STAFFORD – Taking the checkered flag as the race winner has been a common occurrence this year in the SK Light Modified division at Stafford Speedway for Bryan Narducci.
Getting to celebrate victories though has been something Narducci hasn’t had much luck doing in recent weeks at the track.
Friday Narducci once again led the field to the checkered flag in the SK Light Modified division, and this time he got to keep it.
Narducci drove away from the field to easily win the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature Friday at Stafford Speedway.
It was third victory of the season for Narducci, of Colchester.
Teddy Hodgdon IV of Danbury was second and Mikey Flynn of Hampden, Mass third.
On June 14 Narducci was penalized after taking the checkered in the SK Light Modified feature for aggressive driving on the final lap.
On June 21 Narducci was stripped of his win after his car was found to be under weight after losing lead on the track during the feature.
“It’s been a while since I got credit for one of these,” Narducci said in victory lane following the win.
Flynn went by Bob Charland for the lead on lap four. Two laps later Narducci moved past Charland into second.
A lap later Narducci went by Flynn for the lead and went unchallenged the rest of the way.
This should be about as popular as a butt crack boil but it’s time to dyno Narducci’s engine. No it’s not so much any accusation of cheating. A few years ago I suggested that was the case when Johnny Walker was winning every week in the Streets, they pulled his engine and it passed with flying colors. It’s more about Stafford showing it’s doing everything they can to protect the integrity of the division. The visual with the 01 week after week is it’s out of sync with the rest of the field. Here’s the case I’m making.
He’s come in first in half the races so far in a crazy competitive division but that’s not my entire case.. It’s the 01’s lap times and visual’s of a car that appears out of place in the division. Practice, heats, features, makes no difference. The car is consistently turning laps between 19.8 and 19.9. Tire management so important in the division seems to make no difference. Other cars will visit that rarified speed most likely with fresher rubber but it’s more the exception then the rule.. Last night Bryan started 10th and flashed to the lead in 5 to 7 laps. Those flashes and closing speed with the same car that happen all the time aren’t supposed to be happening in the SK Lights. Meanwhile Hodgdon who started 14 takes pretty much the entire race to grind it out getting to the front which is exactly the way you’d think it should be for a fast car in the division.
So what’s my point. Certainly not that the 01 is cheating because I doubt that’s the case. It’s out of Todd Owens shop after all. What I am saying it’s about visuals and credibility with Stafford having the most at stake in the long run. Look at it as preventative medicine.
Reading the weekly inspection reports the tech crew is doing an outstanding job spot checking an array of items every week from brakes, to valve springs to transmissions and MSD boxes. It’s hard, thankless, unappreciated work performed out of the spotlight that they get virtually no credit for. However there is no substitute for pulling an engine that generally is the most suspect of all car components rightfully or not and having it come back clean and shutting guys like me up.
While we are on the subject of integrity, why does the 01 get preferential treatment and not have to go over the scales before he gets out of the car to go spot? It doesn’t take that long and other SK Light drivers have been told that they MUST go over the scales before they a.) go off to spot for the SK race or b.) prepare to race in the Open Mod or Mod Tour race. It gives the impression that the car needs time to “settle” before it goes over the scales. It also provides an opportunity for someone to tamper with the car if track officials were to become distracted. The only time he went over the scales right after the race was when he lost the lead, and the SK race was not next on the schedule that night.
I totally understand that the car cannot be torn down in tech because he does not have his own pit crew and has to depend on Todd Owen’s crew who are out in the infield. And if time is of the essence and his skills as a spotter are that phenomenal, I am sure that some arrangement could be made to have one of the young men who are always zipping around in the track golfcarts available to whisk him off to the spotters grandstand as soon as he goes over the scales.
Its not just the engine , the 01 seems to out handle everyone in the turns high or low he just blows by everyone. Same story at Thompson.
if I am not mistaken there was a picture on social media with Narducci and Todd Stiles from Thompson with an engine ???? the 55 was fast but had to battle traffic ..might have caught him but ran outta time
That was actually St. Hillaire and the Stafford and Thompson motors are different I believe.
well I would give the crew kudos for swapping crate motors for two tracks but doesn`t that take away from the intent/spirit of the division.. affordable / entry level modified???
