![\"Stafford\"](\"http:\/\/maineracer.com\/images\/stafford.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway was back on track with a
\n5-division NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event on Friday, July 15.
\nKeith Rocco picked up his fifth victory of the 2011 season in the 40-lap SK
\nModified\u00ae feature event, Ryan Posocco took his first feature win of the 2011
\nseason in the 30-lap Late Model feature, Matt Galko recovered from an early
\nrace incident to take his third feature win of the 2011 season in the 20-lap
\nSK Light Modified feature, Shawn Thibeault picked up his third win of 2011
\nin the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature, and Kyle Casagrande picked up his
\nfourth feature victory of the season in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature.
\nCasagrande\u2019s feature victory tied him with Stacey Botticello and Norm Sears
\nas the winningest drivers in DARE Stock history with 10 career feature wins
\neach.<\/p>\n
In the 40-lap SK Modified\u00ae feature event, Nichole Morgillo took the lead at
\nthe green flag, driving around Mark Bakaj. Bakaj settled into second with
\nDan Avery, Glen Reen, and Ted Christopher making up the top-5. Reen moved
\ninto second with Avery and Christopher also getting by Bakaj to drop him
\nback to fifth place.<\/p>\n
Christopher went to the inside of Avery on lap-10 to take over second, while
\nReen was trying to take the lead from Morgillo. Reen made a move on lap-10,
\nbut he came up short. Not fazed, Reen came back the very next lap and this
\ntime was able to complete the pass on Morgillo to take over the race lead.
\nChristopher was now right on Morgillo\u2019s bumper while Ryan Preece and Bakaj
\ncame together in turn 4 and came to a stop to bring the caution out with 12
\nlaps complete. Preece came to pit road where his team was working on the
\nfront of his car and he was able to continue at the rear of the field for
\nthe restart.<\/p>\n
On the restart, Reen took ht lead while Christopher moved by Morgillo to
\ntake over second. Avery moved into third, with Pitkat fourth and Keith
\nRocco fifth as Morgillo fell back to sixth place. Morgillo continued to
\nfall back in the field as Frank Ruocco, Eric Berndt, Todd Owen, and Curt
\nBrainard all moved past Morgillo.<\/p>\n
Christopher was glued to the bumper of Reen\u2019s car at the front of the field,
\nbut he was not able to make a pass for the lead as Reen was holding serve
\nout front. At the halfway point it was Reen and Christopher up front and
\nthey were followed by Rocco, Pitkat, and Avery.<\/p>\n
Christopher made a move to the inside of Reen in turn 3 on lap-23 to take
\nover the race lead. Rocco caught Rene and he moved into second on lap-27
\nwhile Christopher continued to hold the lead. With 10 laps to go
\nChristopher had a lead of several car lengths over Rocco, who had an
\nadvantage of several car lengths over Reen in third.<\/p>\n
Rocco closed the distance to Christopher and he made a power move to the
\ninside of Christopher in turn 3 on lap-36 to move into the race lead.
\nChristopher bobbled slightly in turn 1 on lap-38, which allowed Rocco to
\nstretch his lead out by a couple of car lengths. Christopher caught back up
\nto Rocco on the final lap, but Rocco was too strong to be overtaken and he
\ntook his fifth win of the 2011 season by a car length. Rounding out the
\ntop-5 behind Rocco and Christopher was Reen, Avery, and Pitkat.<\/p>\n
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Tony Lafo took the lead at the
\ngreen, but Corey Hutchings moved by Lafo to take over the race lead on
\nlap-2. Tom Fearn followed Hutchings by Lafo as did Walt Wosko, Jr. as Lafo
\nfell from second back to fourth. Ryan Posocco moved by Lafo to take fourth
\nplace and Dillon Moltz took fifth from Lafo on lap-8. Moltz spun in turn 4
\nto bring the caution out with 9 laps complete.<\/p>\n
Back under green, Hutchings took the lead with Wosko pulling even with
\nFearn. Keith Rocco and Posocco were side by side for the fourth position
\nwith Jim Peterson just behind them. Wosko took second ahead of Rocco while
\nWoody Pitkat moved by Posocco to take over fifth with Fearn settling into
\nfourth place. Tony Lafo spun in turn 3 and Scott Cook spun in turn 1 to
\nbring the caution back out with 10 laps complete.<\/p>\n
John Kasper took a spin through the backstretch grass to bring the caution
\nback out after one lap was completed. Tom Butler also spun through the
\nbackstretch grass. Dillon Moltz\u2019s car was stalled at the pit road entrance
\nand he had to be towed behind the wall.<\/p>\n
Hutchings and Rocco were side by side for the lead on the restart with
\nPitkat, Posocco, and Fearn lined up right behind them. Rocco and Hutchings
\nstayed side by side for the lead until lap-14 when Pitkat made a three wide
\nmove to the inside of them both entering turn 3 to take over the race lead.
