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(Stafford Springs, CT)—Coming into the 2025 racing season at Stafford Motor Speedway, Street Stock driver Bert Ouellette hadn’t won a feature since July 29 during the 2022 season. During NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend on April 27, Ouellette used some slick moves to work his #84 American Sign / J&J Trucking Chevrolet into the lead just past the halfway point of the 20-lap race and he went on to capture the checkered flag, his first win in 2 years and 9 months since his last Stafford victory.
“It was nice to have the feeling of getting the monkey off of my back,” said Ouellette. “We’ve had speed and we’ve been fast, but when it came down to the push come to shove moment, I always seemed to get shoved out of the way. Winning any race at Stafford is always special and to be the Spring Sizzler®, one of the biggest races in New England, that only made it more special.”
Although Ouellette and the #84 team went winless for 2 seasons, it was not for a lack of effort or speed. Ouellette drove to 3 podium finishes in 2023 and last season saw Ouellette on the podium 6 times with 4 second place finishes. Ouellette and his crew were determined to find their way back into NAPA Victory Lane and they accomplished that goal after a lot of work behind the scenes in their shop.
“We spent a lot of hours in the shop looking for more and trying to figure out where we were missing that small piece,” said Ouellette. “We were always quick but it seemed like I never had what I needed when it came to the end of races. I’d like to think of myself as a consistent driver so it was tough to not win a race the last 2 years and it was starting to get tough mentally as well. It was a combination of bad luck and bad breaks and to finally get that monkey off my back, it’s like the biggest weight has been lifted for the team. What really kept me going was knowing that we had the speed in the car and knowing that both myself and the car could win races. My car owner Randy Higginson has a ton of belief in me and that also helped a lot having the car owner stand behind me.”
During his previous 4 full seasons in the Street Stock division, Ouellette enjoyed his best season in 2022 when he finished second in the standings. Winning the NAPA Spring Sizzler® feature event has Ouellette confident that he has finally unlocked the potential in his #84 car that he had been searching for and he has his eyes set on contending for the 2025 championship in the Street Stock division.
“I think we’ve finally found the balance in the car that I’ve been looking for,” said Ouellette. “The car is really good right now and I love the drive it has off the corners. I don’t see it falling off during the summer months other than having to make a few tweaks on the car to keep it underneath me. I’m really stoked about the rest of the season because the car was every bit of what I’ve been looking for. I was talking with the team about how we struggled during the first few races of last season and that we couldn’t afford to stumble out of the gate again this season if I wanted to run for a championship. We’re all pretty excited to see how the rest of the season is going to go. That was a huge statement win for us and even Sean [Petlock] was happy with how he ran, so it was a good start for us all around. Thanks to Randy Higginson, my parents, the Petlock family, Scott and Judy Porier for helping me put a new motor in the car, Dust Busters, the Evans Family, J&J Trucking, American Sign, Brandon from PRVL, CBM and Harold, Prucker Motorsports, and of course Stafford Speedway and everyone who works there to put on the best show in the nation.”
The 2025 season continues this Friday, May 16th with a Weekly Racing event. Stafford’s SK Modified, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions will all be in action with the SK Lights taking on an extra distance 30-lap feature. Tickets are available now online at StaffordSpeedway.com/tickets and tickets will also be available for purchase at the admission gates. Tickets for the May 16 Weekly Racing event are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the gate for adults, $5.00 for kids 6-14, and free for kids 5 & under. Reserved seating is priced at $25.00 in advance and $30.00 at the gate for all ages. Pit passes are $40.00 with a valid 2025 Stafford Competition License and $45.00 without a Stafford license. If you are unable to attend the event, tune into the live stream on FloRacing, the official streaming partner of Stafford Speedway.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
