Fiery Momentum: Bryan Narducci Rolls To SK Light Mod Win At Thompson

Bryan Narducci celebrates victory in the SK Light Modified feature Saturday at Thompson Speedway

THOMPSON – Bryan Narducci closed out the 2017 racing season in Connecticut as one of the hottest drivers across the landscape of Modified competition.

Through the chill of winter, which was still biting Saturday at Thompson Speedway, Bryan Narducci stayed on fire.

Narducci, of Colchester, rolled to a dominant victory in the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature on Icebreaker Saturday at Thompson Speedway.

It kept Narducci’s perfect record alive at Thompson Speedway. He won in his debut at the track in the SK Light Modified feature at last year’s season ending Sunoco World Series at Thompson.

Narducci now has six victories in 10 career SK Light Modified division starts across three Connecticut tracks dating back to last season. In seven starts at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl late in the 2017 season, Narducci won four times. He also had one start at Stafford Motor Speedway last year.

“I knew the first time we practiced [an SK Light Modified] I knew we were pretty fast, but I didn’t think 10 races later we’d have six wins that’s for sure,” Narducci said.

Narducci will drive full-time in the SK Light Modified division at Stafford in 2018, but he hopes to make all four of the events the division will run at Thompson this season.

“I’d like to make every event here,” Narducci said. “They only have four. I love this track. I’ve raced it twice and I fell in love with it. Hopefuly we can make all four. It depends on my car owner. I guess we got a good start to the year so maybe we’ll come back for the next one.”

At Thompson Saturday Narducci made easy work of the competition, going to the lead at the start and leaving the field deep behind.

Wesley Prucker of Stafford was a distant second and Teddy Hodgon of Danbury was third.

Todd Bertrand of Danielson won the 20-lap NEMA Lite feature. Randy Cabral of Plymouth, Mass. was second and Jim Chambers of Atkinson, N.H. third.

Comments

  1. RickyinMass says

    Ruh ro. This doesn’t bode well for the Stafford Lights.

  2. WeldingWonders says

    Thomson who could care less about whatever they call them is one thing. Stafford has a loaded field every Friday night with some of the best talent the division has to offer. Enjoy the JV team Brian. The varsity awaits and will eat you up.

  3. The kid is the real deal. Should be in an sk real soon

  4. WeldingWonders says

    Real to Alexandra Fearn when he put her in the turn one wall last year in the LLM. A kid with literally the longest list of sponsors, family and regional talent that ever was assembled. You could be the real deal as well. One race in to a tough season and you have him moving up. Fans are ridiculous.

  5. Engine Guy says

    He will get thrown out of tech at Stafford if they do it right. Big Haus spacer that Arute sells with no tech tolerances so you can never protest it, running a chassis pro car, RAD motor that is sealed and his kid runs one of Todd’s cars too, mom is an official at both tracks. If the car was on on rails I would be quiet. But, if it walks and looks like a duck…

  6. Zoey Waters says

    Ridiculous. One Race? This “kid” has won more than half the races he has been in. You can have all the money, sponsors, family in the world. You have to know how to drive a race car. Did he make some mistakes? Probably… but I’m 100% positive that every single driver out there both past and present have made mistakes. Give credit where credit is due. He’s a great driver and an even greater guy.

  7. Don’t mind welding and his bitter comments ,this kid is the real deal. 10 races at 3 tracks and 6 wins the stats speak for them selves

  8. May even be better than ” lightning in a bottle ” Chase Dowling if given the same opportunity

  9. Big Haus spacers are cancelled produced therefore there is a tight tolerance as with all big run cnc parts. As far as the chassis, where you going? And Don Wood stands behind his motors and his crate motors are all the same. If you think you can do better maybe you should talk to the Stafford officials about being a motor builder

  10. Sounds to me like an engine builder who just got his ass handed to him. Big Haus ain’t gonna risk a lucurative contract by putting out illegal pieces, neither is RAD and what’s with picking on Owens he built a good piece. Sounds like a bitter loser to me

  11. Martin Luther III says

    Hey Engine guy, are you blind? Best handling car at every race hes been in, so obviously you have no clue. You are a complete moron.

