Anderson goes from pageant stage to Speedbowl; making debut in SK Lites

Anderson goes from pageant stage to Speedbowl; making debut in SK Lites

WATERFORD — Samantha Anderson of Wolcott has traded in her crown for a racing helmet.

The 2016 Miss Connecticut Outstanding Teen has a passion for motor sports. She competed in the Street Stock division at Stafford Motor Speedway this past season and finished 15th in the point standings, despite missing five races. She racked up six Top 10s and captured a pair of heat race wins.
This weekend, however, she is about to take the biggest step in her brief racing career, Anderson, 19, will be making her debut in an SK Lite Modified, owned by Ken Barry at this weekend’s finale at the Speedbowl. . It is a car that Andrew Molleur has driven to a win in the Bubby Brouwer Memorial at the Speedbowl on Sept. 8, plus four wins at Stafford.

It’s a step that Anderson can’t wait to take.
“I’m very close to Andrew Molleur,” Anderson said. “Just watching him throughout the season was inspiring. I looked up to him as a driver and wanted to be more like him. Just through my association with him, I got closer to his car owner, Ken Barry. He ended up asking us if we wanted to drive for him. It was really incredible.”
While Anderson doesn’t have any feature races in the car, she did practice in it last week.
“I was doing pretty good,” Anderson said. “Kenny actually said he was surprised with how well I did and that I impressed him. Hopefully, we just get better from there.”
Anderson always has had Modified racing in her veins. Her dad is Bill Anderson, a former Modified driver at the Speedbowl and Stafford.
“I started in quarter midgets which are open wheel cars,” Anderson said. “Obviously it doesn’t have the power that an SK has, but getting inside that car was great.
“I like the open wheel cars better than the fender cars. The fender cars have that loose feel. You’re bumping and grinding with each other like crazy and you’re relying on the guy outside of you so you don’t spin around. That’s really not my style. “
Anderson has very modest goals as far as her debut is concerned.
“I just want to be a better driver throughout all of this,” Anderson said. “I think Kenny Barry and myself really work well together. It is easy to piggyback ideas of each other. We should be a good team.”
A good team that has good results.
“I’m very excited,” Anderson said. “I’m looking forward to finishing races and hopefully getting Top 5s and being consistent.”
Anderson, who is a sophomore at Quinnipiac University and hopes to be working in the media after graduation, has many sponsors and supporters behind her, including Jason Derwin with Royal Screw Machine Products; Jodie Lynn; Rent a Racecar; Tick Mike and Tick and Mosquito Hose Spray; Mike Deleo with M&G Towing; Mom and dad, Tara and Bill Anderson, with First Class Automotive; Kenny Barry with Spafco Race Chassis; and the crews of the 89 Street Stock and 35 SK Lite.
“I also want to thank the Molleur family,” Anderson said. “I called up Mike Molleur some time in April explaining to him that if I had my own gear, my dad said he would get me back in a race car. Well, sure enough, I proudly wear my Andrew Molleur gear for every race.
“Lastly, I really want to thank my family who continuously supports me throughout every aspect of my life, whether it would be pageants or racing.
This weekend it will be racing. The Speedbowl finale will be serving as a preview of coming attractions for Anderson.
“Next year we’re not going to be driving the Street Stock,” Anderson said, “We struggled this year because we really didn’t know the car. Being a new driver and not having the best car was a huge struggle. We want to get that car going and hopefully rent it out.”
Anderson plans on being in an SK Lite.
“We hope to race not just at Waterford, but also at Stafford, possibly at Thompson — wherever they want to take me, Anderson said, “Hopefully this weekend will be a springboard for me next year.”
After all, Miss Connecticut Outstanding Teen wants to be just as entertaining at the Speedbowl as he was on a stage.
Finale focus
The Finale is a two-day show, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. with qualifying and features. The feature racing will consist of a 100-lapper for the Granite State Pro Stock series, 25-lappers for the NEMA Lites, Ct. Pro 4 Modifieds, NEMA, 375 Sportsmen, Super X-Cars and X-Cars and a 20-lapper for the Bandoleros.
On Sunday qualifying and features start at 1:30 p.m. The main event will be an 80-lap SK Modified feature. There will be 30-lap Late Model and Limited Sportsman features, and 25-lappers for the Legend cars, Speedbowl Trucks and Mini Stocks.

