STAFFORD – In the landscape of short track racing, the phrase “It’s only a matter of time until [insert name here] wins” has become an overly used cliche.
But when it comes to Tyler Chapman in an SK Modified at Stafford Speedway, that phrase has fit just fine since last season.
Chapman had four top-fives as a rookie in the SK Modified division in 2025 and a few of those proverbial nights it where a win just slipped away.
This year the Ellington driver began the season with top-five finishes in three of the first four events, including a second place finish in a dramatic battle for victory with Marcello Rufrano on May 22.
Friday Chapman finally made that “matter of time” the present.
Chapman held off charges from Troy Talman and Alexander Pearl to top the 40-lap SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford Speedway for his first win in the division.
Chapman, the 2024 SK Light Modified champion at Stafford, was making his 25th SK Modified start at Stafford on Friday.
“To be honest, it took longer than I expected,” Chapman said. “Coming off that championship year in the SK Lights, I thought it was going to be a breeze. They definitely kicked our butts here in the last couple years and I’m happy to get it.”
The victory moved Chapman to the top of the division standings, eight points better than second place Todd Owen, who was seventh on Friday. Marcello Rufrano, who was fifth, sits third in the the standings, 22 points behind Chapman.
Talman, of Oxford, Mass., was second and Pearl, of Salem, third.
“We haven’t had speed here until tonight,” Talman said. “Hard work pays off. I just wish we got that one. But this thing is stout. I’ve got a piece to race with.”
With Dylan Izzo leading, Talman got by Pearl for second with 12 laps remaining. Chapman got under Pearl for third a lap later. With nine laps left Talman got under Izzo into turn one and came off of turn two with the lead. Chapman got under Izzo into turn three and then made contact with Talman in the corner, sending Talman up the track and opening the lane for Chapman to go the lead, Izzo to second and Pearl to third. Into turn one Pearl was able to get under Izzo to move to second.
Jon Puleo tried to make a move under Izzo into turn three with eight laps left and contact sent both up the track, opening the door for Talman to move back to third.
Caution flew with seven laps left when Izzo and Puleo wrecked in turn one.
On the ensuing restart Pearl used the outside lane off of turn two to move by Chapman for the lead with Keith Rocco getting in the mix, moving to second past Chapman on the outside. Chapman fought back to second by Rocco through turns three and four.
Caution flew again with six laps remaining for a multi-car wreck on the backstretch. On the restart Chapman was able to get a big jump on Pearl, who missed a shift. Chapman took over the lead with Talman moving to second. Pearl was left to fight off Rocco and Rufrano for third over the closing laps.
“It’s really big to be back on the podium,” Pearl said. “… It’s always nice. I’ve never not been able to get it into gear on a restart and I picked the wrong time to have that happen.”
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