Stafford Speedway SK Light Double Down Driver Preview


(Press release from Stafford Speedway)



Brian Sullivan celebrates victory in the season opening SK Light Modified feature at Stafford (Photo: Fran Lawlor/RaceDayCT)


This Friday, May 26, will see Stafford Speedway’s SK Lights take center stage with the first of two scheduled extra distance 40-lap feature events.  Stafford’s SK Light division has seen a total of 42 different drivers attempt to qualify through the first two races of the season.  Here we take a look at each of those 42 drivers and offer their driving stats at Stafford along with car number, sponsor, and chassis.

George Bessette, Jr. – #39 Lasco Roofing & Sheet Metal Chassis Dynamics  Bessette was the most recent SK Light feature winner at Stafford and he currently leads the points standings after 2 races.  Bessette’s victory was his 6th career SK Light win to go along with 10 career Street Stock wins and the 2018 Street Stock championship.

Nick Anglace – #10 Anglace Racing Enterprises Anglace – Anglace has posted two top-5 finishes to start off the 2023 season and he sits second in the standings.  Anglace scored his first two career SK Light wins in 2021 and he finished 12th in the CBYD Open 81 last Friday night.

Brian Sullivan – #46 Monaco Ford Troyer – Sullivan returns to the SK Light division after moving into the SK Modified® division last season.  Sullivan is the 2020 SK Light champion and his season opening photo finish win was his 6th career SK Light feature win at Stafford.

Alexander Pearl – #7 Darling Auto Parts Chassis Dynamics – Pearl has gotten off to a hot start in 2023 with a 6th and a 4th place finish in the first two races.  Pearl has 10 career SK Light wins at Stafford from 2018-2022 with a career high of 4 wins in 2020.

Tyler Chapman – #41 Chapman Apartment Home Troyer – Chapman enters his fourth season of SK Light competition coming off a runner-up finish in the standings.  Chapman nearly stole the season opening race victory from Brian Sullivan, but came up just inches short of recording his 8th career SK Light win.  Chapman has finished 2nd and 9th in this season.

Chris Matthews – #29 Vernon Chevrolet Chassis Pro – Matthews is the 2007 SK Light champion and his 2 feature wins last season pushed his career total to a division leading 19 SK Light wins.  Matthews has finished 10th and 2nd so far this season and he was the winner of the 40-lap Dunleavy‘s Modifiedz Night feature last season.

Tyler Barry – #18 Pro Systems Integration Spafco – Barry is the defending SK Light champion and he has 1 win in each of his first two seasons of SK Light competition.  Barry has finished 9th and 5th in his two starts this season.

Jason Chapman – #44 Chapman Apartment Homes Troyer – Chapman was the 2022 SK Light Rookie of the Year with a best finish of 3rd.  Chapman has finished 7th and 11th in the first two races this season as he chases his first career win.

Meghan Fuller – #2 Propane Plus TFR – Fuller is still in search of her first SK Light win after winning 10 Street Stock races from 2018-2020.  One of Fuller’s Street Stock wins was a 30-lap extra distance feature in 2019 and she has finished 15th and 6th in the first two races of 2023.

Zach Aszklar – #28 CT Bounce House, LLC. Chassis Dynamics – The 2012 SK Light champion currently sits 10th in the SK Light stadnignds after finishes of 11th and 13th.  Aszklar has 2 career SK Light wins with both coming during his championship winning season of 2012.

Cassandra Cole – #09 Foxwoods Resort Casino Spafco – Cole’s 8th place finish on May 19 was her best SK Light finish since finishing third last season in June.  She is currently 11th in the SK Light standings and still in search of her first SK Light victory.

Paul Arute – #82 Supreme Industries Chassis Pro – Arute makes the move to the SK Light division after having won 6 Limited Late Model and 3 Late Model races from 2013-2022.  Arute finished 10th last Friday night and he was the 2018 50-lap Late Model feature winner.

Nickolas Hovey – #16 Busy Bees Learning Center Chassis Dynamics – Hovey moves into the SK Light division after 3 seasons in Stafford’s Street Stock divison.  Hovey has 3 career Street Stock wins and he has finished 8th and 19th in the first two races this season.  

