STAFFORD – A winter away from the race track clearly left the competition in the Late Model division at Stafford Speedway itching for to return to full contact battling to start the 2022 season.
And that was exactly what happened Sunday at the Spring Sizzler at Stafford.
After a caution-marred event it was Michael Wray celebrating victory in the 30-lap Late Model feature Sunday.
“We spent so much time this winter working on this thing,” said Wray, of Northford. “We did all kinds of stuff to it. We set up last year, we had a really good short run car and we went away at the end of the year. We made some changes. We ran [Tom Fearn] down, that’s not easy to do around here. We had to rough him up a little bit, I feel a little bit bad about but we’re going for the Sizzler and I’ve wanted one of these things for a long time.”
Michael Bennett of Willington was second and John Blake of North Haven third.
Adam Gray was out front on lap 10, but it was Bennett getting under him through the turns three and four. After multiple slaps to the side of Gray’s car Bennett came out of turn four ahead with Wayne Coury Jr. diving to the low side to make it three-wide coming to the start-finish line. On the frontstretch Gray made contact with Bennett’s right rear. Gray snapped right into the outside wall after the contact with Bennett turning right then correcting left to collect Coury as all three cars slid into turn one wrecking.
On the ensuing restart it was Wray getting by Tom Fearn for the lead. In turn three Darrell Keane tried to muscle into second past Fearn but ended up spinning to negate the restart. Fearn was able to hold off Wray on the following restart but on lap 18 Wray got his chance again. Wray made contact with Fearn through turn four, getting Fearn sideways. Fearn saved the car from spinning but Wray was able to overtake him going into turn one lap 19. Bennett went by Fearn for second a lap later.
“We had wrecked the car in practice,” Bennett said. “I shouldn’t say we, it was me. I didn’t get enough heat in my tires and I went into turn one and put it in the wall. I made this day a lot tougher for my guys. … I think we had a car that could win the race. It was a crazy race. Second is second.”
Rewatch the race, Adam Gray hits the brakes then intentionally cut down on Bennett. This should not be tolerated.
Gray should be parked for a couple of weeks. You don’t have to be a racing expert to see that what he did was intentional and dangerous. It’s one thing to give someone a bumper shot or use them up a little bit on the way by but intentionally right rearing a guy going down the front stretch deserves a penalty.
I believe Bennett putting the side to Go ray multiple times may have instigated the incident, but it doesn’t make it any less stupid, plus he took himself out in the process. Something should be done.