These are not being done late in the week, but more like the day after these were posted on the track's home page. So let's get right to it.
+ Anthony Sesley is joining the SK Modifieds for the 2011 season. Instead of a #11 on the car, it's going to be a #6.
+ Michael Bennett wants the Late Model championship. Last year, he finished fifth in the standings.
+ It's been a while since the Champions for Charities stories were posted. I look back and see that this week's profile is part five of twelve. In this part, the subject is Frank Ruocco.
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.
Showing posts with label Other Racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Racing. Show all posts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Abridged Weekly Linkage
Okay, I'm on a tight schedule. Here's the week that was (last Friday's links) from Stafford.
+ Next part to the Champions for Charities series, about Todd Szegedy.
+ 6/19: Racing Against Cancer track walk.
+ Lincoln Technical Institute is now a sponsor of the June Modified Racing Series event.
+ Your "before the Sizzler" coverage begins as well.
+ Gunsmoke Stables is a new contingency sponsor for the SK Lights.
+ Stafford's online totals almost hit 700,000.
+ Next part to the Champions for Charities series, about Todd Szegedy.
+ 6/19: Racing Against Cancer track walk.
+ Lincoln Technical Institute is now a sponsor of the June Modified Racing Series event.
+ Your "before the Sizzler" coverage begins as well.
+ Gunsmoke Stables is a new contingency sponsor for the SK Lights.
+ Stafford's online totals almost hit 700,000.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
More News
Another week, and another set of news stories for you. Let's get to them.
+ There are going to be a ton of Subarus at Stafford in June. After spending the last five years at Wachusett Mountain, the Wicked Big Meet is coming to Connecticut. This is America's largest Subaru enthusiast festival.
+ Ryan Preece's career in a SK Modified continues in 2011 as he'll be running the full season in the division.
+ Bobby Santos, III wants to improve on last year's Spring Sizzler finish. It was a second-place run in 2010 - this year, he wants the win.
+ Speaking of Santos, part four of twelve about the Champions for Charities drivers is about Santos. His charity is the USAC Benevolent Fund.
+ There are going to be a ton of Subarus at Stafford in June. After spending the last five years at Wachusett Mountain, the Wicked Big Meet is coming to Connecticut. This is America's largest Subaru enthusiast festival.
+ Ryan Preece's career in a SK Modified continues in 2011 as he'll be running the full season in the division.
+ Bobby Santos, III wants to improve on last year's Spring Sizzler finish. It was a second-place run in 2010 - this year, he wants the win.
+ Speaking of Santos, part four of twelve about the Champions for Charities drivers is about Santos. His charity is the USAC Benevolent Fund.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Late Week Newslines
Let's get these news stories from the Stafford site out of the way before Friday gets here.
+ Starting with the sponsorship news, the Town Fair Tire 150 in August will remain the Town Fair Tire 150. The company renewed their sponsorship for the August race involving the Whelen Modified Tour.
+ Part three of twelve in the Champions for Charities spotlights came on Friday. This week's driver spotlight was about Donny Lia.
+ Welcome the newest SK Light rookie: Sara Locascio.
+ After four years in the SK Light division, Heather DesRochers is moving up to the SK Modifieds. Steve Greer has provided the engine.
+ Starting with the sponsorship news, the Town Fair Tire 150 in August will remain the Town Fair Tire 150. The company renewed their sponsorship for the August race involving the Whelen Modified Tour.
+ Part three of twelve in the Champions for Charities spotlights came on Friday. This week's driver spotlight was about Donny Lia.
+ Welcome the newest SK Light rookie: Sara Locascio.
+ After four years in the SK Light division, Heather DesRochers is moving up to the SK Modifieds. Steve Greer has provided the engine.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Wednesday Night Linkage
Okay, family issues have kept me from doing this batch of linkage. So let's get that done now, okay?
+ First order of business - sponsorship news. TSI Harley-Davidson has renewed their sponsorship for the Memorial Day race (this year on 5/27). For the 21st time, the Whelen Modifieds will be racing in the TSI Harley-Davidson 125.
+ Eric Berndt will be racing on the Whelen Modified Tour on a full-time basis in 2011, teaming up with Bob Katon, Jr.
+ Earl Pelletier is going to team up with Steve Greer this upcoming season. He hopes having support will help him win a few races.
+ And finally, part two of twelve is up in regards to the Champions for Charities drivers. Driver number two being profiled is Ted Christopher. His charity is the Connecticut Brest Health Initiative.
+ First order of business - sponsorship news. TSI Harley-Davidson has renewed their sponsorship for the Memorial Day race (this year on 5/27). For the 21st time, the Whelen Modifieds will be racing in the TSI Harley-Davidson 125.
+ Eric Berndt will be racing on the Whelen Modified Tour on a full-time basis in 2011, teaming up with Bob Katon, Jr.
+ Earl Pelletier is going to team up with Steve Greer this upcoming season. He hopes having support will help him win a few races.
+ And finally, part two of twelve is up in regards to the Champions for Charities drivers. Driver number two being profiled is Ted Christopher. His charity is the Connecticut Brest Health Initiative.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday News and... Well, News
Another week, and another set of notes for you. These will be done the same day the links are put up on the site this time, as I refuse to wait until the last minute.
+ More semi-sponsorship news: Your safety trucks will once again be provided by Family Ford of Enfield.
+ The weekend of the 28-30 is the Frank Maratta Auto Show at the Connecticut Expo Center. Keith Rocco's SK Modified will be on display throughout the weekend. On Saturday night, there's going to be a Stafford Speedway autograph session featuring some of the drivers. The session will be from 6-7pm.
+ And this is also part one of what I believe is a 12-part feature on the Champions for Charities drivers. The first driver to be profiled is Keith Rocco. His charity is the Connecticut chapter of the Make-a-Wish foundation. His goal is to raise $8,500 and make one kid's wish come true.
+ More semi-sponsorship news: Your safety trucks will once again be provided by Family Ford of Enfield.
+ The weekend of the 28-30 is the Frank Maratta Auto Show at the Connecticut Expo Center. Keith Rocco's SK Modified will be on display throughout the weekend. On Saturday night, there's going to be a Stafford Speedway autograph session featuring some of the drivers. The session will be from 6-7pm.
+ And this is also part one of what I believe is a 12-part feature on the Champions for Charities drivers. The first driver to be profiled is Keith Rocco. His charity is the Connecticut chapter of the Make-a-Wish foundation. His goal is to raise $8,500 and make one kid's wish come true.
Friday, January 07, 2011
A Few Friday Notes...
