On Sunday I had my final newspaper assignment for the Hartford Courant. Eighteen years and eight months of working at The Courant came to a close with an absolute mess of a wreck-marred Valenti Modified Racing Series event at Thompson International Speedway.

Oh well, kind of fitting I guess that the boys from the Modified Racing Series made my last assignment last and last and last …

So this is it, the last entry on the racing blog. It’s been a fun ride, I can’t even begin to think about trying to thank all the people who have been there for me in the sport for so many years. Who knows, maybe when the next step begins I’ll start off with some memories of the years here.

Oh yeah, the next step. I’ve decided to leave The Courant to pursue a venture I’ve had in mind for a number of years. I want to produce a motorsports website. I want to create a site that has a focus on all things racing in Southern New England but also mixes in plenty of tidbits of news and opinion on the national racing scene.

So that’s exactly what I’m going to do. My new website, Race Day CT will launch in full, hopefully, by the middle of the June. It’s going to be a labor of love that I’ve had planned in my head for years. I can’t wait to get going. In the meantime, to keep up with the details of what’s happening and know when a launch date is set, join the Race Day CT page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@ShawnCourchesne or @RaceDayCT).

So for now, we’ll say goodbye, goodbye to life at the Hartford Courant, but hardly goodbye to the racing scene. It’s been a great ride, I lived a dream of being a sportswriters for one of the greatest newspapers in America. I’m going to miss this place.

Pennink took the checkered flag leading the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson on April 15, but NASCAR officials deemed he jumped the final restart and gave the victory to Ron Silk.

Sunday at Thompson, Pennink scored a measure of personal redemption.

Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. held off Richard Savary over the closing laps to win the 75-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series feature at Thompson.

Savary, of Canton, Mass., held on for second and Geoff Gernhard of Salem was third. It was the fifth career Valenti Modified Racing Series victory for Pennink and his first of the 2012 season in the division.

“I love this place and I love racing here,” said Pennink, who competes full-time on both the Valenti Modified Racing Series and the Whelen Modified Tour. “We always run good here. To lose that one at the Icebreaker was a heartbreaker, but it feels good to come back the next time after that race and win here again and show everyone who really should have been in victory lane at the Icebreaker.”

Pennink had to fight off Savary on three restarts over the 23 laps. Savary made his boldest move to get under Pennink on lap 65, but couldn’t make a bottom shot off of turn four stick.

“It always seems like when we’re out front here at Thompson the cautions just keep coming,” Pennink said. “But, we were able to fight through it. The car got a little tight there at the end and Richard was able to make a couple good runs at me, but we were able to hang on.”

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“This had been the worst weekend ever,” Preece said.

Preece took the trophy as the winner of the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Sunday at Thompson International Speedway, but it was a muted celebration offered by the 21-year old driver from Berlin.

In Friday’s SK Modified feature at Stafford Motor Speedway Preece was penalized at the halfway mark of the event for hitting race leader Frank Ruocco and then after rallying back he was penalized on the last lap for spinning race leader Keith Rocco.

There was more last lap contact for Preece Sunday, though seeming the unavoidable type.

Preece stalked race leader Todd Ceravolo from lap 14 until the final lap. In turn four of the final circuit, Ceravolo’s car got sideways in turn four leaving Preece looking to take evasive action to avoid contact. The contact came, leaving Ceravolo spinning on the frontstrech and Preece taking the checkered flag as the race winner.

“I’m not even happy right now,” Preece said. “It just doesn’t seem to be my weekend. I couldn’t get a good run on him so I never even tried and he got sideways and I was right there. I even got on the brake, and I just tapped him and finished him off. I don’t want to win like that. I’d hand him the trophy right now because he won the race. If it didn’t happen the way it happened, where he got loose and I was right there, he would have won the race. I was settling for second and it was going to be what it was. It’s a shame and I don’t want my reputation to be like …, I’m just trying to stay out of trouble.”

Kerry Malone of Needham, Mass. was second and Keith Rocco of Wallingford third.

Ceravolo, of Gales Ferry, straightened out after spinning and settled for a fifth place finish.

“It was an accident,” Ceravolo said. “Same line I had taken the whole race. No one wants to win like that, I’ve been in the same shoes he’s in. … I’m sure he didn’t want to do it like, I’m sure he didn’t want to win that way.”

