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(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway Late Model driver Chris Buffone enters the 2025 season looking to build on his NAPA Rookie of the Year campaign, where he posted a season-best finish of 5th along with 9 top-10 finishes in 19 races. Buffone finished the year in 14th place in the Late Model standings, but he was satisfied with how his rookie season unfolded for both himself and his #07 Tom O’Sullivan Welding Team.
“I ran a couple of races in the #00 car in 2023, and I’ve been around Stafford my whole life, so I knew the competition would be tough in the Late Model division,” said Buffone. “For it to be as difficult as it was, and for us to struggle, was a bit of a shock, especially since we have so much experience on our team. I expected to run okay, but given what we accomplished, I think it was a successful year. Realistically, it was a successful season, even though you always want to win races. Considering how we started the season, we had a strong second half, running more consistently. All in all, it was pretty good. I have to give a big thank you to my grandfather at Tom O’Sullivan Welding, my dad at Fairborn Equipment, Teddy Bear Pools, T.P. Ryland Landscaping, Tom Wilson Excavation, OJS, American Tire, and my crew—my dad, Uncle Mike, Uncle Tom, Brennan, Brandon, my brother Zach, and my grandfather. So many people help me out.”
Buffone entered the 2024 season at Stafford having made only 3 previous Late Model starts, with an 8th-place finish in 2021, followed by 14th and 16th-place finishes in 2023. His lack of experience at Stafford showed early on in his rookie season, with 9 finishes outside the top-10 in the first 12 races. However, in the final 7 races, Buffone and his team showed their potential, posting 6 top-10 finishes as they gained valuable seat time.
“As every racecar driver will say, it’s all about gaining experience and being able to dial the car in by providing the right feedback to the crew,” said Buffone. “I was at a disadvantage at the start of the year with only a few races under my belt, while some of the guys have over 20 years of experience in the division. It’s crazy to think that some of these drivers have been racing Late Models longer than I’ve been alive. It really puts into perspective what we accomplished as a team and how I’ve been learning. In the second half of last season, things really started to click for us. I was able to give better feedback on what I was feeling in the car, and we were able to make the right adjustments.”
Buffone aims to become a more consistent driver and chase his first Late Model victory at Stafford. He believes he could have won a race last season if not for a mechanical issue with the rear end of his Chevrolet.
“We’d like to pick up where we left off last season, running inside the top-5 and being competitive,” said Buffone. “I’m still behind in terms of experience, so I have a lot to learn, but we aim to consistently be a top-5 car. Honestly, I think we should have won a race last year. The night we finished 5th, if the rear end hadn’t started failing, I think we had the car to beat. A win this season would obviously be the most successful thing we could achieve, and if we could finish in the top-5 in the points standings, that would be great for us. I don’t want to set my expectations too high, but you have to aim high to run well and finish high. I also want to finish all the races and complete all the laps. Last season, we finished all but three races—two of those were mechanical issues, and we got caught up in a wreck in the third race. Our main goal is to start the season with some consistency.”
Buffone and the #07 team have been busy this winter making preparations for the 2025 season, hoping that their hard work will help them achieve their goals.
“We’ve made a few updates to the car—nothing crazy—and we refreshed the motor,” said Buffone. “We do a lot of the work ourselves, so we’ll install a new body and refresh some of the interior components. Now that we’ve completed our rookie season, we have something to build on. Last season, we didn’t know exactly what we were stepping into, so we didn’t make many changes to the car. You always want to go to the track with the mindset that you can win races, and this season, we’re hoping that everything we’ve worked on translates into a win for us.”
The first Late Model feature of the 2025 season will be part of the 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler®, set for April 26-27. The NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 26, with feature events for the Late Model, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions, along with SK Light qualifying duel races that will set the field for an extra-distance 30-lap feature event on Sunday, April 27.
Order 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets
Sunday, April 27, will host the 53rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®, featuring qualifying and feature races for the SK Modified® division, a 30-lap SK Light Modified feature, and the NAPA Pit Party.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
