On Tap Presented By Ric’s Place: Mod Tour To Waterford; Stafford Friday Opener

On Tap: Presented By Ric’s Place

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Where: Stafford Motor Speedway

What: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly card

When: Friday

Schedule: 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 50-lap Late Model, 20-lap SK Light Modified, 20-lap Limited Sportsman, 15-lap DARE Stock and 20-lap Legends. Grandstands open: 5:15 p.m; Qualifying: 6:15 p.m; Features: Immediately following qualifying.

More: The second event of the season at Stafford. The track opened with the NAPA Spring Sizzler April 23-24. The originally scheduled Friday night opener was rained out last week. … The Late Model division takes center stage at the track with the running of the XTRA D 50 event.  Reigning division champion Michael Bennett, who will run part-time at the track this year and won the season opener for the division, is expected to compete in the event. Bennett won the event last year. … Reigning SK Modified champion Rowan Pennink opened the season with a victory in the 45-lap feature for the division on April 24. … Tony Membrino Jr. won the opening SK Light Modified feature of the season on April 23 and is expected to race Friday. Membrino won the SK Light Modified feature Sunday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl to complete a sweep of the division’s opening events this year at Stafford, Waterford and Thompson Speedway. Membrino is expected to run part-time at Stafford and full-time at the Speedbowl. … Reigning champion Albert Saunders opened defense of his 2015 Limited Late Model championship with a victory at the track on April 23. … Alexandra Fearn won the opening DARE Stock feature of the season on April 23. … For more information visit the Stafford Motor Speedway website.

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Where: New London-Waterford Speedbowl

What: New England Cycle Center 161

When: Saturday

Schedule: 161-lap NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 30-lap Late Model, 25-lap Limited Sportsman and 25-lap Mini Stock. Grandstands open: 2 p.m.; Qualifying: 5:30 p.m.; Features: 7:15 p.m.

More: The second event of the season at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. … The third event of the season for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. … The only visit to the Speedbowl in 2016 for the Whelen Modified Tour. … New England Cycle 161 marks the third of nine Whelen Modified Tour events at state short tracks this season. The Whelen Modified Tour season opened on April 10 with the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway, won by Timmy Solomito. Two-time defending series champion Doug Coby won the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford on April 24. … The division visits each Stafford and Thompson three more times this year. … Coby leads Solomito by one point in the standings. Justin Bonsignore is six points behind Coby in third and Rowan Pennink is fourth in the standings, 12 points off the lead. Chase Dowling sits fifth in the standings, 19 points behind Coby. … There have been 16 different race winners in 21 all-time Whelen Modified Tour events at the Speedbowl. Five active drivers have won at the track: Donny Lia (2005, 2006), Ryan Preece (2013, 2015) Ted Christopher (2002), Doug Coby (2012) and Bobby Santos (2014). Preece will be competing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race in Dover, Del. Saturday and will not compete at Waterford. … Three-time defending SK Modified division champion Keith Rocco opened the season with victory in Sunday’s Bud Blastoff at Waterford. Rocco is looking for his sixth SK Modified division championship in the last seven years at the track in 2016. … Rocco also won the Late Model feature at the Bud Blastoff. … Reigning Limited Sportsman champion Al Stone III opened the 2016 season with victory in the division at the Bud Blastoff. … Wayne Burroughs Jr. began defense of his first Mini Stock championship at Waterford with a victory in the season opening event. … The SK Light Modified division will not be in competition Saturday at Waterford. … For more information check the New London-Waterford Speedbowl website.