to green with a new leader in Jesse Hinze, who was able to get around Hubbell for the lead. Again, it was short lived. On lap-6, John Morgillo, Jr was involved in an accident in turns three and four, while other cars were also involved in minor ways -- CAUTION. That bunched the field back up for another restart, and again, it was Hinze with the advantage. Dan Flannery moved into second, and behind him in third was Kevin Gambacorta. That was the top-3 at the halfway mark, and on lap-11 when Rob Dow spun in turn two with another car -- CAUTION. Again, the race went back to green after what was a quick caution, but Flannery found the space to go around Hinze for the lead. On lap-12, Shawn Thibeault and Andrew Durand were involved in a spin and accident situation in turns three and four -- CAUTION. A part of Durand's car was coming off and he was black flagged and sent to pit road because of it. Meanwhile, back up front, it was Flannery still in control of the race. Now in second was Gambacorta, and he was trying to make the move past Flannery for the lead. As the laps ticked by, nothing seemed to work. But on the final lap, as there were spins all over the track (a spin in turns one and two didn't bring out the yellow), Gambacorta passed Flannery in turn three and managed to edge out Flannery for his first win of the season. Dow came back from a spin to finish third, while Dave Yardley, III finished fourth.
Feature number two belonged to the Late Models. That race didn't start off on the right foot. Not long after the original start of the race, Michael Bennett nailed the safer barrier hard, recoiled, and hit the barrier again -- CAUTION. Woody Pitkat was also involved in the accident, but not as serious as Bennett was. The accident prompted the red flag to come out with no laps in the record books. After extensive cleanup, the race went back to yellow and then back to green with Adam Gray leading the way. Brian Chapin held down second while third belonged to Ryan Posocco. This was how the top-3 looked until lap-13, when Dave Wray spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. The restart on lap-13 was anything but normal. At the front of the field, there was three-wide racing going on, with Tom Butler being the loser in the battle for position as one of his tires went flat and he ended up sitting close to the wall in turns three and four. The field crossed the line for lap-14, and the yellow came out -- CAUTION. They went back to green with Gray still out in front. Dillon Moltz found his way up to second, but he couldn't advance any higher. It was lap-23 when Gray and Moltz had a quick battle for the lead. The two made contact, sending Moltz around in turn two -- CAUTION. In turn, the incident between the leaders put Gray in the back for rough riding (black flag) and gave the lead to Pitkat and Posocco. All sorts of trouble ensued on the restart. For some reason, Pitkat's car didn't want to go when the green came back out. The entire inside row got the worst of the restart, as they all bunched up. There were cars all over the frontstretch in one way or another -- CAUTION. Posocco became the leader, and Tom Fearn was now on the outside for the new restart, which went smoother than the last one. Posocco got the jump and pulled away from the field. He lead the last eight laps of the race to take down his fourth win of the season. Fearn came around to finish second, with Chapin in third and Mark St. Hilaire in fourth.
The Modified portion of the show began with the SK Lights. And it started with Jay Goff taking the lead at the start of the feature. Goff held the lead for the first five laps of the race until lap-6, when multiple cars found themselves in distress on the backstretch -- CAUTION. The question here was: How many cars were involved in the accident? The answer was there were more cars than tow trucks working to clean up the mess, especially when one of the cars went off hammock-style, prompting the red flag to come out for the second time. After the yellow came back out, a penalty was assessed to Brit Andersen for rough riding. And after everything was settled, the race went back to green. On the restart, Kyle Spencer took the lead from Goff and brought Heather DesRochers with him. Goff dropped back to third. One driver that was moving quickly through the field after the restart was Andersen, who was really moving through the field. By lap-8, he had found himself in the top-5, and by the time lap-12 came around, he had moved into third and was looking to keep moving. He passed DesRochers for second on lap-16 and quickly reached Spencer. On the next lap, Andersen found a way around Spencer for the lead. After Andersen got by Spencer, he started to pull away from the field over the course of the three laps that were remaining in the race and picked up his fifth win of the year in the process. Spencer finished second, with DesRochers in third and Michael Gervais, Jr in fourth.
Action shifted to the fastest division Stafford has to offer when the SK Modifieds took to the track. It started pretty clean, with Doug Coby getting the early jump ahead of the rest of the field to take the lead. Drivers behind Coby included Matt Gallo and Tom Bolles, who were running second and third respectively. There were drivers who were moving up through the field in the early stages of the race; they were Ted Christopher and Frank Ruocco, who moved up into fifth and sixth in five laps from their original starting spots of tenth and twelfth respectively. That would be how they ran until lap-10, when four cars were collected in an accident on the backstretch, including Jimmy Blewett and Sean Foster -- CAUTION. This put Coby and Gallo on the front row for the restart. On the restart, Gallo pulled out in front to take over leadership. Coby dropped back into second, but this was only for a short time. It was lap-13 when Gallo found himself sliding up the racetrack, giving Coby the advantage and giving him the lead again. Gallo lost quite a few spots during the green flag run. But Gallo wasn't the only one to lose spots during the period of green, as Christopher brought Woody Pitkat and Ruocco past Coby on lap-20. That was the running order on lap-24, when Joe Allegro, Jr spun in turn three -- CAUTION. Another caution prompted another restart, and when the green came back out, it was Christopher holding onto first with Pitkat behind him. The running order within the top-4 didn't change until lap-35, when Ruocco passed Pitkat for second. It didn't matter, however, because Christopher came down to the finish line first, picking up his fourth win of the season. The rest of the top-4 was Ruocco, Pitkat, and Coby.
