(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway was back in action on Friday, July 3rd with the Lincoln Tech Kids Night program. All 5 of Stafford’s weekly divisions were in feature action with Street Stocks pulling double duty to complete the last 11 laps of the feature that was interrupted by rain on June 12 as well as their regularly scheduled feature event along with a pair of Kids Big Wheel races. Marcello Rufrano won the SK Modified® feature for his second win of the season, Paul Varricchio, Jr. was a first time 2026 winner in the Late Model feature, Nick Anglace scored his second consecutive and fifth overall win of 2026 in the SK Light feature, Matt Clement was a first time 2026 winner in the Limited Late Model feature, and Ryan Waterman swept the two Street Stock features for his fifth consecutive and seventh overall wins of 2026. The Kids Big Wheel races had a hometown flavor as they were both won by Stafford residents with Magnolia Arute and Bradley Bennett taking the victories.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Wesley Prucker took the early lead by streaking by polesitter Ethan Durocher at the start of the race. Mikey Flynn was side by side with Durocher for second when a huge melee erupted coming out of turn 4 on lap-2. Todd Owen spun while behind him Dylan Izzo’s car flipped over on its roof with Josh Zentek’s car climbing over the car of David Arute with Curt Brainard also collected to immediately bring out the red flag along with the caution flag.
Prucker took the lead on the restart but that lead would only last one lap as Flynn streaked into the lead on lap-3. Durocher was now second with Marcello Rufrano wheel to wheel with Prucker fighting for third. Rufrano took third on lap-5 and Tyler Chapman followed Rufrano by Prucker to take fourth as Prucker slid back to sixth place behind Andrew Molleur.
With 10 laps complete the running order was Flynn, Rufrano, Durocher, Chapman, Molleur, Keith Rocco, Glen Reen, Alexander Pearl, Todd Owen, and Prucker. Chapman was applying heavy pressure to Durocher for third place while Flynn and Rufrano were stretching out their advantage over Durocher. Prucker spun in turn 3 to bring the caution flag out with 19 laps complete.
Flynn took the lead on the restart with Rufrano taking the lead on lap-23. Flynn came right back to take the lead before Rufrano went back into the lead on lap-24. Reen was up to third with Rocco fourth and Molleur up to fifth. Art Caruso backed into the turn 1 wall to bring the caution flag out with 26 laps complete.
Rufrano took the lead on the restart with Flynn slotting into second. Rocco was third with Reen fourth and Molleur fifth. Rocco made a move to the inside of Flynn on lap-31 to take second and as they hit the stripe Flynn and Rocco touched with Rocco going around to bring out the caution flag with 31 laps complete. Flynn was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Rocco.
Rufrano took the lead on the restart with Molleur taking second. Reen was third with Jon Puleo up to fourth and Chapman fifth. Reen and Molleur were now side by side for second with 6 laps to go with Puleo, Chapman, and Owen all lined up behind them. Reen finally got clear into second place on lap-36 with Puleo taking third to drop Molleur back to fourth and Owen got around Chapman for fifth place. Pearl spun in turn 2 to bring the caution flag out with 38 laps to go and set up a green white checkered finish.
Rufrano took the lead with Puleo and Reen going side by side for second. Molleur was fourth with Owen in fifth. Puleo took second on the final lap but no one could catch Rufrano who took down his second win of the 2026 season. Puleo finished second with Molleur, Reen, and Owen rounding out the top-5.
July 3 SK Modified® Feature Results
2026 SK Modified® Points Standings
In the 30-lap Late Model feature, Paul Varricchio, Jr. took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Kevin Gambacorta taking to the outside line to try to get around Adon Burrell for second but Burrell was able to maintain second. Wayne Coury, Jr. took third with Darrell Keane fourth and Adam Gray fifth as Gambacorta began to slide backwards in the outside lane. Gambacorta got back into line in sixth position, just in front of Chris Meyer with 5 laps complete.
Meyer went by Gambacorta on lap-6 and Chris Buffone followed him by as did Josh Wood and Michael Bennett, which dropped Gambacorta back to tenth place. With 10 laps complete, Varricchio was still in the lead with Burrell still holding second. Coury was third followed by Keane, Gray, Meyer, Buffone, Wood, Gambacorta, and Michael Bennett.
With 10 laps to go Varricchio was still out front with a 1 second margin back to Burrell in second. Coury was still third with Keane, Gray, Meyer, Gambacorta, Buffone, Bennett, and Wood behind him. Varricchio led the field to the checkered flag to score his first win of the 2026 season with a wire to wire performance. Burrell finished second with Coury, Keane, and Gray rounding out the top-5.
July 3 Late Model Feature Results
2026 Late Model Points Standings
In the 20-lap SK Light feature, Travis Downey took the lead at the green flag with Matt Brewer and Jake Hines side by side for second. Chris Matthews was fourth with Amanda West fifth. Brewer and Hines were still side by side on lap-4 while behind them West took to the outside of Matthews and now the cars were two by two behind Downey. Dylan Houghton was sixth with Tyler Barry and Nick Anglace right behind him. Matthews and Brewer both did a half-spin in turn 2 to bring the caution flag out with 6 laps complete.