Well, the first full week of 2011 is nearly over. With a new calendar year comes a new bunch of headlines.
+ The final power rating list is out. Power ratings, for those who don't follow it, is a system to determine just who is the best driver during any given season. The ratings are determined in the final manner: Only top ten finishes count. For each win a driver earns, they get 100 points. (If a driver finishes seventh in a feature, they will earn 70 points.) Those points that they accumulated over the course of the season are divided by the total number of features in a division, giving them their power rating. If a driver raced in two divisions, they will be on the list twice (example: Woody Pitkat raced in both the Late Models and SK Modifieds; he gets on the list for his SK power rating and his Late Model power rating). The best driver this season was Keith Rocco, with a 78 rating.
+ Tony Membrino, Jr wants to race in the SK Light division, but he needs sponsors to help move the plan forward. If he gets sponsors, expect a #44 in the division this upcoming season.
+ There are big plans in the work for Steve Greer. Not only is he going with CD Chassis equipment, but he is also going to be teaming up with Earl Pelletier and Joey Cipriano.
+ Next month, there is an indoor midget race happening in Providence next month. They call it the Coffee Cup - which is appropriate, considering the event is in the Dunkin Donuts Center. A few Stafford drivers will make the trip to Rhode Island to race in the event. Ted Christopher and Woody Pitkat are expected to be part of the field.
+ The final power rating list is out. Power ratings, for those who don't follow it, is a system to determine just who is the best driver during any given season. The ratings are determined in the final manner: Only top ten finishes count. For each win a driver earns, they get 100 points. (If a driver finishes seventh in a feature, they will earn 70 points.) Those points that they accumulated over the course of the season are divided by the total number of features in a division, giving them their power rating. If a driver raced in two divisions, they will be on the list twice (example: Woody Pitkat raced in both the Late Models and SK Modifieds; he gets on the list for his SK power rating and his Late Model power rating). The best driver this season was Keith Rocco, with a 78 rating.
+ Tony Membrino, Jr wants to race in the SK Light division, but he needs sponsors to help move the plan forward. If he gets sponsors, expect a #44 in the division this upcoming season.
+ There are big plans in the work for Steve Greer. Not only is he going with CD Chassis equipment, but he is also going to be teaming up with Earl Pelletier and Joey Cipriano.
+ Next month, there is an indoor midget race happening in Providence next month. They call it the Coffee Cup - which is appropriate, considering the event is in the Dunkin Donuts Center. A few Stafford drivers will make the trip to Rhode Island to race in the event. Ted Christopher and Woody Pitkat are expected to be part of the field.
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Champions for Charities Drivers
The timeline was simple: Tuesday, a banner on the main page of Stafford's site said that the drivers who were going to participate in the Champions for Charities were going to be revealed the following day. And on Wednesday, the drivers were revealed.
To be eligible for consideration, there were only two stipulations you had to meet: You had to drive some type of open-wheel race car, and you had to have been a champion of an open-wheeled division.
The term "if you build it, they will come" applies here, as a dozen champions accepted invitations and will convene at the mini mile during CARQuest Extreme Tuesday. The list of twelve drivers includes both asphalt and dirt champions. Not all of them have selected their charities, but it should be determined in the coming days and weeks.
Your press release for this event is here, and your entry list is here.
To be eligible for consideration, there were only two stipulations you had to meet: You had to drive some type of open-wheel race car, and you had to have been a champion of an open-wheeled division.
The term "if you build it, they will come" applies here, as a dozen champions accepted invitations and will convene at the mini mile during CARQuest Extreme Tuesday. The list of twelve drivers includes both asphalt and dirt champions. Not all of them have selected their charities, but it should be determined in the coming days and weeks.
Your press release for this event is here, and your entry list is here.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pre-2011 News
Hope you guys had a very Merry Christmas. 2011 is coming up quick, and there's news to share.
+ RallyCross is coming to Stafford. The parking lot is going will be quite busy on January 15 and 16 as the Engraving Awards and Gifts RallyCross and the Eastern States RallyCross Challenge Championship takes place.
+ In the "drivers moving up" department, Cory Casagrande is moving up from DARE Stocks to Limited Late Models, while Dylan Kopec will be racing in the SK Lights after winning the Senior Outlaw championship in the Wild Thing Kart Series last year. Kopec is not the only driver from the division to jump up to Friday nights, as there are three other drivers from the Senior Outlaws who are also joining him.
+ The third page I linked to in the last story includes more about the Champions for Charities event. The names of those who are going to be racing Senior Outlaws at the CARQuest Extreme Tuesday event will be announced sometime during the first week of January.
+ RallyCross is coming to Stafford. The parking lot is going will be quite busy on January 15 and 16 as the Engraving Awards and Gifts RallyCross and the Eastern States RallyCross Challenge Championship takes place.
+ In the "drivers moving up" department, Cory Casagrande is moving up from DARE Stocks to Limited Late Models, while Dylan Kopec will be racing in the SK Lights after winning the Senior Outlaw championship in the Wild Thing Kart Series last year. Kopec is not the only driver from the division to jump up to Friday nights, as there are three other drivers from the Senior Outlaws who are also joining him.
+ The third page I linked to in the last story includes more about the Champions for Charities event. The names of those who are going to be racing Senior Outlaws at the CARQuest Extreme Tuesday event will be announced sometime during the first week of January.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Champions for Charities
If you remember me talking about the schedule a few weeks back, I had mentioned something about a Champions for Charities event that was going to take place during the CARQuest Extreme Tuesday program.
Stafford put up the details of the event on the site today. I've linked to it here.
Here's what the event consists of:
During that night's schedule of events, 12-15 open-wheel champions (who were invited) will take to the track. They will pick a charity to represent and will start donating money to that charity of their choice. Stafford and CARQuest will give each driver/charity $3,000.
Each champion will be driving a Senior Outlaw from the Wild Thing Kart Series. On June 28, the drivers will qualify for the event with two eight-lap heats. This is where the donation factor comes into play. Because the more money a driver gets via donations, the better their chances are that they'll start on the pole for the heats. The two drivers who raise the most for their charities will be the two pole sitters.
After both heat races have finished, there will be a 15-lap feature. All races are done on the mini mile. The winner of the feature gets what the article calls a "champion's gift pack". There is a prize for the driver who raises the most money during the designated "fundraising period". That driver recieves also recieves a "racer's gift pack".
More information about this event will come in 2011.
I have nothing bad to say about any and all of this. Every year, there's always something different going on as part of the Extreme Tuesday event, and the 2011 edition should be pretty fun to go see.
