(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway hosted First Responder Friday on September 13th with the TC 13 Shootout joining Stafford’s five weekly divisions in feature action. The SK Modified® division ran their regularly scheduled 40-lap feature as well as the 3rd Annual TC 13 Shootout, a 13 lap race contested between the top-13 finishers from the 40-lap feature. Noah Korner was the big winner of the night, scoring his first SK Modified® victory of any kind in the 13-lap, $1,313 to win TC 13 Shootout. Also as part of the TC 13 Shootout festivities, the Ted Christopher Safety Initiative, orchestrated by Quinn Christopher, donated a Leaf Racewear firesuit that SK Modified® drivers would vote on as to who would win and Michael Gervais, Jr. was the winner of the vote. Tyler Hines won the regularly scheduled 40-lap SK Modified® feature for his first victory in over 2 years, Kevin Gambacorta extended his Late Model championship lead by winning the Late Model feature, Robert Bloxsom, III was a first time career winner in the SK Light feature, Kevin Cormier was the Limited Late Model feature winner, and Brandon Warren was a first time career Stafford winner in the Street Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Anthony Flannery took the early lead with Austin Beers behind him in second. Beers made a move to take the lead from Flannery on lap-3 with Tyler Hines now right behind the side by side duo of Beers and Flannery. Steven Chapman was fourth in line behind Hines with Todd Owen in fifth. Beers got clear into the lead on lap-7 with Flannery and Hines right behind him. Owen was fourth after holding off a hard charging Chapman, who would fall back to sixth in line.
Beers got sideways in turn 4 on lap-11 and slid back to sixth as Flannery took the lead with Hines, Owen, Chapman, and Mikey Flynn behind him. Hines went by Flannery in turn 4 on lap-13 to take over the race lead. Owen was third behind the two leaders with Chapman and Flynn making up the top-5. Michael Gervais, Jr. was up to sixth with Beers seventh, Andrew Molleur eighth, Michael Christopher, Jr. ninth, and Jon Puleo tenth. Bryan Narducci spun in turn 3 to bring the caution flag out with 18 laps complete.
Hines took the lead on the restart with Flannery in second. Owen was third with Flynn fourth and Chapman fifth. Molleur and Gervais were wheel to wheel for sixth place with Christopher, Marcello Rufrano, and Puleo making up the top-10. Owen went around in turn 4 to bring the caution flag out with 34 laps complete.
Hines took the lead back under green with Flynn and Flannery going wheel to wheel for second.. Christopher and Molleur were side by side behind Flynn and Flannery for fourth with Rufrano and Puleo side by side behind them for sixth place. Wesley Prucker spun in turn 2 on lap-37 but going moving again and the race stayed green.
Hines pulled away from Flynn over the final lap to pick up his first win of the 2024 season. Flynn finished second with Flannery, Christopher, and Molleur rounding out the top-5. The top-13 finishers transferred into the TC 13 Shootout later in the evening.
September 13 SK Modified Feature Results
In the 13-lap TC Shootout, Troy Talman led the field to the green and he took the lead at the green, but a touch of wheels with Noah Korner on lap-1 saw Talman get sideways and fall back to second as Korner powered into the lead. Michael Gervais, Jr. was third in line with Jon Puleo and Steven Chapman side by side for the lead.
Korner was still the leader on lap-7 with Gervais, Talman, Puleo, Rufrano, and Christopher lined up behind him. Korner wouldn’t be caught as he took the checkered flag to win the TC 13 Shootout and the $1,313 winner’s purse. Gervais finished second with Talman, Puleo, and Christopher rounding out the top-5.
September 13 TC 13 SK Modified Feature Results
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Tom Fearn took the early race lead at the drop of the green flag with Wayne Coury, Jr. in hot pursuit from second place. Chris Buffone was third followed by Kevin Gambacorta and Alexandra Fearn. Gambacorta made a move to the inside of Buffone on lap-4 to move into third while behind them Fearn spun and collected the cars of Tom Butler, Paul Varricchio, Jr., and Andrew Durand to bring the caution flag out with 4 laps complete.
Fearn took the lead back under green with Gambacorta taking second. Chris Meyer took third with Adam Gray taking fourth on lap-6. Gambacorta took the lead from Fearn on lap-7 with Meyer taking second on lap-8. Gray moved up to third behind Gambacorta and Meyer with Al Saunders now fourth and Cliff Saunders fifth, dropping Fearn back to sixth.
As the race approached the halfway point, Gambacorta was starting to slowly stretch out his advantage over Meyer, who had Gray all over his back bumper for second. Gray was able to make the pass as the field hit the halfway point to move into second with Gambacorta still in the lead and the Saunders twins of Al and Cliff still fourth and fifth.
With 10 laps to go it was Gambacorta in the lead followed by Gray, Meyer, Al Saunders, Cliff Saunders, Fearn, Varricchio, Darrell Keane, Buffone, and Coury. Gray’s car began to show smoke on lap-22 but stayed in hot pursuit of Gambacorta for the race lead. Gambacorta led a still smoking Gray to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2024 season. Meyer finished third with Al Saunders and Cliff Saunders rounding out the top-5.
