STAFFORD – How deep is the talent level in the SK Modified division at Stafford Speedway?
Coming into Friday night’s racing card there had been seven different winners in 11 events for the divison in 2021, and that list somehow did not include perennial SK Modified division championship contender Todd Owen.
Scratch that missing man from the list.
Owen, of Somers, held off Chase Dowling over the final four laps to win the 40-lap SK Modified division at Stafford Speedway.
“Just an awesome race car,” Owen said. “Awesome car, awesome chassis, awesome motor, awesome team effort. Finally I got one for just being smart.”
Dowling, of Roxbury, was second and Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott third.
After taking the lead from Dowling on lap 14, Tyler Hines checked out on the field and looked to be on cruise control to his third victory of the year. But caution flew on lap 37 to erase Hines’ huge lead.
On the ensuring restart contact between second place running Stephen Kopcik and Hines coming out of turn four ended up with Hines spinning on the frontstretch. Owen found a way through the mess to take over the top spot.
Owen and Dowling went side-by-side for laps 37 and 38 following the late restart before Owen cleared Dowling for the lead off turn four.
“I really felt we had third place race car,” Owen said. “I was kind of settling in for third, trying to maybe look at second. I don’t know, [Hines and Kopcik] just got together and I luckily somehow snuck through. Definitely happy to be on top and finally get the monkey off my back for the win. Hopefully we can keep our momentum going.”
Oh my goodness Stephen what did you do?
It’s your year and the championship right there for the taking if you use your head. Getting involved in an early jingle not of your doing then charging to the front passing a very fast 82 car in the process was the stuff championships are made of.
Then an attack of bonehead. You got cocky. You knew you had the car to win the race, saw the checkers in your mind and went for it. You set it up perfect going into 3 got position coming out of four but then it went south. You were required to lose the advantage as you drifted up the track but kept your foot in it hoping Hines would make room but there was no room to be made.
A great points night goes up in smoke. An ascending driver and team much like you after years of struggle are deprived of a great finish and maybe a third win and now have a rightful grudge against you returning home with junk in the trailer. Worse yet you delivered the points lead to a guy that did have a third place race car and got lucky just maintaining his position. Right behind you in the points licking their chops is the 82 that this year for some reason not only win when they win but win when they don’t win.
You proved you are fast, the maestro of set ups and so young. . Years of mediocre finishes, bad luck and refinement are coming to fruition and the brass ring clearly in sight to get your name in the record books for posterity in an insanely competitive division. . You just have to smooth over a few more rough edges and there’s plenty of races to do it.