Joey Ferrigno
STAFFORD – How frustrated have runner-up finishes been in 2016 for Joey Ferrigno at Stafford Motor Speedway?
So bad that one week he even pulled into victory lane thinking he won and then was chased back by officials into second place after a review of the finish.
Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway there no questions who belonged in victory lane.
Ferrigno drove away from the field on a green-white-checkered restart to win the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature Friday at Stafford.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Ferrigno said. “… We even rolled the car into victory lane one night and ended up being second after the photo finish. I’ve got to thank all my guys for this.”
Al Wisialko of Westwood, Mass. was second and Joe Graf of Mahwah, N.J. third.
It was the first victory of the season for Ferrigno, who had finished second three times in seven starts before Friday.
“A couple of them I was right there,” Ferrigno said. “That’s racing. Look at Ted Christopher, he went all year [in 2015] without winning and he’s still the king. A lot of it’s skill and a lot of it’s doing your homework in the shop and the rest of it comes down to luck. With the victories it just hasn’t been on my side this year. We’ve been staying out of wrecks, keeping the car in one piece, we’ve been definitely putting the time in the shop and tonight the cards fell in our favor.
“It just shows the hard work of my crew and all my guys at the shop. They didn’t leave a nut or bolt unturned on my car. Checked everything out and it just shows their determination to give me the best car I can have every week.”
Ferrigno went by David Arute for the lead on lap six and never trailed again. The caution flew with two laps remaining to set up the green-white-checkered but Ferrigno staved off Wisialko’s challenge.
“I’ve got to thank Jeff Pearl for that,” Ferrigno said. “He put a ton of work into this [transmission] over the winter. This thing is unbeatable on restarts.”
Said Wisialko: “He got a little tight down in [turns] one and two there and I saw the opening and just had to take it with two laps to go. And he did all he could to take the win so congrats to Joey Ferrigno. But [the car] was just on rails, definitely the fastest car out here tonight.”
Stafford should check out Jeff Pearls tranny??
I tell ya. If he’s wants to run the inside like that. Than no-one should be punished if they move him. Almost as bad as running the “middle” groove.
So you’re saying he has to move and wave someone by? I never once saw the 87 block a attempt to pass in the outside lane. I love how people have a problem with everything when their guy doesn’t win
Bystander you should take your rose colored glasses off , or you have missed a lot of his races, big Al should have stuffed him with no penalty, he was terrible,when someone gets to the outside all of a sudden he can’t seem to hold it down anymore
Bystander. You are obviously a ferigno fan crew or friend. I do not have a dog in the fight in the sk lights. If you wanna force a driver to the outside that’s one thing But if your nickname is “mr inside” why like elect says, why suddenly when someone’s outside of you, you can’t hold it down… Weird…
At least if he is ever going to be lapped he won’t need to move out of the way. Gunning and Rocco should have been watching