Stafford put up the details of the event on the site today. I've linked to it here.
Here's what the event consists of:
During that night's schedule of events, 12-15 open-wheel champions (who were invited) will take to the track. They will pick a charity to represent and will start donating money to that charity of their choice. Stafford and CARQuest will give each driver/charity $3,000.
Each champion will be driving a Senior Outlaw from the Wild Thing Kart Series. On June 28, the drivers will qualify for the event with two eight-lap heats. This is where the donation factor comes into play. Because the more money a driver gets via donations, the better their chances are that they'll start on the pole for the heats. The two drivers who raise the most for their charities will be the two pole sitters.
After both heat races have finished, there will be a 15-lap feature. All races are done on the mini mile. The winner of the feature gets what the article calls a "champion's gift pack". There is a prize for the driver who raises the most money during the designated "fundraising period". That driver recieves also recieves a "racer's gift pack".
More information about this event will come in 2011.
I have nothing bad to say about any and all of this. Every year, there's always something different going on as part of the Extreme Tuesday event, and the 2011 edition should be pretty fun to go see.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
SMS Linkage Day
So... Yeah. Those banquets for the touring series/NWAMS coming this week? Stafford's got a press release on them. Won't link to that, because it's the same thing I linked to a few days ago when I did the blog entry dedicated to NASCAR Home Tracks. (There's also a press release up for the NWAMS, which I also have linked.)
Although there are more press releases on the site as well. So let's get into those, shall we?
+ One last tidbit of information in regards to the banquet and all events in the week leading up to it: There was a karting challenge between the drivers attending and some of the media. The event took place in North Carolina on Wednesday. There's video and a picture of the action in the article. Bobby Santos won the event. Ryan Truex (K&N Pro Series East) was second. Keith Rocco was third. The picture in the link was courtesy of Getty Images. Wherever that album is, I can't find it.
+ Don't think that the banquet is the only newsworthy thing going on this week. There's also a story about Victoria Bergenty.
Although there are more press releases on the site as well. So let's get into those, shall we?
+ One last tidbit of information in regards to the banquet and all events in the week leading up to it: There was a karting challenge between the drivers attending and some of the media. The event took place in North Carolina on Wednesday. There's video and a picture of the action in the article. Bobby Santos won the event. Ryan Truex (K&N Pro Series East) was second. Keith Rocco was third. The picture in the link was courtesy of Getty Images. Wherever that album is, I can't find it.
+ Don't think that the banquet is the only newsworthy thing going on this week. There's also a story about Victoria Bergenty.
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Schedule's Out!
As promised, I am here with my review of the schedule release. Here's what you need to know, with my opinions in italics. (For those of you who want a Word document or a PDF, I've added them as well.)
- The Whelen Modified Tour makes four trips to the track. Spring Sizzler weekend (April 29 - May 1), May 27 (125 laps), August 5, Fall Final weekend (September 30 - October 2). Really, no surprises here. Basically the same four weekends that they've been doing for the last few years.
- The Modified Racing Series makes two trips to the track. June 24 (80 laps) and September 9 (80 laps). In all fairness, even though the race last year was quick and not too dramatic, it was fun and I'm glad they've added another race in June.
- The CARQuest Extreme Tuesday is held on June 28. The card is... ISMA, NEMA, Pro-4s, and a Champions for Charities event. Not sure what that champions thing is about. When it gets closer to 6/28, that will all be revealed. Everything else is just as you'd expect.
Weekly events are as follows.
- SK 100 - June 10
- SK 150 - July 22
- LM 100 - August 19
Not surprised they cut out a Late Model 100 event. Two in one year? It almost sounds repetitive. SKs getting their usual two extra-distance races in a season is pretty much expected.
The other thing you need to know is that if you look at the schedule, you will see rain dates added. Every WMT event (minus the Fall Final), both MRS races, and the Extreme Tuesday events have rain dates of the very next day. In the case of the Spring Sizzler, the rain date would be the next weekend, meaning the opening Friday night wouldn't be until the 13th.
And they make the note under the schedule that the SK 150 is the only weekly divisional race on the schedule that does not follow the "green flag laps count only" rule.
So that's about it. Remember, the schedule is subject to change at any point in time.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Extreme Tuesday Results
On a Wednesday. Yes, sorry, but this is what happens when it's a hot and busy week here in New England. When is that cooler weather coming, by the way?
Anyway, here are the results of the CARQuest Extreme Tuesday. I didn't go, so you're getting them in press release and YouTube form. Both link and video are courtesy of the track. Neither are mine.
The press release (includes full finish results)
The video
Stay tuned for tomorrow. I've got something special I want to show you.
Anyway, here are the results of the CARQuest Extreme Tuesday. I didn't go, so you're getting them in press release and YouTube form. Both link and video are courtesy of the track. Neither are mine.
The press release (includes full finish results)
The video
Stay tuned for tomorrow. I've got something special I want to show you.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Extreme Tuesday News
Hi. It's now Tuesday on the East Coast. Today, Stafford will have their Extreme Tuesday program. It's a special night at the track, and it deserves to have some special stories for you.
Both of these are from Thursday.
+ In the ISMA department, Rob Summers is partnering up with Holbrook Racing. He is also partnering with Russ Wood, another previous winner of the ISMA race at Stafford.
+ In the NEMA department, Erica Santos wants to return to victory lane, where she won the event back in 2007.
Both of these are from Thursday.
+ In the ISMA department, Rob Summers is partnering up with Holbrook Racing. He is also partnering with Russ Wood, another previous winner of the ISMA race at Stafford.
+ In the NEMA department, Erica Santos wants to return to victory lane, where she won the event back in 2007.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Late Stories
I've been slacking a little bit, and I'm sorry (I blame a few things right now that I'll regret to admit if I say them). I'll give you a few links from last week and then the weekly recap.
From the Stafford site - a story about Kyle Casagrande looking for the DARE Stock track championship and a story about the ISMAs coming for the July 6 special program.
From the Stafford site - a story about Kyle Casagrande looking for the DARE Stock track championship and a story about the ISMAs coming for the July 6 special program.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thursday News and Links
Here is my attempt at getting something out before Friday afternoon, when this is the first weekend of the school summer vacation in some towns.
+ More on Ryan Posocco's milestone victory from last Friday night - his 40th career Late Model win.
+ Jim Peterson's season started off on the wrong foot, but after the last few races, the bad luck has been pushed right out the window.
+ There will be a show car from the Nationwide Series on hand tomorrow afternoon from 5-10pm. Click here for a picture advertisement.
+ More on Ryan Posocco's milestone victory from last Friday night - his 40th career Late Model win.
