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(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway hosted the biggest and richest SK Modified® race of the 2025 season on Friday, August 1st with the 12th Annual NAPA Auto Parts SK 5k. Max Zachem was the big winner of the night, taking the checkered flag in the NAPA SK 5k to score his first career feature victory at Stafford Speedway in any division. Zachem also became the 100th different SK Modified® feature winner since the division’s inception in 1982. Zachem’s victory was worth a payday of $8,025 with $5,000 from winning the NAPA SK 5k, $1,200 from the Gambler’s Challenge, $1,000 from the Greco family in memory of Bill Greco for leading lap-43 and winning the race, $625 from Stafford’s weekly SK Modified® contingency partners Maybury Material Handling, Stafford Sand and Gravel, RaceChoice.com, and Gary Rice Shop Equipment, and $200 from Wheelers Auto Service for finishing second in his qualifying heat race. Other feature winners on the night were Wayne Coury, Jr. in the Late Model feature, Meg Fuller in the SK Light feature, Travis Hydar in the Limited Late Model feature, and Brandon Warren in the Street Stock feature.
The 112-lap NAPA SK 5k feature event began with Max Zachem leading the field to green and he took the early lead. Tyler Chapman was second for the first lap but Mikey Flynn took that spot on lap-2. Andrew Molleur took third to drop Tyler Chapman back to fourth with David Arute in fifth. Molleur took second from Flynn on lap-6 while Arute was looking high and low for a way to get by Tyler Chapman for fourth. Arute was able to make the pass on lap-7 while lap-8 saw Molleur take the lead from Zachem.
With 15 laps complete the order was Molleur followed by Zachem, Flynn, Anthony Flannery, Arute, Noah Korner, Tyler Chapman, Todd Owen, Keith Rocco, and Anthony Bello. Zachem made a move to the inside of Molleur on lap-29 and he took the lead on lap-30. Flynn was still third with Flannery and Arute making up the top-5.
Zachem was still in command of the race when it hit lap-43, which earned Zachem a $500 bonus in memory of Bill Greco for leading lap-43. Molleur was still second with Flynn, Flannery, and Korner making up the top-5. Arute was sixth with Owen, Rocco, Bello, and Marcello Rufrano making up the top-10. The caution came out with 47 laps complete for Arute, who spun at the end of the backstretch and got into the turn 3 wall. Todd Owen was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Arute.
Zachem and Molleur went wheel to wheel on the restart but the caution came right back out as several cars came together coming out of turn 4. The involved cars were Tyler Chapman, Matt Vassar, Tyler Hines, Curt Brainard, Dylan Kopec, and David Flammia, Jr.
Zachem and Molleur went wheel to wheel again for the lead on the restart with Zachem holding the advantage by a nose at the line. Zachem got clear into the lead on lap-50 with Troy Talman now third behind Zachem and Molleur, Bello fourth, and Alexander Pearl was up to fifth. The caution came back out with 50 laps complete as Michael Christopher, Jr’s car took an abrupt turn into the turn 3 wall while he was fighting to get back in the top-10 after starting 15th and slowly working his way towards the front.
Zachem and Molleur again raced several laps side by side before Zachem was clear into the lead on lap-53. Talman was third behind Zachem and Molleur with Flynn back up to fourth. Owen and Bello were racing side by side for fifth place when the caution came back out with 54 laps complete for a spin in turn 1 by Flannery and Flammia.
Zachem took the lead back under green with Molleur, Talman, Flynn, and Owen lined up behind him. Rocco was up to sixth followed by Jon Puleo, Bello, Pearl, and Rufrano. With 70 laps complete Zachem and Molleur were still leading the pack with Flynn, Talman, and Owen making up the top-5. Rocco was still sixth with Puleo, Bello, Pearl, and Noah Korner behind him.
Owen took fourth place from Talman on lap-84 while Zachem was still the leader with Molleur in second and Flynn in third. With 15 laps to go, Zachem was still in command with Molleur, Flynn, Owen, and Puleo making up the top-5 behind him. Talman was sixth followed by Rocco, Bello, Korner, and Rufrano.
