STAFFORD – On June 21 Mike Christopher Jr. scored his first victory of the 2024 season in the SK Modified division at Stafford.
In the last two events since that win Christopher has been the driving force in the closing laps, but both weeks came up a position short in second.
Friday Christopher closed out that relentless drive of late to get back to the front.
Christopher came out on a top of a wild race long showdown at the front to win the 40-lap SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Speedway.
“Just a dominant race car all around,” Christopher said. “Not only are we hitting on all cylinders with the chassis and the ability for the thing to turn [at both ends of the track]. That’s a big thing. Usually you’re better in [turns] one and two than [turns] three and four, but I think we’re good in both. But also the engine package. My dad built a good power plant this time by and it shows. It’s been in the car for four races and we’ve [won] twice and been second twice. Shout out to him and my whole crew. Everyone is doing a great job so far this year. Just want to keep rolling this momentum man. It feels good to win with them and have this kind of success.”
It was the 15th career SK Modified feature victory at Stafford for Christopher of Wolcott.
Marcello Rufrano of North Haven was second and Anthony Flannery of East Hampton third.
“It was good racing.” Rufrano said. “We were right there. We were pretty close. We just needed a little bit more there at the end. Flannery was giving me good pressure and that was kind of screwing me up a little bit, I couldn’t really get into a really good rhythm there and [Christopher] kind of walked away there. It’s something to build on, after the past couple weeks we were a little bit off. After today we’re really going in the right direction.”
Said Flannery: “There’s nothing to complain about tonight. We just need a little bit more. We were faster behind them than we were in front of them. It’s just something we’ve got to get but that first win is being elusive. These guys ran me pretty clean. It was rough. That’s hard racing here at Stafford. We’re all so close in times, there’s only so much you can do.”
Division points leader Andrew Molleur finished sixth. It was Molleur’s first finish outside the top-five in nine events this season.
Pole sitter Wesley Prucker held the lead at the start. Behind him Keith Rocco moved past Flannery for second.
On lap three Rocco found a lane under Prucker through turns three and four with the pair coming to the start/finish line side-by-side. On lap four Rocco got the run off of Prucker off of turn two to take over the lead. But Prucker wouldn’t let Rocco get away. On lap 5 Prucker got back under Rocco off of turn two and went back to the lead off of turn four.
The first caution flew on lap seven for the spinning cars of R.J. Marcotte, Curt Brainard and Ethan Durocher.
On the lap seven restart it was Prucker and Rocco going side-by-side for a lap with Rocco leading by inches to complete the circuit. The pair went side-by-side again for lap eight with Prucker taking the lead back by a bumper to complete the lap.
On lap nine Prucker cleared Rocco off of turn two with Rufrano moving past Rocco to second. A lap later Rufrano got under Prucker through turns one and two and came off of turn four with the lead with Anthony Flannery moving following to second place. On lap 11 Christopher got by Prucker for third.
On lap 16 Flannery got under Rufrano for the lead off of turn two with Christopher following to second and immediately challenging Flannery in turn three. Christopher got by Flannery for the lead on lap 17 but caution flew for the wrecked car of Prucker on the backstretch, giving Flannery the lead back for the restart.
“Andrew Molleur stuffed me coming out of [turn] two,” Prucker said. “I thought he was better than that, but I guess it’s all money.”
On the lap 17 restart Flannery held the top spot with Rufrano moving past Christopher for second. Two laps later Rufrano found the line under Flannery through turns three and four to take over the top spot.
On lap 27 Christopher got under Flannery through turns three and four to move back to second behind Rufrano. On lap 30 Christopher made a diving move under Rufrano into turn one and took over the lead off of turn two.
Congratulations to Mike for another great run! The racing in all divisions has been very exciting.
MC Jr’s recent comments may trigger Stafford to tear down the new engine in tech(?).
Congrats to MCJ, MC and the 82 crew. MC has always been able to get stout power from his engines, and I’m sure it’s a proven combination, and totally within the rules. It’s so funny how when someone gets a streak going, “they must be cheating”. Has anyone ever thought that it comes down to endless hours of preparation? I don’t think someone running for a championship, as well as trying to establish themselves in modified racing would take a chance of getting a bad reputation by cheating. Hard work, preparation and talent wins races. The 82 team checks all those boxes. Remember, MC was quite successful, Teddy as well, and MCJ learned from both, as well as having all those years of notes.
Rob p that’s why tire rule was changed this year because someone on a hot streak was suspected of cheating and by the results this year they could be right , heard that from a friend of a friend