Making A Point: Michael Wray Wins Late Model Feature At Stafford, Takes Over Points Lead



Michael Wray celebrates victory in the Late Model feature Friday at Stafford Speedway (Photo: Jim DuPont/RaceDayCT)

STAFFORD – Michael Wray has been the epitome of consistency in the Late Model division in 2021 at Stafford Speedway.

The Durham driver came into Friday night’s event at Stafford with seven top-fives and 10 top-10’s in 12 events this year.

But missing from the stats line for 2021 was a victory.

Friday Wray fixed that, and in the process jumped to the division’s points lead.

Wray drove away from the field late to get his first win of 2021 Friday in the 30-lap Late Model feature Friday at Stafford Speedway.

Tom Fearn of East Longmeadow, Mass. was second and Adam Gray of Belchertown third.

“I’ve been running these things since 2015 and I’ve been chasing [Tom Fearn’s] car for the better part of five years,” Wray said of Fearn, the track’s all-time winningest Late Model driver. “I don’t know how many seconds I have to him.”

Wray came into the night in second place in the division’s points standings, four points behind Michael Bennett. Wray left the track at the top of the point standings, two points over Bennett, who finished fourth. Gray sits third in the standings, six points behind Wray with six events remaining this season.

“I know we’re real close up top, you can’t really look at it,” Wray said. “We’re out there trying to collect wins. We’d like to stack a couple more before the year is over. But it’s cool. I’ve had the points lead throughout my career here and there, but never this deep into the season. It’s cool to be in that race. I’m sure it will come down to the last race of the season. That should be a fun event.”

Wray looked to have the field easily covered in the late stages, but the closing laps weren’t without drama for the race leader. With three laps remaining Wray encountered the car of Andrew Durand, running at the rear of the field. Instead of letting Wray cruise by Durand raced Wray hard for three quarters of a lap.

“I don’t know what the deal with that was,” Wray said. “We got around him, it doesn’t matter. It is what it is.”

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