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Saturday Rocco returned to the track and immediately retook his throne atop the track’s premier division.

Rocco, of Wallingford, held off Rob Janovic Jr. over the final five laps to win the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Waterford.

It was the fifth victory in seven events this year at Waterford for Rocco, who has won the division’s championship the last two years.

Janovic, of Waterford, held on for second. Jeff Rocco of Wallingford, Keith’s twin brother, was third.

“Picked right up where we left off,” Keith Rocco said. “We’ve got a great car down here and the whole combination is good.

Despite missing an event, Keith Rocco sits one point behind Tyler Chadwick in the standings. He will miss one more event this year because of a conflict with a Whelen Modified Tour event.

“We’ve got some ground to make up now,” he said.

Rocco used the outside lane for much of the race to move up through the field and then used the outside lane to pass Janovic for the lead with 11 laps left.

“It was pretty good out there,” Keith Rocco said. “I got out front and I even ran up top.”

It marked the first time that the Rocco brothers finished together in the top three of an SK Modified race. Jeff Rocco is in his first season running full-time in the division.

“It’s always great finishing on the podium with your brother,” Keith Rocco said.

Jeff Rocco led the race early, but was passed by Janovic for the lead and by his brother for second when he slid sideways on a restart with 17 laps remaining.

“I need to practice on my shifting a little more during the week,” Jeff Rocco said. “I missed a shift on that one. I don’t know if I would have been able to hold these guys off, they’re pretty good. I’m happy with a top-three.”

Keith Rocco also won the 30-lap Late Model feature. Anthony Flannery of East Hampton was second and Bruce Thomas Jr. of Groton third.

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Almost perfect that is.

For the seventh time in eight events this year it was Cassidy, of Lisbon, celebrating in victory lane Saturday following the 28-lap Mini Stock feature.

“[Winning] never gets old,” Cassidy said. “It’s one thing that never gets old.”

Jeffrey Cembruch of Wallingford was second and Bill Leonard of Charlestown, R.I. was third.

Cassidy is currently leading the Division IV national short track standings.

“Two years ago I finished third [in the national standings], last year I finished second,” Cassidy said. “There’s only one way to go from there, I don’t want to go back to fourth. I want to get up there and finally win one.”

Cassidy passed Charles Canfield for the lead with 18 laps left and then held off a charging Cembruch over the final three laps.

“These guys are awesome to race with,” Cassidy said. “Everybody treat everybody with respect. That makes the division awesome for the fans and the drivers and everybody.”

Said Cembruch: “I’m going chalk that one up to driver error. I just tried a little too hard I guess. What are you going to do? We’re getting closer and closer to Kenny.”

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Pitkat, of Stafford, was declared the winner after Ryan Preece was penalized following the conclusion of the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Stafford.

“The way my racing has been going this year you do have to take them any way you can get them,” Pitkat said.

Michael Gervais Jr. of Southbury was second and Ted Christopher of Plainville third.

Preece crossed the finish line first in the event after he bumped Keith Rocco out of the lead in the final corner on the last lap. Preece went to victory lane immediately following the race but was quickly told by track officials that he was being penalized. Preece was credited with a 20th place finish in the event.

“It is what it is,” said Preece, of Berlin. “Stafford does their best to make the calls. I felt that he raced me a little wrong going into [turn] one and then he cut down on me when I had a run [going into turn three]. I would have went into [turn] three and raced him completely clean side-by-side, if he beat me on the outside he would have been the better man tonight. But he came down on me like I wasn’t even there and it is what it is.”

Preece ran second beyond Frank Ruocco for much of the first half of the race, but on lap 21 Preece made contact with the back of Ruocco’s car, sending him to the turn one wall. Preece was penalized to the rear of the field for the contact.

“I would never want to send someone into the turn like that, and I’m completely sorry to him and his team because I know how it is to have to fix a car in a week,” Preece said. “I’m sure I’ll be getting it back at some point this season, I understand that, but, they talked about in the drivers meeting picking a lane. I went to the outside and he wouldn’t let me go there. I felt I had a couple runs and I cut him a lot of slack and he was just running me all over the place.”

