DiMatteo, Gambacorta, Chapman, Jencik, & Downey Score NAPA Spring Sizzler Feature Wins

By Scott Running

(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway hosted the rescheduled NAPA Spring Sizzler® along with its five weekly divisions on Friday, May 10th. Cory DiMatteo notched his first SK Modified® feature win of the 2024 season after a thrilling duel with Michael Christopher, Jr., defending Late Model champion Kevin Gambacorta notched his first Late Model win of the season, Tyler Chapman was victorious in the SK Light feature, Devon Jencik scored a dominating win in the Limited Late Model feature, and Travis Downey was the beneficiary of Ryan Waterman and Travis Hydar tangling in the final corner to pick up his first Street Stock win of the 2024 season.

In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, the front row of Michael Christopher, Jr. and Teddy Hodgdon and the second row of Keith Rocco and Noah Korner raced wheel to wheel through the opening laps like a high speed pace lap with Jon Puleo in fifth. Rocco pulled alongside Hodgdon on lap-4 for third with Puleo and Hodgon now wheel to wheel for fourth as Christopher was in the lead.

Rocco made a move to the inside of Christopher on lap-5 and he had the lead by a nose at the line. Cory DiMatteo was up to third behind Rocco and Christopher with Puleo in fourth and Hodgdon in fifth. Christopher went back by Rocco to take over the race lead on lap-13 while Andrew Molleur got by Hodgdon to move into fifth. Behind Hodgdon, the action was getting intense as Owen, Puleo, and Marcello Rufrano were jockeying for position with Owen emerging in sixth, Puleo seventh, and Rufrano eighth as Christopher continued to lead Rocco, DiMatteo, Molleur, and Hodgdon. Opening day winner Troy Talman’s car came to a stop in turn 4 to bring the caution flag out with 19 laps complete.

Christopher and Rocco raced wheel to wheel for a lap before Christopher got clear into the lead with DiMatteo and Molleur going wheel to wheel for third place. The caution came out with 23 laps complete as coming out of turn 4 Puleo got into the wall which collected several other cars including Noah Korner, Ethan Durocher, and several others.

Christopher and Rocco went wheel to wheel again on the restart with DiMatto making a nearly 3-wide move one lap after the restart to move into the lead. Rufrano spun in turn 3 to bring the caution flag back out with 25 laps complete.

Now it was Christopher and DiMatteo going wheel to wheel for the lead on the restart with Rocco in third and the duo of Owen and George Bessette, Jr. going wheel to wheel for fourth place. The two leaders were still wheel to wheel when the caution came back out with 29 laps complete for a spin in turn 4 by Tyler Barry.

Christopher and DiMatteo raced wheel to wheel for 2 laps before Christopher got clear into the lead. Bessette was third with Rocco fourth and Owen fifth. DiMatteo nearly took the lead back from Christopher on lap-32 but Christopher was able to maintain the lead. DiMatteo made another move to the inside of Christopher on lap-34 and this time he was able to make the pass stick as he took the lead. Bessette, Rocco, and Owen continued to hold down the third through fifth positions. The caution came back out with 37 laps complete for spins in turn 4 by Curt Brainard and Art Caruso.

DiMatteo took the lead while Bessette and Christopher were wheel to wheel for second. Bessette took second on lap-39 with Owen in foruth and Molleur in fifth. Bessette gave DiMatteo a tap on the final lap, which allowed Christopher to sneak by him to take second but they couldn’t catch DiMatteo as the took the checkered flag for his first win of the season. Christopher beat Bessette to the line for second with Owen and Molleur rounding out the top-5.

In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, Alexandra Fearn took the lead from Zack Robinson at the start but she spun in turn 3 after contact from Robinson, which collected Tom Fearn, P.J. Zarrella, and several other cars to bring the caution out before the first lap could be completed. This put Bobby Stirk, III and Chris Meyer on the front row for the restart.

Stirk took the lead with Meyer taking second. Cliff Saunders was third with Al Saunders and Wayne Coury, Jr. side by side for fourth. Cliff Saunders took second from Meyer on lap-2 while Kevin Gambacorta took fifth from Coury, who slid back to seventh place.

Cliff Saunders too over the lead on lap-10 and dropped Stirk back to second. Gambacorta was slowly climbing his way to the front as he took third on lap-12 with Al Saunders fourth and Darrell Keane now in fifth. Coury was sixth with Paul Varricchio, Jr., Meyer, Josh Wood, and Chris Buffone rounding out the top-10 as the race approached the halfway point of lap-15. Kevin Cormier spun in turn 2 to bring the caution flag out with 18 laps complete.

Stirk took the lead from Cliff Saunders on the restart with Gambacorta in third. Varricchio and Al Saunders were door to door for fourth place while Cliff Saunders went back by Stirk on lap-20 to retake the lead. Gambacorta followed him by to move into second with Varricchio taking third as Stirk fell back to fourth, just in front of Keane. Keane took fourth just as the field was completing lap-22 as Stirk continued to drift backwards and Al Saunders took over fifth.

