RGeeProductions
04-28-2012, 11:20 PM
KOPEC, WOOD, & CASAGRANDE SCORE CARQUEST TECH-NET SPRING SIZZLER SATURDAY
FEATURE VICTORIES AT STAFFORD
Stafford Motor Speedway kicked off its 2012 NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series season with feature events for its SK Light,
Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions as part of the Saturday
CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Weekend festivities. There were two first
time winners as Dylan Kopec took the checkered flag in the 20-lap SK Light
feature and Josh Wood was the winner of the 20-lap Limited Late Model
feature, and Kyle Casagrande won the 15-lap DARE Stock feature for the
second year in a row.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Dylan Kopec took the lead at the
green flag and immediately began to pull away from Harry Wheeler in second.
Jay Goff was third, with Zach Aszklar and Dylan Liseo behind him. Kopec was
continuing to stretch out his lead over Wheeler in second while Liseo and
Aszkler were looking for a way past Goff. Both Aszklar and Liseo both got
by Goff on lap-5 and with 5 laps complete, the cars of Dylan Campbell,
Payton Henry, Tyler Hines, and 21 all spun in turn 3 to bring the caution
out.
On the restart, Kopec maintained the lead while Aszklar and Wheeler were
side by side for second. Aszklar got by Wheeler while Liseo was behind
Wheeler in fourth place. Tony Santangelo rounded out the top-5 with Ronnie
Williams and Tony Membrino, Jr. behind him.
At the halfway point of the race, Kopec had built up a several second lead
over Aszklar. Santangelo was now up to third, witih Williams and Membrino
right behind him in fourth and fifth.
Kopec led from start to finish in dominating fashion, taking the checkered
flag by a half straightaway over Aszklar in second. Membrino came home in
third place, with Santangelo and Williams rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Jesse Hinze took the lead at the
green, but the action behind him was fast and furious as Duane Provost moved
into second, D.J. Burnham took third, Josh Wood took fourth, Cory Casagrande
moved into fifth, and David Arute was sixth to round out the train of cars
at the front of the field.
Provost made a bid for the lead to the inside of Hinze on lap-5, but he
couldn’t complete the pass. Provost tried the move again on lap-6, but he
got loose and fell back several spots as Burham, Wood, and Casagrande all
got by. Arute got by Provost on lap-8 to drop him from second back to sixth
place while Hinze continued to lead the race with Burnham right on his
bumper.
Hinze held the lead until lap-9 when Burnham had the lead by a nose at the
start/finish line. Wood made a three-wide move into turn 1 and he went by
both Burnham and Hinze to take over the race lead. Behind Wood, Casagrande
moved into second with Burnham and Arute right behind him. Hinze fell from
the lead back to fifth place, just ahead of Provost.
Wood led the final 11 laps to take the victory in his very first start in
the division. Casagrande finished second, with Burnham, Arute, and Provost
rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, Kris Fluckiger took the lead from the pole
position and began to set the pace ahead of Cliff Saunders. Kyle Casagrande
moved into third on lap-3, with Andy Marchese and Vince Gambacorta right
behind him. Monte Gibbs, Austin Bessette, and Stephanie Berardi were nose
to tail right behind Gambacorta with Trevor Barry and Johnny Walker making
up the early top-10.
Saunders got around Fluckiger on lap-4 to take over the race lead. Kelsey
Rottino’s car began to smoke heavily with 4 laps complete, which brought out
the first caution flag of the event.
Saunders took the lead on the restart with Casagrande moving by Fluckiger to
take over second. Fluckiger settled into line in third, with Bessette and
Gambacorta making up the top-5. One lap after the restart, Berardi spun in
turn 2 and her spin collected the car of David Macha, Sr. and brought the
caution flag back out.
The next restart saw Casagrande overtake Saunders to move into the race
lead. Fluckiger tried to follow Casagrande by Saunders, but he fell back
into line in third. One lap after the restart, Bessette pulled to the
outside of Fluckiger and the pair raced side by side for third place before
they came together in turns 3+4 and Bessette spun to bring the caution out.
