RGeeProductions
07-05-2013, 10:38 PM
PREECE, ST. HILAIRE, DOWLING, AND SAUNDERS TWINS SCORE JULY 5TH SK LIGHT XTRA MART XTRA D FEATURE WINS
Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with a the SK Light division taking center stage with a 25-lap Xtra Mart Xtra D feature that paid a $100 bonus to each of the top-5 finishers. Taking down weekly feature wins on the night were Ryan Preece for the second consecutive week and fifth overall of the 2013 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Mark St. Hilaire in a wild and crazy finish in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Chase Dowling racked up his division leading third win in the Xtra Mart Xtra D 25-lap SK Light Modified feature, Albert Saunders was a first time winner in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and his twin brother Cliff Saunders was the big winner in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Zach Aszklar led the field to the green but it was Keith Rocco slicing and dicing his way to the lead as he went from third to the lead on the first lap. Aszklar settled into second, wit Sean Foster, Todd Owen, and Tom Bolles making up the top-5. Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat, Eric Berndt, Rowan Pennink, and Ted Christopher made up the early top-10.
Rocco was pulling away from Aszklar in second and Aszklar lost that spot to Owen on lap-6. Preece moved into fifth, but Pitkat quickly made a move to the inside of Preece and they began a side-by-side battle for fifth. Preece eventually took the spot and then moved into fourth as Pitkat moved into fifth while Foster was going backwards. Pennink and Christopher got by foster on lap-10 to drop Foster back to eighth and Aszklar spun with 11 laps complete to bring out the first caution of the race.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Preece side by side with Owen for second. Owen was able to keep Preece behind him as Christopher got around Pitkat to move into fourth place. Owen and Rocco touched coming off turn 4 with Rocco spinning and Owen had heavy damage to his right front tire as the caution came out with 13 laps complete. This put Preece into the race lead with Christopher, Pitkat, Pennink, Berndt, and Doug Coby behind him for the restart.
Preece took the lead back under green with Pitkat getting by Christopher one lap after the restart to move into second. Pennink was now challenging Christopher for third on lap-15 with Coby and Berndt behind them. Christopher took the position on lap-16, but the caution came back out with 16 laps complete as Pennink spun and collected several other cars including Coby and Frank Ruocco.
Preece held off a challenge from Pitkat to keep the lead back under green with Christopher, Berndt, and Danny Cates making up the top-5. Christopher was applying heavy pressure to Pitkat for second but Pitkat was able to keep Christopher behind him. Christopher dropped off the pace on lap-24 and came to pit road and pulled behind the wall. Preece was still in the lead, with Pitkat, Berndt, Cates, and Matt Galko making up the new top-5 minus Christopher.
Preece's magic carpet ride of a season continued as he picked up his second consecutive victory and his fifth of the 2013 season. Pitkat came home in second, with Berndt, Cates, and Galko rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Jim Peterson took the lead at the green with Kevin Gambacorta slotting into second behind him. Michael Scorzelli and Andrew Durand were side by side for third place with Mark St. Hilaire and Woody Pitkat side by side behind them. Scorzelli drifted up the track a bit on lap-2, which opened the door for St. Hilaire to move into third. Durand moved into fourth and J.J. Hill took fifth as Scorzelli was backsliding through the field in the outside groove.
Gambacorta made a move to the inside of Peterson on lap-6 in turn 1 to take over the race lead. St. Hilaire was now pressuring Peterson for second with Durand right behind St. Hilaire in fourth. There was a bit of space back to Hill in fifth, who had a comfortable margin over Adam Gray and Tom Fearn, who had charged their way up to sixth and seventh. Ryan Posocco spun coming off turn 2 to bring the caution out with 7 laps complete.
Peterson got a good run in the outside groove on the restart to retake the lead from Gambacorta. But Gambacorta came back on lap-8 and got back by Peterson for the lead. St. Hilaire followed Gambacorta by Peterson as did Gray, dropping Peterson from second back to fourth. Woody Pitkat's bad luck in the Late Model division continued as he backed his car into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution out with 9 laps complete. Jay Stuart also spun into the turn 3 wall as there was fluid on the track from Pitkat's car.
