STAFFORD — Keith Rocco didn’t need to pass a car to take the lead in the 40-lap SK Modified feature at Stafford Motor Speedway. Once he inherited the lead, however, he held off Chase Dowling and Ronnie Williams over the final 24 laps to post his fourth win of the season and 72nd of his career, tying Carl “Bugs” Stevens for fourth on the Stafford all-time list.
“It was crazy out there,” Rocco said in a race that was tormented by many caution flags and wrecked race cars.
It was a wreck that gave Rocco the lead on lap 16. He was running third when Todd Owen and Marcello Rufrano got together while fighting for the lead. That moved Rocco in front. Dowling and then Williams made attacks, but Rocco was able to handle the assaults.
“Williams did a good job on the restarts, but after a couple of laps, my car was stout,” Rocco said.
The feature event of the night was the 50-lap Late Model feature, won by Tyler Leary. He blistered into the lead with three laps to go as he got by Ryan Fearn. He said he used a hip check to make it happen.
“Rubbing is racing,” Leary said. “He got loose and I was able to get by him.”
Andrew Durand won the Limited Late Models, Chris Meyer won his second straight Street Stock feature and Derek Debbis won a caution-filled SK Light race.
40-lap SK Modified: 1. Keith Rocco, Wallingford; 2. Ronnie Williams, Tolland; 3. Cory DiMatteo, Farmington; 4. Chase Dowling, Roxbury; 5. Matt Vassar, Plantsville.
20-lap SK Light Modified: 1. Derek Debbis, Oakdale; 2. Brian Sullivan, South Windsor; 3. Chris Matthews, Stafford; 4. Josh Carey, N/A; 5. Wesley Prucker, Stafford.
20-lap Limited Late Model: 1. Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Mass.; 2. Matthew Clement, Wethersfield; 3. Alexandra Fearn, East Longmeadow, Mass.; 4. Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks.
20-lap Street Stock: 1. Chris Meyer, North Franklin; 2. Frank L’Etoile, Wethersfield; 3. Meghan Fuller, Auburn, Mass.
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