Motors are the same at the two tracks
Facts, Thompson offers a separate stock engine with a weight break.
Who builds Narducci’s engines? RAD? What is the weight break over the non stock engine that would make it more attractive especially with Thompson being a horse power track?
Not going over the scales is B——T..You finish in order that needs to go over the scales,you do it,or DQ /End of discussion.Too much time to have someone monkey with car,or some other something.Typical Stafford ,and there favorites.
The new crate engine rule for weight is a 100 pounds less than the rebuilt crate engine. RAD is the only engine allowed at Stafford so the answer to your question would be yes. The real question is who did Thompson send the motor to when it was pulled after the last race? RAD? Does anyone really believe that if there was something illegal in the motor that RAD who have blown the whistle on the golden child?
This light thing is getting out of hand… The affordable word was thrown out the window a while back. In order to be competitive these days, you need to start the season with 2 engines which certain people have. Certain people also have the brand new version 602 engine that is notoriously more powerful than previous year. Dirt cars in the Midwest are making over 400hp with these new engines when equipped with a 650cfm 4bbl carb straight out of the crate. I’ve heard that certain people are running this new motor as “box stock” meaning RAD didn’t fiddle with it. These new engines are still better than the older versions even after these older versions have been worked over by RAD. Not really sure where this fairness and affordability is but Stafford needs to step in and change these rules otherwise, the amount of spending will continue to get out of hand more than it already is. Entry level modified racing it is not.
Lightsout, who has two engines? and what do you propose to fix? Looks to me that the division is working pretty well, they have the most cars of any short track division in New England and graduate a lot of drivers to higher divisions
My understanding is that crate engines, new or otherwise have to go through RAD to get mandatory changes and seals. The idea that it’s possible to get a motor, bolt it in and race at Stafford is misleading.
my best guess is that the car handles better than everyone else. Have the track hand him shocks to run As far as the engine – the track should give him a carburetor to run next week and compare times. Stafford says this is a beginner division (no bump and run’s) so to calm the “he is cheating” chatter that should help. He is not the first driver to dominate SKL’s – I can say this for sure – he can drive as good as anyone to turn a wheel at his age. i enjoy watching him come from the back. Stafford should have the feature winner start just a head of the consi cars not like an average of 12th….
Can they do that? I don’t think they can tell the 01 team to use anything. Great ideas but it would not be fair. What’s the big deal. He sprints to the lead in a race and wins it going away with lap times significantly faster then anyone else and they pull and dyno his engine carb and all.
I agree, cheating is not likely. It’s probably excellence in every component of the car. What’s the harm in proving it.
In fact it’s great for Stafford, the 01 and all the people racing there.
A couple of other dominant cars that come to mind in the SKL were Membrino and Barry. Matter of fact didn’t Membrino win multiple track championships in the same season? I believe that was with an older Raceworks chassis and a T/A engine? I am sure the chatter in the haulers was they were not on the up and up however, they passed tech time and again.
Good call on Membrino Earl. It was the year he dominated at Stafford and Waterford as I recall……..2016.l. He took a lot of heat and you know what. He came to this forum on more then one occasion to report what he had been inspected for and I don’t believe they ever got him for anything.
Good for Tony because all of a sudden he starting to make waves in the SK’s.
Doug,
NASCAR used to hand the cup teams rear shocks and springs for superspeedway races when they entered the garages. Stafford tells every competitor what tire, what engine builder, what shock, what carb plate to use….I wouldn’t be happy about being told to change my parts but i was just giving an example of what could be done. Some tracks with crate engine rules have spare engines – they pull the winners engine out, hand them the tracks engine for a week while the winners engine goes to the dyno – you get it back then next week if it checks out.
Outstanding points steve. Thanks
Lets say Stafford does all that, supplies every single engine. Next week captain keyboard will claim they gave the best one to their favorite, etc, etc. There is no winning this game.
By the way the inspected items are reported for every division each week right on the web site under Teams, penalty notices. Nothing to hide, the track does a lot to be as transparent as possible that’s for sure. Much more then most tracks I’ve been to I’ll be right up front with that.