\nPosocco moved into second with Rocco falling into line in third. Hutchings
\nwas backsliding through the field as Fearn, Mark St. Hilaire, Wosko, and
\nPeterson all moved by, dropping Hutchings from the lead to eighth place.
\nPosocco was all over the back bumper of Pitkat for the lead while Rocco was
\nall over Posocco\u2019s bumper looking for second place. The top-3 continued to
\nrun nose to tail without a position changing. Fearn was running in fourth
\nplace with Peterson rounding out the top-5 with 5 laps to go.<\/p>\n
On lap-26 Posocco pulled to the inside of Pitkat in turns 1+2, but couldn\u2019t
\ncomplete the pass. Posocco did complete the pass in turns 3+4 to take over
\nthe lead on lap-26. Once Posocco was in front, he pulled out to a lead of
\nseveral car lengths and he led the field around for the final 5 laps to take
\nhis first feature victory of the 2011 season. Pitkat finished second, with
\nRocco, Peterson, and Fearn rounding out the top-5.<\/p>\n
In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature event, Tony Santangelo took the lead
\nfrom the pole while Harry Wheeler made a strong move into second. Shayne
\nPrucker was third, with Tony Membrino, Jr. in fourth and Jesse Ruocco in
\nfifth. Frank Cardile and Tommy Barrett, Jr. came together with 2 laps
\ncomplete to bring the caution out.<\/p>\n
Santangelo took the lead back under green with Prucker making a run to the
\ninside of Wheeler to take over second. Prucker\u2019s pass allowed Tony
\nMembrino, Jr. to pull alongside Wheeler and he took third. Wheeler spun in
\nturn 4 and his spin collected the cars of Kyle Spencer, Cody Gneiting, and
\nJay Goff to bring the caution out with 4 laps complete.<\/p>\n
Santangelo took the lead back under green with Prucker in second. Ruocco
\nand Joey Cipriano were side by side for third with Cipriano taking the
\nposition. Tommy Membrino, Jr. spun in turn 3 and collected the car of Matt
\nGalko to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.<\/p>\n
Santangelo took the lead at the green, but Cipriano quickly made a move to
\nthe inside of Santangelo. Cipriano took the lead from Santangelo on lap-8
\nafter several laps of side by side action. The car on the charge was
\nBarrett, who was involved in an earlier caution. Barrett was slicing his
\nway through traffic and he took the lead from Cipriano on lap-14. As the
\nfield was coming to the white flag, Ruocco got against the turn 4 wall and
\ncame back down the track into the path of Prucker and both cars went through
\nthe grass on the infield to bring the caution out with 18 laps complete.
\nBarrett took the lead back under green, but Galko, who was also involved in
\nan earlier incident, moved into second behind Barrett. As they navigated
\nturns 1+2 on the final lap, Galko pulled to the inside of Barrett and he
\nmade the pass for the lead heading into turn 3. Barrett and Galko touched
\nbumpers coming to the checkered flag but Galko was able to take the
\ncheckered flag ahead of Barrett. Rounding out the top-5 behind Galko and
\nBarrett was Cipriano, Cardile, and Dylan Liseo.<\/p>\n
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, D.J. Burnham took the early
\nlead ahead of Jesse Hinze, Shawn Thibeault, Chris Cook, and Norm Sears.
