STAFFORD – After finishes of 15th and 14th place in the first two events of the season, Limited Late Model division veteran R.J. Surdell was entertaining thoughts of taking a break from competition.
A pep talk from his father changed those thoughts and Friday the Willington driver made the best of his decision to keep going.
After seeing a huge lead wiped away by a final lap caution, Surdell held off Rich Hammann and Kevin Cormier on a green-white-checkered finish to win the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature Friday at Stafford.
It was the fourth career Limited Late Model division victory for Surdell and his first since Sept. 20, 2024.
“This is really huge,” Surdell said. “If it wasn’t for my dad backing me and just saying ‘Keep at it’ because I was ready to kind of give up a little bit and maybe take a break. But he was like ‘Get back out there, you’ve got this new car … go work on it. You’re finding some bugs, it’s new, figure it out.’ And we did and we just came out here and won.”
Cormier of Springfield, Vt. was second and Hammann, of Tolland, third.
With Surdell ahead of second place Hammann by more than a second and rolling through turn three on the way to the checkered flag on the final lap, the caution flew for the spinning car of Gary Patnode in turn one, erasing Surdell’s advantage and set up the shootout finish.
On the green-white-checkered restart, Surdell and Hammann went side-by-side through turns one and two. Hammann got a slight advantage off of turn two, but Surdell fought back into turn three and came off of turn four back in control.
“I just had to be up on the wheel and make everything perfect like I did,” Surdell said. “We’re just out here laying down Hoosier rubber, dodging couch racers and drinking up some Sunoco fuel out here. … I’m excited. We’re happy to be back in victory lane.”
With Surdell driving away at the front on the final lap, Cormier was able to get by Hammann for second.
Bert Ouellette of Ellington went by Tyler Trott for the lead on lap 16 and drove away from the field on the way to his second consecutive win in the 20-lap Street Stock feature.
“Good race car,” Ouellette said. “That thing was a hot rod. We worked hard on this thing. This thing, I don’t know how much better I can ask for it to be.”
It was the second victory in three events this year for Ouellette, who won the season opening feature on April 27.
Aaron Plemons of Uncasville, winner of the most recent event on May 16, was second.
“Obviously we’re not making any friends out there,” Plemons said. “So that’s not what I meant to do. These guys play rough every week but once I do it I’m an … I’m the bad guy. It’s just a Speedbowl thing.
Trott, of East Hartford, was third.
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