Back under green, Casagrande again took the lead ahead of Saunders with
Gambacorta in third. Walker was now up to fourth and J.P. Carroll was up to
fifth, just behind Walker. Gibbs was sixth and Bessette was back up to
seventh after his spin. Fluckiger was one spot behind Bessette, with Jeremy
Lavoie and Brandon Michael rounding out the top-10.
Casagrande and Saunders pulled away from the rest of the field in the
closing laps to settle the race between themselves. Saunders kept in close
contact with Casagrande, but for the second consecutive year Casagrande took
the checkered flag in the CARQUEST Spring Sizzler. Saunders finished
second, with Walker, Gambacorta, and Carroll rounding out the top-5.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at
860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Dylan Kopec, Palmer, Ma
2) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
3) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
4) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
5) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
6) Bob Charland, Stafford
7) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
8) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
9) Tyler Jackson, Milford
10) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
11) Scott Bouley, Thomaston
12) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
13) Rick Dyer, Shelton
14) Rick Williams, Haddam
15) Dylan Campbell, Southborough, Ma
16) Payton Henry, Willington
17) Tyler Hines, North Haven
18) Joe Bovin, Belchertown, Ma
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
2) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
3) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
4) David Arute, Tolland
5) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
6) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
7) Dennis Botticello, Suffield
8) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
9) Justin Bren, Monson, Ma
10) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
2) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
3) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
4) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
5) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
6) Monte Gibbs, Killingworth
7) James Carroll, West Hartford
8) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
9) Trevor Berry, New Preston
10) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma
11) Gary Spinnato, Sr., Wallingford
12) Doug Phelps, New Salem, Ma
13) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
14) Donnie Swan, Manchester
15) Paul Varricchio, Sr., Meriden
16) Andrew Marchese, Tolland
17) Stephanie Berardi, Broad Brook
18) David Macha Sr, Columbia
19) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
Scott Running
FEATURE VICTORIES AT STAFFORD
Stafford Motor Speedway kicked off its 2012 NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series season with feature events for its SK Light,
Limited Late Model, and DARE Stock divisions as part of the Saturday
CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler Weekend festivities. There were two first
time winners as Dylan Kopec took the checkered flag in the 20-lap SK Light
feature and Josh Wood was the winner of the 20-lap Limited Late Model
feature, and Kyle Casagrande won the 15-lap DARE Stock feature for the
second year in a row.
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Dylan Kopec took the lead at the
green flag and immediately began to pull away from Harry Wheeler in second.
Jay Goff was third, with Zach Aszklar and Dylan Liseo behind him. Kopec was
continuing to stretch out his lead over Wheeler in second while Liseo and
Aszkler were looking for a way past Goff. Both Aszklar and Liseo both got
by Goff on lap-5 and with 5 laps complete, the cars of Dylan Campbell,
Payton Henry, Tyler Hines, and 21 all spun in turn 3 to bring the caution
out.
On the restart, Kopec maintained the lead while Aszklar and Wheeler were
side by side for second. Aszklar got by Wheeler while Liseo was behind
Wheeler in fourth place. Tony Santangelo rounded out the top-5 with Ronnie
Williams and Tony Membrino, Jr. behind him.
At the halfway point of the race, Kopec had built up a several second lead
over Aszklar. Santangelo was now up to third, witih Williams and Membrino
right behind him in fourth and fifth.
Kopec led from start to finish in dominating fashion, taking the checkered
flag by a half straightaway over Aszklar in second. Membrino came home in
third place, with Santangelo and Williams rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Jesse Hinze took the lead at the
green, but the action behind him was fast and furious as Duane Provost moved
into second, D.J. Burnham took third, Josh Wood took fourth, Cory Casagrande
moved into fifth, and David Arute was sixth to round out the train of cars
at the front of the field.
