Frank L’Etoile Jr.
STAFFORD – One year ago Frank L’Etoile Jr. was playing spectator in the grandstands when Stafford Motor Speedway crowned its 2013 DARE Stock division champion.
Saturday at Stafford L’Etoile was being celebrated as the division’s champion.
L’Etoile, of Wethersfield, finished sixth in the 15-lap DARE Stock feature Saturday to clinch his first division championship.
A mechanical failure in his heat race at last year’s Fall Final at Stafford forced L’Etoile to miss the final feature of the seaon in 2013.
“This [championship] starts back to last year at the Fall Final,” L’Etoile said. “We broke in the heat race. We were watching [Dave Secore win the championship] and my dad looked at me and said ‘We’re going to win this next year.’ And he wasn’t lying. Him and my whole team, my whole family, they just gave me a top notch car every night and I just tried to be consistent and it paid off.
L’Etoile had two victories and 14 top-fives in 17 starts in 2014.
“I had one goal and it was kind of out there, but I guess if you believe and you try you can make it happen,” L’Etoile said.
The 23-year old L’Etoile won three championships in the Ceric Fabrication Karting Series which runs on Monday evenings during the summer at Stafford Motor Speedway before moving up to the DARE Stock division.
“This is a home track for me,” L’Etoile said. “I was here when I was eight years old just watching. To actually make it happen and be out there and be here right now, there’s no words you can actually say.”
Andrew Marchese of Tolland won the race. David Comeau of Palmer, Mass. was second and Brandon Michael of Granville, Mass. third.
“I’m just really happy, Marchese said. “Going into my fourth year here we never had a win and this is our second win of the year. I’m just really happy with that. I was I guy sitting in the stands with my kids five years ago. I got into the DARE Stock racing and I just love it.”
Dana DiMatteo of Farmington finished second in the 20-lap Legends feature to clinch the division championship.
Jordan LaMothe of Woodstock won the race. Christopher Fuller of Boylston, Mass. was third.
Andrew Hayes of Charlton, Mass. finished fourth in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature to clinch that division’s championship. David Arute of Tolland won the feature. Austin Bessette of Stafford was second and Jesse Hinze of Farmington third.
Rookie Jeremy Sorel of Westfield, Mass. finished second in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature to clinch his first track championship. Stephen Kopcik of Newtown won the race and Nick Salva of Prospect was third.
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