Several cars spun into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution and red flags out with 27 laps complete including Meyer, Keane, Robinson, Coury, and Buffone.

Cliff Saunders took the lead at the restart but Gambacorta wrestled the lead away from Saunders on lap-28. On the final lap, Varricchio made a move to take over second, which brought Tom Butler up to third and kicked Cliff Saunders back to fourth. That is how the cars came to the checkered flag with Robinson rounding out the top-5.

In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Matt Brewer led the field to the green and he took the early lead. Tyler Alkas took second with Bob Charland third, Ron Midford, Jr. fourth, and Nickolas Hovey fifth. Paul Arute fell from second at the start back to sixth with Jason Chapman, Stephen Kalogiannis, Amanda West, and Cassandra Cole making up the top-10. Josh Morrison and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. both spun in turn 4 on lap-3 but were able to keep moving and the race stayed green.

Alkas took the lead from Brewer on lap-5 and Brewer nearly retook the lead on lap-6 but Alkas was able to fend off his challenge. Midford was now up to third behind Alkas and Brewer with Hovey in fourth and Charland in fifth. As the lead cars began to navigate lapped traffic, Brewer and Alkas split a lapped car going 3-wide in turn 1 on lap-10 and then the caution came out with 11 laps complete as Brewer and Steve Midford came together racing out of turn 4 and ended up hitting the wall.

Back under green, Hovey streaked into the lead with Tyler Chapman taking second from his twin brother Jason. Ron Midford was fourth in line with Chris Matthews in fifth. Alexander Pearl was sixth followed by Charland, Brian Sulivan, Arute, and Amanda West. The caution came back out with 17 laps complete for spins in turn 4 by Austin Goff and Aiden D’Agata.

Hovey was slow coming up to speed on the restart and he fell back to third place as Tyler Chapman and Midford took over the top-2 spots. Pearl was up to fourth with Jason Chapman in fifth. The caution came out with 19 laps complete as West and Charland came together racing down the frontstretch and they spun and collected several other cars including Sami Anderson, Anthony Forino, and Joey Ferrigno to set up a green white checkered finish.

Tyler Chapman took the lead with Midford immediately slotting into second behind him. Pearl was third but on the final lap, Jason Chapman made contact with Pearl and Pearl spun along with Chapman, Norm Sears, and Robert Bloxsom, III. Tyler Chapman took the checkered flag with Midford, Sullivan, Hovey, and Matthews rounding out the top-5.

In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Rich Hammann led the field to the green and he took the lead at the drop of the green flag. Devon Jencik was second in the early going with R.J. Surdell, Jeremy Lavoie, and Matt Clement making up the top-5. Lavoie took third from Surdell on lap-4 and Clement followed him past Surdell on lap-5 to take fourth and drop Surdell back to fifth.

Jencik took the lead from Hammann on lap-8 which opened the door for Lavoie to take second and Matt Clement third as Hammann slid back to fourth, just in front of Matt Winter, II. With 13 laps complete, Jencik had stretched out his lead over Lavoie to several car lengths, while Clement was all over Lavoie’s back bumper looking for a way to make a pass for second.

With 2 laps to go, Jencik was still in command with Clement still looking for a way around Lavoie for second. Jencik led Lavoie to the checkered flag to pick up his first win of the 2024 season. Clement finished third with Hammann and Paradis rounding out the top-5.

In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, Bert Ouellette made contact with Matt Martel just after the start in turn 1 and both cars spun to bring the caution flag out.

Chris Danielcuk led the field back to green and he took the lead but Jason Lafayette made a 3-wide move on lap-2 to move into the lead. Ryan Waterman took over second with Travis Downey taking third as Danielczuk slid back to seventh. Waterman took the lead from Lafayette on lap-3 and that opened the door for Downey to move into second and Travis Hydar to third. Lafayette fell back to fourth, just in front of Jeff Asselin in fifth. Danieczuk’s car came to a stop at the entrance to turn 3 to bring the caution back out with 4 laps complete.

Downey streaked into the lead on the restart with Waterman in second just in front of Hydar. Garrett Pease spun coming out of turn 2 to bring the caution flag back out with 5 laps complete.

Waterman moved back to the front on the restart and he brought Hydar with him into second as Downey fell back to third in line. Lafayette was fourth with Tyler Trott up to fifth. Asselin was sixth followed by Jason Raymond, Ouellette, Marvin Minkler, and Jonathon Avery.

Hydar was searching all over the track for a way to get around Waterman and take over the lead but Waterman was able to hold him off. Downey was still third with Lafayette fourth and Asselin in fifth. Coming to the checkered flag, Hydar made a move to take the lead from Waterman but coming out of turn 4, Waterman made contact with Hydar which sent both cars. Their misfortune was Downey’s gain as he took the lead coming out of turn 4 to win the race. Lafayette finished second with Asselin, Trott, and Raymond rounding out the top-5.