Flynn was able to get by Molleur on lap-106 to move into second. He couldn’t get close enough to Zachem in the closing laps as Zachem took the checkered flag to pick up his first career victory at Stafford in any division. Zachem also became the 100th different SK Modified® feature winner in Stafford history since the division’s inception in 1982. Flynn finished second with Molleur, Owen, and Rocco rounding out the top-5. Flynn’s second place finish made him the winner of the inaugural TickMike.com Triple Crown, which spread $20,000 among all SK Modified® drivers who started each of the three extra distance races this season.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Tom Fearn took the early lead at the start with Darrell Keane taking second. Wayne Coury, Jr. took third, Alexandra Fearn took fourth, and Paul Varricchio, Jr. took fifth as Tom Butler got high in the first two corners and fell back to 13th place. Kevin Gambacorta was starting to apply heavy pressure to Varricchio for fifth on lap-5 but Varricchio was able to hold him off.
Coury made a move to the inside of Keane on lap-10 to move into second. Coury’s pass allowed Alexandra Fearn to move into third and drop Keane back to fourth, just in front of Varricchio and Gambacorta. Coury made a move to the inside of Tom Fearn on lap-12 and he completed the pass on lap-13 to take over the race lead. Alexandra Fearn was still third behind Coury and Tom Fearn with Keane fourth and Varricchio still holding fifth at the halfway point of the race.
Varricchio made a move to the inside of Keane on lap-18 to move into fourth and bring Gambacorta with him into fifth as Keane got kicked backwards. Keane eventually got back into line in 10th place. Varricchio took third from Alexandra Fearn on lap-23 with Gambacorta following him through to move into fourth. Andrew Durand also got around Alexandra Fearn to take fifth and drop her back to sixth. Bobby Stirk, III spun coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution flag out with 26 laps complete and set up a 4 lap dash to the finish.
Gambacorta spun in turn 2 on the restart to bring the caution flag out while Adam Gray went around in turn 4. Gray came to pit road with a flat tire and Chris Meyer was sent to the rear for making contact with Gambacorta.
Coury charged into the lead back under green with Varricchio moving into second. Alexandra Fearn was third with Durand fourth and Michael Wray up to fifth. Tom Butler spun on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 28 laps complete to set up a green white checkered finish.
Coury charged back into the lead on the restart with Alexandra Fearn taking second. Michael Wray made a hard charge and nearly took second but settled into third. Varricchio went around on the final lap after contact with Keane and he fell to the rear of the field as Coury took the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2025 season.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Daltin McCarthy took the lead at the start but Meghan Fuller got a good run in the outside lane and went from third to the lead on lap-2. Stephen Kalogiannis was wheel to wheel with McCarthy for second with Amanda West in fourth and Robert Bloxsom, III in fifth. Kalogiannis took second on lap-4 with West now alongside McCarthy for third.
West took third on lap-6 to drop McCarthy back to fourth with last week’s winner Nick Anglace moving to the front in the outside lane and he took fifth on lap-6. He took fourth on lap-7 and Nickolas Hovey followed him through to take fifth and drop Bloxsom back to sixth. Fuller was starting to pull away from the field while West made a move to the inside of Kalogiannis for second on lap-10.
Kalogiannis was able to stay in second while Hovey went to the outside lane to move from fifth to third on lap-11. Hovey took second from Kalogiannis on lap-12 with Kalogiannis able to get in line in third. Anglace and West were wheel to wheel fighting for fourth place with Bloxsom in sixth behind them. Anglace was finally able to move into third on lap-15 but the action was slowed with 16 laps complete as Ron Midford, Jr. got into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution out.
