STAFFORD – In 2023 Todd Owen became the first driver in Stafford Speedway history to win three consecutive SK Modified titles.
And like any dynasty in any sport, at some point domination ends.
For Owen, 2024 has been a season to forget.
Owen came into Friday’s event at Stafford Speedway sitting ninth in the SK Modified standings at Stafford with no wins, five top-fives and eight top-10’s in 16 events. It was a big change for a driver who came into the season riding an unheard of streak of 34 consecutive top-10 finishes in the SK Modified division.
Friday Owen got to put the frustrations of the season behind him in scoring victory in the 40-lap SK Modified feature.
“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s actually been like a weight lifted off your shoulders,” Owen said of the season at Stafford. “I put some pretty high standards on myself and I kind of knew … I’ve been around racing a long time right, the streaks that we’ve had and the years that we’ve had with no failures, no mechanical breakdowns, no anything – it’s bound to happen, we’re bound to have things happen. We just kept our head up high, kept on working really hard, kept trying different stuff. We must have had 50 different spring packages in this car this year. Tonight it just all came together. The car was really really good.”
Jon Puleo of Branford was second and Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott was third.
Owen got under Austin Beers for the lead into turn three on lap 36. Beers attempted to cross Owen over on the exit of turn four, but Owen held check at the front. On lap 37 Beers got under Owen coming off of turn four with the pair going side-by-side to the start finish line with Owen leading by a bumper. The pair went side-by-side for lap 38 with Owen again leading at the line. On lap 39 contact slowed Beers, allowing Owen to get away and Puleo to move to second and Christopher to third.
“It felt really good,” Owen said. “I never expected when we came here today that we’d be as good as we were. We were good in both practices, good in the heat. The feature, I was trying to be patient. I knew we were really really good. I just wanted to maybe let [Beers] use up a little more of his car than he was going to probably have to do if I didn’t just stay right behind him. I waited for my opportunity and took it.”
Beers set the pace out front early with Anthony Flannery pestering his bumper. On lap six Flannery found the lane under Beers off of turn four with the pair coming to start/finish line side-by-side. Flannery was able to complete the pass for the lead off of turn two on lap seven.
But on lap nine Beers fought back to the inside of Flannery and grabbed the lead back off of turn four. With Beers leading, Flannery in second and Owen in third, David Arute spun to the infield grass on lap 28 to bring out the first caution of the event.
On the restart Beers was able to get away at the front with Owen moving past Flannery for second place. On lap 30 Flannery slowed in third place, falling back in the field. A lap later Owen was all over the bumper of Beers.
Great ti see Todd back where he belongs. Podium! Class act