STAFFORD – It’s fair to say the momentum was in the favor of Mike Christopher Jr. in the SK Modified field Friday at Stafford Speedway.
Christopher was coming off victories last Friday at Stafford in both the SK Modified feature and the Open Modified feature.
But Troy Talman made it clear, he was going to be the momentum blocker on the track Friday at Stafford.
Talman held off the outside challenge of Christopher over the final two laps to win the 40-lap SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Speedway.
It was the second victory of the season for Talman, of Oxford, Mass.
Christopher, of Wolcott, was second and Andrew Molleur of Shelton third.
“I couldn’t put much more rear brake into this thing. It was tight. I can’t thank everyone behind me. It takes a team effort. I’ve got the best car here, the best setup guy here, Shane Hopkins.
Talman took the lead from Steven Chapman on lap nine and never trailed again, putting on a masterful display of protecting the bottom groove for much of the event.
That blocking of the inside groove is something Christopher likes to label as “throwing the hinck.”
“Lots of hinck’s being thrown in the last 10 laps of that race,” Christopher said,. “If someone in front of you is not going to move [the leader] out of the way, you might as well shoot it to the top and see what can happen. Almost got it. … I don’t think I was going to get by him, especially with only one or two laps to go. You know, jump to the top, you never know what will happen.”
Said Talman: “I had to take the line away to hold him off. I gave [Christopher] the outside, maybe he could drive around me. But I wasn’t giving up the bottom after what I’ve been through.”
Molleur, the division points leader, continued his streak of top-five finishes in all seven events this season.
“I tried to save a little in the tank at the end there,” Molleur said. “Unfortunately I just didn’t have enough at the end. Just a little too free there.”
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