STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. — Stafford Speedway hosted the biggest and richest SK Modified® race of the season on Friday with the 13th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5k.
Michael Christopher, Jr. took the lead at the start of the NAPA SK 5k and he led all 100 laps to capture his first win of the season in dominant fashion.
Christopher’s victory was worth $6,750 with $5,000 from the race purse, $1,000 from the family of Bill Greco for leading lap-43 and winning the race, $450 from Stafford’s SK Modified® contingency partners, and $300 from Wheeler’s Auto Services for winning his heat race on August 7th.
Other feature winners were Chris Matthews in the SK Light feature that was cut short by fog, and Ryan Waterman scored his 10th win of the year in the Street Stock feature. The fog that rolled in over the track with the SK Light feature at the halfway point canceled the remainder of the evening.
In the 100-lap NAPA SK 5k, Glen Reen led the field to the green flag and he took the lead in the first corner but Michael Christopher, Jr. got a good run going down the backstretch and the two cars made slight contact with Reen getting sideways and going nose-first into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution flag out before the first lap could be completed.
Christopher took the lead on the restart with Tyler Chapman, Keith Rocco, Marcello Rufrano, and Andrew Molleur lined up behind him. Troy Talman took sixth place from Dylan Izzo on lap-9 with Anthony Flannery taking seventh to drop Izzo back to eighth.
With 20 laps complete the top-5 remained the same with Christopher leading Chapman, Rocco, Rufrano, and Molleur. Talman was still sixth with Flannery, Jon Puleo, Mikey Flynn, and Izzo making up the top-10. The caution flag flew with 27 laps complete as Chapman’s car suddenly dropped off the pace and crawled to a stop at the entrance of turn 3 while he was running in second place.
Christopher took the lead on the restart with Rocco settling into second after going wheel to wheel with Christopher for a lap. Rufrano was third with Molleur fourth and Talman fifth when the caution came back out with 28 laps complete for a multi-car incident in turn 3 involving the cars of Matt Vassar, David Flammia, Jr., and Tyler Hines.
Christopher again took the lead back under green with Rocco holding off a challenge from Rufrano for second place. Talman was up to fourth with Molleur in fifth. Talman was starting to apply heavy pressure to Rufrano for third, but Rufrano was able to maintain the position. The caution flag came back out with 34 laps complete as Nickolas Hovey backed his car into the turn 2 wall.
Christopher took the lead on the restart while Rufrano was able to get alongside Rocco for second. They raced wheel to wheel for a lap before Rocco got clear into second. Talman was fourth behind Rufrano with Molleur in fifth and looking to take fourth. Molleur took fourth from Talman on lap-37 and that move allowed Anthony Bello to follow him by and take fifth to drop Talman back to sixth. Bello then took fourth place from Molleur on lap-39 while Christopher was still leading Rocco and Rufrano.
Christopher led lap-43 to win a $500 bonus from the Greco family in memory of Bill Greco. As the race hit the halfway point, Christopher held the lead over Rocco, Bello, Rufrano, Talman, Puleo, Flynn, Todd Owen, Izzo, and Molleur.
With 30 laps to go, Christopher was still in the lead with Bello now in second after pressuring Rocco for many laps. Rufrano was fourth with Talman, Puleo, Flynn, Hovey, Izzo, and Owen making up the top-10.
With 10 laps to go, it was still Christopher in the lead followed by Bello, Rocco, Rufrano, and Talman. Christopher led Bello and the field to the checkered flag to win the NAPA SK 5k in dominating fashion by leading all 100 laps of the race. Because Christopher led lap-43 and went on to win the race, he won an additional $500 bonus from the Greco family for a total of $1,000. Bello finished second with Rocco, Rufrano, and Talman rounding out the top five.