\nThibeault moved to the inside of Hinze on lap-4 to take over second place
\nwhile Burnham was comfortably out in front. George Nocera, Jr. moved by
\nSears on lap-5 to take over the fifth position.<\/p>\n
Nocera moved by Cook for third place on lap-8 while Thibeault had closed the
\ngap to Burnham at the front of the field. The caution came out with 10 laps
\ncomplete for Duane Provost, who hit the turn 2 wall.<\/p>\n
On the restart, Thibeault powered past Burnham to take over the race lead.
\nNocera made a move to the inside of Burnham to take over second and as
\nNocera was going by, Burnham got loose and he fell back several more spots
\nas Kevin Gambacorta and Dan Flannery both got by.<\/p>\n
Carla Botticello lost an engine with 18 laps complete to bring the caution
\nout and set up a green white checkered finish.<\/p>\n
Thibeualt took the lead back under green and he led Nocera around for the
\nfinal two laps to pick up his third feature win of the 2011 season. Nocera
\ncame home in second, with Gambacorta, Dan Flannery and Burnham.<\/p>\n
In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, James Carroll took the lead at the
\ngreen flag with Kris Fluckiger, David Arute, Andrew Hayes, and Don Wood
\nmaking up the early top-5. The top-5 ran in line until lap-3 when Arute
\nmoved past Fluckiger to take over second place. Brandon Michael lost a
\nright front tire to bring the caution out with 3 laps complete.<\/p>\n
On the restart, Arute powered into the lead with Hayes following him to take
\nover second. Kyle Casagrande made a strong move into third with Carroll
\nfalling back to fourth, just ahead of Don Wood. Donnie Swan spun in turn 3
\nto bring the caution out with 4 laps complete.<\/p>\n
Arute again took the lead on the restart while Casagrande moved by Hayes to
\ntake over second. Don Wood followed Casagrande by Hayes to drop him from
\nsecond back to fourth, while Josh Wood was now into the fifth position.
\nKelsey Rottino spun in turn 1 on lap-7, but he was able to get his car
\nmoving and the race stayed under green flag conditions.<\/p>\n
Doug Phelps got sideways in turn 1 just in front of Arute on lap-9, but
\nArute and Casagrande were able to navigate their way around Phelps. Phelps
\nspun again in turn 2 on lap-10 but he got moving and the green flag stayed
\nout. Casagrande rode behind Arute until lap-12 when Casagrande made a move
\nto the inside of Arute in turns 3+4 to take over the race lead. Swan spun
\nin turn 3 to bring the caution out with 13 laps complete and set up a green
\nwhite checkered finish.<\/p>\n
Casagrande took the lead on the restart while Josh Wood moved into second.
\nArute was fading back in the high groove as Don Wood, Cliff Saunders, and
\nHayes were all able to move by Arute. Casagrande led the field around to
\nthe checkered flag to pick up his fourth DARE Stock feature victory of the
\n2011 season. Josh Wood finished second, with Don Wood, Cliff Saunders, and
\nHayes rounding out the top-5.<\/p>\n
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at
\n(860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
\n###<\/p>\n
SK MODIFIED\u00ae (40)
\n1) Keith Rocco, Meriden
\n2) Ted Christopher, Plainville
\n3) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, Ma
\n4) Dan Avery, Somers
\n5) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
\n6) Eric Berndt, Cromwell
\n7) Frank Ruocco, Cheshire
\n8) Curt Brainard, Canton
\n9) Ryan Preece, Berlin
\n10) Todd Owen, Somers
\n11) Nichole Morgillo, Wallingford
\n12) Jeff Baral, Enfield
\n13) Sean Foster, Willington
\n14) Heather DesRochers, Granby, Ma
\n15) Michael Bennett, Stafford Springs
