Tony Membrino Jr. (Photo: Stafford Motor Speedway/Driscoll MotorSports Photography)
STAFFORD – On June 4, after getting his third SK Light Modified victory of the season at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, and his seventh SK Light Modified win overall in 2016, Tony Membrino Jr. said of his run: “It’s almost like my level of excitement is starting to drop.”
Later that night longtime Modified competitor Ed Flemke Jr. slapped his perspective back into place.
And with that, Membrino’s excitement level went right back to the top as he kept up his furious run of victories Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Membrino used a lap 16 restart to go to the lead and win the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Vin Anglace of Ansonia was second and Daniel Wesson of Monson, Mass. third.
It was his fourth win in five events this year at Stafford and his eighth win in nine starts overall this year between the state’s three NASCAR sanctioned short tracks. He also won the only SK Light Modified event run this year at Thompson Speedway. In his only non-win in an SK Light Modified event this year in Connecticut, on May 27 at Stafford, Membrino was fourth.
Membrino said he spoke with Flemke in a post-race get together after winning at Waterford last week.
“I said it was weird that I was feeling the level of excitement start to drop,” Membrino said of the conversation with Flemke. “And he said ‘Just think of it this way, this could be your last win.’ It was a whole humbling turnaround. So I’m really excited. I’m kind of back where my mindset is, any race could be your last let alone any win. I’m looking at it that way now with a bigger perspective and I’m just really happy to be able to be on this side of luck. I wouldn’t mind some more along the way. But I’ll take everything for what it is and today is a blessing.”
On a lap 16 restart, Membrino used an outside run to beat out Vin Anglace and take over the spot for good.
The move had Membrino pondering what happened in the June 3 SK Light Modified feature. In that race, on a green-white-checkered restart, second place running Joey Ferrigno seemed to beat Membrino and take over the lead, but the start was called back and Ferrigno was penalized for jumping the start by track officials. After the event Membrino chided track officials over the public address system, saying they made a mistake in penalizing Ferrigno and that it was a clean restart.
“I got into turn one and thought: ‘Boy it would be really funny if they bring it back.’ Membrino said of passing Anglace on the restart Friday. “After last week and everyone was wondering if I was going to get a slap on the wrist for sticking up for a fellow competitor. … It was everything like I originally thought last week was. We kind of fired at the same time and I just I think I was just smoother through the gear box than he was and that was able to get me the advantage going into turn one.”
Good for the Membrino Family and Eddie Flemke. Like to see him get a chance at a quality ride in an sk or Tri-track
Hats off to Tony Membrino for another great drive in the SK Lites division. A member of a great racing family. Did anyone notice the car that came in fourth Friday night at Stafford? It was the orange 06 of Keith Caruso. I believe this is the grandson of the late great Fats Caruso of Shrewsbury Mass. I saw Fats race way back when Westboro Speedway was still in action. I was just a kid then. I had heard that Keith had bought an SK Lite and was planning to race Stafford. This was the first week that I noticed his car. From what I saw, Keith seems to be a pretty good racer and he had a decent car. I think he will be worth watching in the future. I remember when Fats came to Stafford one night in an SK. It was primer black with silver 69 on the side. In the heat race, Fats was leading when Bo Gunning raced his way into second. He must have tapped Fats back bumper a few times and he finally hit him hard enough to spin Fats into the infield. Fats waited for the cars to come around under the yellow and then he pulled out right behind Bo’s car. Fats slammed Bo’s rear bumper hard about 5 times going up the back stretch until finally Bo pulled off. Fats had to restart at the rear and Bo was behind him, but he never came near Fats car after that. I found that quite entertaining. Fats never came back. This was quite a few years ago. Just thought I would mention it.
I remember fats in the sk, I think he ran more than once at stafford. I thought it was the coolest to see him race again and he did win one with that car at Thompson.