STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. — Matt Hirschman took home the $15,000 winner’s check during the NAPA Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway, charging to the lead after a mid-race pit stop.
The NAPA Fall Final took the green flag with Woody Pitkat and Glen Reen leading the field to the green flag thanks to their first and second place finishes in the August Lincoln Tech 80. Pitkat took the early lead at the drop of the green flag with Matt Galko getting around Reen for second.
Marcello Rufrano was fourth with Hirschman in fifth when the caution came out with three laps complete for David Arute, who came to a stop in turn three after spinning through the grass.
Galko charged into the lead on the restart with Rufrano taking second.
Pitkat fell back to third in line with Hirschman fourth and Reen fifth. Stephen Kopcik went by Reen to take over fifth place on lap eight with Ronnie Williams taking sixth to drop Reen back to seventh place. Galko continued to lead Rufrano and Pitkat at the front of the field.
With 20 laps in the books, Galko was still out front in the lead followed by Rufrano, Pitkat, Hirschman and Williams.
Ronnie Silk was sixth followed by Kopcik, Jake Johnson, Eric Goodale and Chris Pasteryak. The caution came back out with 26 laps complete for Arute, who spun on the backstretch. Galko took the lead back under green with Rufrano in second.
Pitkat was third with Williams and Hirschman making up the top five.
The caution came right back out with 27 laps complete for a spin at the entrance to turn three by Noah Korner.
Rufrano got a good run on the outside of Galko and nearly took the lead on the restart but Galko was able to maintain the lead. The caution came back out with 29 laps complete for spins in turn four by RJ Marcotte and Mikey Flynn with George Bessette, Jr. spinning on the frontstretch.
Galko again took the lead on the restart with Rufrano in second.
Hirschman and Williams were side by side for third with Pitkat in fifth. Hirschman got clear of Williams on lap 31 and he then took second from Rufrano on lap 32. At the halfway point of the race, Galko was still in the lead with Hirschman right behind him in second.
Williams was third with Rufrano and Pitkat making up the top five. Eric Goodale was up to sixth followed by Silk, Michael Christopher, Jr., Max Zachem and Craig Lutz. Reen spun on the frontstretch to bring the caution out with 48 laps complete.
Under the caution, the lead cars all came to pit road for two new tires and adjustments.
Hirschman won the race off pit road followed by Joey Cipriano, Goodale, Williams, Pitkat, Silk, Teddy Hodgdon, Zachem, Rufrano and Galko. With several cars staying out on the track, Craig Lutz was the new race leader back under green with Kopcik, Johnson, Hirschman, and Joey Mucciacciaro lined up behind him.
Hirschman took third from Johnson on lap 50 and he went by Kopcik to move into second place on lap 53. Hirschman completed his charge back to the front by taking the lead from Lutz on lap 55. Kopcik was still third at this point with Johnson fourth and Silk back up to fifth.
Silk took fourth from Johnson on lap 57 and that move allowed Pitkat to follow him by Johnson to take fifth.
Silk took third place from Kopcik on lap 60 while Galko went by Pitkat to take fifth on lap 61.
Silk went by Lutz to move into second on lap 63 and Galko took fourth from Pitkat on lap 66. Silk closed down the gap to Hirschman in the closing laps but he couldn’t get close enough to make a bid for the lead as Hirschman took the checkered flag to win the NAPA Fall Final.
Silk finished second with Galko, Lutz and Pitkat rounding out the top five.
Weekly Racing Results
Todd Owen, who had already locked up the SK Modified track championship, closed out his season with his third win of the year. Nickolas Hovey came up a first time career winner in the SK Light feature event and Ben Levangie was the winner of the Vintage All-Stars race.