(Stafford Springs, CT) — After capturing the 2025 SK Light championship, second-generation driver Meg Fuller of Auburn, MA is moving up to Stafford Speedway’s premier SK Modified® division for 2026. Fuller will join forces with Dan Avery and Keith Rocco Racing, piloting an Avery Construction car carrying her familiar #2.
Sponsors returning with Fuller include Propane Plus, P.T. Watts, Wally and Jason Koza, Rob from TFR, Interstate Transmission, RaceChoice, Metro Door, Gary Rice Shop Equipment, Renee and Ed Bennett, Avery Construction, and VR Wraps, with P.J. Ladola and Sons coming aboard as a new partner for 2026.
STAFFORD SPRINGS, CT — Gary Rice Shop Equipment is returning to Stafford Speedway for a full season in 2026 after joining the track’s contingency program midway through 2025. The company will provide first-place bonuses to SK Modified® and SK Light feature winners throughout the season — $150 per win for SK Modified® drivers and $125 per win for SK Light competitors.
Combined, the bonuses represent a total contribution of $6,150 to Stafford’s open-wheel drivers in 2026, with the SK Modified® division carrying a prize pool of $3,150 and the SK Light division at $3,000.
“We love racing, especially the modifieds, and we really enjoy coming to the track to watch the races,” said Gary Rice, owner of Gary Rice Shop Equipment. “The business that I have and the line of equipment that we offer really caters to racers with shops. We do things like automotive lifts, air compressor systems, and tire machines and we offer a racer’s discount on shop equipment. I don’t think there’s any other company like ours that advertises with circle tracks like we do and we’ve found that it works pretty fast for us. It’s nice to have a big presence at a track like Stafford.”
Rocco, Varricchio, Hovey, Clement, & Plemons Score May 16 Weekly Feature Wins at Stafford Speedway
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway hosted Weekly Racing on Friday, May 16th with SK Lights taking part in a special 30-lap extra distance feature. The night saw Keith Rocco win the 40-lap SK Modified® feature in a thrilling finish between himself, Jon Puleo, and Michael Christopher, Jr. that saw several lead changes and a 3-wide move in the final laps before Rocco came away with the checkered flag. Other winners on the night were Paul Varricchio, Jr. in the Late Model feature, Nickolas Hovey in the SK Light feature, Matt Clement in the Limited Late Model feature, and Aaron Plemons in the Street Stock feature. Varricchio, Hovey, and Clement were all repeat winners from NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Troy Talman streaked into the lead from the second starting position at the drop of the green flag to set the early pace. Anthony Flannery was second in line with Todd Owen and Michael Gervais, Jr. wheel to wheel for third and Michael Christopher, Jr. fifth. Flannery worked his way to the inside of Talman on lap-7 to move into the lead but Talman made a crossover move and had the lead at the line to complete lap-7 by a nose. Talman got clear into the lead on lap-8 with Owen taking second. Christopher and Flannery were now side by side for third with Gervais in fifth place.
The three-time SK Modified champion Todd Owen will be seeking his first NAPA Spring Sizzler Crown. The 48-year-old has been behind the wheel of a race car for over three decades, starting his career at the now-defunct Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Massachusetts.
Barre, VT and Naples, ME — When the roar of the mighty NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Connecticut’s quiet corner this Sunday afternoon, it’ll be the 153rdtime the series has tackled the iconic highbanks of Thompson Speedway and the first time in four years that the Tour has competed on Icebreaker weekend. The Icebreaker 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is set as the first homebase battle for the Northeast teams who regularly compete on the fan-favorite Tour.