Jack Baldwin – #4 Keith Rocco Racing Troyer – The son of Tommy Baldwin made his SK Light debut with an impressive 5th place finish in the season opening race.

Bob Charland – #1 Wicked Powersports Chassis Pro – Charland began racing SK Lights in 2011 and he has 3 career wins, but he hasn’t won a race since the 2013 despite many close calls.  Charland has finished 13th and 20th in the two races this season.

Frank L’Etoile, Jr. – #88 J.G. Poulin Drywall Troyer – The 3-time Street Stock track champion debuted in the SK Light division last season with a best finish of 4th.  L’Etoile missed the first race of the 2023 season and he finished 12th last Friday night.

David Webb – #92 Webb Motorsports Troyer – Webb has not raced a full SK Light schedule since the 2010 season but he does have 3 career SK Light feature wins.  Webb finished 12th in the season opener and did not race on May 19.

Casey Vogt – #75 Ferrari Lawn and Landscaping Chassis Dynamics – Vogt is now in his third full season of SK Light competition at Stafford and his best career finish was a 5th place effort on June 10th of last season.

Hailey Desaulniers – #33 Advanced Sewer and Drain Chassis Dynamics – Desaulniers is in her second full season of SK Light competition.  Desaulniers had a best finish of 11th during her rookie campaign and she has finished 14th and 32nd this season.

Tyler Alkas – #89 Alkas Motorsports Spafco – Alkas won his first SK Light race last season as a rookie driver and after missing the first race of 2023, he finished 15th on May 19th.

Ed Chicoski – #45 Lakeshore Benefit Group Chassis Pro – Chicoski has driven part time in the SK Light division every year since 2017 and his best career finish was an 8th place effort in Sept. 2017.  Chicoski has finished 20th and 21st in the two races this season.

Chris Viens – #19 HLC Excavation Spafco  Viens has driven part-time at Stafford for 3 SK Light seasons and 1 SK Modified® season.  Viens finished 16th in his first start of 2023 last week and his best career finish was 3rd in May of 2018.

Amanda West – #15 McKinney Construction Chassis Pro  West is now in her fifth full season of SK Light competition at Stafford and she has had a slow start to the 2023 season with finishes of 33rd and 17th.  West’s best career finish of 2nd came back in July 2020.

Brandon Michael – #74 SK Property Maintenance Chassis Dynamics – Michael racked up 9 career Street sTock feature wins from 2011-2020 before making his SK Light debut in 2021.  Michael has finished 31st and 18th this season and his best career finish was a 4th place effort last May.

Matt Brewer – #51 S.A.B. Tree Experts Chassis Dynamics – Brewer is a newcomer to Stafford SK Light competition and he has finished 21stand 22nd in his first two races this season.

Paul Arcari – #55 Arcari Motor Sales Chassis Pro – Arcari made his SK Light debut last season with 2 starts and he has finished 18th and 31stin the two races held this season.

Norm Sears – #98 Lincoln Tech Chassis Pro – Sears is a 3-time Stafford Street Stock champion with 10 career Street Stock wins and 5 career Limited Late Model wins.  Sears has been racing SK Lights since 2015 and he is still looking for his first win with a best finish of 2nd, which he has achieved in August 2020 and again last May.

Todd Clark – #00 Blue Moon Design GRE6 – Clark has raced part-time in the SK Light division from 2008-2011 and 2014-present and his best career finish was 7th in June 2010.

Joey Ferrigno – #87 Metro Garage Door Chassis Dynamics – Ferrigno is second on the SK Light All-Time Winners List with 17 career wins, 2 wins behind Chris Matthews.  The 2005 Street Stock champion with 25 career Stafford feature wins has had a slow start to the 2023 season with finishes of 23rd and 28th.

Wade Gagner – #70 Maybury Material Handling Troyer – Gagner is getting back behind the wheel after having raced Street Stocks and Late Models in the ‘80s and ‘90s.  Gagner has 3 career Late Model and 1 Street Stock win at Stafford and he finished 23rd after missing the first race of the season.

Daltin McCarthy – #34 Absolute Haitain (Hi-T-En) Troyer – McCarthy makes his SK Light debut this season after having raced three seasons in the Street Stock division.  McCarthy has finished 25th and 24th in the two races this season.

