(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway’s Street Stock division took center stage on Friday, June 30 with their lone extra distance feature event of the 2023 season, the Midstate Site Development 30. Ryan Waterman continued his dominant ways in 2023 by picking up his fifth win of the season in seven races. Cory DiMatteo was a first time winner in the SK Modified® feature, Kevin Gambacorta became the first repeat Late Model feature winner of the 2023 season, Tyler Chapman scored his second win of the year in the SK Light feature, and Devon Jencik was a first time winner in the Limited Late Model feature event.
In the 30-lap Midstate Site Development Street Stock event, Jason Raymond took the early lead at the drop of the green but Chris Danielczuk took over the lead on lap-2. Aaron Plemons was third with Jason Finkbein fourth and Ryan Waterman was quickly up to fifth after starting 11th. The caution came out with 6 laps complete for a multi-car incident on the frontstretch involving Marvin Minkler, Jeff Asselin, David Macha, Jr., Brandon Warren, David Ciastko, and several others.
Plemons took the lead on the restart with Waterman moving up to second. Johnny Walker was up to third with Finkbein fourth and Bert Ouellette up to fifth. Just behind Ouellette was Travis Hydar and Travis Downey. Waterman quickly took the lead from Plemons, who slid back to fourth as Walker took second and Finkbein took third. Hydar was fifth but he went by Plemons onlap-13 to move into fourth and drop Plemons back to fifth. Downey spun in the middle of turns 3+4 to bring the caution back out with 15 laps complete.
Waterman again took the lead back under green with Walker in second. Finkbein and Hydar were locked in a door to door duel for third with Plemons in fifth. Hydar took third on lap-17 and Plemons took fourth on lap-18 to drop Finkbein from third back to fifth.
With 8 laps to go, Waterman was in the lead with Hydar now in second. Walker was third with Plemons and Finkbein making up the top-5. Ouellette was sixth with Danielczuk, Tyler Trott, Warren, and Ryan Perry making up the top-10. Hydar couldn’t get close enough to Waterman as Waterman took down his fifth win from seven races this season at Stafford. Walker finished third with Plemons and Finkbein rounding out the top-5.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® event, Keith Rocco took the lead at the start but Tyler Leary came back strong to the inside of Rocco and he held the lead as the field completed lap-1. Noah Korner and Rocco were wheel to wheel for second with Rocco taking the spot on lap-3. Just as Rocco took second he dove to the inside of Leary on lap-4 to take over the race lead. Cory DiMatteo was now wheel to wheel with Leary for second with Marcello Rufrano fourth and Korner back to fifth with 5 laps complete.
DiMatteo was applying heavy pressure to Rocco for the lead but Rocco was able to maintain the lead. Korner got way out of shape but he was able to save his car and the field managed to avoid hitting Korner as he came back on to the racetrack but the caution flew with 7 laps complete.
DiMatteo powered his way into the lead on the outside of Rocco on the restart whiel Todd Owen got out of shape and took a trip through the grass in turn 4 but he was able to rejoin and the race stayed green. Rufrano was now third behind DiMatteo and Rocco with David Arute up to fourth and Jimmy Blewett in fifth.
At the halfway point of the race, it was still DiMatteo out front with Rufrano, Rocco, Arute, and Blewett giving chase. Teddy Hodgdon was up to sixth with Jon Puleo, Mikey Flynn, Anthony Bello, and Michael Gervais, Jr. making up the top-10. Arute took third from Rocco on lap-23 and that move opened the door for Blewett to take fourth and drop Rocco back to fifth in the order. Rocco spun going down the backstretch and into turn 3 to bring the caution out with 27 laps complete.
DiMatteo took the lead on the restart with Rufrano right behind him in second. Arute got loose in turn 4 and he slid back several spots to ninth place as Flynn was now third, Hodgdon fourth, Troy Talman fifth, Anthony Flannery sixth, Stephen Kopcik seventh, and Blewett eighth. Blewett took seventh from Flannery on lap-32 while Rufrano was applying heavy pressure to DiMatteo in the fight for the lead. The caution came back out with 33 laps complete for Wesley Prucker, who spun coming out of turn 4.
DiMatteo streaked back into the lead on the restart with Rufrano still holding second place. Flynn was third with Hodgdon fourth and Kopcik fifth. Kopcik went by Hodgdon on lap-37 to move into fourth while Rufrano was still searching for a way to get around DiMatteo. Rufrano took a look to the outside of DiMatteo on the final lap but he couldn’t make a move as DiMatteo took down his first win of the 2023 season. Rufrano finished second with Kopcik, Hodgdon, and Flynn rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Jacob Perry led the field to the green and he took the early lead but the caution came out with only 1 lap complete as Richard Ciriello and Duane Noll spun in the middle of turns 3+4.
Perry took the lead back under green with John Blake taking second. Tom Fearn was third with Chris Meyer and Paul Varricchio, Jr. in fifth. Fearn took second from Blake on lap-5 and that move opened the door for Varricchio to take third and Adam Gray fourth as Blake slid back to fifth place. The caution came back out with 7 laps complete for Michael Wray and Andrew Durand, who spun into the turn 3 wall.
