Graduation Day: Alexander Pearl Makes SK Light Modified Debut At Stafford Speedway

Alexander Pearl is set to make his SK Light Modified division debut tonight at Stafford Motor Speedway

STAFFORD – Jeff Pearl was putting off dinner Friday afternoon at Stafford Motor Speedway.

The former Modified standout wasn’t about to let his stomach get the best of his nervousness in the pits at Stafford.

And on the opposite end of the nervousness spectrum was Jeff’s son, 16-year old Alexander Pearl.

Alexander Pearl, the former regular in the ranks of the Wild Thing Karts program at Stafford was making his debut on the half-mile Friday in the SK Light Modified division at Stafford.

Alexander Pearl hopes to someday follow in the footsteps at the track of his grandfather Jerry Pearl, who won SK Modified championships at the track in 1984 and 1985.

But Friday Alexander Pearl of Salem was just hoping to complete all 20 laps of the SK Light Modified feature.

“This is special,” Alexander Pearl said. “I’ve been coming here for a long time. I’ve been watching my cousin [Limited Late Model division competitor Bryan Narducci]. I’m here almost every Friday night. So it’s pretty cool to finally be out here racing.”

Alexander Pearl has been racing full-time in the Mini Stock division this year at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. this season. With two events remaining this year at the track he leads the points in the division, with two victories.

“I like the Mini Stock, but I’d like to move up to higher levels of Modifieds,” Alexander Pearl said. “I feel like this is a good starting spot for that.”

Alexander Pearl had never turned a lap on the half-mile at Stafford before practice Friday afternoon. His experience with the SK Light Modified before Friday was a recent Thursday night practice session at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.

“I have to work on my line, but I didn’t hit anything, so I’d say that’s been good so far,” Alexander Pearl said of practice at Stafford. “I just want to complete all the laps tonight.”

Said Jeff Pearl: “I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I’ve been more nervous than when I raced myself. I’m getting a little bit better now that he feels a little bit more comfortable. I’m still really nervous, but I think that’s just a Pearl thing.”

Jeff Pearl said the next few weeks will help decide what direction the team will go for 2018.

“The car was actually done before the Spring Sizzler,” Jeff Pearl said. “We’ve just been trying to find time. We wanted to get him out before the end of the season so we can decide what we’re going to do for next year.”