Provost made a bid for the lead to the inside of Hinze on lap-5, but he
couldn’t complete the pass. Provost tried the move again on lap-6, but he
got loose and fell back several spots as Burham, Wood, and Casagrande all
got by. Arute got by Provost on lap-8 to drop him from second back to sixth
place while Hinze continued to lead the race with Burnham right on his
bumper.
Hinze held the lead until lap-9 when Burnham had the lead by a nose at the
start/finish line. Wood made a three-wide move into turn 1 and he went by
both Burnham and Hinze to take over the race lead. Behind Wood, Casagrande
moved into second with Burnham and Arute right behind him. Hinze fell from
the lead back to fifth place, just ahead of Provost.
Wood led the final 11 laps to take the victory in his very first start in
the division. Casagrande finished second, with Burnham, Arute, and Provost
rounding out the top-5.
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature, Kris Fluckiger took the lead from the pole
position and began to set the pace ahead of Cliff Saunders. Kyle Casagrande
moved into third on lap-3, with Andy Marchese and Vince Gambacorta right
behind him. Monte Gibbs, Austin Bessette, and Stephanie Berardi were nose
to tail right behind Gambacorta with Trevor Barry and Johnny Walker making
up the early top-10.
Saunders got around Fluckiger on lap-4 to take over the race lead. Kelsey
Rottino’s car began to smoke heavily with 4 laps complete, which brought out
the first caution flag of the event.
Saunders took the lead on the restart with Casagrande moving by Fluckiger to
take over second. Fluckiger settled into line in third, with Bessette and
Gambacorta making up the top-5. One lap after the restart, Berardi spun in
turn 2 and her spin collected the car of David Macha, Sr. and brought the
caution flag back out.
The next restart saw Casagrande overtake Saunders to move into the race
lead. Fluckiger tried to follow Casagrande by Saunders, but he fell back
into line in third. One lap after the restart, Bessette pulled to the
outside of Fluckiger and the pair raced side by side for third place before
they came together in turns 3+4 and Bessette spun to bring the caution out.
Back under green, Casagrande again took the lead ahead of Saunders with
Gambacorta in third. Walker was now up to fourth and J.P. Carroll was up to
fifth, just behind Walker. Gibbs was sixth and Bessette was back up to
seventh after his spin. Fluckiger was one spot behind Bessette, with Jeremy
Lavoie and Brandon Michael rounding out the top-10.
Casagrande and Saunders pulled away from the rest of the field in the
closing laps to settle the race between themselves. Saunders kept in close
contact with Casagrande, but for the second consecutive year Casagrande took
the checkered flag in the CARQUEST Spring Sizzler. Saunders finished
second, with Walker, Gambacorta, and Carroll rounding out the top-5.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at
860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
1) Dylan Kopec, Palmer, Ma
2) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
3) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
4) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
5) Ronnie Williams, Tolland
6) Bob Charland, Stafford
7) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
8) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
9) Tyler Jackson, Milford
10) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
11) Scott Bouley, Thomaston
12) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
13) Rick Dyer, Shelton
14) Rick Williams, Haddam
15) Dylan Campbell, Southborough, Ma
16) Payton Henry, Willington
17) Tyler Hines, North Haven
18) Joe Bovin, Belchertown, Ma
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
2) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
3) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
4) David Arute, Tolland
5) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
6) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
7) Dennis Botticello, Suffield
8) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
9) Justin Bren, Monson, Ma
10) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
DARE STOCK (15)
1) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
2) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
3) Johnny Walker, Ludlow, Ma
4) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
5) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
6) Monte Gibbs, Killingworth
7) James Carroll, West Hartford
8) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
9) Trevor Berry, New Preston
10) Brandon Michael, Granville, Ma
11) Gary Spinnato, Sr., Wallingford
12) Doug Phelps, New Salem, Ma
13) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs
14) Donnie Swan, Manchester
15) Paul Varricchio, Sr., Meriden
16) Andrew Marchese, Tolland
17) Stephanie Berardi, Broad Brook
18) David Macha Sr, Columbia
19) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
Scott Running