On the restart, as the cars raced through turn 2, contact was made that collected the cars of Chris Meyer, Tom Fearn, Wayne Coury, Jr., John Blake, Paul Varricchio, Jr., and several others that brought the caution back out.
Gray powered his way around Perry to take over the lead on the restart. Zack Robinson was now in third followed by Kevin Gambacorta in fourth and Tom Butler in fifth. As Gray was navigating the lapped car of Durand, Durand got out of shape and nearly collected Gray and as Gray drifted up the track, Perry retook the lead on lap-12. Gambacorta came up to second with Butler third, Robinson fourth, and Gray fell back to fifth.
With 10 laps to go, Gambacorta was closing in on Perry’s back bumper for the lead while Butler, Gray, and Darrell Keane were the top-5 cars as Robinson fell back to sixth place. Just as Gambacorta was closing in on Perry’s back bumper, Butler and Gray were now right behind Gambacorta, making a four car train for the lead with 8 laps to go. Perry spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 23 laps complete.
Gambacorta took the lead back under green with Gray taking second to drop Butler back to third. Robinson was fourth in line with Coury and Keane door to door for fifth place. Gambacorta led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2023 season. Gray got by Butler on the final lap to take second with Butler, Robinson, and Coury rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Amanda West took the lead at the start with Nickolas Hovey taking second but Hailey Desaulniers brought the caution out with 1 lap complete by coming to a stop in the turn 3 grass.
West took the lead back under green with Hovey still in second. Tyler Alkas moved into third with George Bessette, Jr. fourth and Ron Midford, Jr. fifth. The caution came back out with 4 laps complete for a spin coming out of turn 2 by Casey Vogt.
West took the lead on the restart with Bessette, Hovey, and Alkas going 3-wide for second with Bessette emerging in second but the caution came back out for spins in turn 2 by Wade Gagner and Paul Arcari.
West again took the lead on the restart with Alkas taking second. Bob Charland came up to third with Chris Matthews fourth and Bessette fifth as Hovey slid back to sixth in line. Charland went by Alkas to take over second on lap-11 just before the caution came back out with 11 laps complete for a spin by Paul Arute coming out of turn 4.
West resumed her place at the front of the field on the restart with Charland in second. Matthews was third but Bessette took that spot from him on lap-14. Tyler Chapman was wheel to wheel with Alkas for fifth with Chapman taking the position on lap-15. Bessette took second from Charland and was looking to take the lead from West when the caution flew with 15 laps complete for a spin by Meghan Fuller in turn 2.
West took the lead on the restart but Tyler Chapman went from fifth to second. Bessette was third in line with Charland fourth and Brian Sullivan in fifth. Tyler Chapman took the lead from West on lap-17 and Bessette took second from West on lap-18. Sullivan was now fourth behind West with Charland fifth and Matthews sixth. The caution flew with 19 laps complete for a multi-car spin in turn 4 involving Meghan Fuller, Josh Morrison, Joey Ferrigno, Brandon Michael, Chris Viens, Norm Sears, and several others to set up a green white checkered finish.
Tyler Chapman took the lead on the restart with West and Bessette going wheel to wheel for second with Sullivan in fourth. Matthews took a hard hit into the turn 4 wall to bring the caution back out just as the field was about to take the white flag to set up a second green white checkered finish.
The restart saw a melee break out midpack that collected Desaulniers, Frank L’Etoile, Jr., David Webb, Joey Ferrigno, Cassandra Cole, Stephen Kalogiannis, and Josh Morrison that brought the caution and red flags out.
Paul Arcari spun out of line on the restart but he got moving and ht race stayed green. Tyler Chapman took the lead with Bessette and Sullivan behind him. West was fourth with Hovey in fifth. Neither Bessette or Sullivan could get close enough to Chapman to make a bid for the lead and Chapman took down his second win of the 2023 season. Bessette edged Sullivan out at the line by nose for second with West fourth and Hovey rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, Devon Jencik took the lead at the start from the outside pole position with Gary Patnode settling into second behind him. Jeremy Lavoie was quickly on the move, going from 7th at the start up to third place on lap-3. Behind Lavoie, Damian Palardy was fourth with Kevin Cormier and Connor Jencik going side by side for fifth. Lavoie took second from Patnode on lap-4 with Cormier taking fifth. Palardy made a move to the inside of Patnode on lap-8 to move into third with Cormier taking fourth and Matt Clement fifth as Patnode slid back to seventh place behind Adrien Paradis, III.
Devon Jencik was still in command at the halfway point of the race with Lavoie right behind him in second. The two leaders had pulled away slightly from Palardy in third with Palardy leading a four car train including himself, Cormier, Matt Clement, and Paradis. Lavoie closed in right on Jencik’s back bumper over the final laps, and the two cars touched coming out of turn 4 on the final lap but Jencik was able to hold off Lavoie to claim his first win of the 2023 season. Palardy was third with Paradis and Hammann rounding out the top-5. Cormier crossed the line in fourth but he was penalized to the last car on the lead lap in 13th place for making contact with Matt Clement on the final lap of the race.
Limited Late Model Feature Finish
Limited Late Model 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.
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