Rocco, of Wallingford, went by Pitkat for the lead on lap 29, but behind him deeper in the field Preece was rallying. By lap 32 Preece was going by Glen Reen for second place. Following a lap 36 restart, Preece took the lead from Rocco on the outside for two laps before Rocco battled back to retake the top spot out of turn two on lap 38.

On the final lap Preece seemed to have a low run on Rocco going into turn three, but had to back out in the corner. In turn four Preece hammered the rear end of Rocco’s car, sending him spinning.

 “It’s one thing running hard, but twice in one night he wrecked the leader,” Rocco said. “The stats stand for themselves. He just hit me as hard as he could.”

Said Preece: “I try to race as clean as I possibly can. I hate racing dirty and right now, I don’t like how the outcome is for my team, they don’t deserve a finish like this. I’m going to continue to race as clean as I possibly can and hope for the best.”

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Friday, rebounding from what St. Hilaire called the worst wreck in his 20 years plus of racing proved an emotional endeavor for the driver from Berlin.

St. Hilaire said the goal in returning to the track this week was to leave with a car in one piece. He accomplished that feat and got ultimate redemption in the process, winning his first career Late Model feature at Stafford.

St. Hilaire held off a charging Corey Hutchings on the final lap to win the 30-lap Late Model feature Friday at Stafford. Hutchings, of Salem, held on for second and Tom Fearn of East Longmeadow, Mass. was third.

In victory lane following the event St. Hilaire struggled put words together, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Unbelievable,” St. Hilaire said, then immediately stopping to gather himself and hold back the emotion from taking over. “I wrecked this car bad. Last week was the worst wreck we ever had in 20 something years and my dad [John] put it together.”

After the wreck St. Hilaire wasn’t even sure his team would return to the track this week.

“This car was wrecked so bad it as just ridiculous,” said St. Hilaire, a former Late Model division champion at the Waterford Speedbowl. “It took us a day to even determine if we were going to come back this week or build a new car. Really after about 12 or 14 hours working on the car we thought we could patch it together.”

St. Hilaire held the lead early, but on a lap eight restart, Hutching went motoring by to take over the top spot. Hutchings seemed to be driving away from St. Hilaire over the next eight laps, but then St. Hilaire came back to life.

On lap 20 St. Hilaire went back by Hutching to take over the lead again, a spot he wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way, despite Hutchings best efforts to fight back.

On the final lap Hutchings gave St. Hilaire a nudge from behind in turn two and then a harder hit into turn three, but

“Corey and I have raced together for a long time and it was a pleasure racing against him,” St. Hilaire said. “I slowed up that last lap just to make sure I stayed right down on the bottom and I knew there was no way he was going on the high side.”

Said Hutchings: “I congratulate Mark. He was just a little bit better than us.”

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“The court approved final decree to end our Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” track owner Terry Eames said. “We’ve reorganized the company in agreement with the creditors and we live to fight another day. We have a plan of reorganization that is in effect and we’re working the plan. It was billed as a triumphant moment by my attorney. We have no pending foreclosures or adversarial actions going forward.”

Facing a foreclosure on the Speedbowl property, Eames filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Oct. 2009.

In July 2007, Southbury businessman and local racing supporter Rocco Arbitell, along with business associate Peter Borrelli, stepped in to offer Eames and his ownership group, 1080 Hartford Road LLC, financing to avoid a foreclosure action being taken against them by former mortgage holder Washington Mutual Bank. The deal with Arbitell was announced a day before the track’s auction date for a foreclosure. 

In May 2008 Arbitell brought his own foreclosure action against the ownership group after former track operator Jerry Robinson failed to pay the Speedbowl’s property taxes. 

Eames, who had run the Speedbowl since his group’s purchase of the property in 2000, gave up operational control of the track after the 2006 season to Robinson, who ran the facility through the 2008 season. Eames returned to an operating role at the facility prior to the start of the 2009 season.

“So far this year business has been guardedly optimistic,” Eames said. “The car counts have been good and the indicators are positive.”

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Bruce Thomas Jr. participating in last year's Sid's View Homerun Derby

But Saturday night at the Waterford Speedbowl, clearing the fences will be the top priority on the minds of drivers when the step into the batter’s box at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Ten drivers and 10 randomly chosen Little Leaguer’s will participate in the Sids’ View Homerun Derby Saturday at the Speedbowl, part of the Sid’s View Little League night at the track.

