DARE Stock rookie Marcello Rufrano (left) works with his dad, SK Modified team owner John Rufrano
Stafford Motor Speedway DARE Stock rookie Marcello Rufrano will head to Stafford Motor Speedway feeling like the new kid in town all over again.
After getting his first career victory in the division on July 17, Rufrano has missed the last two events at the track.
The 14-year old from North Haven was travelling with his family for the last two weeks in Italy. Rufrano is the son of team owner John Rufrano, who fields an SK Modified at Stafford Speedway for former NASCAR Whelen All-American Series short track national champion Keith Rocco.
After spending the first few weeks of the season finding his place on the track, Marcello Rufrano found a knack for running with the leaders by late June. In consecutive weeks he lost the lead in the closing laps of events before getting his first career victory in his last event.
Marcello Rufrano said getting on a roll but knowing he was going to have to skip two events was a thought he didn’t like.
“I was absolutely just terrified,” Marcello Rufrano said. “I knew we were going to be a contender. I really was thinking we could finish in the top-five [in the standings] and as the weeks were going that seemed better and better. And then I realized that we had to leave for Italy and my hopes were going down a little bit. I just knew how good we were doing and I just wanted to get it done. I was thinking to myself ‘I did all this for nothing.’ Now I just want to go back and see if we can pull something out of our hat this week.”
Marcello Rufrano sits eighth in the DARE Stock division standings at Stafford and second in the chase for the SPAFCO Rookie of the Year title. He is 102 points behind Zach Robinson, his chief competition for the Rookie of the Year award.
“Being away for two weeks, we knew we were going to lose a spot or two in points,” Rufrano said. “To come back this week I think we know we have to be really consistent for the rest of the year to have a chance. That would be a real accomplishment to get the SPAFCO Rookie of the Year.”
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