Woody Pitkat Back-To-Back In SK Mods At Stafford; Cory Casagrande And Payton Henry First Time Winners

Woody Pitkat spent the bulk of the 2013 season at Stafford Motor Speedway knocking on the door of victory lane with his new SK Modified division team.

Woody Pitkat celebrates his second consecutive SK Modified win at Stafford Speedway on Friday (Photo: Stafford Speedway)

On Aug. 30 Pitkat finally found his way through the door, using a dramatic last lap pass of Rowan Pennink to get his first victory with the SK Modified team owned by Steve Greer.

Now it seems he doesn’t want to let the party end.

Pitkat, of Stafford, won for the second consecutive week Friday in the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Keith Rocco of Wallingford was second and Dan Avery of Somers third.

It was the 27th career SK Modified feature victory for Pitkat at Stafford, who changed teams during the 2012 offseason.

Pitkat went by Rocco for the lead on lap 32 and never trailed again.

“I got a good run, drove it down into [turn] three,” Pitkat said. “I got a little loose in there, I thought I was going to use him up real bad. But I didn’t. I raced him and then I got out front. And I typically am a better chaser than I am a leader. And he was all over me. I just tried to kind of protect the bottom and give him the outside. Just do the best I can. I don’t like to win like that, but hey, we earned it tonight and we earned it last week. This is just unbelievable.”

It kept up a torrid streak of late for Pitkat, who has three victories and a second place in his last four SK Modified division starts across the state’s three short tracks. He won SK Modified feature at Thompson Speedway on Aug. 29 and finished second to Rocco in the Budweiser SK Modified Nationals 150 at the Waterford Speedbowl on Aug. 31.

Outside of the SK Modified division it was a night of two big firsts.

In the 30-lap Late Model division it was rookie Cory Casagrande winning for the first time in the division.

Casagrande started on the pole and never trailed.

“We had an awesome car and I just kept digging the whole race,” Casagrande said. “You never know what can happen.”

It marked the third different division that Casagrande has won in at the track. He also has three DARE Stock division victories and three Limited Late Model division wins.

Adam Gray of Belchertown, Mass. was second and Tom Fearn of East Longmeadow, Mass. third.

It was the 15^th consecutive podium finish for Gray. His only finish outside the top-three this season was an 18^th place in the season opening event.

In the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature it was Payton Henry of Willington recording his first career victory in the division.

Joey Ferrigno of East Hartford was second and Dylan Menditto of Brooklyn third.

Duane Provost of Springfield, Mass. won the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature. Josh Wood of Palmer, Mass. was second and D.J. Burnham of East Hartford third.

Dave Secore Jr. of Union won the 15-lap DARE Stock feature. David Comeau of Palmer, Mass. was second and Johnny Walker of Ludlow, Mass. third.