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(Stafford Springs, CT)—During the NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend, Late Model driver Chris Buffone was racing with a heavy heart. In the week leading up to the race, Buffone’s grandfather Tom O’Sullivan passed away, which left Buffone’s #07 Tom O’Sullivan Welding team with a huge void. Despite the loss of the team patriarch, Buffone and the #07 team decided to go racing with Buffone taking the checkered flag to win the first Late Model race of the 2026 season.
“My grandfather built a new car for us to run this season,” said Buffone. “He had been racing since the ‘60’s and he had a huge passion for racing so it’s what he would have wanted us to do. The decision for us to go racing wasn’t hard but getting to the track and seeing and talking to everyone without him there was pretty tough. I knew we had a fast car and taking the lead with 8 laps to go, it was pretty emotional and I’m not really sure how I was able to hold it together those last couple laps.”
For Buffone and the #07 team, their performance in the NAPA Spring Sizzler® Late Model feature event was a fairy tale story. Normally any time a team breaks out a new car, there are some new car issues that the team will have to work through. But from the first time they tested the car right through the checkered flag, Buffone and his team didn’t encounter any issues with their new car and it proved to be a fast car right out of the gate. In addition to their smooth run with the new car, the Late Model feature was completed just before rain started to fall on the track.
“As soon as I sat in the new car I was super comfortable,” said Buffone. “With a new car, you usually have some new car blues, but everything seemed like it went right for us and that was a strong Late Model field. We had a fast car when we tested a couple weeks before the Sizzler, we had a great car during the practice day, and even though we didn’t win our heat race, the car was super fast so I knew what we had. It was super special and I have to give a lot of credit to Bob at BFR for the great job putting that new car together for us. I knew the race wasn’t over once we took the lead, but I knew what we had in the car and all I had to do was keep the car straight for those last 8 or so laps. If I had messed that up, I’m sure I would have heard about it and I’m sure there would have been signs that my grandfather wasn’t happy. I felt like he was still there in the turn 1 grandstands watching and I’m sure he was the reason that the rain kept away for us to finish the race. They don’t write stories like that.”
With his victory, Buffone now leads the Late Model field heading into the opening Friday night event on May 8th. Buffone has showed himself to be a quick study in Stafford’s Late Model field. Now in the beginning of his third full season of Late Model competition, Buffone’s rookie season yielded only a single top-5 finish while he finished 14th in points. Buffone improved to 5th in points last season while securing his first career victory. With a second victory now under his belt, Buffone is looking to continue his success throughout the season to be a contender for the championship in September.
“You always want to pick up where you leave off and last year we started out pretty fair but we struggled in the summer months,” said Buffone. “You never want to think about points this early in the season, but the end goal for everyone is to win the championship and in order to do that you need to start out on top or at least close to the top and we were able to start on top. Being our third year at Stafford I have relatively almost no starts compared to some of the other Late Model drivers and to be able to start off the season like we did is a huge momentum builder for me and for the team. The championship is in the back of our minds when we can start out like that and I don’t think this will be our only win this year. I know that might sound cocky, but I’m not really a cocky guy, things just worked out perfectly for us. I have to first thank my grandfather, he built the car for us, my dad, my Uncle Tom and Uncle Mike, my grandmother, my mom, and all my crew guys, Brennan Fields, Brandon Fields, Mike Fields, my brother Zach, my sister, Emma, and my sponsors Teddy Bear Pools, Tom O’Sullivan Welding, Fairborn Equipment, Tom Wilson Enterprises, O’Sullivan Landscaping, T.P. Ryland Landscaping, American Tires, and that’s not the end of the list. There’s so many people who get me to where I am and get me to the track every week. We have a huge group of people that make this possible which is really special.”
Buffone will look to make it two in a row in the Late Model division this Friday, May 8th. May 8th is a weekly racing program that will see Stafford’s SK Modified®, SK Light, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock teams join the Late Model teams in feature action.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
