RGeeProductions
08-02-2013, 11:26 PM
Stafford Speedway returned to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in the house for the CARQUEST 150. Eric Berndt was a first time winner on the season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Adam Gray extended his streak of consecutive podium finishes to 11 with his fourth win of the season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Ronnie Williams took down his second win in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Albert Saunders claimed his second win in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Brandon Michael scored his first win of the season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Dan Avery got a good run on the outside of Zach Aszklar to take the early lead. Aszklar settled into second with Curt Brainard third and Michael Bennett was side by side with Sean Foster for fourth place. With 3 laps complete, Bennett got out of shape in turn 4 after contact with Danny Cates. As cars were getting on the brakes behind them, Todd Owen got out of shape and came back across the track into Keith Rocco, who clipped the car of Rowan Pennink and sent Pennink's car hard into the wall to bring out the caution.
Avery took the lead back under green while Aszklar got loose and into Foster, which dropped both cars back in the field. Brainard was up to second behind Avery with Cates, Ryan Preece, and Eric Berndt making up the new top-5.
Preece moved by Brainard for second on lap-8 and he nearly took the lead from Avery on lap-9. Preece was continuing to pressure Avery for the lead, but Avery was able to keep Preece behind him. Berndt and Cates both got around Brainard to move into third and fourth before the caution came out with 17 laps complete for a spin by Tommy Membrino, Jr. in turn 4.
Avery took the lead on the restart and immediately Preece was applying pressure for the lead. Preece pulled alongside Avery on lap-19, but Avery was able to shut the door on Preece and maintain the lead. Berndt was third behind Preece with Cates and Ted Christopher making up the top-5. Cates slid by Berndt to take over third on lap-21 and Christopher moved by Berndt to take over fourth on lap-24 as Avery continued to lead the race.
Preece took the lead from Avery on lap-25 before the caution came out for spins by Foster and Dave Salzarulo in turn 4.
Preece took the lead on the restart with Christopher moving by Avery to take over second. Avery was able to get back into line in third with Berndt and Cates behind him. Tom Bolles spun in turn 4 to bring the caution back out with 27 laps complete.
Preece took the lead back under green with Avery slotting into second in front of Christopher. The caution came back out with 29 laps complete as Brian Sullivan and Cates spun in turn 2 and hit the wall.
Preece took the lead back under green with Christopher and Avery side by side for second. Berndt was right behind the Avery/Christopher duel and Cates was right behind Berndt. The caution came back out with 31 laps complete as Woody Pitkat hit the turn 2 wall after another car came up the track and touched wheels with Pitkat.
Preece took the lead on the restart with the field quickly settling into single file behind him. Avery was second, Berndt was third, Doug Coby moved into fourth, and Christopher fell back to fifth. Rit Dulac spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 38 laps complete and set up a green white checkered finish.
The restart was called back and on the next start, Preece took the lead with Avery right behind him. Preece got sideways in turn 1 on the white flag lap and as Avery went low to pass Preece on the backstretch, they touched and Preece spun back across the track directly into the path of Christopher to bring the caution out and set up another green white checkered finish. This put Avery and Berndt on the front row for the restart with Coby and Cates on row 2 and Michael Gervais, Jr. and Bolles in row 3.
On the restart, Berndt took the lead on the outside of Avery and Coby pulled alongside Avery in a fight for second. Berndt led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Coby edged out Avery by mere inches at the line to finish second with Cates and Gervais rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Dennis Botticello took the early lead with Michael Scorzelli taking second. J.J. Hill moved into third with Kevin Gambacorta moving by Andrew Durand to take fourth. Tom Fearn, Adam Gray, and Jay Stuart were lined up in a three-car tandem in the low groove and they quickly worked their way towards the top-5 in the first few laps of the race.
Gray took fifth on lap-6 while Fearn fell back several spots after getting loose in the corner. Fearn spun on lap-8 coming out of turn 4, but he rejoined the race at the back of the pack and the race stayed green. The top-6 cars were now lined up in a nose to tail train with Botticello leading Scorzelli, Hill, Gambacorta, Gray, and Stuart. Paul Varricchio, Jr. spun coming out of turn 2 to bring the caution out with 11 laps complete.
Botticello took the lead back under green with Hill moving into second. Gray moved by Scorzelli to take over third and Gambacorta settled into line in fifth just behind Scorzelli. Hill made a move to the inside of Botticello in turn 4 on lap-14, but Botticello was able to hold him off and maintain the lead.
Hill was able to complete the pass on Botticello on lap-17 to take over the race lead. Gray followed Hill past Botticello to take over second while Botticello settled back into line in third. Scorzelli was fourth with Jim Mavlouganes now occupying fifth place. Hill drifted up the track in turn 1 on lap-21 and that opened up enough room for Gray to get by and take over the race lead. Jim Peterson spun and collected the car of Jay Stuart in the middle of turns 1+2 to bring the caution out with 21 laps complete.
Gray took the lead on the restart while Scorzelli moved into second. Mavlouganes and Botticello were side by side for third with Mark St. Hilaire behind them in fifth place. Mavlouganes took the third spot and St. Hilaire got by Botticello to move up to fourth as Gray continued to lead the race. Botticello lost two more spots on lap-25 as Woody Pitkat and Gambacorta dropped him back to seventh place.