+ Jim Peterson's season started off on the wrong foot, but after the last few races, the bad luck has been pushed right out the window.
+ There will be a show car from the Nationwide Series on hand tomorrow afternoon from 5-10pm. Click here for a picture advertisement.
Friday, April 30, 2010
And the Winner Is...
You know that driver search that was supposed to take place in North Carolina this week? I touched on it a bit back last month and mentioned something about how Dillon Moltz was going to get a shot to run in an ARCA race later this season. Well, it ended. And the results are in.
According to the Courant, Moltz will be headed to Pennsylvania.
On the weekend of June 5, 2010, he'll attempt to qualify for and race in the ARCA event in Pocono. (According to the ARCA site, it's one lap of time trials per driver. It's also an 80 lap race.)
Congratulations. Best of luck.
According to the Courant, Moltz will be headed to Pennsylvania.
On the weekend of June 5, 2010, he'll attempt to qualify for and race in the ARCA event in Pocono. (According to the ARCA site, it's one lap of time trials per driver. It's also an 80 lap race.)
Congratulations. Best of luck.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday News
This is what we call "the calm before the storm". When you wake up in the morning, you will be prepared for two days of racing action. There is some pre-weekend news for you before things get a bit crazy at SMS.
+ There's a very interesting trophy waiting for the winner of the May 7th Late Model 100. What is it? It's a hood from a passenger car that will be airbrushed by students from Lincoln Tech Institute. If you'd like to take a look at it, it will be on display at their booth on the midway before the evening's event gets going.
+ On the second week of racing action, welcome Darrell Yarborough Nationwide Insurance to the contingency list. They've hooked up with the SK Light division, giving $50 to the third place finisher in each race on the schedule.
+ Spend $59 on events at Charlotte Motor Speedway and/or zMAX Dragway, and get a $10 voucher to get into your favorite local short track. NASCAR affiliated.
+ And for those of you who are going to vote on the Craftsman Mechanic of the Year, please look at the following image (courtesy of the Stafford website):
+ There's a very interesting trophy waiting for the winner of the May 7th Late Model 100. What is it? It's a hood from a passenger car that will be airbrushed by students from Lincoln Tech Institute. If you'd like to take a look at it, it will be on display at their booth on the midway before the evening's event gets going.
+ On the second week of racing action, welcome Darrell Yarborough Nationwide Insurance to the contingency list. They've hooked up with the SK Light division, giving $50 to the third place finisher in each race on the schedule.
+ Spend $59 on events at Charlotte Motor Speedway and/or zMAX Dragway, and get a $10 voucher to get into your favorite local short track. NASCAR affiliated.
+ And for those of you who are going to vote on the Craftsman Mechanic of the Year, please look at the following image (courtesy of the Stafford website):
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Can You Pencil Me In? Schedule's Out!
This is the second of three parts, and no, I don't think I'm going to finish this within the night. Consider these late ones Thanksgiving day treats.
So... What happened yesterday (Wednesday)? Was something finally released? Well, maybe it wasn't technically Wednesday, but it was this week that the 2010 Stafford schedule of events was released. And you're getting all of it (at least the special events) in a fine list form. Enjoy.
NOTE: This is always subject to change -- may it be rain or just something else.
April 23-25: 39th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
May 7: Bi-annual Late Model 100
May 28: 20th annual Connecticut Classic 125 (WMT date)
June 11: 37th annual Coors Light SK 100
July 6: CARQuest Extreme Tuesday (ISMA, NEMA, Pro-4)
July 23: 7th annual CARQuest SK 150
August 6: 20th annual Stafford 150 (WMT date)
August 20: Bi-annual Late Model 100
October 1-3: 38th annual CARQuest Fall Final
Fireworks nights will be June 18, July 2, and September 3. All kids (14 and under) will be admitted free to the June 18 show if they're with an adult.
Other important dates to remember:
March 28: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
April 11: Ty-Rods Automotive Swap Meet
June 27: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
July 24-25: 3rd annual 24 Hours of LeMons
July 31-August 1: USHRA Monster Jam
August 15: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
October 17: Ty-Rods Automotive Swap Meet
October 31: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
So... What happened yesterday (Wednesday)? Was something finally released? Well, maybe it wasn't technically Wednesday, but it was this week that the 2010 Stafford schedule of events was released. And you're getting all of it (at least the special events) in a fine list form. Enjoy.
NOTE: This is always subject to change -- may it be rain or just something else.
April 23-25: 39th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
May 7: Bi-annual Late Model 100
May 28: 20th annual Connecticut Classic 125 (WMT date)
June 11: 37th annual Coors Light SK 100
July 6: CARQuest Extreme Tuesday (ISMA, NEMA, Pro-4)
July 23: 7th annual CARQuest SK 150
August 6: 20th annual Stafford 150 (WMT date)
August 20: Bi-annual Late Model 100
October 1-3: 38th annual CARQuest Fall Final
Fireworks nights will be June 18, July 2, and September 3. All kids (14 and under) will be admitted free to the June 18 show if they're with an adult.
Other important dates to remember:
March 28: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
April 11: Ty-Rods Automotive Swap Meet
June 27: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
July 24-25: 3rd annual 24 Hours of LeMons
July 31-August 1: USHRA Monster Jam
August 15: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
October 17: Ty-Rods Automotive Swap Meet
October 31: Connecticut Motorcycle Swap Meet
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Results of October 4 [The Better Late Than Never Edition]
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Doing more things that I shouldn't have been doing lately. Tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you the written results from Fall Final weekend -- it's been two weeks since things wrapped up at Stafford and I fail with time management. And then I'll do what I promised and give you the rest of those championship stories as soon as I post this. Cool? Awesome. Apologies to those of you who were waiting and waiting but never saw the post.)
Well, we've done it. I don't know where the summer months have gone, but this past weekend was the final time this year that Stafford held racing. And it was amazing as usual. It was supposed to be a three-day event, but the rains came on Saturday and completely crammed all of the Fall Final activities into Sunday. That meant that besides the five weekly divisions, you had the Whelen Modified Tour there for their 150-lapper and the debut of the Mini Stocks all at the same time. Mass chaos all over the place, and that means only one thing... The end of the road. Here is the recap of October 4, 2009.