I’d say the best way to stop the 01 from winning every week is for the rest of the field to quit worrying about him and spend that same energy working on their own stuff. Now, I’m not saying teams are complaining since everyone except me on this entire conversation remains anonymous. Obviously lots of the teams have been doing homework, working hard, putting in the hours, etc. Flynn, Hodgdon, Bakaj, Pearl, Chapman, Korner, and many more have been very impressive and showing great stuff recently so the competition is real folks so just enjoy the show.
I think its got something to do with the numer 01, I mean first Johnny Walker killing it in the Dare Stocks and now Narducci in the 01 SK Light winning everything in sight, c’mon people stop being bling its the number 01. I say some sort of Illuminati deal………….
From the ridiculous to the sublime. Stuart Fearns increasingly tedious you’re fans, shut up and watch the races to the sinister underpinnings of the number 01. Let’s not forget Melissa Fifeilds 01 that is not accused of cheating but gets out sized attention in these pages for other reasons.
I’d like to think anonymous writing is as the anonymous writer develops his or her thought. In the case of Mr. Fearn I concede you are a prominent, successful business owner, owning and sponsoring several successful cars and a bastion of Late Models at Stafford. You have the biggest rig in the pits, with the most flags and I’m sure the management heads your opinion carefully. Having people of substance with means is very much appreciated by most of us in the stands.
I do not subscribe to your tone that suggests mere race participation jumps you to the head of the line on every thread you deign to participate. I don’t think using the juvenile reference “captain keyboard” over and over in a place where you are in fact one of the “captain keyboard” types you have such contempt for shows much thought at all. I don’t think taking the view that racers are always right and fans are stupid is accurate nor is a person with a clear vested interest in racing such as yourself the best, most impartial judge of what is fair and correct on every racing topic..
This forum is open to all and racers are especially valued for their insights. It’s also a place for fans to be engaged. Yes say ignorant things at times but insightful as well. It’s a place where racers can educate fans and interact in a productive way. You Stuart Fearn seem to be more interested in playing tug of war with fans then anything else and I don’t see that as accomplishing anything.
I’ve watched and read Ryan over the years. He’s grown as a driver and a person that engages well on those occasions where he is interviewed. Introspective, self analyzing and trying to improve on the track and off. I would assume a great deal of it comes from Dad although you haven’t proven it here as far as I can see. While Ryan is self effacing and engaging you arrogant and confrontational.
You may be king of all you survey but this anonymous “captain keyboard” and simply a bleacher creature at this point in time is thoroughly unimpressed.
thank you for your thoughts Doug. It’s a double edged sword as you know. I appreciate your comments most of the time but other times I feel they are off based or just inaccurate but I don’t point that out to the world, I simply go about my life.
Contribution and activity on this site shows the passion, interest, and following local racing has and I thoroughly enjoy seeing that. I like hearing from the fans when its constructive or inquisitive. When it completely baseless guessing like simply claiming the winner cheated with zero facts, that is when I feel like speaking out. The anonymous insults, baseless claims, and bad behavior is simply being a coward and this is what i refer to with the term “captain keyboard”. I’m not singling you out “Doug” as CK and I’m sorry if you feel targeted when I use that term.
With all due respect.
I like that “most flags” too LOL
Thank you for the response Mr. Fearn.
I started the comment process in this thread and set the tone. I believe I was completely respectful of the 01 and tech inspection process at Stafford. The point I made was as building credibility and not suggesting that cheating was afoot. I mentioned the weekly inspection reports and praised the inspectors. I mentioned the lap times that might be out of sync with the other top cars in the division. I could says the same about your LM, Tom drives and is once again starting to dominate the division. But LM’s have highly individualized, built motors and more involved rules and it’s not the same thing. .
What frosts my cookies is you invariably ignore any good things said and laser focus on the most outrageous entries nor make any attempt to provide behind the chain link fence insights that will educate the fans.
Good luck tonight.
Thanks for the well wishes Doug.
I comment when I can and have the time. I’ll keep that last tid bit in mind and supply some inside info when I can and when it will add to the conversation.