COBY, HUTCHINGS, SANTANGELO, FOSTER, & WOOD
SCORE AUGUST 8th N.E. DODGE 150 FETURE WINS AT SMS

For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Running
August 8, 2008

(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Motor Speedway returned to racing action on Friday, August 8 with the 18th Annual New England Dodge Dealers 150 Whelen Modified Tour event with five divisions of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing. Doug Coby nailed down his first win of the season in the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, defending Late Model track champion Corey Hutchings scored his first win of the 2008 season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Tony Santangelo was a first time winner in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature, Sean Foster scored his third feature win of 2008 in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Don Wood took down win number 2 of the 2008 season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event.

In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, it was Doug Coby taking down his first feature win of the 2008 season with a dominating drive. Zach Sylvester took the early race lead and he lead the first 8 laps before Coby took over the lead on lap-9. Jimmy Blewett followed Coby past Sylvester and moved into second place. The race was slowed by caution with 17 laps complete with Coby still out front. The final 23 laps of the race ran green to checkered with Coby dominating the action. Blewett and Chris Jones put on a spirited battle for second in the closing laps, which allowed Coby to pull away. Blewett came home second behind Coby, with Jones, Frank Ruocco, and Wade Mattesen rounding out the top-5.

The 30-lap Late Model feature, defending Late Model track champion Corey Hutchings took the lead from Tom Butler on lap-2 and proceeded to lead the final 29-laps to pick up his first feature win of the 2008 season. Woody Pitkat, Butler, Brian Chapin, and Mike Quintiliano were giving chase to Hutchings in the first half of the race. Ryan Posocco was coming on strong over the second half of the race as he methodically moved his way into the top-5. A late caution set up a three-lap sprint to the finish, but Hutchings was too strong to be overtaken. Posocco edged Pitkat for second at the checkered flag with Michael Bennett and Tom Fearn rounding out the top-5 at the finish.

The 20-lap SK Light Modified feature saw Tony Santangelo wire the field to pick up his first career victory. Santangelo took the race lead from the pole position with Mike Lane and Kyle Spencer giving chase in the early going. Santangelo was strong out front, as both Lane and Spencer could not get close. Santangelo continued to stretch his lead lap by lap as Mark Bakaj was working his way up to fourth place. The 20-lap race ran green to checkered with Santangelo taking down his first career victory in dominating fashion. Lane finished second with Spencer, Mark Bakaj, and Chris Bakaj rounding out the top-5.

In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Sean Foster charged through the field after a penalty for jumping a restart to claim his third win of the 2008 season. Ed Charette took the early lead and he held the race lead for the first 8 laps before giving way to Michael Nadeau on lap-9. Nadeau lost the lead to David Capriati on a lap-10 restart, but Capriati's time out front was short as Andrew Durand took the lead on lap-11. Foster was charging back through the field after his earlier penalty, and he moved into second place behind Durand on lap-17. A late caution set up a three-lap dash to the finish and Foster moved by Durand on the restart. Once in front, Foster was never headed and he took his third checkered flag of the 2008 season. Durand finished second, with Bill Davis, Charlie Newman, and Rob Dow rounding out the top-5.

The 15-lap DARE Stock feature took the green flag with Matt Chiarizio taking the early lead from the pole position ahead of Don Wood, Jesse Hinze, and Melissa Blowers. Chiarizio pulled away in the early laps, but by lap-10, Wood had caught up to Chiarizio's bumper. The two cars put on a full contact battle for the lead, bouncing off one another several times. Wood appeared to have the faster car, but he couldn't complete a pass on Chiarizio. On the final lap of the race, coming to the checkered flag, Chiarizio drifted up the track and hit the wall, which allowed Wood to move past and take his second feature victory of the 2008 season. Last week's winner Kyle Casagrande finished second with Dan Flannery, Chiarizio, and Jeff Jolly 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.

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