September 13 Late Model Feature Results
2024 Late Model Points Standings
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Robert Bloxsom, III took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Paul Arute right behind him in second. Nick Anglace was third in the early laps with Ron Midford, Jr. fourth and Meghan Fuller fifth. Sami Anderson spun across the frontstretch grass and into the bottom groove in turn 1 to bring the caution flag out with 3 laps complete. Chris Matthews was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Anderson.
Bloxsom took the lead back under green with Arute in second. Midford took third with Anglace fourth and Josh Morrison in fifth. The caution came back out with 5 laps complete for spins in turn 4 by Mike Parolo, Carsten Cole, and Chris Matthews. Matthews was parked for the remainder of the event for making contact with Parolo.
Bloxsom took the lead on the restart after some near 3-wide racing with Arute and Anglace. Midford got a good run to the inside of Arute on lap-7 and they ran wheel to wheel with Anglace right behind them in fourth place. Arute took second on lap-9 with Anglace taking third to drop Midford back to fourth, just in front of Morrison in fifth. Just behind Morrison, Amanda West and Fuller were dueling wheel to wheel for second. West got sideways on lap-11 but gathered her car up and kept on going after falling back to 11th place. Paul Arcari and Aiden D’Agata spun in turn 2 to bring the caution back out with 12 laps complete.
Bloxsom didn’t come up to speed on the restart, which allowed Arute and Midford to fight for the lead going into turn 1. Anglace spun in the middle of the corner to bring the caution back out before a lap could be completed, which put Bloxsom back into the lead for the next restart. Under the caution, Midford’s car lost power and it was pushed back to pit road, bringing a premature end to his race.
Bloxsom took the lead back under green with Morrison going wheel to wheel with Arute for second with Alexander Pearl lined up behind Arute in fourth and West in fifth. Pearl gave Morrison a push on lap-15 that saw him take second from Arute with Pearl taking third. Morrison took the lead by a nose over Bloxsom as they hit the line to complete lap-16.
Morrison and Bloxsom were still wheel to wheel on lap-18 before Morrison cleared Bloxsom on lap-19. Bloxsom dove to the inside of Morrison as they headed into turn 3 and they were just about even as they hit th stripe to take the white flag. Bloxsom cleared into the lead on the final lap and he held off Pearl to the checkered flag to pick up his first SK Light feature victory at Stafford. Morrison finished third behind Bloxsom and Pearl with West and Arute rounding out the top-5.
September 13 SK Light Feature Results
2024 SK Light Points Standings
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Darryl Vertefeuille took the early lead with Kevin Cormier, Kyle Theriault, Connor Jencik, and Gary Patnode behind him. Cormier quickly took the lead from Vertefeuille on lap-2 before Vertefeuille would go around in turn 2 after contact with Connor Jencik to bring the caution flag out with 2 laps complete. Also collected were the cars of Rich Hammann, Adrien Paradis, III, and Kevin Crosby. Jencik was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Vertefeuille.
Cormier took the lead back under green with Theriault, Devon Jencik, Jeremy Lavoie, and Gary Patnode lined up behind him. RJ Surdell and Matthew Winter, II came together in turn 4 and then down the frontstretch with both cars spinning to bring the caution flag back out with 4 laps complete.
Cormier again took the lead with Theriault, Devon Jencik, Lavoie, Patnode, Matt Clement and Travis Hydar lined up behind him. Cormier was still in command with 5 laps to go with Theriault and Lavoie still second and third. Hydar worked his way up to fourth behind Lavoie with Devon Jencik fifth.
Cormier led Theriault to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2024 season. Lavoie edged out Hydar for third at the line with Devon Jencik rounding out the top-5.
September 13 Limited Late Model Feature Results
2024 Limited Late Model Points Standings
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, Bill Cote led the field to the green flag and he set the early pace with Brandon Warren moving into second behind him. Marvin Minkler was third in line, but he would lose that spot to Jeff Asselin on lap-2 and he would fall back to fifth on lap-3 as Jason Lafayette took over fourth.
Cote’s car dropped off the pace on lap-4 which allowed Warren to assume the lead with Asselin, Lafayette, Jason Raymond, and Ryan Waterman lined up behind him. Cote limped his way back to pit road where he parked for the remainder of the race after leading the first 3 laps.
At the halfway point of the race, it was still Warren leading Asselin, Lafayette, Waterman, Travis Downey, Travis Hydar, Raymond, Tyler Trott, Bert Ouellette, and Johnny Walker. Asselin rode behind Warren until lap-17 when he made a move to in turn 1 to the inside of Warren for the lead. The two cars touched with Asselin getting sideways but gathering his car up. Behind them, Waterman and Hydar came together and spun on the backstretch to bring the caution flag out with 17 laps complete.
Warren took the lead on the restart with Lafayette coming up to second. Asselin was third in line with Downey fourth and Trott fifth. Warren led Lafayette to the checkered flag to pick up his first career Street Stock victory at Stafford. Asselin finished third with Downey and Trott rounding out the top-5.
September 13 Street Stock Feature Results
2024 Street Stock Points Standings
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
###