  12. NH MOD CHASER says

    Hey Doug why don’t just congratulate the kid on his win. Maybe you can WELD up a sk car and show him a thing or two.

  13. WeldingWonders says

    Me bitter Rob. I’d remind you of your recent experience calling Rob Fuller a snake. Then there is you’re calling a guy in North Carolina a redneck. You may want reexamine your own bitterness before judging mine. Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. And you’re doing it again with the hyperbole. Bryan better then Dowling. Maybe some day but for now it’s not remotely on the radar.

  14. WeldingWonders says

    Just to clarify Bryan has cerebral palsy that every time he races he proves the point that disabilities don’t define a person. I raised twin sons with cerebral palsy that have overcome it in a different way. So if you say there is any bitterness or grudge against the kid from this corner you’re really off base. His story is inspirational. Check it out once again.
    https://racedayct.com/2016/08/indomitable-cerebral-palsy-doesnt-keep-bryan-narducci-from-familiar-family-success/

  15. WeldingWonders says

    Not to be confused with blind fan loyalty and hero worship of a kid with epic equipment and support that has been groomed for racing almost at the same time he’s been learning how to shave. Let’s just review his support:
    “I have to thank my Mom, Todd Owen, David Arute, Big Haus USA, The Florida Connection with my Uncle Greg and Aunt Venetta, Curley’s Kids Care, Baldwin Automotive, Tommy Baldwin, Robert B. Our Construction, Chris Our, Waddell Communications, Cliff Nelson, Preece’s Auto, Bruce Bachta, R.A.D. Auto Machine, Start/Finish Productions with Ben Dodge, Butch Shea, Chassis Pro, Bennett Fuller, EB Exterminating, Pioneer Valley Wheel, my Uncle Jeff, Tom Froment, my Grandfather, my Dad, Alex Grab, and all the guys back at the shop who help out, Frank, Scooter, Geno, I wouldn’t be able to do this without them.”
    You could have easily said who is not supporting him and the list would be shorter.

  16. WeldingWonders says

    So is that list of supporters reason so be bitter. Envious maybe. Kid hadn’t earned a High School diploma or had a job and was given the keys to the kingdom racing wise. And for all you experts out there with experience in racing how much of a teams success is due to the driver and how much to the equipment. Remember Ryan Preece racing in the Xfinity Series a few years back with a mediocre team and all the top 5 finishes he the driver alone produced. Oh wait, he didn’t. He raced an entire season in obscurity. Seems the equipment was important after all. He came back here to win again then earned a chance with Gibbs in great equipment and produced great results. Equipment 1, driver without equipment zero.

  17. WeldingWonders says

    So what’s my only point. Stafford is not Waterford or Thompson. Narducci did not win the championship in the LLM at Stafford. He won his first race in the Lights at Thompson, won yesterday and a bunch of races at Waterford. He came in 6th in his only race in the SK Lights at Stafford admitting to his credit he was a little shaky at first. 15 cars at Thompson and the light fields at Waterford is not the twenty plus fields at Stafford with guys with as good equipment and a ton more experience. Yesterday Bryan’s best lap was 19.997 and the next best was Korner at 20.159. I can almost guarantee young Narducci will not have that advantage at Stafford.

  18. WeldingWonders says

    Mr. Hyperbole Rob speaks of potential greatness exceeding Dowlings. Another says he’s a “great driver” and a great kid. As to the great kid I’d say there are a bunch of great kids racing that aren’t front runners so who cares about that. Start giving they credit then we can talk. As for making him the second coming of Richie Evans or Ted Christopher and Zoey calls me ridiculous. Please.
    Narducci is a driver of interest to me and a story in the Stafford SK Lights that has the potential to make a good year even better. But unlike you hero worshippers elevating “the kid” to greatness I’m not placing unrealistic expectations on Bryan. I intend to enjoy his success as it unfolds at Stafford and the wins that will come. That will surely be hard fought and well earned but considerably less frequent percentage wise.
    Finally don’t confuse me with some nut that implies cheating on the engine. Bryan may have advantages in his tranny prepared by Waterford legend Uncle Jeff Pearl or some other advantage in meticulously prepared, superior equipment. But I am confident it’s all within the rules. I’m also confident I’m a better fan of Bryan’s because I see the whole driver and one ascending a learning curve. I watch his media skills improving, make a point to learn about his equipment, make note of his mistakes and areas that can be improved and in short appreciate the entire package. Unlike you all that just see “a kid” with a checkered flag in victory lane.
    So now it’s onto Stafford.