Drivers and Little Leaguer’s will be looking to clear the frontstretch fence with Wiffle Balls. Sid DiMaggio, producer of the Sid’s View series of videos from the track, will be on the mound.

Drivers expected to participate in this year’s Homerun derby include Diego Monahan, Jeff Rocco, Keith Rocco, Tyler Chadwick and Rich Brooks from the SK Modified division, Bruce Thomas Jr., Dillon Moltz and Rich Staskowski from the Late Model division, Phil Evans from the Street Stock division and Ken Cassidy Jr. from the Mini Stock division.

All children wearing Little League uniforms will get free admission into the track.

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Now it’s a matter of finding out if Jon McKennedy wants the ride. Daniel Hemric, who ran the first two events of the season for Hillbilly Racing, quit the team following the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 29.

McKennedy, of Chelmsford, Mass. made his debut for the Westfield, N.C. based Hillbilly Racing team Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. McKennedy qualified fourth before a nasty crash with 50 laps left relegated him to a 23rd place finish.

“I was really impressed with Jon,” Hill said. “We rolled out with a brand new car and we qualified fourth. We ran over something on the track and started losing rear brakes. Then Bryon Chew just fenced us at the flag stand and it broke the right front assembly. It was just one of them racing things. We couldn’t buy no luck. But we probably had a top-five car before that.”

Hill said McKennedy has agreed to run his car this weekend in an event at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway and he will also run at the next two Whelen Modified Tour events, on May 25 at Stafford and June 23 at the Waterford Speedbowl.

McKennedy is also running fulltime for Preston team owner Art Barry on the Valenti Modified Racing Series. He has won the first two events this season on the Modified Racing Series. The division competes for the third time this season Sunday at Thompson International Speedway. McKennedy also runs regularly with the International SuperModified Association.

“It’s basically we’re going to see where his schedule is at [after the Modified Tour event at Waterford on June 23], Hill said. “It’s kind of up to him. He’s got to talk to Art about what he wants to do. He’s trying to do all the right things and not step on anybody’s toes.

“He’s got a whole lot to decide with on what he really wants to focus on. He could probably drive my car for the remainder of the year. The MRS races don’t conflict, but the SuperModifieds conflict with our Tour. He’s got to decide what he really wants to so and where his focus is going to be.”

McKennedy said he isn’t ready to make any decisions yet.

“This year I seem to be pretty fortunate with multiple ride offers,” McKennedy said. “I guess that’s always a good thing. Ultimately, come the beginning of July I’m going to have some decisions to make.”

Hemric, of Kannapolis, N.C., made his Whelen Modified Tour debut Hillbilly Racing in the division’s season finale least year at Thompson. He finished 20th in the season opener this year at Thompson and was 11th at Stafford on April 29 before quitting.

“He came in and said he didn’t want to drive Modified’s no more,” Hill said. “He just said Modifieds weren’t going to take him to the next level. He’s dreaming big. I guess that’s his choice.”

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Chadwick drove away from the field over the closing laps to win the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

It was the second victory of the season for Chadwick. Nichole Morgillo of Wallingford had a career best second place finish and Kyle James of Ashaway, R.I. was third.

After the race, Chadwick didn’t want to talk much about the fact that the win came on a night when Keith Rocco wasn’t in the field. Rocco has been the most dominant driver in the division over the last four years at the track. Rocco is in his first season driving full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and was competing at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. on Saturday night. Rocco and Chadwick have built up a fiery rivalry over the past three seasons.

“Whatever,” Chadwick said when asked if it took anything away from the win without Rocco there. “We all know he’s the best there is. He could have definitely been in contention or he could have got caught up in something. I don’t like to base the whole night and the whole career off of one dude. We all know he’s the best there is around here and it’s simple enough. I don’t know really how to put that one. I’m here to win no matter whether that guy’s here or he’s not, but I do know that he’s the fastest and he’s the best on most nights, but he’s not here and I won.”

Chadwick used the outside lane to take the lead from Joe Perry on a restart with 16 laps remaining.

“I felt really good before that restart because I had to pass a few cars on the outside before that and I knew that the car was snug enough to where it was going to get really good bite off [the corner],” Chadwick said. “It just happened to work out.”

Morgillo passed Perry for second place with six laps left. It was the second consecutive week on the podium for Morgillo, who finish third in last week’s SK Modified feature. Morgillo’s finish marked the best ever for a female in an SK Modified feature at the Speedbowl.