Christopher wants to extend late-season hot streak
Press release from the New London-Waterford Speedbowl
Contact Mike Serluca at [email protected]
THOMPSON — Mike Christopher Jr. was so hot at the end of the 2018 Stafford Speedway season, he doesn’t want the story to end.
So he’ll be heading to the New London-Waterford Speedbowl for the first time this season to compete in the 80-lap SK Modified feature at The Finale which will take place Saturday and Sunday. There will be 15 divisions of race cars in action over the two days, including the SK Modifieds.
“I don’t have a doubt in my mind we’re going to have a good car,” Christopher said. “The biggest thing at Waterford is that, everything is faster and everything is tighter. But it’s a lot harder to pass. It’s all about knowing how to race there. It’s a lot harder to pass in an SK Modified than it was in a Legends car. But I’m not worried. We should be alright.”
Few drivers know how to pass in a Legends car more efficiently than Christopher does. In the 2014 season he racked up 25 victories on his way to both the Wednesday and Saturday Legends championship. Those 25 wins are a Speedbowl record for most wins in a season, breaking the old record of 24 set by Keith Rocco in 2013 and 2014.
Christopher then shifted gears to the Modifieds at Stafford for the next four seasons.
This season he was able to turn the corner in the Modifieds, driving a car formerly driven by his late uncle, the legendary Ted Christopher.
Christopher posted four wins, including the last three races of the season to finish third in the standings.
“We finished so well at Stafford, we decided to go to Thompson for the World Series,” Christopher said. “And wee had a fast car there, so we decided to go to Waterford.”
The car that Christopher ran at Thompson, however, wasn’t the same car he used for his three-race winning streak. He was driving the Stafford car he used the previous three years. He squeezed some dazzling results out of it, however.
“I never raced at Thompson before, but the car was fast,” Christopher said. “We had the fastest car in practice on Friday. We started the feature 19th and got all the way to third on the last lap. But then it was all about the driver.”
Christopher got into trouble trying to torpedo underneath the second place car, Ryan Preece, on the final lap and wound up finishing out of the Top 10.
“I figured I had nothing to lose,” Christopher said. “So I tried that move. But we did get as far as third place, so that was encouraging.”
His Modified career at Waterford is limited to one race — filling in for Ted Christopher in the Doug DiPisa owned car No. 13.
“But we were fast that day,” Christopher said. “I do know the track well because of all the wins I had in a Legend. That knowledge should help me.”
Christopher’ sponsors include Mohawk Northeast, Eagle Fence and Guardrail, Napraco and Craig Equipment Corp.
Christopher says he’s going to the Speedbowl for one reason — to win.
“That’s the mentality you have to have, to go for a win,” Christopher said. “That’s what we did at Thompson and that’s what we’re going to do at Waterford. It will definitely be a show.”
Especially if Christopher’s hot streak can last for one more week
Speedbowl notes
Sunday’s SK feature promises to be the most competitive of the season. Bryan Narducci, NASCAR’s Division III champion, will be driving a car Todd Owen has driven all year at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Ronnie Williams, the 2018 Stafford SK champ, is expected to drive the No. 41 SK Modified normally driven by Matt Hirschman. Also expected to compete is Chase Dowling, the winner of the Whelen Modified Tour Musket 250, driving a car normally driven by Joey Ternulo. And former Speedbowl Legends champ Cory DiMatteo is scheduled to drive his No. 6 SK,
The newcomers will be taking on the Speedbowl regulars, led by point leader Kyle James, Todd Own and Rob Janovic, who are tied for second, Andrew Molleur and Matt Galko.

The CT Pro 4 Modified championship could go down to the final turn of the final lap when its feature takes place Saturday. Brett Meservey leads the leads the way with 254 points, but isn’t expected to attend the Finale. Randy Cabral has 252 points in second, while Doug Merservey has 233. P.J. Peters has wrapped up the Lite Division with 312 points.

Anderson goes from pageant stage to Speedbowl; making debut in SK Lites

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