Gray led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his fourth win of the 2013 season. Scorzelli finished a career best second, with Mavlouganes, St. Hilaire, and Pitkat rounding out the top-5.
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In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Dan Avery got a good run on the outside of Zach Aszklar to take the early lead. Aszklar settled into second with Curt Brainard third and Michael Bennett was side by side with Sean Foster for fourth place. With 3 laps complete, Bennett got out of shape in turn 4 after contact with Danny Cates. As cars were getting on the brakes behind them, Todd Owen got out of shape and came back across the track into Keith Rocco, who clipped the car of Rowan Pennink and sent Pennink's car hard into the wall to bring out the caution.
Avery took the lead back under green while Aszklar got loose and into Foster, which dropped both cars back in the field. Brainard was up to second behind Avery with Cates, Ryan Preece, and Eric Berndt making up the new top-5.
Preece moved by Brainard for second on lap-8 and he nearly took the lead from Avery on lap-9. Preece was continuing to pressure Avery for the lead, but Avery was able to keep Preece behind him. Berndt and Cates both got around Brainard to move into third and fourth before the caution came out with 17 laps complete for a spin by Tommy Membrino, Jr. in turn 4.
Avery took the lead on the restart and immediately Preece was applying pressure for the lead. Preece pulled alongside Avery on lap-19, but Avery was able to shut the door on Preece and maintain the lead. Berndt was third behind Preece with Cates and Ted Christopher making up the top-5. Cates slid by Berndt to take over third on lap-21 and Christopher moved by Berndt to take over fourth on lap-24 as Avery continued to lead the race.
Preece took the lead from Avery on lap-25 before the caution came out for spins by Foster and Dave Salzarulo in turn 4.
Preece took the lead on the restart with Christopher moving by Avery to take over second. Avery was able to get back into line in third with Berndt and Cates behind him. Tom Bolles spun in turn 4 to bring the caution back out with 27 laps complete.
Preece took the lead back under green with Avery slotting into second in front of Christopher. The caution came back out with 29 laps complete as Brian Sullivan and Cates spun in turn 2 and hit the wall.
Preece took the lead back under green with Christopher and Avery side by side for second. Berndt was right behind the Avery/Christopher duel and Cates was right behind Berndt. The caution came back out with 31 laps complete as Woody Pitkat hit the turn 2 wall after another car came up the track and touched wheels with Pitkat.
Preece took the lead on the restart with the field quickly settling into single file behind him. Avery was second, Berndt was third, Doug Coby moved into fourth, and Christopher fell back to fifth. Rit Dulac spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 38 laps complete and set up a green white checkered finish.
The restart was called back and on the next start, Preece took the lead with Avery right behind him. Preece got sideways in turn 1 on the white flag lap and as Avery went low to pass Preece on the backstretch, they touched and Preece spun back across the track directly into the path of Christopher to bring the caution out and set up another green white checkered finish. This put Avery and Berndt on the front row for the restart with Coby and Cates on row 2 and Michael Gervais, Jr. and Bolles in row 3.
On the restart, Berndt took the lead on the outside of Avery and Coby pulled alongside Avery in a fight for second. Berndt led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2013 season. Coby edged out Avery by mere inches at the line to finish second with Cates and Gervais rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Dennis Botticello took the early lead with Michael Scorzelli taking second. J.J. Hill moved into third with Kevin Gambacorta moving by Andrew Durand to take fourth. Tom Fearn, Adam Gray, and Jay Stuart were lined up in a three-car tandem in the low groove and they quickly worked their way towards the top-5 in the first few laps of the race.
Gray took fifth on lap-6 while Fearn fell back several spots after getting loose in the corner. Fearn spun on lap-8 coming out of turn 4, but he rejoined the race at the back of the pack and the race stayed green. The top-6 cars were now lined up in a nose to tail train with Botticello leading Scorzelli, Hill, Gambacorta, Gray, and Stuart. Paul Varricchio, Jr. spun coming out of turn 2 to bring the caution out with 11 laps complete.
Botticello took the lead back under green with Hill moving into second. Gray moved by Scorzelli to take over third and Gambacorta settled into line in fifth just behind Scorzelli. Hill made a move to the inside of Botticello in turn 4 on lap-14, but Botticello was able to hold him off and maintain the lead.
Hill was able to complete the pass on Botticello on lap-17 to take over the race lead. Gray followed Hill past Botticello to take over second while Botticello settled back into line in third. Scorzelli was fourth with Jim Mavlouganes now occupying fifth place. Hill drifted up the track in turn 1 on lap-21 and that opened up enough room for Gray to get by and take over the race lead. Jim Peterson spun and collected the car of Jay Stuart in the middle of turns 1+2 to bring the caution out with 21 laps complete.
Gray took the lead on the restart while Scorzelli moved into second. Mavlouganes and Botticello were side by side for third with Mark St. Hilaire behind them in fifth place. Mavlouganes took the third spot and St. Hilaire got by Botticello to move up to fourth as Gray continued to lead the race. Botticello lost two more spots on lap-25 as Woody Pitkat and Gambacorta dropped him back to seventh place.
Gray led the field back to the checkered flag to pick up his fourth win of the 2013 season. Scorzelli finished a career best second, with Mavlouganes, St. Hilaire, and Pitkat rounding out the top-5.
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