It was up to the DARE Stocks to close out the program. As referenced last week, they had a three-race caution-free streak going for them. Would the trend continue and would the race end up going green to checker for a fourth straight week? The race went to green, and in turn one, Jeff Jolly wound up spinning. His car sat close to the track, not starting up until it was too late -- CAUTION. So the streak ended at three races, as the fourth didn't get a lap in. The spin in turn one was a quick caution, as Jolly was able to get going after the yellow came out, and it was back to green not too long afterward. Kyle Nosal was the one who found the front early in the race after the green was dropped, and he found himself in total control of the race. His lead lasted a full four laps. On lap-5, and in turn two, there was a multi-car accident that included more cars than one could count -- CAUTION. Not only that, but one of the cars involved was torn up so bad, the red flag was brought out for the third time in the night. It took some time before the track was cleared; maybe five minutes worth of it. When the racing surface was cleared, it was back to racing with a new leader emerging in Bill Dunn. This is where Dunn took advantage. He pulled away from the field and looked to be in complete control of the race. But newcomer Nicholas Salva spun in turns three and four on the last lap of the race -- CAUTION. The spin set up the first and only green-white-checker of the evening. And on the drop of the green, it was Dunn back out in front. He wasn't alone, however, as Barry Fluckiger was right behind him. The two remained close and Fluckiger remained on Dunn's bumper until the very last second, as they were coming off of turn four. Fluckiger made the pass around Dunn for the lead and just edged out Dunn for his second win of the season. Dunn had to settle for second. Don Wood and Duane Provost rounded out the board.
And that was how the crazy night ended. They'll do it all over again next Friday night. The Late Models are racing extra laps. Instead of 30-laps, they'll race in the second of two Late Model 100s on the season. Should be highly entertaining, and it's all going to be weather permitting.
The program stated off with the Limited Late Models. It also started with Jeff Hubbell as the leader. His interrupted reign in front only lasted four laps, as Norm Sears hit the wall in turns three and four on lap-5 -- CAUTION. The race went back to green with a new leader in Jesse Hinze, who was able to get around Hubbell for the lead. Again, it was short lived. On lap-6, John Morgillo, Jr was involved in an accident in turns three and four, while other cars were also involved in minor ways -- CAUTION. That bunched the field back up for another restart, and again, it was Hinze with the advantage. Dan Flannery moved into second, and behind him in third was Kevin Gambacorta. That was the top-3 at the halfway mark, and on lap-11 when Rob Dow spun in turn two with another car -- CAUTION. Again, the race went back to green after what was a quick caution, but Flannery found the space to go around Hinze for the lead. On lap-12, Shawn Thibeault and Andrew Durand were involved in a spin and accident situation in turns three and four -- CAUTION. A part of Durand's car was coming off and he was black flagged and sent to pit road because of it. Meanwhile, back up front, it was Flannery still in control of the race. Now in second was Gambacorta, and he was trying to make the move past Flannery for the lead. As the laps ticked by, nothing seemed to work. But on the final lap, as there were spins all over the track (a spin in turns one and two didn't bring out the yellow), Gambacorta passed Flannery in turn three and managed to edge out Flannery for his first win of the season. Dow came back from a spin to finish third, while Dave Yardley, III finished fourth.
Feature number two belonged to the Late Models. That race didn't start off on the right foot. Not long after the original start of the race, Michael Bennett nailed the safer barrier hard, recoiled, and hit the barrier again -- CAUTION. Woody Pitkat was also involved in the accident, but not as serious as Bennett was. The accident prompted the red flag to come out with no laps in the record books. After extensive cleanup, the race went back to yellow and then back to green with Adam Gray leading the way. Brian Chapin held down second while third belonged to Ryan Posocco. This was how the top-3 looked until lap-13, when Dave Wray spun on the frontstretch -- CAUTION. The restart on lap-13 was anything but normal. At the front of the field, there was three-wide racing going on, with Tom Butler being the loser in the battle for position as one of his tires went flat and he ended up sitting close to the wall in turns three and four. The field crossed the line for lap-14, and the yellow came out -- CAUTION. They went back to green with Gray still out in front. Dillon Moltz found his way up to second, but he couldn't advance any higher. It was lap-23 when Gray and Moltz had a quick battle for the lead. The two made contact, sending Moltz around in turn two -- CAUTION. In turn, the incident between the leaders put Gray in the back for rough riding (black flag) and gave the lead to Pitkat and Posocco. All sorts of trouble ensued on the restart. For some reason, Pitkat's car didn't want to go when the green came back out. The entire inside row got the worst of the restart, as they all bunched up. There were cars all over the frontstretch in one way or another -- CAUTION. Posocco became the leader, and Tom Fearn was now on the outside for the new restart, which went smoother than the last one. Posocco got the jump and pulled away from the field. He lead the last eight laps of the race to take down his fourth win of the season. Fearn came around to finish second, with Chapin in third and Mark St. Hilaire in fourth.