“I’m really happy to get two top-three’s two weeks in a row, that’s really awesome,” Morgillo said. “I think my win is coming. I can taste it. I just really want it.”

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In the mind of Waterford Speedbowl driver Ken Cassidy Jr. clean is fast, and clearly Cassidy’s car has been very clean this year.

For the sixth time in seven events this year it was Cassidy, of Lisbon, celebrating in victory lane following the 25-lap Mini Stock feature at the Waterford Speedbowl.

“Every week, I can’t say it enough, that thing is awesome,” Cassidy said. “I’m just trying to keep the thing in once piece every week.”

Ian Brew of Wood River Junction, R.I. was second and Jeffrey Cembruch of Wallingford third.

Cassidy went by Charles Canfield for the lead with 12 laps left and never trailed again.

As is usually the case, Cassidy posed for post race winner’s photo’s in front of sparkling clean ride.

“Everybody always busts me because I wax it every week,” Cassidy said. “You can’t put anything on it because it slides right off. They say ‘That’s why it goes so fast.’ It’s just the certain things that I have to do. Every Friday night the car gets waxed and cleaned, 100 percent. It’s always been that way. Ever since I started I always say a clean car is a fast car. Something in my head, it’s a mojo thing.”

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Ryan Preece in victory lane at Monadnock Speedway (Credit: Fran Lawlor / NASCAR

Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. he showed he can close just as well.

Preece, of Berlin, held off Doug Coby to win the Whelen Modified Tour Monadnock 200 at Monadnock Speedway.

It was the fourth career victory in 70 Whelen Modified Tour starts for Preece dating back to 2007 and his first win since 2009. It was also his first win driving for team owner Eric Sanderson’s Flamingo Motorsports organization.

“It feels good,” Preece said. “We had the car to win tonight, I just had to do what I had to do and I did that and we got the job done. We’re ready to go with this team. I’m very fortunate to be with such a great great team.”

Coby, of Milford, was second and Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield third.

Preece replaced seven-time series champion Mike Stefanik with the team before the final race of the 2011 season. He won the pole in his first event with the team and subsequently won the first three poles of this season, in the process setting track qualifying records at Stafford Motor Speedway and Monadnock.

Preece led every lap on the way to victory.

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Saturday night he put that reputation aside momentarily in a fight to grab a checkered flag.

In a full contact battle over the final two laps, Smith came out on top of a dramatic duel with Dillon Moltz in the 30-lap Late Model feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

It was the first victory of the season for Smith, of Old Lyme. Moltz, of Waterford, held on for second and Rich Staskowski of Hope Valley, R.I. was third.

Smith said he took Moltz’s reputation as an aggressive driver into account when planning strategy for the final lap.

Smith lined up in the front with Moltz second for a restart with two laps remaining. Coming to the white flag Moltz, riding the outside lane, held the advantage slightly at the start-finish line. The two went door-to-door down the backstretch on the final lap.

In turn four Smith went up the track, keeping Moltz from getting a final run off the last corner. The two cars bounced fenders coming to the checkered flag, with Smith holding off the charge of Moltz. After the checkered flag Moltz ended up spinning in turn two.

“We kind of just had a little rubbing contact out there and luckily it paid off for us,” Smith said. “I wasn’t sure who was going to get it at the end. I just kept my foot into it until I crossed the [finish] line. I didn’t care which way I was going.”

Said Moltz: “I’m not really sure what was going on there. White flag lap, he did what he had to do. He just kept running me up, running me up. I don’t know what happened. He was sideways, I was up in the fence and I got wrecked after the start finish line.”

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Stoehr drove away from Randy Cabral over the closing laps to easily win the 30-lap Northeastern Midget Association Marvin Rifchin Trophy race at the NEMA’s 60th Anniversary celebration Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Stoehr, of Bridgewater, Mass., far behind leader Anthony Marvuglio when the caution flew with 17 laps left. Marvuglio suffered a flat under caution, giving Stoehr the lead.

“He was going good but I think I would have had something for Anthony tonight,” Stoehr said. “We would have needed a yellow, but we definitely had something for him.”

Cabral, of Plymouth, Mass., was second and John Zych Jr. of Liverpool, N.Y. third.