Downey took the lead on the restart with West shooting up into second. West took a look to the inside of Downey on lap-7 and she had the lead by a half car length at the line. Downey came right back to the inside of West on lap-8 but couldn’t make a pass. Anglace was now alongside Downey as the field completed lap-10 and Connor Christmas got into the turn 4 wall to bring the caution back out with 10 laps complete.
West took the lead back under green but her time at the front was limited as Anglace went around West and into the lead on lap-12. Barry was up to third behind Anglace and West with Matthews fourth and Houghton up to fifth. Anglace cruised to the checkered flag to pick up his second consecutive and fifth overall win of the 2026 season. Barry finished third with Matthews and Houghton rounding out the top-5.
July 3 SK Light Feature Results
2026 SK Light Points Standings
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Matt Clement took the early lead with Dave Secore holding off a charge from Devon Jencik to hold second. Jencik would make the pass on lap-2 as Tyler Secore dropped off the pace with a flat right front tire and he limped back to pit road, finished for the evening. Behind Devon Jencik was his brother Conor Jencik in third with RJ Surdell fourth and Gary Patnode fifth as Clement continued to lead.
Norm Root, III was applying heavy pressure to Patnode for fifth but Patnode was able to fend off his challenges. At the halfway point of the race, Matt Clement was still comfortably in command with Devon Jencik, Conor Jencik, Surdell, and Root lined up behind him. Patnode was sixth with Aaron Plemons, Travis Hydar, Jeremy Lavoie, and Jason Lafayette making up the top-10. Jesse Hinze went around in turn 3 to bring the caution flag out with 11 laps complete.
Matt Clement resumed his place at the front of the pack on the restart with Devon Jencik in second. Root was third but he got high in turn 3 on lap-13, which allowed Conor Jencik to take third. Plemons took fourth on lap-14 but Root would come back to his inside on lap-17 to retake fourth. Jeremy Lavoie was now fifth with Rich Hammann taking sixth as Plemons slid back to seventh.
Matt Clement led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2026 season. Devon Jencik finished second with Conor Jencik, Root, and Lavoie rounding out the top-5.
July 3 Limited Late Model Feature Results
2026 Limited Late Model Points Standings
In the Street Stock feature that was resumed from June 12 with the final 11 laps, Ryan Waterman led the field to the green flag as he held the lead when the race was halted. Brent Gleason quickly took second with Jason Raymond taking third on lap-11. Kolton Gambacorta was fourth with PJ Evans in fifth. Matt Martel spun in turn 4 to bring the caution flag out with 15 laps complete to set up a 5-lap dash to the finish.
Raymond streaked into the lead on the restart with Waterman holding Gleason off in the fight for second. Evans was fourth with Scott Sundeen up to fifth. Waterman worked Raymond over for several laps before he took the lead on lap-19. Raymond nearly retook the lead from Waterman, but settled back into second for the final lap. Waterman led Raymond back to the checkered flag to pick up his fourth consecutive win and his 6th win of the season. Evans finished third with Gleason and Sundeen rounding out the top-5.
July 3 Street Stock Feature #1 Results
2026 Street Stock Points Standings
In the regularly scheduled 20-lap Street Stock feature, a melee broke out at the start that collected the cars of Bill Cote, Jason Raymond, Marvin Minkler, Roger Mahieu, and Rob Sears to bring the caution flag out before a lap could b completed.
David Ciastko took the lead on the start with Scott Sundeen going three-wide to take second. Brandon Warren settled into third with PJ Evans fourth and Ryan Waterman fifth. Sundeen took the lead from Ciastko on lap-3 and Ciastko fell from the lead all the way back to eighth as Warren, Evans, Waterman, Brent Gleason, Kolton Gambacorta, and Jason Raymond all got by Ciastko.
Waterman took third on lap-6 and was quickly closing in on the two leaders who were Sundeen and Warren. Warren was looking to take the lead from Sundeen but couldn’t make a pass stick Warren made a move stick on lap-9 as he went into the lead and brought Waterman with him up to second to drop Sundeen back to fifth as Gleason took third and Gambacorta fourth.
Waterman hounded Warren for several laps before he took the lead on lap-15. Gleason was third with Gambacorta fourth, Evans fifth, Raymond sixth, and Sundeen seventh. Waterman led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the night, his fifth consecutive and seventh overall win of the 2026 season. Warren finished second with Gleason, Gambacorta, and Evans rounding out the top-5.
July 3 Street Stock Feature #2 Results
2026 Street Stock Points Standings
The kids big wheel races were won by Magnolia Arute of Stafford Springs, CT and Bradley Bennett who also hails from Stafford Springs, CT.
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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