The event that started it all on Sunday was the DARE Stock feature event. What a way to kick things off. The afternoon/evening of racing began with Duane Provost getting the lead early. Drivers running in the top-five included Andrew Hayes in fourth and the Saunders twins (Albert in third and Cliff in fifth). They ran single file until lap-5, when Kyle Casagrande hit the wall in turn two -- CAUTION. The restart was fine, if only for a short bit. Both Provost and Jim Brice ended up in a spin/accident in turns one and two on lap-6 -- CAUTION. Apparently, Provost leaked fluid or blew the motor in his car. Either way, his day was done. This gave Albert Saunders and Hayes the front row for the next restart. It was a restart that Hayes got the jump on. He became the new leader on lap-7. Coming up to second from fifth was Don Wood, who sat back comfortably behind Hayes for a couple of laps. The next yellow came out on lap-12, as Lori-Jo Rzeszutek spun in turn four and didn't get going until way past too late -- CAUTION. A restart with four laps ensued between Hayes and Wood that proved to be all kinds of awesome. Wood claimed the lead on the restart, with Hayes now in second. It seemed as though Wood was going to make it to victory lane as the winner, but Hayes was coming. In the final turns, Hayes went down to the inside and managed to pass Wood, then cleared him just enough to get to the finish line first, giving him his first career win at Stafford. Wood ended up finishing second. Tony Membrino, Jr finished third, with Albert Saunders in fourth.
Second up was the Stafford debut of the Mini Stocks. Cars from four different tracks came for this event. Pretty interesting turn of events in this one. It began with Randy Curchill, Jr with an early lead. His lead lasted a lap, as on lap-2, multiple cars behind him spun in turns three and four -- CAUTION. Most of them did pull away pre-yellow, while others drove away after the fact. It was a quick caution. When the green came back out, there was a new leader in Chris Williams. Williams had the lead in tact for the next four laps. On lap-6, Chad Baxter claimed the lead from Williams. Two laps later, Alan Hall, Jr ended up spinning in turn four -- CAUTION. It was after that when things got a bit crazy. Williams retook the lead on the restart, and Joe Kendall moved up into third. The lead that Williams had brought the race to lap-12, as Baxter took over for the second time in the race. Baxter also brought Kendall with him, putting Williams back into third. Kendall attempted a move around Baxter coming to take the white flag, but ended up spinning into the grass as the two made contact. Kendall did in fact keep moving. But back out front, it was nobody but Baxter. He cruised to the win, with Williams in second, Mark Panaroni in third, and Steve Michalski in fourth.
Closing out the first act (feature-wise) was the SK Light feature. It didn't start off too well. Two laps into the race, Lauren Cooper and Earl Pelletier found the concrete wall in turn one and smacked it hard -- CAUTION. When the green came back out, John Hanafin took the lead from Kyle Spencer. The race was green for a while, giving people like Tommy Membrino, Jr a chance to move through the field. Membrino was up to second by lap-19, when Harry Wheeler spun in turn three -- CAUTION. The restart was nice while it lasted. Shawn Brule spun in turn four and the yellow didn't come out until lap-20 -- CAUTION. So what did this mean? A third attempt at a green-white-checkered finish. Yeah, not so good. On the restart, Hanafin and Membrino got together a slight bit, with the loser of the battle being Hanafin. He went around and collected three other cars. Adam Skowyra ended up slightly on top of Hanafin's car -- CAUTION. The new front row was Membrino and Heather DesRochers. And on the restart, DesRochers got the jump she needed. She took control and went by Membrino. Membrino kept close to her bumper through the final two laps, and nearly got close to passing her for the lead, but it was DesRochers who claimed her second win of the season. Membrino had to settle for second, with John Montesanto and Tony Santangelo finishing the board.
The break from all of the features took place with the Whelen Modified Tour time trials. It was supposed to be 32 cars taking time, but one of the cars had trouble during practice, leading into time trials, and couldn't get two laps in. So 31 cars ended up going out for two laps each. Fast time was set by Donny Lia, who posted a time of 18.579 -- equaling out to 96.884 miles per hour. Results of the redraw and the race itself later.
After time trials, it was time to get down to business once again. SK Modified feature time. Anyone for a little chaos in your Fall Final event? This race had some of that. To start, there was Wade Mattesen getting the early lead. And by early, I mean about a lap's worth of lead. On lap-2, the first lead change of the race occurred as Curt Brainard passed Mattesen for the lead. Following Brainard around Mattesen was Richie Pallai, Jr. But Pallai wanted the lead and was pressuring Brainard for it as soon as the two of them were clear of Mattesen. Jeff Malave and Chris Matthews spun/got into an accident in turn three on lap-5 -- CAUTION. This set up a restart with Brainard and Pallai on the front row, a restart in which Pallai won. Joining Pallai were the three heavy hitters in Keith Rocco, Woody Pitkat, and Ted Christopher. Rocco wasn't going to settle for second, and on lap-10, he became the third leader as he passed Pallai. As for Pallai, his day ended on the very next lap after he met the turn four wall -- CAUTION. Christopher helped Pallai get there and was sent to the back of the field courtesy of a black flag. Back up front, however, it was Rocco who kept the lead on the restart. Now running behind him were Matt Gallo and Doug Coby. Coby wasted little time getting around Gallo for second (neither did Pitkat, sending Gallo back to fourth). And that was how they ran... Until lap-21, when someone dropped fluid down onto the racetrack coming off of pit road. The fluid was all down the backstretch and into turn three -- CAUTION. As soon as all of the fluid was removed from the track surface, it was back to green. And it was Rocco still out in front. Pitkat had found his way into second, and Todd Owen had moved past Coby for third. Josh Sylvester moved up into the top-five. This was how the top-five shaped out at lap-27, when Kirk Zervas spun in turn four -- CAUTION. (Now, apologies for confusing myself after this point.) At some point in time between the previous caution and any later cautions, there was one that occurred in turn four between Josh Sylvester and Christopher. Christopher had been working his way through the field since he was put to the back of the field earlier, and the two of them ended up in the turn four wall -- CAUTION. (Okay, confusion over.) When it was back to green, something happened. For some reason, Rocco didn't get up to speed and he was punted back to third. Pitkat became the new leader of the event, with Coby coming back up into second. Rocco's falter didn't hurt him, and he passed Coby for second on lap-32. On the very next lap, Nicole Morgillo hit the backstretch wall hard -- CAUTION. The red had replaced the yellow and an extra ambulance was needed. After the accident scene was cleared, it was back to green. Pitkat continued to hold the lead, while Coby's luck ran out on lap-35 after he went through the grass on the backstretch and came to a rest in turn three -- CAUTION. Pitkat's good run ended shortly after the restart. Although he took the lead, he began to slow down considerably, giving Rocco the lead while going to pit road at the same time on lap-36. Brit Andersen now found himself in second and Owen moved up to third. While Andersen and Owen fought for position, Rocco pulled away and collected his sixth win of the season. Owen managed to get by Andersen for second, while Gallo finished fourth.