  19. WeldingWonders says

    Hey NH Mod Chaser. Why don’t you throw out a few inane taunts and demonstrate no appreciation, nor knowledge nor interest for the subject. Oh wait, you did and sadly it’s the best anyone could ever expect from you.

  20. darealgoodfella says

    Hey WeldingWonders (aka: Doug, Sybil, et al.) Somebody peed in your cornflakes again?

  21. OK welding, you are dominating the posts here, no need to write a novel, please don’t be a dareal, lol.

    When you are in the upper 19 second bracket in an SKL at Thompson, that is fast considering the SK’s with 100+ horse power more are in the mid 19’s. There are less than a handful of drivers that have run those times in lights so he is in some pretty fast company.

  22. WeldingWonders says

    Hey NH MOD CHASER. Way up there in NH. Do we get any information on Claremont, Lee, Star or any other great tracks up there……..no. Do we get anything about Bryan Narducci………..no.
    Call me anything you like knucklehead. WW, Doug, dug, pumpkin seed anything you like. What you don’t get and never will is screen ID’s mean nothing since it’s anonymous for most of us. The important thing is did you say anything worth reading. Did you inform anyone of anything. Was your comment insightful and compelling. Do you know anything about racing. With you it’s always zero. You’re a taunting empty vessel and a zero. Try actually contributing sometime and you’ll shock the world.

  23. Engine Guy says

    I think I need to clarify my statements.
    Todd is a great chassis guy and is not being bashed, just part of the equation.
    I am not accusing anyone of cheating, just stating that one may think there is collusion going on based on the facts.

    The 01 is a chassis pro car built by Todd.
    Rad supplies motors to Todd. He has even stated publicly he could not afford the motors to run all the tracks without Rad’s help.
    Rad’s son drives for Todd.
    Arute drives for Todd and also owns Big Haus.
    Rad is the only approved builder for Stafford lite engines.
    The mom of the 01 is an official at TIS and Stafford.

    Kind of appears murky at best.

  24. WeldingWonders says

    Well thank you humphry for actually saying something worth reading unlike the other idiots with the empty taunting. I don’t know who this Dareal is of which you speak but I like to think my novels are longer then any ones here. I also like to think they contain more factual references, links and questions to advance the topic at hand in most cases. Unlike idiots that taunt and bring zero cause they are zero’s. What might be refreshing is just once for you perhaps condemn the zero’s instead of the length of my novels. Unless of course you put more value in taunts then information.
    I’ll defer to you humphry on the lap times of the Lights at Thompson. I will say that at Stafford the competition tends to be fierce at the top with several well funded teams vying for the title. The field also includes many hardened vets maybe a tick off the pace but only a tick and know every trick in the book on how to hold fast cars back. Then there is the fact it’s not as fast as Thomson without the banking and a premium is placed on negotiating two unique sets of corners. The SK Lights are a momentum track and coming from the back is hard for anyone.
    It all adds up to I can’t wait to see how Bryan does. The contrast of seeing him dominate in the LLM’s in a 10 or 12 car fields against the full fields in the Lights is worth the ticket price all by itself.

  25. WeldingWonders says

    So far Engine Guy the duck has only taken a couple steps toward the water. Why not wait until he jumps in the water and swims at Stafford before connecting a bunch of dots that may disappear before our very eyes. Or if he dominates like Walker in the Streets and they pull his engine like Walker and it comes back clean like Walker you can accuse someone of doctoring the dyno sheet.

  26. Sounds like there are a few violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act here engine guy.

  27. Do you have anything better to do then hate on a 17 year kid it bothers you that much. Car handles plain and simple. Hes gonna win stafford too. Give the kid a sk ride already.

