STAFFORD – The Street Stock division at Stafford Speedway has essentially been the Travis Hydar Show.
The former division champion has won seven of 10 events this in the Street Stock division at Stafford.
Friday, with no points on the line in a special exhibition event at the historic half-mile, it was Hydar continuing his domination.
Hydar took the lead at the start and went nearly unchallenged out front on the way to victory in the 25-lap Street Stock feature at the Cleetus McFarland New England 900 show Friday at Stafford.
Hydar, of Woodbury, scored the $1,000 payday in front of a sellout crowd of about 10,000 fans with former Daytona 500 winning crew chief and longtime NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds on the call from the booth.
“The cautions were definitely a little anxious there and one of them got a little rough, but I got through it and here we are,” Hydar said. “… This is awesome. I don’t know if there’s going to be another time that I get to race in front of a sold out crowd. This really really cool for me.”
Shawn Monahan of Waterford was second and Bert Ouellette of Ellington third.
“We had a lot of fun out there today,” Monahan said. “This is my third ever racing at Stafford Speedway. We just picked this car up Monday night.”
Said Ouellette: “This is the first time racing in front of a crowd like that. Thank you fans for coming out and supporting this. Thank you to Stafford and Cleetus for putting this show on. What a great event to be a part of. I’m so grateful to be here, to be a part of this and to be on the podium just makes it that much sweeter.”
Hydar passed Johnny Walker for the lead at the start.
By lap 18 Bobby Stirk had made his way to second place behind Hydar. On a lap 18 restart it was Stirk giving Hydar a couple bumps, but Hydar was able to fend off the challenge.
On a lap 20 restart it was Walker getting by Stirk for second place before caution flew again on lap 21. On the ensuing restart Hydar easily got away from Walker, with Walker losing second place to Monahan.
This was actually a good race. Of course, I was rooting for Johnny Walker!!!
Watched the last lap. Looked like a practice session. If people want to spend $40 a ticket plus $10 parking plus overpriced food for a minivan and crown vic race, then cool. It was sold out so that’s awesome for the track. I don’t get it. But then again I don’t get the WWE. What were there, 14 street stocks? That’s average for Stafford nowadays but you’d think a few more would show up for the New England 900. Pointless is right.