One of two divisions still champion-less going into the final weekend was the Limited Late Model division. The battle was a good one. Andrew Durand only led Dan Flannery by twenty points; ten positions on the track was the difference between Durand winning and losing the championship. That magic number came into play during the race. How? Well, starting at the beginning, you had Joe Nogiec leading the way. He had the lead for a lap before Shawn Thibeault took over as the leader. Behind him followed George Nocera, Jr and Kevin Gambacorta, dropping Nogiec into fourth. With the green still out at the halfway mark, Thibeault was still leading, but with a different look behind him. Second was now Gambacorta. Flannery was sitting in third, with Nocera making up the top-four. This was how they ran when Christopher Harris spun in turn two; lap-14 -- CAUTION. And it was the same order as Jesse Hinze spun while going down the backstretch on the very next lap -- CAUTION. On the restart, the lead changed hands as Flannery moved past Thibeault to claim first, but the lead was short lived as lap-16 had Marc Russell and Michael Chaves wrecked in turns one and two -- CAUTION. The restart had to be done again, and again, it was Flannery to take the lead. Thibeault fell in the second spot. But it was two-laps worth of action before Corky Hinze, Bill Goldrick, and another car ended up in distress coming out of the turn four area -- CAUTION. Durand was assessed a penalty for rough riding and was sent to the back of the pack. The magic number was still ten (or eleven, but that would have meant the points leaders would be tied), and that was how many cars Durand had to pass in order to win the championship. He had a little help on the restart, as Gambacorta, Norm Sears, and Carla Botticello were involved in an accident in turn one -- CAUTION. Other cars were involved in the accident; meaning Durand had picked up a few spots to help out in the championship cause. Meanwhile, back up front, Thibeault retook the lead from Flannery on the ensuing restart. Rob Dow moved into second. Flannery encountered a bit of bad luck as a tire was going down (right rear). He spun in turn four, yet continued to go. The race remained under green-flag conditions. The remaining laps belonged to Thibeault, and he crossed the line to pick up his second win of the season. Dave Yardley, III passed Dow for second, with Nocera finishing the top-four. And the winner of the Limited Late Model track championship was Durand, who finished eighth to Flannery's fourteenth.
It was now time for the main event. The Whelen Modified Tour took to the track for their 150-lap feature. Earlier in the afternoon, at some point in time during either the SK Modified or Limited Late Model feature, the results of the redraw were as follows: The front row was Eric Berndt and Richie Pallai, Jr. Fast time setter Donny Lia was starting fourth. It was not going to be a bad starting position for him. All in all, there were seven different lead changes in the race, between five different drivers. Those drivers were Berndt, Lia, James Civali, Joe Hartmann, back to Civali, back to Lia, Ryan Preece, and then finally, back to Lia. It was a caution-filled race, as there were ten cautions that took up 42-laps of racing time. Oh... And the race went into extra laps. 153 of them, to be exact. As already stated, Lia was the final leader of the race, and held off Doug Coby to claim the win. Preece and Civali finished third and fourth respectively. Between Ted Christopher's bad day (involved in two separate incidents early in the race; lap-17 and lap-25) and Lia's win, Lia is the new points leader going into the final race at Thompson. Preece is second, only 26 points back. Christopher is 109 back, and is a longshot to win the title.
After what was an amazing Tour race, it was time for the Late Model race. It was also the last division to crown a champion. With three drivers still in contention to win the championship, it was anyone's race to win. And lose. So who would come out on top? We begin with Adam Gray taking the lead from Brian Chapin when the race began. This lead lasted all of two laps before Michael Bennett and another driver spun up in turns one and two -- CAUTION. Gray kept the lead on the restart, still with Chapin running in second. The rest of the top-five began to change dramatically, with a championship contender in Jim Peterson now running in fifth. While Gray started to drive away from the rest of the field, Peterson continued to climb up through what little of the field there was in front of him, moving up into third. The lead that Gray had established was erased come lap-14, as Dillon Moltz, another championship contender, spun on the backstretch -- CAUTION. Back to green, and it was still Gray out in front. Peterson was now in second. The third championship contender, Ryan Posocco, had managed to crack the top-five. The next yellow-flag incident came at lap-18, which included Dave Wray, John Kasper, and another car -- CAUTION. After the green came back out again, Gray powered back into the lead. In second was now Posocco, who was looking for the lead. He'd manage to get the lead from Gray on lap-23. Upon taking the lead away, Posocco immediately began to pull away from the field. It was a no contest: Posocco was not going to be caught. It was his fourth win of the year. Tom Butler ended up finishing second, with Tom Fearn in third and JJ Hill in fourth. With a fifth place finish, Peterson became the 2009 Late Model track champion; the third championship of his career.
The absolute last thing on the agenda (and I mean that literally) was the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shootout. There aren't a whole lot of requirements that go into a race like this. All one has to do is win a DARE Stock race in the season, from Spring Sizzler weekend to Fall Final weekend, and they're in. The one true question before this race was: Which driver was going to get bragging rights? Well, things kicked off with Victoria Bergenty taking the lead as the greens came out to start the race. She took off and things seemed fine at first sight with the dozen drivers in the race. But things started to get pretty shaky on lap-2, when Stephanie Berardi and Kyle Casagrande (in a backup car) wrecked coming out of turn two. Berardi spun and Casagrande just seemed to drive right into the side -- CAUTION. When the cleanup finished and the race continued, it was Bergenty back out in the lead. Tony Membrino, Jr moved into second, and the two of them started to pull away from the field. Although it looked like it was going to be a two-car show for the win, in all actuality, it was Bergenty who pulled away (slightly) from Membrino to pick up the win. Membrino finished second, with Robert Thompson and Andrew Hayes finishing off the board.
This is where I usually tell you about what's coming up on Friday and that you must go because it's going to be another great night of racing. But you know something? I can't. The season's over. What a ride. Nothing could cap off the season than the nine things I covered in this. Fun times. Until next year, I wish you well. Stay safe, and enjoy your winter.
Well, we've done it. I don't know where the summer months have gone, but this past weekend was the final time this year that Stafford held racing. And it was amazing as usual. It was supposed to be a three-day event, but the rains came on Saturday and completely crammed all of the Fall Final activities into Sunday. That meant that besides the five weekly divisions, you had the Whelen Modified Tour there for their 150-lapper and the debut of the Mini Stocks all at the same time. Mass chaos all over the place, and that means only one thing... The end of the road. Here is the recap of October 4, 2009.