The Modified portion of the show began with the SK Lights. And it started with Jay Goff taking the lead at the start of the feature. Goff held the lead for the first five laps of the race until lap-6, when multiple cars found themselves in distress on the backstretch -- CAUTION. The question here was: How many cars were involved in the accident? The answer was there were more cars than tow trucks working to clean up the mess, especially when one of the cars went off hammock-style, prompting the red flag to come out for the second time. After the yellow came back out, a penalty was assessed to Brit Andersen for rough riding. And after everything was settled, the race went back to green. On the restart, Kyle Spencer took the lead from Goff and brought Heather DesRochers with him. Goff dropped back to third. One driver that was moving quickly through the field after the restart was Andersen, who was really moving through the field. By lap-8, he had found himself in the top-5, and by the time lap-12 came around, he had moved into third and was looking to keep moving. He passed DesRochers for second on lap-16 and quickly reached Spencer. On the next lap, Andersen found a way around Spencer for the lead. After Andersen got by Spencer, he started to pull away from the field over the course of the three laps that were remaining in the race and picked up his fifth win of the year in the process. Spencer finished second, with DesRochers in third and Michael Gervais, Jr in fourth.
Action shifted to the fastest division Stafford has to offer when the SK Modifieds took to the track. It started pretty clean, with Doug Coby getting the early jump ahead of the rest of the field to take the lead. Drivers behind Coby included Matt Gallo and Tom Bolles, who were running second and third respectively. There were drivers who were moving up through the field in the early stages of the race; they were Ted Christopher and Frank Ruocco, who moved up into fifth and sixth in five laps from their original starting spots of tenth and twelfth respectively. That would be how they ran until lap-10, when four cars were collected in an accident on the backstretch, including Jimmy Blewett and Sean Foster -- CAUTION. This put Coby and Gallo on the front row for the restart. On the restart, Gallo pulled out in front to take over leadership. Coby dropped back into second, but this was only for a short time. It was lap-13 when Gallo found himself sliding up the racetrack, giving Coby the advantage and giving him the lead again. Gallo lost quite a few spots during the green flag run. But Gallo wasn't the only one to lose spots during the period of green, as Christopher brought Woody Pitkat and Ruocco past Coby on lap-20. That was the running order on lap-24, when Joe Allegro, Jr spun in turn three -- CAUTION. Another caution prompted another restart, and when the green came back out, it was Christopher holding onto first with Pitkat behind him. The running order within the top-4 didn't change until lap-35, when Ruocco passed Pitkat for second. It didn't matter, however, because Christopher came down to the finish line first, picking up his fourth win of the season. The rest of the top-4 was Ruocco, Pitkat, and Coby.
It was up to the DARE Stocks to close out the program. As referenced last week, they had a three-race caution-free streak going for them. Would the trend continue and would the race end up going green to checker for a fourth straight week? The race went to green, and in turn one, Jeff Jolly wound up spinning. His car sat close to the track, not starting up until it was too late -- CAUTION. So the streak ended at three races, as the fourth didn't get a lap in. The spin in turn one was a quick caution, as Jolly was able to get going after the yellow came out, and it was back to green not too long afterward. Kyle Nosal was the one who found the front early in the race after the green was dropped, and he found himself in total control of the race. His lead lasted a full four laps. On lap-5, and in turn two, there was a multi-car accident that included more cars than one could count -- CAUTION. Not only that, but one of the cars involved was torn up so bad, the red flag was brought out for the third time in the night. It took some time before the track was cleared; maybe five minutes worth of it. When the racing surface was cleared, it was back to racing with a new leader emerging in Bill Dunn. This is where Dunn took advantage. He pulled away from the field and looked to be in complete control of the race. But newcomer Nicholas Salva spun in turns three and four on the last lap of the race -- CAUTION. The spin set up the first and only green-white-checker of the evening. And on the drop of the green, it was Dunn back out in front. He wasn't alone, however, as Barry Fluckiger was right behind him. The two remained close and Fluckiger remained on Dunn's bumper until the very last second, as they were coming off of turn four. Fluckiger made the pass around Dunn for the lead and just edged out Dunn for his second win of the season. Dunn had to settle for second. Don Wood and Duane Provost rounded out the board.
And that was how the crazy night ended. They'll do it all over again next Friday night. The Late Models are racing extra laps. Instead of 30-laps, they'll race in the second of two Late Model 100s on the season. Should be highly entertaining, and it's all going to be weather permitting.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Schedule for August 21
This upcoming Friday night should be interesting. It's the second of two Late Model 100s that will be run this season. Can Dillon Moltz make it four straight extra-distance races in the division? Stay tuned to find out. And read the schedule daily to see what the order of the features will be that night. Weather permitting.
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