  28. Do you have anything better to do then hate on a 17 year kid it bothers you that much. Car handles plain and simple. Hes gonna win stafford too. Give the kid a sk ride already. Get over your self

  29. Zoey Waters says

    Way too much time and energy spent on this article. Congratulations Bryan!! Be proud of yourself and all you have accomplished in 17 years! Can’t wait to see you at Stafford.. Waterford… Thompson… and wherever you may race in the future!!!

  30. I’ll give you mom being an official ok. But Don Wood is not going to put his shops reputation on the line building ” special” engines it don’t matter who’s paying the blii. He spends allot of time on the Dyno with his built motors and they are close in horsepower and torque. Bolt on can make a big difference in which Don has no control. As far as the crate motors I’m unsure of the process but know he is very restricted and monitored by the track. I think what your seeing is allot of hard work finally paying off. Don’t forget Fearn has Championships in ProStock and late model with RAD motors and RAd has allot of wins with other cars in multiple divisions. The Big Haus Carb spacers are cnc machined to high toloerances, and also checked by track tech officials who have an unaltered piece to compare to as well as go- no go gauges. I don’t think any cheating is going on.

  31. Race dude says

    If the track wanted to end any speculation they would hand the spacers out on a lottery system and oversee the installation and removal. Or go back to the piece they used last year.

  32. Sometimes everything lines up in your favor. Sometimes not. Back in 2003 in my late model days we came out of the box fast. We were fast the first 3 weeks ,then one night bumped wheels in a race. The tire and wheel we’re fine although the valvestem had cut. The next few weeks we tried everything changed spindles A frames steering components ,car wouldn’t go. It came down to a bent ball joint that you couldn’t see when the car was at ride height and was only found by chance, worse part it was a heavy duty Moog unit, didn’t see the bend until we cut it apart. Someone had visually inspected it and re- installed it on the car. After that car was on rails.

  33. Geoff Nooney says

    The bores of the spacers are larger or as large as legal max bore on the carburator, so it really doesnt matter.

  34. Blind as a Bat says

    Everyone in the PIT AREA can see the crap the whole ARUTE HOUSE CARS are pulling.Cheated up house cars,tell me i am wrong.What are the officals going to disqualify the owners cars,come on now.

  35. Martin Luther III says

    Thats the dumbest thing Ive ever heard

  36. Lightsout says

    Blind as a Bat is just that… There are other cars that are just as fast if not faster than the 01 they just may have not been at Thompson. The only reason why that car is as fast as it is, is because of the people behind it. Give that car to someone else without that support system and my point will be proven very quickly.

  37. Ok he won a few at Stafford in LLM with a car count of 12 and him having all the major backing possible (including track owner and mom , in 2 years ive watched him wreck 3-4 drivers cause he couldnt handle passing them clean at stafford, and but hey good for him for having money it helps proves anyone can be “good” lmfao

  38. Beyond answering directed questions, I really try to avoid involving myself in the comments section here. This is the playground of the readers. That said, on a rare occasion I feel the need to speak up.

    Just a few points about Bryan Narducci that I feel like should be said.

    — He’s one of the most respectful teenagers I’ve ever had the pleasure of dealing with in covering racing over the last 25 years. He appreciates the history of the sport and has great respect for those that have come before him. He’s not arrogant in any way that I’ve ever dealt with. He goes out of his way to help others in racing and doesn’t expect anyone to treat him any differently than anybody else at the track.

    — Every driver at one time or another has had their issues on the track with other drivers. And typically the more successful a driver is, the more memories people keep of those occasional issues.

    — The idea that he has some sort of open checkbook financial backing behind him is just a ridiculous falsehood. Just because he rattles off a laundry list of “supporters” in victory lane doesn’t mean all of those people are giving him money or even that any of them are giving him bags of cash like many seem to think. That he recognizes all those that support what he does after he wins shows the respect he has for those people and the way they do help him, even if not financially.

    — Just because a family has a long and successful history in short track racing doesn’t mean that family just automatically has Hendrick Motorsports funding behind them.

    — The idea that he’s getting preferential treatment by track officials because his mother works as an official at any track or with a series or in any realm of the sport is just really absurd. If anything, I would imagine track officials are more apt to watch him closer to not create any situations where they could be called out for offering favorable treatment because of those connections, whatever they might be.