Gambacorta took the lead back under green, but Gray quickly made a move to Gambacorta's inside to take over the lead before they got back to the stripe. Hill was third behind Gambacorta and Gray with St. Hilaire fourth and Dennis Botticello fifth. Late Model points leader Tom Fearn developed a flat right front tire and he had to limp his way back to pit road to get the tire changed.
At the halfway point of the race, Gray Gambacorta, Hill, and St. Hilaire were in a four-car train for the lead with Botticello, Cory Casagrande, Posocco, Durand, and Rick Charette in a five-car train behind the lead foursome. St. Hilaire got around Hill to move into third place on lap-18 as Gray continued to lead with Gambacorta in second. The caution came out with 18 laps complete for Pitkat, who spun in turn 4. Under this caution, Fearn was the lucky dog recipient and got back on the lead lap after losing a lap during his green flag pit stop.
Gray took the lead back under green with St. Hilaire working his way by Gambacorta to move into second. Botticello and Casagrande got by Gambacorta one lap later and Gambacorta fell from second back to fifth. Fearn's back luck continued as smoke began to pour from under his hood and he immediately pulled off the track and behind the pit wall. Hill slid up the track on lap-22 and lost a host of spots as he slid back outside the top-10.
With 5 laps to go, Gray had several car lengths on St. Hilaire, while Casagrande had taken over third place. Botticello was fourth with Gambacorta in fifth. Scorzelli did a quick spin in turn 2, which brought the caution out for debris on the track with 26 laps complete.
Gray took the lead on the restart with Casagrande moving into second. Durand was third, with St. Hilaire falling back to fourth, but the caution came out for Posocco, who spun in turn 2 before a lap could be completed, putting St. Hilaire back up to second for the restart.
St. Hilaire muscled his way to the lead on the restart with Gray forcing his way into second. Gray made a move to the inside of St. Hilaire for the lead on lap-28 and as they both slid up the track a bit, Botticello made it three-wide for the lead. Botticello made contact with Gray's left rear and Gray fell back to third as St. Hilaire took the lead and Hill moved into second. St. Hilaire led Hill back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Gray finished third, with Durand and Casagrande rounding out the top-5.
(continued)
Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with a the SK Light division taking center stage with a 25-lap Xtra Mart Xtra D feature that paid a $100 bonus to each of the top-5 finishers. Taking down weekly feature wins on the night were Ryan Preece for the second consecutive week and fifth overall of the 2013 season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Mark St. Hilaire in a wild and crazy finish in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Chase Dowling racked up his division leading third win in the Xtra Mart Xtra D 25-lap SK Light Modified feature, Albert Saunders was a first time winner in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and his twin brother Cliff Saunders was the big winner in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Zach Aszklar led the field to the green but it was Keith Rocco slicing and dicing his way to the lead as he went from third to the lead on the first lap. Aszklar settled into second, wit Sean Foster, Todd Owen, and Tom Bolles making up the top-5. Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat, Eric Berndt, Rowan Pennink, and Ted Christopher made up the early top-10.
Rocco was pulling away from Aszklar in second and Aszklar lost that spot to Owen on lap-6. Preece moved into fifth, but Pitkat quickly made a move to the inside of Preece and they began a side-by-side battle for fifth. Preece eventually took the spot and then moved into fourth as Pitkat moved into fifth while Foster was going backwards. Pennink and Christopher got by foster on lap-10 to drop Foster back to eighth and Aszklar spun with 11 laps complete to bring out the first caution of the race.
Rocco took the lead back under green with Preece side by side with Owen for second. Owen was able to keep Preece behind him as Christopher got around Pitkat to move into fourth place. Owen and Rocco touched coming off turn 4 with Rocco spinning and Owen had heavy damage to his right front tire as the caution came out with 13 laps complete. This put Preece into the race lead with Christopher, Pitkat, Pennink, Berndt, and Doug Coby behind him for the restart.
Preece took the lead back under green with Pitkat getting by Christopher one lap after the restart to move into second. Pennink was now challenging Christopher for third on lap-15 with Coby and Berndt behind them. Christopher took the position on lap-16, but the caution came back out with 16 laps complete as Pennink spun and collected several other cars including Coby and Frank Ruocco.