The event that started it all on Sunday was the DARE Stock feature event. What a way to kick things off. The afternoon/evening of racing began with Duane Provost getting the lead early. Drivers running in the top-five included Andrew Hayes in fourth and the Saunders twins (Albert in third and Cliff in fifth). They ran single file until lap-5, when Kyle Casagrande hit the wall in turn two -- CAUTION. The restart was fine, if only for a short bit. Both Provost and Jim Brice ended up in a spin/accident in turns one and two on lap-6 -- CAUTION. Apparently, Provost leaked fluid or blew the motor in his car. Either way, his day was done. This gave Albert Saunders and Hayes the front row for the next restart. It was a restart that Hayes got the jump on. He became the new leader on lap-7. Coming up to second from fifth was Don Wood, who sat back comfortably behind Hayes for a couple of laps. The next yellow came out on lap-12, as Lori-Jo Rzeszutek spun in turn four and didn't get going until way past too late -- CAUTION. A restart with four laps ensued between Hayes and Wood that proved to be all kinds of awesome. Wood claimed the lead on the restart, with Hayes now in second. It seemed as though Wood was going to make it to victory lane as the winner, but Hayes was coming. In the final turns, Hayes went down to the inside and managed to pass Wood, then cleared him just enough to get to the finish line first, giving him his first career win at Stafford. Wood ended up finishing second. Tony Membrino, Jr finished third, with Albert Saunders in fourth.
Second up was the Stafford debut of the Mini Stocks. Cars from four different tracks came for this event. Pretty interesting turn of events in this one. It began with Randy Curchill, Jr with an early lead. His lead lasted a lap, as on lap-2, multiple cars behind him spun in turns three and four -- CAUTION. Most of them did pull away pre-yellow, while others drove away after the fact. It was a quick caution. When the green came back out, there was a new leader in Chris Williams. Williams had the lead in tact for the next four laps. On lap-6, Chad Baxter claimed the lead from Williams. Two laps later, Alan Hall, Jr ended up spinning in turn four -- CAUTION. It was after that when things got a bit crazy. Williams retook the lead on the restart, and Joe Kendall moved up into third. The lead that Williams had brought the race to lap-12, as Baxter took over for the second time in the race. Baxter also brought Kendall with him, putting Williams back into third. Kendall attempted a move around Baxter coming to take the white flag, but ended up spinning into the grass as the two made contact. Kendall did in fact keep moving. But back out front, it was nobody but Baxter. He cruised to the win, with Williams in second, Mark Panaroni in third, and Steve Michalski in fourth.
Closing out the first act (feature-wise) was the SK Light feature. It didn't start off too well. Two laps into the race, Lauren Cooper and Earl Pelletier found the concrete wall in turn one and smacked it hard -- CAUTION. When the green came back out, John Hanafin took the lead from Kyle Spencer. The race was green for a while, giving people like Tommy Membrino, Jr a chance to move through the field. Membrino was up to second by lap-19, when Harry Wheeler spun in turn three -- CAUTION. The restart was nice while it lasted. Shawn Brule spun in turn four and the yellow didn't come out until lap-20 -- CAUTION. So what did this mean? A third attempt at a green-white-checkered finish. Yeah, not so good. On the restart, Hanafin and Membrino got together a slight bit, with the loser of the battle being Hanafin. He went around and collected three other cars. Adam Skowyra ended up slightly on top of Hanafin's car -- CAUTION. The new front row was Membrino and Heather DesRochers. And on the restart, DesRochers got the jump she needed. She took control and went by Membrino. Membrino kept close to her bumper through the final two laps, and nearly got close to passing her for the lead, but it was DesRochers who claimed her second win of the season. Membrino had to settle for second, with John Montesanto and Tony Santangelo finishing the board.
The break from all of the features took place with the Whelen Modified Tour time trials. It was supposed to be 32 cars taking time, but one of the cars had trouble during practice, leading into time trials, and couldn't get two laps in. So 31 cars ended up going out for two laps each. Fast time was set by Donny Lia, who posted a time of 18.579 -- equaling out to 96.884 miles per hour. Results of the redraw and the race itself later.
After time trials, it was time to get down to business once again. SK Modified feature time. Anyone for a little chaos in your Fall Final event? This race had some of that. To start, there was Wade Mattesen getting the early lead. And by early, I mean about a lap's worth of lead. On lap-2, the first lead change of the race occurred as Curt Brainard passed Mattesen for the lead. Following Brainard around Mattesen was Richie Pallai, Jr. But Pallai wanted the lead and was pressuring Brainard for it as soon as the two of them were clear of Mattesen. Jeff Malave and Chris Matthews spun/got into an accident in turn three on lap-5 -- CAUTION. This set up a restart with Brainard and Pallai on the front row, a restart in which Pallai won. Joining Pallai were the three heavy hitters in Keith Rocco, Woody Pitkat, and Ted Christopher. Rocco wasn't going to settle for second, and on lap-10, he became the third leader as he passed Pallai. As for Pallai, his day ended on the very next lap after he met the turn four wall -- CAUTION. Christopher helped Pallai get there and was sent to the back of the field courtesy of a black flag. Back up front, however, it was Rocco who kept the lead on the restart. Now running behind him were Matt Gallo and Doug Coby. Coby wasted little time getting around Gallo for second (neither did Pitkat, sending Gallo back to fourth). And that was how they ran... Until lap-21, when someone dropped fluid down onto the racetrack coming off of pit road. The fluid was all down the backstretch and into turn three -- CAUTION. As soon as all of the fluid was removed from the track surface, it was back to green. And it was Rocco still out in front. Pitkat had found his way into second, and Todd Owen had moved past Coby for third. Josh Sylvester moved up into the top-five. This was how the top-five shaped out at lap-27, when Kirk Zervas spun in turn four -- CAUTION. (Now, apologies for confusing myself after this point.) At some point in time between the previous caution and any later cautions, there was one that occurred in turn four between Josh Sylvester and Christopher. Christopher had been working his way through the field since he was put to the back of the field earlier, and the two of them ended up in the turn four wall -- CAUTION. (Okay, confusion over.) When it was back to green, something happened. For some reason, Rocco didn't get up to speed and he was punted back to third. Pitkat became the new leader of the event, with Coby coming back up into second. Rocco's falter didn't hurt him, and he passed Coby for second on lap-32. On the very next lap, Nicole Morgillo hit the backstretch wall hard -- CAUTION. The red had replaced the yellow and an extra ambulance was needed. After the accident scene was cleared, it was back to green. Pitkat continued to hold the lead, while Coby's luck ran out on lap-35 after he went through the grass on the backstretch and came to a rest in turn three -- CAUTION. Pitkat's good run ended shortly after the restart. Although he took the lead, he began to slow down considerably, giving Rocco the lead while going to pit road at the same time on lap-36. Brit Andersen now found himself in second and Owen moved up to third. While Andersen and Owen fought for position, Rocco pulled away and collected his sixth win of the season. Owen managed to get by Andersen for second, while Gallo finished fourth.
