STAFFORD – Derek Debbis was resigned to finishing second Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Then a yellow flag changed everything for the Oakdale driver.
Debbis used a lap 37 restart to go by George Bessette Jr. for the lead and went on to win the 40-lap Dunleavy’s Modifiedz Night SK Light Modified feature Friday at Stafford Speedway.
It proved a big payday for Debbis, who also earned a $3,750 bonus by having his position drawn for the Dunleavy’s Gambler’s Challenge bonus program.
Bessette, of Danbury, was second and Mark Bakaj of Lebanon third.
Bessette had checked out from the field before the lap 37 caution.
“There was five laps left and he was gone,” Debbis said. “I had nothing for him. Then the caution came out and I beat him right to that restart and that was all that mattered.”
Bessette chose to restart in the outside lane for the decisive restart.
“The car was just starting to get a little tight at the end so I figured I’d try the top,” Bessette said. “But he had a better restart, he had someone helping him push. We had a stout car, we were really good by ourselves. It just was a phenomenal car.”
It was the second consecutive third place finish for Bakaj driving the No. 87 car for the injuried Joey “The Mayor” Ferrigno.
“I don’t know, there might be a new mayor in town,” Bakaj said.
Good kid