Fuller and Hovey went wheel to wheel for the lead back under green with Anglace sitting behind them in third. West was fourth in line with Bloxsom in fifth. Fuller had the lead by a nose at the line and she got clear into the lead on lap-19. Hovey looked high and low for a way around Fuller on the final lap, but Fuller was able to stay out front and she took the checkered flag to pick up her first win of the 2025 season and her second career SK Light victory. Hovey finished second with Anglace, West, and Bloxsom rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, the caution came right out at the start as Samantha Dell ended up in the wall in the middle of turns 1+2.
The field completed one lap with Rich Hammann in the lead before the caution came back out for Devon Jencik, who spun at the entrance of turn 1 and Jason Lafayette, who got into the turn 1 wall.
Hammann took the lead on the restart with Jeremy Lavoie taking second. Connor Jencik was third with Travis Hydar fourth and Kevin Cormier fifth. Gary Patnode was sixth with Matt Clement, Matthew Winter, II, Kyle Theriault, dn Norm Root, III making up the top-10.
Hydar took third from Connor Jencik on lap-5 and Cormier followed Hydar by Jencik on lap-6 to move into fourth and drop Jencik back to fifth. Dana Wray spun in turn 1 to bring the caution flag back out with 8 laps complete.
Hammann took the lead on the restart with Hydar moving into second behind him. Cormier was third in line with Lavoie fourth and Connor Jencik fifth. Hydar took the lead from Hammann on lap-12 and Cormier was also able to get by Hammann to move into second and drop Hammann back to third. Lavoie was still fourth in line with Connor Jencik fifth.
Hammann was looking high and low for a way to get around Cormier and get back to second, but Cormier was able to keep himself in front of Hammann. Hydar pulled away from the duo of Cormier and Hammann in the closing laps to score his first career Limited Late Model feature win. Cormier finished second with Hammann, Lavoie, and Jencik rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, David Ciastko took the early race lead with Brandon Warren taking second, Jason Raymond third, Sean Petlock fourth, and Bert Ouellette fifth. With 2 laps complete, Bill Cote and Jeff Asselin touched with Asselin spinning and collecting the car of Kolton Gambacorta to bring the caution flag out.
Brandon Warren took the lead from Ciastko on the restart with Petlock in third, Tyler Trott fourth, and Travis Downey fifth. The field completed one lap before the caution came back out for a spin in turn 2 that involved the cars of Andras Bogi, Marvin Minkler, and Bert Ouellette.
Warren took the lead back under green with Downey moving up to second. PJ Evans moved up to third with Trott fourth and Isabella Minchella up to fifth. Two laps were completed to bring the lap counter up to five before the caution flag came back out for a spin coming out of turn 2 by Matt Martel.
Warren charged back into the lead on the restart with Evans taking second from Downey. Downey settled into third with Trott fourth and Raymond fifth. Trott made a move to take third from Downey on lap-10 and Raymond almost followed him through, but Downey was able to hold him off and maintain fourth place as Warren continued to lead with Evans in second.
Trott took second from Evans on lap-12 and that move opened the door for Downey to take third, Raymond fourth, and Aaron Plemons fifth as Evans slid back to sixth place. Trott made contact with Warren racing for the lead in turn 3 on lap-17 but there was no consequence from the contact. Trott lined back up behind Warren and made a final bid for the lead on the white flag lap, but Warren was too strong to be overtaken and he took down his first win of the 2025 season. Trott finished second with Plemons, Raymond, and Evans rounding out the top-5.
