Adam Gray Clinches Fourth Late Model Title At Stafford; Tom Fearn Gets Fifth Feature Win Of 2022 

STAFFORD – Adam Gray kicked off the 2022 season at Stafford Speedway on April 24 with a 12th place finish in the first Late Model feature of the year. 

He followed that up with a seventh place in the second event and a sixth in the third event. 

It was a start that hardly had any sort of championship feel for the Late Model veteran. 

And then the podium finishes started coming, and then they just never stopped for the Belchertown, Mass. driver. 

Friday at Stafford Gray finished third in the 30-lap Late Model feature. It was his 14th podium finish in 15 starts and it clinched a fourth Late Model championship at Stafford for Gray with one event still to be run this season. 

“It’s been impressive,” Gray said. “This winter was the first time that we actually tore this car down to absolutely nothing. … There wasn’t a nut or a bolt that wasn’t turned on it. I feel like the first few races were a little bit of new car blues even though it’s our 20-year old hot rod. We just needed to find what would work. The track changes year to year. We finally went to an old notebook and we’ve been good ever since.” 

Tom Fearn of East Longmeadow, Mass. won Friday’s 30-lap Late Model feature. Wayne Coury Jr. of Fairfield was third. 

Gray also had Late Model titles at Stafford in 2013, 2014 and 2020. 

“It means a ton,” Gray said. “Without my crew, my family, my wife, my little guy, I wouldn’t be here. It’s not me. I just get in and get to have the fun. It’s my team that 100 percent busts their butts week and week in out and let me do what I do.” 

Gray came into Friday’s event holding a 52 point lead in the standings over second place Kevin Gambacorta and a 60 point lead over Fearn in third place. 

Gambacorta had an early issue in the event and was out after 16 laps with a 20th place finish. Gray ended the night holding an insurmountable 56-point lead over Fearn going into the final event of the season on Sept. 30. 

“I hated do it like that,” Gray said. “I hate to see anybody get wrecked. Obviously I’m not upset that I won it, but it would have been cool to race for it.” 

Gray’s only finish outside the top-10 in 18 starts in 2022 was in the season opening event.

It was Fearn’s fifth win of 2022, his all-time division leading 62nd Late Model victory and his 79th victory overall at the track, moving him into sole possession of third place on the track’s all-time win list. He had been tied in the spot with Keith Rocco coming into Friday’s racing card. Fearn also had 17 career Pro Stock wins at Stafford.