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(Stafford Springs, CT)—After a banner 2024 season that saw him tie the single season SK Light record of 10 wins in a single season at Stafford Speedway, Ellington, CT native Tyler Chapman will make the move up the open wheel ladder to Stafford’s premier SK Modified® division in 2025 and challenge for NAPA Rookie of the Year honors.
“We’re definitely excited to be moving up,” said Chapman. “We saw on Facebook that Alexander Pearl was moving up with us this season so it’s cool to see someone moving up with me and we can fight it out on the track. We’ve always gotten along, he’s always raced me clean, and we’ve been in the modifieds together since I got started, so it should be a lot of fun this season.”
Since notching his first SK Light feature victory during the 2021 season, Chapman has gone on to win a total of 22 SK Light races, tying him with Chris Matthews for the most wins in the division’s history. But in making the move to the ultra-competitive SK Modified® division at Stafford, Chapman knows he is in for a tough fight to reach the kinds of victory totals he has become accustomed to reaching.
“We’re not expecting to have anywhere close to 10 wins or even a couple of wins,” said Chapman. “We’re going to try to go out there and hopefully win Rookie of the Year if we can and if a win comes along, then it comes our way. But when you’re racing against good drivers and guys who build the cars, it’s going to be tough.”
While chasing NAPA Rookie of the Year honors along with his first SK victory, Chapman is looking forward to once again sharing the track with his brother Steven, who is heading into his third full season of SK Modified® competition in 2025.
“We’re hoping we can get one win this season and it’s going to be a lot of fun racing with Steven again,” said Chapman. “It’s been a long time since we raced together. I remember once I took him out by accident and then he got me back like 3 years later racing at Thompson so it’ll be exciting to see what comes along as we’re racing SK Modifieds®.”
In preparation for his move into the SK Modified® division, Chapman made 3 SK Modified® starts last season, finishing 16th driving Tom Bolles’ #76 car, and Chapman scored his first top-10 behind the wheel of Keith Rocco’s #57 car at the NAPA Fall Final.
“Last year was pretty good in the SK’s,” said Chapman. “We finished second in our heat race driving Tommy Bolles’ car and our plan for that night was just to putt around. We missed the setup a little bit for the feature, but it was good to get a feel of the car and how different it was from an SK Light car. I also got to see how different the racing is between the two divisions. It’s a little different from the SK Lights and you really have to depend on your spotter to help you out.”
Chapman’s three SK Modified® starts last season came in cars that he hadn’t raced before and was unfamiliar with so he is looking forward to seeing what he can do in his own car that he has been driving for the last 4 seasons at Stafford.
“I’m excited to drive my car since I’ve been driving the same car for the last 4 years now and I really haven’t changed much in height or weight,” said Chapman. “Tommy’s [Bolles] car was setup to fit him in the car and I’m pretty different in size compared to Tommy and we really didn’t adjust anything when I drove Keith’s car in the last 2 races, so 100% I’ll be more comfortable in my own car. I really have to thank my crew for helping get me out on the track, my parents, both my brothers, Rick, Robby, Chris, Glen, Jim, RJ, Josiah, John, all the girlfriends for coming out and supporting, and for sponsors we have Chapman Apartment Homes, Interstate Manufacturing, Earthlight Solar, NAPA of Tolland, J. Regos’, Backroads Smokin BBQ, Centurn Machine, Smyth Auto Body, Ceric, and Keith Rocco and Brian Sullivan for helping us out.
The first SK Modified® feature of the 2025 season will be held as part of the 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler®, set for April 26-27. The NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 26th 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 27th.
Order 53rd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets
Sunday, April 27th will play host to the 53rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified® division, the 30-lap SK Light Modified feature, plus the NAPA Pit Party.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