    Rant over, carry on.

  39. Lol @ Shawn. Glad to see that you DO actually follow the threads a little bit. Seriously, though, thank you for reminding us that there is a human being in this article that we are trashing. One that truly hasn’t done anything to deserve it. Best of luck to Bryan and his family. I, personally, thank you for investing your time and energy to do something that I can enjoy watching.

  40. Race dude. says

    Do remember the 82 LLM having a T/A LM motor in it a few seasons back when Arute drove it. You could tell just by the sound of the car coming by starting line.

  41. What arute house car? As far as i know there out of owens shop and arute only owns and maintains his own care there. Please also explain how you think they are cheated up

  42. Josh Woods SK is owned by Don Wood not Todd Owen. Todd maintains the car for Don and Josh. In exchange he gets a good deal on his motor program

  43. Well spoken Shawn agree 100%

  44. WeldingWonders says

    With all due respect Shawn I thought what you wrote was rubbish and biased in the extreme. Clearly your right but you’re among the rabble so here goes.
    No the long list of racing resources does count as an advantage and his in the extreme. Starting with Uncle Jeff whom he thanked once again in victory lane for building a tranny that he said was pretty darned good on the starts. Jeff Pearl, car builder, Speedbowl champion and son of Jerry Pearl another circle track guy with a long resume of building and winning., Resources aren’t always money. Add in Baldwin,Fuller, Owen, Ben Dodge and God knows what other folks he has in his corner it’s a clear advantage. As witness Bryan coming up with a superior LLM and a superior SK Light in the same year that doesn’t come from free riders here expressing good wishes. And the advantages not to be confused with cheating or an extensive network is a bad thing or unfair. It’s what most young drivers dream of having and not something to poo poo or defend. It’s the goal.
    A good kid. Hear that all the time. So what? He threw his hat in the ring and gets all of what that entails. The bad is the accusations, name calling, claims of cheating and rough riding on occasion. But there’s also the attention you’ve given him from the start and the fan adulation, syrupy claims he’s the next best driver ever and all the rest. The bottom line is that like one Mr Ted Christopher it adds up to attention for good and bad reasons. Which is better then not getting noticed at all.
    “Every driver at one time or another has had their issues on the track with other drivers. And typically the more successful a driver is, the more memories people keep of those occasional issues. ”
    That’s just condescending toward fans in my view. We’re too dumb to see the subtleties and nuance in the races we are viewing and only remember the big stuff. Problem is when Bryan was making those questionable moves he wasn’t some kind of heavy hitter on everybody’s mind.
    I’m thinking back to the time Andrew Moeller got all the attention for the wrong reasons getting kicked out of Stafford and losing his NASCAR license for the age dust up. He was and is still just a kid. But he was brutalized on occasion in the comments after a couple articles. i think you also did an opinion piece on the family essentially calling them out. You could argue Andrew was just a kid and was being trashed simply because of the decisions his parents were making. Nobody went to bat for him. I don’t know why I mention it other then it’s just the completely different way two underage drivers that are essentially children and under the guidance of their parents have been treated even though each is just being a loyal child.
    And for the thread my prediction. Bryan will do very well but unlike this Thomson Race where he starts on the front row and cruises to an easy win things at Stafford will be more difficult. He’ll get frustrated and times and may even make bonehead moves like he did in the LLM’s last year. But as of now he’s an up and comer in great equipment and in my view a major reason to be at Stafford Friday nights. And guess what, all this attention and opinions and accusations and excitement is good for Bryan, potential sponsorship and ticket sales. Compared to a lot of other guys toiling in the field that can barely get noticed.

  45. wmass01013 says

    ITS THOMPSON!!!!!!!!!!!
    Just because u have family backing does not mean success
    Ben dodge has helped many drivers and not all have won races and Championships
    while STAFFORD has great competition in both SK AND SK light divisions, its not THE only track the defines ability DOUG!!!

  46. retired crew chief says

    A lot of people eating crow after the year Bryan had. Good luck this year Bryan!

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