Preece held off a challenge from Pitkat to keep the lead back under green with Christopher, Berndt, and Danny Cates making up the top-5. Christopher was applying heavy pressure to Pitkat for second but Pitkat was able to keep Christopher behind him. Christopher dropped off the pace on lap-24 and came to pit road and pulled behind the wall. Preece was still in the lead, with Pitkat, Berndt, Cates, and Matt Galko making up the new top-5 minus Christopher.
Preece's magic carpet ride of a season continued as he picked up his second consecutive victory and his fifth of the 2013 season. Pitkat came home in second, with Berndt, Cates, and Galko rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Jim Peterson took the lead at the green with Kevin Gambacorta slotting into second behind him. Michael Scorzelli and Andrew Durand were side by side for third place with Mark St. Hilaire and Woody Pitkat side by side behind them. Scorzelli drifted up the track a bit on lap-2, which opened the door for St. Hilaire to move into third. Durand moved into fourth and J.J. Hill took fifth as Scorzelli was backsliding through the field in the outside groove.
Gambacorta made a move to the inside of Peterson on lap-6 in turn 1 to take over the race lead. St. Hilaire was now pressuring Peterson for second with Durand right behind St. Hilaire in fourth. There was a bit of space back to Hill in fifth, who had a comfortable margin over Adam Gray and Tom Fearn, who had charged their way up to sixth and seventh. Ryan Posocco spun coming off turn 2 to bring the caution out with 7 laps complete.
Peterson got a good run in the outside groove on the restart to retake the lead from Gambacorta. But Gambacorta came back on lap-8 and got back by Peterson for the lead. St. Hilaire followed Gambacorta by Peterson as did Gray, dropping Peterson from second back to fourth. Woody Pitkat's bad luck in the Late Model division continued as he backed his car into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution out with 9 laps complete. Jay Stuart also spun into the turn 3 wall as there was fluid on the track from Pitkat's car.
Gambacorta took the lead back under green, but Gray quickly made a move to Gambacorta's inside to take over the lead before they got back to the stripe. Hill was third behind Gambacorta and Gray with St. Hilaire fourth and Dennis Botticello fifth. Late Model points leader Tom Fearn developed a flat right front tire and he had to limp his way back to pit road to get the tire changed.
At the halfway point of the race, Gray Gambacorta, Hill, and St. Hilaire were in a four-car train for the lead with Botticello, Cory Casagrande, Posocco, Durand, and Rick Charette in a five-car train behind the lead foursome. St. Hilaire got around Hill to move into third place on lap-18 as Gray continued to lead with Gambacorta in second. The caution came out with 18 laps complete for Pitkat, who spun in turn 4. Under this caution, Fearn was the lucky dog recipient and got back on the lead lap after losing a lap during his green flag pit stop.
Gray took the lead back under green with St. Hilaire working his way by Gambacorta to move into second. Botticello and Casagrande got by Gambacorta one lap later and Gambacorta fell from second back to fifth. Fearn's back luck continued as smoke began to pour from under his hood and he immediately pulled off the track and behind the pit wall. Hill slid up the track on lap-22 and lost a host of spots as he slid back outside the top-10.
With 5 laps to go, Gray had several car lengths on St. Hilaire, while Casagrande had taken over third place. Botticello was fourth with Gambacorta in fifth. Scorzelli did a quick spin in turn 2, which brought the caution out for debris on the track with 26 laps complete.
Gray took the lead on the restart with Casagrande moving into second. Durand was third, with St. Hilaire falling back to fourth, but the caution came out for Posocco, who spun in turn 2 before a lap could be completed, putting St. Hilaire back up to second for the restart.
St. Hilaire muscled his way to the lead on the restart with Gray forcing his way into second. Gray made a move to the inside of St. Hilaire for the lead on lap-28 and as they both slid up the track a bit, Botticello made it three-wide for the lead. Botticello made contact with Gray's left rear and Gray fell back to third as St. Hilaire took the lead and Hill moved into second. St. Hilaire led Hill back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Gray finished third, with Durand and Casagrande rounding out the top-5.
(continued)