One of two divisions still champion-less going into the final weekend was the Limited Late Model division. The battle was a good one. Andrew Durand only led Dan Flannery by twenty points; ten positions on the track was the difference between Durand winning and losing the championship. That magic number came into play during the race. How? Well, starting at the beginning, you had Joe Nogiec leading the way. He had the lead for a lap before Shawn Thibeault took over as the leader. Behind him followed George Nocera, Jr and Kevin Gambacorta, dropping Nogiec into fourth. With the green still out at the halfway mark, Thibeault was still leading, but with a different look behind him. Second was now Gambacorta. Flannery was sitting in third, with Nocera making up the top-four. This was how they ran when Christopher Harris spun in turn two; lap-14 -- CAUTION. And it was the same order as Jesse Hinze spun while going down the backstretch on the very next lap -- CAUTION. On the restart, the lead changed hands as Flannery moved past Thibeault to claim first, but the lead was short lived as lap-16 had Marc Russell and Michael Chaves wrecked in turns one and two -- CAUTION. The restart had to be done again, and again, it was Flannery to take the lead. Thibeault fell in the second spot. But it was two-laps worth of action before Corky Hinze, Bill Goldrick, and another car ended up in distress coming out of the turn four area -- CAUTION. Durand was assessed a penalty for rough riding and was sent to the back of the pack. The magic number was still ten (or eleven, but that would have meant the points leaders would be tied), and that was how many cars Durand had to pass in order to win the championship. He had a little help on the restart, as Gambacorta, Norm Sears, and Carla Botticello were involved in an accident in turn one -- CAUTION. Other cars were involved in the accident; meaning Durand had picked up a few spots to help out in the championship cause. Meanwhile, back up front, Thibeault retook the lead from Flannery on the ensuing restart. Rob Dow moved into second. Flannery encountered a bit of bad luck as a tire was going down (right rear). He spun in turn four, yet continued to go. The race remained under green-flag conditions. The remaining laps belonged to Thibeault, and he crossed the line to pick up his second win of the season. Dave Yardley, III passed Dow for second, with Nocera finishing the top-four. And the winner of the Limited Late Model track championship was Durand, who finished eighth to Flannery's fourteenth.
It was now time for the main event. The Whelen Modified Tour took to the track for their 150-lap feature. Earlier in the afternoon, at some point in time during either the SK Modified or Limited Late Model feature, the results of the redraw were as follows: The front row was Eric Berndt and Richie Pallai, Jr. Fast time setter Donny Lia was starting fourth. It was not going to be a bad starting position for him. All in all, there were seven different lead changes in the race, between five different drivers. Those drivers were Berndt, Lia, James Civali, Joe Hartmann, back to Civali, back to Lia, Ryan Preece, and then finally, back to Lia. It was a caution-filled race, as there were ten cautions that took up 42-laps of racing time. Oh... And the race went into extra laps. 153 of them, to be exact. As already stated, Lia was the final leader of the race, and held off Doug Coby to claim the win. Preece and Civali finished third and fourth respectively. Between Ted Christopher's bad day (involved in two separate incidents early in the race; lap-17 and lap-25) and Lia's win, Lia is the new points leader going into the final race at Thompson. Preece is second, only 26 points back. Christopher is 109 back, and is a longshot to win the title.
After what was an amazing Tour race, it was time for the Late Model race. It was also the last division to crown a champion. With three drivers still in contention to win the championship, it was anyone's race to win. And lose. So who would come out on top? We begin with Adam Gray taking the lead from Brian Chapin when the race began. This lead lasted all of two laps before Michael Bennett and another driver spun up in turns one and two -- CAUTION. Gray kept the lead on the restart, still with Chapin running in second. The rest of the top-five began to change dramatically, with a championship contender in Jim Peterson now running in fifth. While Gray started to drive away from the rest of the field, Peterson continued to climb up through what little of the field there was in front of him, moving up into third. The lead that Gray had established was erased come lap-14, as Dillon Moltz, another championship contender, spun on the backstretch -- CAUTION. Back to green, and it was still Gray out in front. Peterson was now in second. The third championship contender, Ryan Posocco, had managed to crack the top-five. The next yellow-flag incident came at lap-18, which included Dave Wray, John Kasper, and another car -- CAUTION. After the green came back out again, Gray powered back into the lead. In second was now Posocco, who was looking for the lead. He'd manage to get the lead from Gray on lap-23. Upon taking the lead away, Posocco immediately began to pull away from the field. It was a no contest: Posocco was not going to be caught. It was his fourth win of the year. Tom Butler ended up finishing second, with Tom Fearn in third and JJ Hill in fourth. With a fifth place finish, Peterson became the 2009 Late Model track champion; the third championship of his career.
The absolute last thing on the agenda (and I mean that literally) was the 8-lap Paradiso-Muska DARE Stock Shootout. There aren't a whole lot of requirements that go into a race like this. All one has to do is win a DARE Stock race in the season, from Spring Sizzler weekend to Fall Final weekend, and they're in. The one true question before this race was: Which driver was going to get bragging rights? Well, things kicked off with Victoria Bergenty taking the lead as the greens came out to start the race. She took off and things seemed fine at first sight with the dozen drivers in the race. But things started to get pretty shaky on lap-2, when Stephanie Berardi and Kyle Casagrande (in a backup car) wrecked coming out of turn two. Berardi spun and Casagrande just seemed to drive right into the side -- CAUTION. When the cleanup finished and the race continued, it was Bergenty back out in the lead. Tony Membrino, Jr moved into second, and the two of them started to pull away from the field. Although it looked like it was going to be a two-car show for the win, in all actuality, it was Bergenty who pulled away (slightly) from Membrino to pick up the win. Membrino finished second, with Robert Thompson and Andrew Hayes finishing off the board.
This is where I usually tell you about what's coming up on Friday and that you must go because it's going to be another great night of racing. But you know something? I can't. The season's over. What a ride. Nothing could cap off the season than the nine things I covered in this. Fun times. Until next year, I wish you well. Stay safe, and enjoy your winter.
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