STAFFORD – Stephen Kopcik ended the 2021 season with a division high five SK Modified victories at Stafford Speedway.
Four races into the 2022 season at Stafford the Newtown driver is already nearly halfway to his total from last season.
Kopcik was able to avoid a last lap disaster and roll to his second consecutive victory in the 40-lap SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford.
“It makes me feel real good,” Kopcik said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to win these races against such stiff competition. There’s a lot of good cars and they’re continuing to get better and we’ve got to the do the same. But, race four and two wins, that’s pretty good. Hopefully we can keep that going.”
Marcello Rufrano of North Haven was second and Bryan Narducci of Colchester third.
“That was a hell of a race,” Kopcik said. “I could stuck in the top there in the beginning and it definitely wasn’t easy. That was definitely a tough one. A lot of good cars here. It’s hard. This racing is the best of the best here at Stafford. They put on a great show.
“You can try and purchase a win or buy what we’ve got going on, but we learn and do things and evolve every day and there’s a reason why we do what we do. Unless you’re cutting that path I think we’re going to be alright.”
Kopcik had a healthy lead over Rufrano in the closing laps, but saw that lead disappear entirely on the final lap. Kopcik came upon the cars of Andrew Molleur and Fran Siana battling at the back of the lead lap and had to slow tremendously to not get into them. It allowed Rufrano to get right back to Kopcik’s bumper and chase him closely to the checkered.
“That shouldn’t happen,” Kopcik said. “I don’t know why they’re racing for last place with a couple laps to go and the leaders are five [lengths] behind. Can’t change it.”
Said Rufrano: “I wasn’t going to do him dirty. I tried everything I could there the last 10 laps of that race trying to get everything I could out of this car. It just started snugging up a little through the middle [of the corners] and that’s where he was beating me. Not much else I could do there.”
Narducci is the only driver with top-five finishes in the first four events this year.
“They’ve got this thing on rails,” Narducci said. “If we got a yellow there I think we would have had something for [Kopcik] and [Rufrano].”
Narducci came into the night with a six point lead over second place Ronnie Williams in the SK Modified standings with Todd Owen third in the standings, 10 points off the lead. With Williams finishing seventh and Owen 11th Kopcik jumped to second in the standings, eight points behind Narducci. Williams sit third, 14 points off the lead.
Kopcik is intense man. I know everyone had their eyes on Dowling when they teamed with Rob Fuller and LFR for that second place championship NWMT finish a while back but Kopcik may have the more successful future in the long run. He’s just going to grind and learn and grind and learn until he’s a leading force in modified racing.
It’s old stuff now. Narducci racing hard but smart but it’s still amazing to watch. Only 4 races in but it’s no fluke any more. The car no doubt one of the most consistently fast cars in the field by Bryan racing it like a driver needs to, to be the best for the year.
Rocco started deeper but got by Narducci early then Narducci gets Rocco at money time. See that’s why racing is so interesting. Unless you were part of the Narducci inner circle there is no way you saw this coming the way it has.
Strange seeing Rufrano in the 88 in front and it not be Rocco but it is the Rufrano 88. Good for Marcello, you are this close and you will get that first win this year fingers crossed.
There is a common denominator between Rocco and Rufrano…. A few years back Keith was thanking Bear for turning his team around—-Now it’s Rufrano thanking the same Bear. Narducchi is on a good streak along with Kopcik, I’m thinking Kopcik has the upper hand right now but it’s exciting watching these two – competition is unbelievable, top 5 is like a win for most