STAFFORD – Not that Ronnie Williams needed anything more to celebrate at the conclusion of the SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway, but the misfortune of Todd Owen made victory doubly sweet.
Williams, of Tolland, used a last corner pass of Mike Christopher Jr. to score his fourth victory of the season in the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford.
Christopher, of Wolcott, was second and Marcello Rufrano of North Haven third.
The victory for Williams – the reigning SK Modified champion at Stafford – coupled with a bad night by division points leader Todd Owen, turned the division standings from drab to dramatic in one night.
Williams came into the evening in second place in the standings, 42 points behind Owen. But Owen got caught up in a lap two wreck that relegated him to a last place (22nd). Williams earned 50 points for the victory. Owen’s finish earned him eight points. It left the pair tied at the top of the standings with six events remaining this season. With four victories Williams currently holds the tiebreaker over Owen, who has three wins this year.
“We had our rough patch of the year at the beginning of the year and we weren’t really focusing [on points] and I still don’t think we’re focusing on it,” Williams said. “Just going out and trying to get wins.”
“It’s one race. It’s literally one race. We have 20 cars and I know if I finish first and he finishes last that’s it right there. You just come out here and you want to do this and by doing this it projects you to winning and just being consistent. The end goal of course is you always want to be the champion. Not thinking about that. We’ve still got six more weeks left, anything can happen. We’ll take this and move on.”
Christopher went to the lead on lap five. Williams moved to second on lap 30 and on lap 35 he got past Christopher off turn four to take over the top spot. But on lap 36 Christopher fought back through turns one and two with a bump to Williams to take the lead back.
On the final lap Williams got under Christopher through turn four and repaid the previous contact. Williams was able to edge Christopher off of turn four and win the drag race to the checkered.
“[Christopher] had a good car and I could see he was drifting up the track a little bit,” Williams said. “I got by him and he kind of got into me in [turn] one pretty hard. So race how you be raced, on the last turn, I don’t think it was anything dirty, just going for the win.
“I could tell his car was pretty tight in the center of the corner in [turn] three and when he drifted up there I’m like ‘This is my one chance.’ Not trying to go in there and wreck him, just trying to make a good finish and beat him to the line, which we did.”
Said Christopher: “We had a good race with [Williams]. He just drove it in there and kind of moved me up, well he did move me up. That’s just something I have to anticipate next time and plan for. It’s what it is. We’re here, we’re second, first time we’ve been on the podium in a long time. We can’t be disappointed, but I kind of gave that one up.”
Congrats to Ronnie, Adam, Les and the #50 Let’s Auto Center team for your fourth win of the season. Keep the momentum going. Great job guys 👍👍👍.
No doubt about it, recent events have proven that Ronnie Williams is one of the best modified drivers in New England. He has wins at Stafford in both the SK and Open divisions, along with wins in the VMRS, and at Thompson in the Sunoco modified division. If given the opportunity to wheel a top tier ride in the NWMT, I think he could win races, and possibly a championship.
Owen has paid his dues.
I would like to see him win the championship
Sure would like to see Ronnie get a win without rooting or moving someone out of the way to win. Seems like he gets the lead, cant hold on to it and waits till the last lap to do it. He should not complain again when it gets done to him. Not the right way to win in my opinion.
It’s a good thing Mike Jr ,s father or uncle aren’t racing or williams would be picking up his race car pieces in the parking lot next race, sad part the young fans think it’s ok , us old guys remember when a pass was made differently
Ronnie stated in his interview, he races the way he’s raced. MCJ moved him in turn 1 the lap before, so he repaid the favor.
As another old guy who remembers a different way of winning I support the statements of JH ans Elect. Ronnie Williams should never complain when he gets punted from the lead on the last lap. Live by the Chrome Horn Die by the Chrome Horn.
Any driver, who blocks, or punts should expect it will happen to them. Elect, don’t know what era of racing you refer to, as far as clean racing. I’ve been in racing since 1979, and I remember some rough racing. The difference is that nowadays guys “move” each other out of the way. Back then if you got “bumped” you were most likely re-clipping your car.back then drivers respected each other, these kids just dont
Gone are the days of the “three tap rule”. Nowadays when a driver catches up to another, they’re given 1 corner to get out of the way, no taps involved. They just move the guy out of the way.
I always love the old timers saying in the old days they raced clean. I guess people forget the days of Bodine and Bugsy wrecking one another and Cook and Evans hating one another and leo the Lion sending it in and coming out with 3 or 4 cars in the wall. People always remember what they want to remember. Did they have more respect in the old days of course but don’t make it seem like guys never rolled one another.
