On Tap: Valenti Modified Racing Series Stretch Run Begins At Stafford

They’re back.

Two weeks removed from their second event of the season at Stafford Motor Speedway, the Valenti Modified Racing Series returns to the half-mile oval at Stafford Motor Speedway Friday night.

A hefty entry list is expected for the event.

On Saturday the Waterford Speedbowl is back in action with another NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing card.

Where: Stafford Motor Speedway
What: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event and Valenti Modified Racing Series Lincoln Tech 80
When: Friday
Schedule: 80-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series, 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 30-lap Late Model, 20-lap SK Light Modified, 20-lap Limited Late Model and 15-lap DARE Stock. Grandstands open: 4:15 p.m.; Qualifying begins: 6:30 p.m. Features begin: Approximately 7 p.m.
More: The 16th week of Friday night racing at Stafford in 2013. … The Valenti Modified Racing series makes its third and final visit to Stafford Speedway in 2013. Tommy Barrett Jr. won at Stafford on June 21. Steve Masse won on Aug. 30. Stafford Speedway SK Modified division regular Rowan Pennink holds the Valenti Modified Racing Series points lead. With four events remaining, Lou Mechalides is 61 points behind Pennink in second in the standings. Barrett is third, 66 points behind. Pennink, … Barrett and Masse are the only multi-time winners over 13 events this year. Masse has three victories, Pennink and Barrett each have two victories. Other winners this season include Mechalides, Dwight Jarvis, Keith Rocco, Todd Annarummo, Richard Savary and Todd Patnode. … Friday marks the eighth event ever at Stafford for the Valenti Modified Racing Series. Barrett, who also won in one of the division’s visits to Stafford in 2012, became the first multi-time division winner at the track in June. Other former Valenti Modified Racing Series winners at the track include Rocco, Ted Christopher, Chris Pasteryak and Jon McKennedy. … In the last event at the track, Woody Pitkat won his second consecutive SK Modified feature after snapping a year long winless streak on Aug. 30. … Pitkat is 22 points behind SK Modified division points leader Ryan Preece with two events remaining this season. Doug Coby is third in the standings, 58 points behind. … Preece leads all drivers with eight victories in 16 SK Modified events this year at Stafford. Pitkat and Ted Christopher are the only other multi-time winner this year with two wins each. Other SK Modified division winners this season include Pennink, Eric Berndt, Danny Cates and Keith Rocco. … Rookie Cory Casagrande won his first career Late Model feature last week. Adam Gray was second in the race, recording his 15th consecutive podium finish at Stafford this year. Gray’s only finish outside the top three in a Late Model event at Stafford this year was an 18th place in the season opening event. … Gray has an 86-point lead over second place Tom Fearn in the standings. Pitkat is 104 points behind in third. Gray needs only to take the green flag for the start of the race Friday to clinch his first track championship.

Where: Waterford Speedbowl
What: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event
When: Saturday
Schedule: 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 30-lap Late Model, 25-lap Street Stock$, 25-lap Mini Stock and 20-lap X-Car. Grandstands open: 3 p.m.; Qualifying: 5:30 p.m.; Features: 7 p.m.
More: The 21st event of the season at the shoreline oval. … Last week, Kyle James won for the third time this season in the SK Modified division feature. … Keith Rocco leads all drivers in the division with eight victories this season. With four events remaining this season, Rocco holds a 75-points lead over second place Todd Ceravolo in the standings. Tyler Chadwick is 114 points behind in third place. … Rocco, Chadwick and James are the only multi-time winners this year in the SK Modified division. Chadwick has four victories. Other winners include Ceravolo, Diego Monahan Jeff Rocco, Joey Gada and Rob Janovic Jr. … Last week it was Keith Rocco winning for the eighth time this season in the Late Model division. Rocco holds a 109-point lead over Jason Palmer in the division’s standings.