Ethan Durocher – #58 Durocher Racing Troyer – Durocher raced part time in the SK Light division from 2018-2020 before returning this season.  He has finished 24th and 23rd in the two races this season and his best career finish is a 7th in July 2019.

Stephen Kalogiannis – #42 Joining Technologies Troyer – Kalogiannis made his SK Light debut last season making 2 starts with a best finish of 15th.  Kalogiannis has posted finishes of 26th and 30th this season.

Sami Anderson #21 Royal Screw Machine Products Chassis Dynamics – Anderson ran Street Stocks for the 2018 season before moving up to SK Light competition in 2019.  Anderson hasn’t raced a full season since 2019 and she has finished 32nd and 27th this season with a best finish of 6th coming back in July 2019.

Josh Morrison – #35 Tolland County Foundation Replacement Chassis Pro – The 2023 season marks Morrison’s rookie season in SK Lights.  Morrison is the two-time defending Sr. Outlaw Champion of Wild Thing Karts, which races at Stafford on Monday nights and he finished 26th after missing the first race this season.

Ron Midford, Jr. – #76 Bolles Motors, Inc. Bolles Race Cars – Midford is another graduate of Wild Thing Karts racing in the SK Lights and he made his debut last season with a best finish of 4th in the final race of the year.  Midford finished 29th last week after missing the first race of the season.

Brandon Hunt – #84 JR Recovery Troyer – Hunt ran 10 races last season as a rookie with a best finish of 13th.  Hunt finished 28th in the season opener before missing last week’s feature event.

Andy Marchese – #5 Marchese Landscaping Chassis Pro – Marchese has driven in the Street Stock, Late Model, and SK Modified® divisions at Stafford with 2 Street Stock wins coming back in 2014.  Marchese posted a best SK Light finish of 9th last season and he finished 27th in his only start of this season on May 13th.

Evan Bourgeois – #78 EB Exterminating Chassis Dynamics – Bourgeois is a newcomer to Stafford SK Light racing, having made 2 starts last season and 1 start this season with a best finish of 14th last season.

Bob King – #6 Advanced Scaffolding Raceworks – King has made selected starts in Street Stock competition at Stafford and he made his SK Light debut at the season opening NAPA Spring Sizzler® where he failed to qualify.

Steve Kenneway – #26 Welch Welding and Truck Equipment – Kenneway ran a handful of Street Stock races in 2018 and 2019 with a best finish of 5th.  Kenneway has yet to make his SK Light debut as he failed to qualify for the season opening NAPA Spring Sizzler® feature event.  

Anthony Forino – #52 Pettit Racing Engines Chassis Dynamics – Forino has been racing SK Lights since 2020 and his best career finish was 9th in October 2020.  Forino failed to qualify for the season opening NAPA Spring Sizzler® feature event.

Stafford’s SK Modifieds®, Late Models, Limited Late Models, and Street Stocks will join the SK Lights in feature action this Friday night, May 26.  Tickets for the May 26 SK Light Double Down program are available now online at StaffordSpeedway.com/tickets and tickets will also be available for purchase at the admission gates.  Tickets are $20.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids 6-14, and free for kids 5 & under.  Reserved seating is priced at $25.00 for all ages and pit passes are $40.00 with a valid 2023 Stafford Competition License and $45.00 without a Stafford license.  If you are unable to attend the event, tune into the live stream on FloRacing, the official streaming partner of Stafford Speedway. 

For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

Comments

  1. Along with Modifiedz night this makes two extra distance affairs for the Lights and it’s well deserved. Kind of wish they did double 20 lappers with some sort of inversion. Fact is for these momentum cars starting position is everything from avoiding wrecks to getting the best result.
    I still don’t think either announcer has nailed the pronunciation of Hailey Desaulniers yet. In the late 80’s there was a Late Model driver with modest success named Dave Dederer. Dodge never seemed to be able to get a handle on that one either.

  2. Reviewed the schedule. This Friday, Stafford won’t be racing the SK’s last. I’m attending this one in person even though it’s a holiday weekend with terrible traffic. I enjoy rewarding good behavior. I aim to attend the races whenever the top division isn’t run last. Unfortunately, it typically only gets me to a few races per season. Looking forward to seeing all the improvements at Stafford. Great weather forecasted for this weekend, get out to a race track.

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