Todd’s observation……..on point.
No I’m not sharing the notion he’s the Wonderbread of modified drivers. Top tier car but sharing top tier speeds, not exceeding them. Winning based on questionable tactics that others in similar positions have not used.
My view, he did it again. Not like with Kopcik and completely acceptable in terms of tactics. Mike needs to learn the lesson as well to keep it low if the car can do it and make him go around or decide to take you out. But it was dirty driving. Acceptable but dirty rooting low. whacking Mike out of the way and taking the win.
It’s coming. The reputation. And not in a good way.
The days of Ronnie Williams being the ideal Boy Scout driving on the side are over.
I love racing, and I am an old timer. What I have seen this year is the 50 start mid pack weekly, pass 12-13 cars clean and with strategic precision, and then go for wins without wrecking himself or the opponent. This week, the 82 car got back the lead by hitting and driving up the 50 in turn 1 but no one is talking about that. That move was much more egregious than the 50’s move for the win. Ronnie Williams races how he gets raced, he passed the 82 clean before the incident in turn 1/2 to get the lead back. Watching Mike Jr’s post race video, one can only assume he did not watch much of his Uncle’s races- the guy who invented the 3 tap rule and 8 wheels are better than 4. I loved watching TC race because he did what he had to just to get that win. Williams has that same champions desire to find a way to win and no cars are destroyed in the process. I’m not watching racing looking for boy scouts. I like watching winners and the 50 is a winner. Seems like we forget about some of the 90’s guys like Ruocco, Chris Jones, James Civalli, Kenny Horton, etc, who all have wins, and most in the roughest of ways and would make Williams look like a boy scout. I enjoy watching the 50 and 88 start back in the pack weekly and how they set up and not destroy the other drivers, make their ways to the front then go for wins. That is the racing I love and it is at its best at Stafford. Thank you.
I’ll admit it. I don’t like Skowyra. He can’t blow enough engines or replace enough clips as far as I’m concerned. Williams is just in his car. If he’s still in the family car maybe I’m loving his aggressiveness. Although……just thinking here……..that post race nonsense where he sights some kind of wrong he suffered to justify the last lap contact gets a little old.
Tom likes winners and that’s great. I favor the stories through the field not just the hero du jour.
While I can’t be objective about the 50 the rest of the field I love watching and wondering.
Remember Reen Acres? Not much banter is floating around this year about the mayhem Reen has created mainly because there hasn’t been any.. Glen is having a very good year. Consistently good finishes and 5th in points in a brutal field of cars. On the track, in the stands Glen is a love\able guy so good for him. I even read one fan mention him as deserving a seat in a NWMT car. Wouldn’t have happened last year.
Mike Christopher has never had more chances in the front and for whatever reason hasn’t been able to close the deal on a few occasions. It’s a testament to how you always have to bring your A game in the SK’s.
Funny how even though Todd Owen is very much in line for the championship he just continues to get over looked. Zero buzz. Well guess what, as Owen laid an egg last Friday and the 50 pushed it’s way into first place not only is Owen still in the hunt but others are as well.. One Mr. Rocco who gave up on the championship and was going for wins is now very much back in the championship hunt.
You think Todd Owen is low drama Michael Gervais is virtually invisible. Yet he sticks to the top 5 like a fly to premium fly paper. And still very much in the hunt for the championship go figure.
Say it ain’t so Matt. A disappointing year for Galko for sure. Could it be the tour modified effort that has been remarkably stout is taking a bit away from the SK effort?
Anthony Nocella. Kind of a big name in the 11. Maybe to see what a proven top driver can get out of the car. Not much as it turned out.
Is 2019 Rocco the most measured, least quotable, lowest drama version of himself in memory? Could it be the camera’s following him around for the end of year special? Are we looking forward to that or what?
Buckle up Racedayct nation. It ain’t over til it’s over.
The 50 is just plain fast/ gets to the front every week. How he wins is pure talent- if the competition does not like it, they need to take matters in their own hands like Bugsy, Clearly, Flemke did.
Everything you say Steve……….true………from a fans perspective.
In spite of the ruffled feathers, the wonderment and mystique of Williams as a driver dad-gum-it Mr. Boring, low drama Todd Owen is right there with him. Go figure.
Talent you say. How about this. Owen with a partner builds the cars he drives, sets them up and drives. And yet no buzz. No credit for talent.
KRR, third and fourth in points. But not a hot item so no talent.
Williams…….talent.
Talent………wonder what that really means.
Turns out it’s who you root for.