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
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NAPA AUTO PARTS SK 5K (112)
1) Max Zachem, Preston
2) Mikey Flynn, Hampden, MA
3) Andrew Molleur, Shelton
4) Todd Owen, Somers
5) Keith Rocco, Berlin
6) Jon Puleo, Branford
7) Anthony Bello, Newtown
8) Troy Talman, Oxford, MA
9) Noah Korner, Canton
10) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven
11) Alexander Pearl, Salem
12) Dan Avery, Somers
13) Michael Gervais, Jr., Wolcott
14) Dylan Izzo, Monroe
15) Steven Chapman, Ellington
16) Tyler Jones, New Milford
17) Anthony Flannery, East Hampton
18) Frank Ruocco, Brigantine, NJ
19) Tyler Hines, North Haven
20) Wade Gagner, East Longmeadow, MA
21) Curt Brainard, Canton
22) David Flammia, Jr., Waterbury
23) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
24) Wesley Prucker, Stafford Springs
25) Tyler Chapman, Ellington
26) Dylan Kopec, East Longmeadow, MA
27) Matt Vassar, Berlin
28) David Arute, Stafford Springs
29) Cory DiMatteo, Farmington
30) Art Caruso, Windsor
LATE MODEL (30)
1) Wayne Coury, Jr., Milford
2) Alexandra Fearn, Hampden, MA
3) Michael Wray, Mooresville, NC
4) Adam Gray, Granby, MA
5) Chris Meyer, Franklin
6) Bobby Stirk, III, Naugatuck
7) Kevin Gambacorta, Ellington
8) Andrew Durand, Chicopee, MA
9) Adon Burrell, Barkhamsted
10) Chris Buffone, Belchertown, MA
11) Tom Fearn, East Longmeadow, MA
12) Paul Varricchio, Jr., Berlin
13) Darrell Keane, Enfield
14) Tom Butler, Stafford Springs
15) Josh Wood, Palmer, MA
SK LIGHT (20)
1) Meghan Fuller, Auburn, MA
2) Nickolas Hovey, Chaplin
3) Nick Anglace, Seymour
4) Amanda West, Colchester
5) Robert Bloxsom, III, Milford
6) Stephen Kalogiannis, New Hartford
7) Chris Matthews, Stafford
8) Daltin McCarthy, Oxford, MA
9) Sami Anderson, Wolcott
10) Jason Finkbein, Manchester
11) Peter Bennett, Windsor
12) Paul Arcari, Somers
13) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
14) Josh Morrison, Ashford
15) Bob Charland, Stafford Springs
16) Casey Vogt, Windsor Locks
17) Matt Brewer, Norwich
18) Austin Goff, Stafford Springs
19) Ben Morrison, Ashford
20) Ed Chicoski, New Hartford
21) Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
22) Dean Lambros, Northport, NY
23) Ron Midford, Jr., Ellington
24) Sophya Papp, Goshen
LIMITED LATE MODEL (20)
1) Travis Hydar, Woodbury
2) Kevin Cormier, Springfield, VT
3) Rich Hammann, Tolland
4) Jeremy Lavoie, Windsor Locks
5) Connor Jencik, Canton
6) Devon Jencik, Canton
7) Matthew Winter, II, Springfield, VT
8) Kyle Theriault, Three Rivers, MA
9) Matt Clement, Wethersfield
10) Gary Patnode, Barkhamsted
11) Dana Wray, Northford
12) Scott Clement, Wethersfield
13) RJ Surdell, Willington
14) Norman Root, III, Old Saybrook
15) Jason Lafayette, Somers
16) Darryl Vertefeuille, Willington
17) Samantha Dell, Pascoag, RI
18) Shelby Swan, Durham
STREET STOCK (20)
1) Brandon Warren, Chicopee, MA
2) Tyler Trott, East Hartford
3) Aaron Plemons, Uncasville
4) Jason Raymond, Somers
5) PJ Evans, Uncasville
6) Travis Downey, Barkhamsted
7) Bill Cote, Belchertown, MA
8) Sean Petlock, Ware, MA
9) Isabella Minchella, Somers
10) David Ciastko, Madison
11) Alex Spinnato, Wallingford
12) Pete Cayer, Bristol
13) Rob Sears, Stafford Springs
14) Andras Bogi, Macungie, PA
15) Matt Martel, Stafford Springs
16) Brennan Murdza, Hampden, MA
17) Bert Ouellette, Ellington
18) Colin Volpe, Blue Point, NY
19) Nick Jacobsen, Somers
20) Josh White, South Windsor
21) Garrett Pease, Enfield
22) Marvin Minkler, Stamford
23) Brent Gleason, Griswold
24) Jeff Asselin, Granby, MA
25) Kolton Gambacorta, Ellington