“We had a good car right out of the trailer tonight,” Stoehr said. “We changed one thing for the second practice and I changed it back. The track was right on for us. Best racecar I ever sat in here for us tonight.”

Said Cabral: “Greg was the class of the field. I knew I was a second place car.”

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For the fourth time in four events since Preece joined the Flamingo Motorsports team, Preece, of Berlin, captured the pole in qualifying, and for the second consecutive time he set a track record in the process.

Preece, of Berlin, toured the quarter-mile Monadock Speedway in 12.315 seconds (72.082 mph) Saturday in qualifying for tonight’s Monadnock 200, eclipsing the previous track record of 12.390 set by seven-time series champion Mike Stefanik in 1988.

It was the ninth career Whelen Modified Tour pole for Preece in 70 division events dating back to 2007.

Preece replaced Stefanik in the Eric Sanderson owned Flamingo Motorsports ride prior to the final event of the 2011 Modified Tour season and won the pole in his first event with the team at the season finale at Thompson International Speedway last October.

He opened this season by winning the pole for the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson on April 14. He followed that up by setting a track record in winning the pole for the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler 200 on April 28.

Doug Coby of Milford, winner of the Spring Sizzler at Stafford, was second in qualifying at Monadnock at 12.393 seconds (72.622 mph). Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield was third with a lap of 12.409 seconds (72.528 mph).

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That said, making a pass for the win on a restart with a broken transmission is the stuff of fantasy land dreaming.

Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway, Eric Berndt lived the fantasy in ultra-dramatic style.

Berndt, of Cromwell, passed Stafford’s all-time winningest driver – Ted Christopher - on a green-white-checker restart to win the 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the track.

“It’s real special,” Berndt said. “Anytime you can race Ted side-by-side, for the win on top of it, you could probably count on your hands how many times something like that has happened. To beat him, it’s like you’re racing in the [Sprint] Cup Series and you beat Dale Earnhardt. He’s the master here. Against Teddy, it’s special.”

It was the 11th career SK Modified victory for Berndt at Stafford, 84 fewer than Christopher’s all-time division leading 95 wins. Christopher, of Plainville, held on for second and Michael Gervais Jr. of Southbury was third.

Contact with another car about halfway through the event left Berndt nursing a faulty transmission that only had high gear. Somehow, Berndt was able to baby the car to the front and found himself lining up in second next to Christopher on the final restart.

“When we were second I said ‘Now what do I do?’” Berndt said. “I’ve got [Christopher] on the inside of me, the master of restarts. But we talked him into a little bit of a rolling start, and it kind of worked out more to our advantage than it did to his. I knew if I could stay to the outside of him getting into [turn] one, I’d have a pretty good shot. I never thought I’d clear him coming off of turn [two].”

Berndt led Christopher into the corner and had the lead all to himself coming off of turn two. Christopher had nothing for Berndt over the final lap.

“I knew he only had high gear so I was trying to roll it fast [to the restart] and I probably screwed myself that way,” Christopher said. “But if I’m going to lose to anybody, I like racing against Eric and all the guys on their crew. I drove for his grandfather so, they’re good guys. It was a good race all around. I had a good run one time I got by [Ryan Preece] on the outside so it seemed like the outside was the place to be.”

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Hill, of Stafford, held off challenger after challenger over five late restarts to win the 40-lap Late Model feature at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Mike Quintiliano of Shelton was second and Adam Gray of Belchertown, Mass. third.

It was the third career victory in the division for Hill, but first victory in the new car his family built during the offseason. It was the second event on the track for the car.

“Words can’t describe this,” Hill said. “We had the other car for years and it took us like three [years] to get a win. We’re out here for like two weeks and this car gets us to victory lane.”

The first 33 laps of the event went caution-free, with Jim Mavlouganes building a big lead on the field. On the restart after the first caution, Gray got under Mavlouganes coming out of turn four and briefly took the lead before Mavlouganes hit him and spun him out of the top spot. Mavlouganes was penalized for the incident, giving Hill the lead.

It lead to a mass of wrecks on the track, leaving Hill defending his lead to challenges from numerous drivers. In his first two career victories Hill had driven away from the field.

“This is probably the first that you could say we earned,” Hill said. “Every other one has been a half track ahead. We had the late race restarts this time. Put us through a test.”

