STAFFORD – Adam Gray was prepared to be content with scoring a third place finish Friday night at Stafford Speedway.
So it’s fair to say, it made celebrating in victory lane all that much sweeter for the Belchertown, Mass. driver.
Gray used a last lap pass on a green-white-checkered closing to win the 30-lap Late Model feature Friday at Stafford.
It was the fourth victory of the season for Gray and his 37th overall in the division.
“The car was good on a couple laps, the nose would stay underneath it, and we were able to make it work,” Gray said.
Paul Varricchio Jr. of Berlin was second and Wayne Coury Jr. of Fairfield third.
Coury looked to be on his way to his first win since Aug. 18, 2023. Just as he was taking the white flag, the caution flew for the stopped car of Albert Saunders in turn two.
It set up a green-white-checkered finish with Varricchio in second and Gray in third.
On the lap 29 restart, Coury went into turn one side-by-side with Varricchio. As Coury and Varricchio went up the track through turn one, Gray got under both of them and the trio came off turn two three-wide for the lead.
“When I saw [Gray] down there I was like ‘Oh no, oh no no no no, please don’t.’” Varricchio said. “The car was tight at the end.”
Coury rode the high line on the side of Gray through turns three and four but Gray was able to get the advantage of off turn four, with Varricchio moving past Coury in the low lane to second.
“We’d struggle on the longer runs, I’d loose the nose a little bit,” Gray said. “When I could get the cold tires it turned really good. I was content with being third because I didn’t want to mess with [Varricchio] in the points championship, and [Coury] was having a good run. But it’s hard not take it when you run the guy out to the fourth groove and leave two lanes open underneath. … Pretty sure if anybody here was in my position and it was that open and you had a good run you would take it.”
Coury offered his displeasure of Gray in his podium interview saying: “Last couple laps were hectic. I thought we had them covered on the restarts. [Gray] likes to get into people’s bumpers on the restarts, pretty much every time. That wasn’t appreciated. It wasn’t like I was waiting to go. I went. We’ll get him back next time.”
In the tech area following the event Coury tempered his feelings some on Gray’s move.
“Adam probably didn’t do anything,” Coury said. “He got into my bumper on the initial start, which I was a little bit frustrated by, but ultimately I don’t know how much of an impact that really had. Yeah, I left a little bit of hole there.”
Tom Butler got under Coury into turn three on lap two to take over the lead. By lap eight Butler had built more than a half second lead over Coury with Varricchio Jr. running third. Caution flew on lap 12 for the spinning car of Tom Fearn in turn two.
On the lap 12 restart it was Coury getting a big jump on Butler into turn one to regain the lead. On lap 18 Varricchio got by Butler to take over second. Varricchio quickly erased Coury’s half second lead by la[p20. Caution flew on lap 20 for the stopped car of Adon Burrell.
Coury held the top spot on the ensuing restart with Gray getting by Butler for third. Caution flew on lap 24 for the spinning car of Chris Meyer in turn four. On the ensuing restart Coury was up to task to fight off Varricchio in second place.
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