Michael Bennett Returning To Late Model Division At Stafford Speedway For 2014 Season

A familiar face will be returning to the ranks of the Late Model roster at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2014.

Michael Bennett (Photo: Stafford Speedway)

After spending the last two years running an SK Modified full-time at Stafford, Michael Bennett will return to the Late Model division next year.

Bennett, of Stafford, ran an SK Modified for the Skowyra family in 2013. The team started 12 of 18 events during the season and finished 20th in points. He was replaced in the car for next season by reigning Stafford Speedway SK Modified champion Woody Pitkat.

Bennett won five events in Late Model division between 2007 and 2011.

“An opportunity came up to buy a Late Model and my family helped me out and we bought the Late Model,” Bennett said. “I’m definitely excited to get back in that division, where we have had success. I felt like I was getting more comfortable in the SK [Modified], but to go back to the Late Model I feel like it’s something we can capitalize on. This isn’t a step back. The Late Models are a really competitive division. It’s another goal to set and to get a few wins and maybe run for a championship and go from there would be great. I’m excited to do this again, there’s no doubt about that.”

Bennett will be running a No. 16 car in the division in 2014, he said in memory of family members and also because it was the number his father Herb competed in during his racing career at Stafford.

“We picked the car up Saturday,” Bennett said. “There’s a lot of unknowns with it, but I’m sure we’ll be out there competitive with it next season.”

Bennett said when the season ended in September he was expecting to be returning to the Skowyra-owned car. He said the team had told him in August they were committed to him for 2014. He said he found out a few weeks after the end of the season that Pitkat would be replacing him in the ride.

“Woody’s got a lot of talent and he gets the job done and if I lost my ride to Woody Pitkat just based on performance, and it was done up front, it would be a little bit easier to take,” Bennett said. “But how it went down, I didn’t feel like it was done right.”

Bennett moved to the Late Model division in Stafford after winning the Limited Late Model championship at the track in 2005. He has 23 career victories at Stafford. His first victory at the track came Sept. 28, 2002 in the DARE Stock division. He has four DARE Stock victories, 14 victories in a Limited Late Model to go with his five Late Model wins.