Hill didn’t want to recount just what happened on the numerous late restarts.

“You try not to think so I don’t remember right now” Hill said. “I just keep it calm.”

Said Quintiliano: “He was running good. I couldn’t get him. I got up to him as close as I could but he was running a really good line, he was smooth.”

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On April 28 Wood won in his debut in the Limited Late Model division at Stafford. Friday the 17-year old from Palmer, Mass. kept stayed perfect in the division by driving away in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature.

Duane Provost of Springfield was second and Cory Casagrande of Stafford third.

Coming into the year, Wood was just thinking about getting acclimated to the new division after racing in Stafford’s DARE Stocks the last two years. Wood had seven victories in the DARE Stock over two seasons.

“I was just thinking about going out there and doing my best and having fun,” Wood said. “It feels awesome. I wasn’t expecting it. I was thinking maybe top-five’s or top-six. Not two wins in a row.”

Wood started seventh and took the lead on lap six after race leader Dennis Botticello was black flagged for leaking fluids.

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It was a trick, you know that old “Made ya look” kind of play on words that makes one wonder just what the story is really about it.

Today it’s no trick, no play on words. I’m not crying wolf.

By the time I was 15 years old I knew I wanted to be a sports reporter for a newspaper and for the last 18 years I got the chance to live out that dream at the Hartford Courant.

Now the time has to come to try to make another dream a reality.

I have accepted a buyout offer from the Hartford Courant and will be leaving the paper in the near future. My last day at the Hartford Courant has not been finalized yet, but it will most likely be near the end of this month.

For the last 15 years one of my main duties in The Courant sports department has been to cover the local auto racing scene in New England while also writing stories concerning national topics in motorsports. Over that time covering the sport has become more passion than work. Now I’m going to take that passion for covering the sport into a new venture that will make me part journalist and part small business owner.

In the not too distant future, hopefully within a month or so, I will be launching a new website devoted to motorsports that will have a focus on covering the New England racing scene. I’m excited and I’m terrified, but I know this, I can’t wait to pour myself into this project.

So that’s the news for now on the going forward part, and hopefully within the next couple weeks I’ll be able to share more details about exactly what the project will encompass and where people will be able to find it.

In September of 1993 I walked into the Hartford Courant’s Broad Street office as a wide-eyed college kid who had never before set foot in a real live working newsroom and I grew up there. In growing up I was molded by some of the greatest colleagues anyone could ever work with and built relationships – friendships – that will last for forever. I can’t believe I’m saying goodbye but the time has come to chase the next dream.

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Stafford’s new two-seat SK Modified made its on track debut recently at the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler and now fans will have the opportunity to get their chance to ride along in the car with legendary Modified driver Bob Potter at the wheel.

Stafford Speedway is offering fans three different packages for taking a ride in the car.

The first option is a practice ride along session for $50. The practice option will give a fan four laps on the track during practice at the Speedway.

The second option, for $75, will give a fan four laps around the track with Potter in between feature events during a race card.

The third option is the feature ride along. For $100 a fan can ride with Potter at the rear of the field during pace laps before the start of an SK Modified feature at Stafford. Safety gear will be provided by the track. Those interested in using their own safety gear must have it approved by Stafford officials. All participants must be at least 16 years old.

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Though Rocco proved that the car doesn’t have to be pretty to go to victory lane.

Rocco, of Wallingford, rallied in dramatic fashion from an early wreck and won the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday at Waterford.

Tom Abele Jr. of Norwich was second and Nichole Morgillo of Yalesville third. It was the fourth victory in six SK Modified division starts at the Speedbowl this year for Rocco.

Rocco came back after pitting to repair damage on lap 16 and dove deep under Abele going into turn one to take the lead with three laps left.

“I might have to clean a little mud up off the undercarriage, but, if there’s asphalt I’m going to use it,” Rocco said of the race winning pass that seemed to have the left side of his car in the infield grass. “I don’t think he knew it was coming. I think he blinked and I was there. I was working working the top, working the top and then coming down the front straightaway I knew [going to the bottom] was my opportunity.”

Abele seemed in disbelief by Rocco’s move after the event.

