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By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
PHOTO: Brandon J Rashan
WHITINSVILLE, Mass. – After a long offseason of anticipation, Stan Mertz Racing will hit the track for the first time this weekend, April 23-24, at Stafford Motor Speedway for the NAPA Spring Sizzler. As part of a two-day spectacular, Matt Galko will drive the No. 6 Koopman Lumber machine in the prestigious event at one of Connecticut’s top short-tracks.
The race is the first of 10 on the 2022 schedule for Stan Mertz Racing – and the team is welcoming Galko – a former SK Light Modified champion at Stafford – for nine events this year.
The NAPA Spring Sizzler will pay $15,000 to win, and the race winner will also earn a spot in the SRX Racing (Superstar Racing Experience) event at Stafford on July 2. The driver that earns that right will be able to race with names like Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip and more.
“I’m very excited and anxious to get the season underway with Stan Mertz Racing,” Galko said. ‘There is no better race to debut as a team for us. The Arute family has put together arguably the biggest race in the country and I think with the combined experience between Stan, myself and our team, we should be a threat to take home the payday in the Spring Sizzler. Although there will be a stout field, I’m confident in our ability as a team to execute and we will be a contender. Stan has put together a great car with a lot of hard work this offseason, and we showed speed in our practice session at Stafford last week. All that is left is for us to keep our sights set on Victory Lane.”
Saturday’s race day schedule includes two, 40-lap, NAPA Auto Parts Duel qualifying races. Galko will only compete in one of them. The top-10 drivers from each will automatically lock into the 100-lap, $15,000 to win feature on Sunday, and the remaining drivers will compete in Last Chance Qualifying races on Sunday. The big dance is scheduled to take the green flag at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday evening.
Tickets are available online at StaffordMotorSpeedway.com and will also be available at the track on race day. For those who can’t make it to the track, the race will air live on FloRacing.TV as part of a subscription.
For more information on Stan Mertz Racing, visit StanMertzRacing.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates, including from the track.
