(Press release from Stafford Speedway)
As Joey Ferrigno embarks on his 8th season of competition in Stafford’s SK Light division, the East Hartford, CT native and driver of the #87 RH2Way Radio Communications machine is one win away from tying Chris Matthews as the winningest driver in Stafford’s SK Light history.
Matthews registered 17 wins from 2006-2008 while Ferrigno entered the 2019 season with 16 career wins. Ferrigno would like nothing more than to tie the win list mark with a victory in the biggest SK Light race of the season, the 40-lap Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair Modifiedz Night race this Friday night. Modifiedz night will see SK Light drivers racing for over $10,000 in total posted awards with the winner’s share at $2,025 between purse and contingency bonuses.
“We’re definitely trying for that mark and it would definitely be an added bonus if we could get that win this Friday night,” said Ferrigno. “If it comes and when it comes, it will be something that was earned. We’ve put the time in and done our homework and we just have to see what kind of luck comes our way. This race is one that everyone wants to win and a win would be big for us and it would also be a relief to know where our next few sets of tires are going to come from. We definitely want to do well for all of our sponsors and give them a good showing.”
It looked like Ferrigno would become the SK Light win leader with ease as he collected 12 of his 16 career wins from 2014-2016. The 2017 and 2018 seasons were lean years for Ferrigno with only 2 wins and 4 top-5 finishes combined in those years. Over the winter, Ferrigno and the #87 team put together a new car with a new engine and the results have been promising thus far. After working out some mechanical gremlins in the first race and soldiering to a 12th place finish, Ferrigno has a 7th and a 3rd place finish and sits third in the standings heading into the Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night 40-lap feature event.
“We started the year off with a new car and it’s taken a little bit to dial it in,” said Ferrigno. “We had a few small issues with the fuel pump and it was a case of shaking the new car gremlins out of the car. You always know with a new build something is going to be different but we’re definitely getting there. I think we’re almost where we need to be. The car is starting to prove itself. It’s been fast in practice and we finished well last week with a third. Now that we know what we’re doing with the car and with my experience, we’ll see what happens and if we have some luck on our side.”
Success in 2019 hasn’t been limited to just Ferrigno as his Horsepower Hill Motorsports teammate Mark Bakaj has scored top-5 finishes in each of the three races held thus far and currently leads the points standings.
“The biggest part of winning races is the work you put in at the shop during the week,” said Ferrigno. “We’ve been at the garage 5 days a week since October making sure everything is right and we have all the best components in place. Mark’s car has been on point this season and we’re close to getting our car on point.”
With 40-laps on tap this Friday night, Ferrigno will be looking to the weather report for an idea of what kind of setup to put in his car for a feature event that is twice as long as a regular Friday night SK Light race. With the 40-lap Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night feature not being kind to Ferrigno the last 2 years with finishes of 24th and 25th, he knows patience will play a key role in who ends up winning.
“We’ll see what the weather brings for this Friday,” said Ferrigno. “The track conditions play a big part in how we’re going to set the car up and we have to put more fuel in the car. Obviously we’re going to need a setup that is good on a long run and I feel like we have good long run pace. Patience is going to be a key this Friday night. It seems like the last couple years there’s been a lot of cars that try to win this race on the first lap and a lot of drivers watching the race from the infield.”
Tickets for the May 24 Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night / Open Mod 80 are $30.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids 6-14, and as always 5 & under free. Reserved seating is priced at $32.00 for all ages. All tickets include 10% CT Admission Tax. General admission gates open at 5:15pm, with qualifying races beginning at 6:00pm and feature races to follow.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
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