“When I saw Keith go in the pits I was super excited because I knew I had a shot [to win],” Abele said. “… With five [laps] to go I thought the race was mine. All of the sudden it was just a big black and orange blur that just knocked me and went by me. It’s like you can’t stop it. You can’t protect the bottom when I’m on the bottom lane and he’s using the grass and the apron to get by you.”

Rocco’s rear end was caved and his rear spoiler damaged when he got hit from behind during an early multi-car wreck in the event. After losing second place to Rob Janovic Jr. with 18 laps left, Rocco decided to head to the pits to try and make repairs.

“Anyone who says these rear spoilers don’t make a difference, they do,” Rocco said. “That’s all we did when we came in, we made a little bit of a spoiler adjustment, a little duct tape, and it was a night and day difference. The difference between third and fifth to me is no difference so I figured we might as well come in and try to at least make a win out of it.”

With six laps remaining Rob Janovic Jr. made contact with leader Tyler Chadwick, sending Chadwick spinning. Damage from the incident slowed Janovic also and put Abele into the lead.

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Last week, Ken Cassidy Jr. used a last lap pass to win the Mini Stock feature by half a second.

Saturday Cassidy kept his 2012 domination of the division going with another attention grabbing show.

Cassidy used some outside lane dramatics to pass Bill Leonard for the lead with five laps remaining and then held on to win the 25-lap Mini Stock feature.

It was the fifth victory in six events this year for Cassidy, of Lebanon.

“This car has been so awesome and the competitors have been so good,” Cassidy said. “Everybody is treating everyone with so much respect so we can actually put on a good race.

Leonard, of Wood River Junction, R.I., held on for second and Ray Christian III of Norwich was third.

“I’m coming from the back and we’ve put on a couple good shows here along the way,” Cassidy said. “That’s what the fans want. Nobody wants to see somebody stinking up the show every week. I’ve been to races and watched people just pull away and it stinks. But they’re making me work for it, they’re not giving them to me.”

It was the 36th career victory in the division for Cassidy.

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Falk has five victories in eight starts including seven top-five finishes thus far this season between three tracks.

After winning a 300-lap opener at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, the 24-year old Falk won twice at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., and also swept twin features at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va.

“Falk is racing with his third crew chief in as many seasons and it’s not slowing him down,” said Damien Sordelett, sports writer with the Danville (Va.) Register & Bee.

The NASCAR Hunter Index, which debuted in 2010, is a monthly poll that highlights standout performance for the previous month across NASCAR’s developmental divisions, which includes touring divisions and the weekly short track Whelen All-American Series.

Drivers are voted on by a panel that includes 14 media members from across North America and two representatives from NASCAR. Voters rank a top-15 each month with drivers being ranked with 15 points for first place, 14 points for second place through the list.

Falk edged NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver George Brunnhoelzl III at the top of the poll by three points. Brunnhoelzl has two wins in four Southern Modified Tour starts this year.

Falk earned five of the 16 first place votes in the poll. Five other drivers earned first place votes. Brunnhoelzl earned three first place votes. Thirty eight drivers earned at least one vote.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West points leader David Mayhew was third in voting with two first-place votes. NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Dirt modified driver Duane Howard from Grandview Speedway in Bechtesville, Pa. was fourth in the voting and had four first place votes. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader Ron Silk was fifth in the voting with one first place vote. Greg Pursley, coming off a win in the K&N Pro Series West, also had a first place vote and was sixth.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Brett Moffitt was seventh. Toby Porter (Greenville-Pickens Speedway/Whelen All-American Series), Chase Elliott (K&N Pro Series East) and Deac McCaskill (South Boston and Southern National Raceway Park, Kenly, N.C./ NASCAR Whelen All-American Series) rounded out the top 10.

Keith Rocco of Wallingford, who competes on the Whelen Modified Tour and also in an SK Modified at Stafford Motor Speedway and the Waterford Speedbowl, earned honorable mention status.

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Stafford Motor Speedway management decided Thursday that the Friday forecast calling for rain most of the day and evening was too much to go up against and decided to offer up an early cancellation to the opening Friday night show at the track.

Stafford Motor Speedway will now open its Friday night schedule on May 11 with the first of its Xtramart Xtra D programs. Friday’s card will see the Late Model division run 40 laps instead of their usual 30-lap distance.

Also on the card that night will be features for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modifieds, the SK Light Modifieds, the Limited Late Models and the DARE Stocks.

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