\n16) Michael Gervais, Jr., Southbury
\n17) Brian Sullivan, South Windsor
\n18) Mike King, Agawam, Ma
\n19) Tom Bolles, Ellington
\n20) Mark Bakaj, Lebanon
\n21) Donny Travaglin, Winsted
\n22) John Montesanto, North Branford
\n23) Bob Parker, Jr., Southbury
\n24) Vinny Anglace, Ansonia
\n25) Chris Matthews, Stafford<\/p>\n
LATE MODEL (30)
\n1) Ryan Posocco, Stafford Springs
\n2) Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs
\n3) Keith Rocco, Meriden
\n4) Jim Peterson, Monson, Ma
\n5) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, Ma
\n6) Mark St. Hilaire, Berlin
\n7) Walt Wosko, Jr., West Suffield
\n8) Patrick Townsend, Springifeld, Ma
\n9) John Kasper, Wilbraham, Ma
\n10) Corey Hutchings, Salem
\n11) Tony Lafo, Higganum
\n12) John Pysher, Brimfield, Ma
\n13) Scott Cook, Uncasville
\n14) Peter Thickett, Watertown
\n15) Adam Gray, Belchertown, Ma
\n16) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
\n17) Dillon Moltz, Waterford
\n18) J.J. Hill, Jr., Stafford Springs<\/p>\n
SK LIGHT MODIFIED (20)
\n1) Matt Galko, Meriden
\n2) Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, Ma
\n3) Joey Cipriano, III, Waterbury
\n4) Frank Cardile, Bolton
\n5) Dylan Liseo, East Hartford
\n6) Tony Membrino, Jr., Plantsville
\n7) Tommy Membrino, Jr., Prospect
\n8) Stephen Greer, Harwinton
\n9) Harry Wheeler, Stafford Springs
\n10) Tony Santangelo, Middlefield
\n11) Bob Charland, Stafford
\n12) Rick Williams, Haddam
\n13) Mike Parolo, Feeding Hills, Ma
\n14) Zach Aszklar, Wallingford
\n15) Jesse Ruocco, Cheshire
\n16) Shayne Prucker, Stafford Springs
\n17) Antoino Massaro, Hamden
\n18) Kyle Spencer, Montgomery, Ma
\n19) Jay Goff, Stafford Springs
\n20) Cody Gneiting, Broad Brook<\/p>\n
LIMITED LATEL MODEL (20)
\n1) Shawn Thibeault, Plainville
\n2) George Nocera, Jr., Plainville
\n3) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
\n4) Dan Flannery, Ellington
\n5) D.J. Burnham, East Hartford
\n6) Norm Sears, Andover
\n7) Chris Cook, Pepperell, Ma
\n8) Jesse Hinze, Farmington
\n9) Duane Provost, Indian Orchard, Ma
\n10) Joe Nogiec, Bristol
\n11) Brian Clement, Wethersfield
\n12) Jeff Hubbell, Naugatuck
\n13) Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs
\n14) Carla Botticello, Manchester
\n15) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin<\/p>\n
DARE STOCK (15)
\n1) Kyle Casagrande, Stafford Springs
\n2) Josh Wood, Palmer, Ma
\n3) Don Wood, Palmer, Ma
\n4) Cliff Saunders, Stafford
\n5) Andrew Hayes, Charlton, Ma
\n6) David Arute, Tolland
\n7) Kris Fluckiger, Enfield
\n8) Kaitlyn Brice, Manchester
\n9) James Carroll, West Hartford
\n10) Monte Gibbs, Killingworth
\n11) Andy Marchese, Tolland
\n12) Donald Bessette, Stafford Springs
\n13) Doug Phelps, Jr., New Salem, Ma
\n14) David Macha, Columbia
\n15) Vince Gambacorta, Ellington
\n16) Kelsey Rottino, Willimantic
\n17) Donnie Swan, Manchester
\n18) Brandon Michael, Cranville, Ma
\n19) Albert Saunders, Stafford<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway was back on track with a 5-division NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event on Friday, July 15. Keith Rocco picked up his fifth victory of the 2011 season in the 40-lap SK Modified\u00ae feature event, Ryan Posocco took his first feature win of the 2011 season in the 30-lap Late Model feature, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[196,4163,45,126,197],"tags":[15809,15775,72],"class_list":["post-6291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecticut","category-modified","category-nascar","category-new-england","category-stafford-connecticut","tag-modified","tag-nascar","tag-stafford"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}