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(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway hosted the 54th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® on Sunday, April 26th with its SK Modifieds® and SK Lights joining the Open Modified cars in feature action. Todd Owen took down the victory in the SK Modified® feature, his first Stafford SK Modified® victory since September 2024. In the extra distance 30-lap SK Light feature, Chris Matthews notched his first win of the 2026 season.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature, Marcello Rufrano and Glen Reen led the field to the green flag with Rufrano taking the early lead. Jon Puleo made a strong move to slide into second behind Rufrano with Reen third, Michael Christopher, Jr. fourth, and Matt Vassar fifth. Puleo took the lead from Rufrano on lap-4 and Todd Owen took fifth from Vassar on lap-5.
Rufrano went back by Puleo on lap-6 to reclaim the race lead. Lap-6 also saw Owen get by Reen to take fourth place and that move opened the door for Keith Rocco to follow Owen by and take fifth and drop Reen back to sixth place. Puleo went back to the lead on lap-9 with Christopher getting by Rufrano on lap-10 to move into second place. The caution flag flew with 11 laps complete for a spin in turn 2 by David Flammia, Jr.
Puleo took the lead on the restart with Rufrano taking second. Rocco and Christopher ran wheel to wheel for a lap before the caution came back out with 11 laps complete for a multicar incident in turn 3 involving the cars of Tyler Hines, Wade Gagner, and Curt Brainard.
Puleo again took the lead back under green with Christopher and Rufrano going wheel to wheel for second. Rocco was fourth in line with Owen fifth. Christopher charged past Puleo on lap-15 to move into the lead. Christopher’s pass opened the door for Rufrano to pull alongside Puleo and he took second on lap-16. Rocco took third with Puleo falling back to fourth. Puleo would lose another position on lap-18 as Owen took fourth to drop Puleo back to fifth. Vassar was now sixth with Anthony Flannery, Reen, Mikey Flynn, and Tyler Chapman making up the top-10. The complexion of the race changed drastically with 28 laps complete as Christopher spun in turn 2 after his car began to smoke heavily and Rufrano, who was right behind Christopher, also spun to bring the caution flag out.
Owen and Puleo led the field back to green with Vassar going 3-wide in turn 2 to emerge in the lead. Owen was second with Flannery moving up to third. Puleo was able to get in line in fourth with Tyler Chapman up to fifth. Owen made a move to take the lead on lap-32 with Flannery and Puleo both following Owen by Vassar on lap-33 to take second and third and drop Vassar back to fourth. Dylan Kopec spun in turn 4 to bring the caution out with 34 laps complete.
Owen took the lead on the restart with Puleo glued to his back bumper in second. Tyler Chapman was third but Mikey Flynn charged past him on lap-36 to move into third. Reen followed him into fourth to drop Chapman back to fifth. Puleo made a final effort coming out of turn 4 as he touched with Owen but he couldn’t get around as Owen took the checkered flag for his first SK Modified® victory at Stafford since September of 2024. Puleo finished second with Flynn, Reen, and Chapman rounding out the top-5.
In the extra distance 30-lap SK Light feature, Casey Vogt and Brian Sullivan led the field to the green flag with Sullivan charging into the early lead. Vogt was second with Sami Anderson third, Peter Bennett fourth, and the side by side duo of Amanda West and Dylan Houghton were contesting fifth place. Anderson took second from Vogt on lap-4 while Sullivan was beginning to stretch out his advantage.
Vogt spun in turn 2 and fell to the rear of the field as did Jake Hines on lap-10 but both cars kept moving and the race stayed green. The caution did fly with 14 laps complete as Travis Downey hit the wall coming out of turn 2, which erased Sullivan’s comfortable lead.
Sullivan took command back under green with Peter Bennett moving up to second. There was a pileup of cars coming out of turn 4 as Anderson’s car went around and collected the cars of Vogt, Matt Brewer, Norm Sears, Stephen Kalogiannis, Hines, Austin Goff, Connor Christmas, and Kevin Davis to bring the caution back out with 16 laps complete.
Bennett took the lead on the restart with Tyler Barry working his way to the inside of Sullivan for second. The caution came right back out with 17 laps complete as David Webb came to a stop in the middle of turns 1+2.
Bennett took the lead on the restart with Sullivan taking second. Chris Matthews was now up to third with Nick Anglace and Barry right behind him. Anglace took to the outside lane and nearly made a 3-wide move for second before backing out of the move on lap-20. Matthews took the lead from Bennett on lap-21 while Anglace was now working the inside lane to take third from Barry. Sullivan slid back to fifth place while Bennett was holding second behind Matthews.
Matthews led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2026 season. Anglace finished second with Bennett, Barry, and Sullivan 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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SK MODIFIED® (40)
1) Todd Owen, Somers
2) Jon Puleo, Branford
3) Mikey Flynn, Hampden, MA
4) Glen Reen, Wilbraham, MA
5) Tyler Chapman, Ellington
6) Chase Cook, Norwich
7) Anthony Flannery, East Hampton
8) Paul Kusheba, IV, Colchester
9) David Arute, Stafford Springs
10) Matt Vassar, Berlin
11) Wesley Prucker, Stafford Springs
12) Alexander Pearl, Salem
13) Keith Rocco, Berlin
14) Dylan Izzo, Monroe
15) Dylan Kopec, East Longmeadow, MA
16) Ethan Durocher, Canterbury
17) Troy Talman, Oxford, MA
18) Meghan Fuller, Auburn, MA
19) Tyler Hines, North Haven
20) Curt Brainard, Canton
21) Wade Gagner, East Longmeadow, MA
22) Josh Morrison, Ashford
23) David Flammia, Jr., Waterbury
24) Josh Zentek, East Haven
25) Michael Christopher, Jr., Wolcott
26) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven
27) Art Caruso, Windsor
SK LIGHT (30)
1) Chris Matthews, Stafford Springs
2) Nick Anglace, Seymour Zach Aszklar, Newtown
3) Peter Bennett, Windsor
4) Tyler Barry, Griswold
5) Brian Sullivan, Ellington
6) Amanda West, Colchester
7) Robert Bloxsom, III, Milford
8) Daltin McCarthy, Oxford, MA
9) Bob Charland, Stafford Springs
10) Frank L’Etoile, Jr., Wethersfield
11) Eddie Gomarlo, Swanzey, NH
12) Casey Vogt, Windsor Locks
13) Dylan Houghton, Springfield, MA
14) Austin Goff, Stafford Springs
15) Anthony Forino, Waterbury
16) Jake Hines, North Haven
17) Cassandra Cole, Westbrook
18) Paul Arcari, Somers
19) David Webb, Nashville, TN
20) Sami Anderson, Wolcott
21) Jason Finkbein, Manchester
22) Norm Sears, Coventry Ben Morrison, Ashford
23) Jim Storace, Kingston, NH
24) Matt Brewer, Norwich
25) Kevin Davis, Somers
26) Connor Christmas, Ellington
27) Stephen Kalogiannis, New Hartford
28) Travis Downey, Barkhamsted
DNQ
Rob Pederson, Stafford Springs
Andy Marchese, Tolland
Aiden D’Agata, Willington
Chad Jones
John Brunelle, Stonington
Ben Morrison, Ashford
Zach Aszklar, Newtown
Ed Chicoski, New Hartford
Ben Morabito, Mooresville, NC
Joey Ferrigno, East Hartford
