(Stafford Springs, CT)—The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series came to Stafford Motor Speedway on Wednesday, July 15th for the 80-lap GAF Roofing Modified Masters feature event. Ron Silk led early and then retook the lead after a mid-race pit stop and dominated the GAF Roofing Modified Masters 80-lap feature event at Stafford Speedway to take the checkered flag and the $10,000 winner’s check. Silk’s win was his second win in the last three years in the GAF Roofing Modified Masters.
The race took the green flag with Ron Silk taking the early lead with Jon McKennedy right behind him in second. Justin Bonsignore went around Teddy Hodgdon on lap-3 to take third with Hodgdon fourth and Cory DiMatteo fifth. Ronnie Williams and Tyler Chapman were dueling wheel to wheel for sixth place with Williams getting clear into sixth on lap-8 after several laps of side by side action. Williams nearly took fourth from DiMatteo but settled back into line behind him on lap-9 before taking the position on lap-10.
Williams then set his sights on Justin Bonsignore in third and he took that position on lap-12 while Silk and McKennedy were still the top-2 runners. With 20 laps complete, Silk was still leading McKennedy with Williams, Justin Bonsignore, Joey Cipriano, Tyler Chapman, Hodgdon, DiMatteo, Noah Korner, and Kyle Bonsignore making up the top-10.
Silk was starting to stretch out his lead over McKennedy when the caution flew with 22 laps complete for George Bessette, Jr., who spun in turn 4.
McKennedy got a good run to the outside of Silk on the restart but wasn’t able to make a pass and he settled back into second after a lap of side by side racing. Justin Bonsignore was third with Williams going wheel to wheel with Tyler Chapman before securing fourth place on lap-25. Cipriano was now side by side with Chapman for fifth place with Cipriano winning that duel.
As the race hit the halfway point, it was still Silk leading McKennedy with Williams, Justin Bonsignore, Cipriano, Tyler Chapman, Hodgdon, Austin Beers, Kyle Bonsignore, and Ryan Newman making up the top-10. The caution came back out with 42 laps complete for spins in turn 3 by Matt Gallo and Bessette. Under the caution period, the majority of the lead lap cars came to pit road tire changes and adjustments.
Williams won the race off of pit road followed by McKennedy, Justin Bonsignore, Silk, Kyle Bonsignore, Joey Cipriano, Patrick Emerling, Newman, Beers, and Tyler Chapman. Ryan Preece, who had pitted under an earlier caution period at lap-22, inherited the lead with DiMatteo to his outside and Woody Pitkat behind him. Williams restarted in fourth place with McKennedy and Justin Bonsignore making up the third row.
Preece took the lead back under green with DiMatteo glued to his back bumper in second. Pitkat was side by side with Williams with Williams quickly taking third. Williams then took second place from Preece on lap-46 and set his sights on DiMatteo, who had taken the lead from Preece on the prior lap. The caution came out with 46 laps complete for a spin in turn 2 by Beers. Preece relinquished third place by coming back to pit road under the caution period.
The restart saw Cipriano spin through the backstretch grass after climbing up and over the left front of Pitkat, which brought the caution flag right back out.
DiMatteo took the lead on the restart with Williams moving into second. McKennedy took third with Silk foruth and Justin Bonsignore fifth. Williams took the lead from DiMatteo on lap-48 and that opened the door for McKennedy to take second and Silk third as DiMatteo fell back to fourth place just in front of Justin Bonsignore.
Silk was starting to apply heavy pressure to McKennedy for second and he made his move on lap-54 to take second with a pass in turn 4. Silk applied some heavy pressure to Williams and he retook the lead on lap-57 with a pass coming out of turn 4.
Cipriano, Korner, and Chris Pasteryak all took a trip through the frontstretch grass with Korner coming to a stop in turn 2 to bring the caution flag back out with 63 laps complete.
Silk took the lead back under green with Williams right behind him in second. Justin Bonsignore took third with Newman up to fourth and McKennedy was fifth. Gallo and Steven Chapman both went around in turn 4 to bring the caution flag back out with 64 laps complete.
Silk charged back into the lead on the restart with Justin Bonsignore taking second. Williams was third with Newman fourth and McKennedy fifth. Teddy Hodgdon took fourth place from Newman on lap-72 while Silk was slowly pulling away from Williams and Justin Bonsignore. The caution flag came back out with 74 laps complete for a spin in turn 2 by Tom Sekulski.
Silk took the lead on the restart with Tyler Chapman looking to take second. He pulled to the inside of Williams and they raced wheel to wheel with Hodgdon and Newman lined up behind them. Williams finally got clear into second after two laps of side by side racing but the caution came back out for a spin at the entrance of turn 3 by Cipriano.
Silk took the lead again on the restart with Williams getting into second. Justin Bonsignore was third with Hodgdon fourth and Newman fifth. Williams couldn’t catch Silk who took the checkered flag to win the GAF Roofing Modified Masters and the $10,000 winner’s purse. Williams finished second with Justin Bonsignore, Hodgdon, and Newman rounding out the top-5.
GAF Roofing Modified Masters Feature Results
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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