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| 07/23/2005 |
| Rain
halts 100-lapper at Stafford |
| By:
Matt Buckler , Journal Inquirer |
|
STAFFORD - The
SK Modified 100, presented by Coors Lite, quickly
became the SK Modified 34, presented by Noah.
Heavy rains and high winds at Stafford Motor Speedway
forced the SK 100 at to be postponed with 66 laps
remaining. When the rains came, Donny Lia had
the lead, with Willie Hardie in second. The race
will be completed next Friday prior to Staffford's
regular race program. Rain checks for the July
22 show will not be honored on July 29.
Before the track became flooded, however, Ed Ricard
of Stafford was able to enjoy the high water mark
of his career in the 30-lap Late Model feature.
He wrestled the lead away from Rick Lanagan with
three laps to go, and then fought off Lanagan
on a restart with two laps left to grab the victory.
"I was able to get underneath Lanagan and go,"
said Ricard, who has been competing in the Late
Models since 2000. "We did bang a little, but
when you're fighting for the lead, that's to be
expected. Rick is pretty good. I knew we would
be able to race clean."
In order to get to the lead, however, Ricard was
able forced to pull off some of the most aggressive
moves in his Late Model career. Earlier in the
race, with Lanagan trying to hold his ground against
Tom Fearn, who was second, Ricard saw that the
bottom groove was open. Ricard exploded into the
lead, but a yellow flag came out, putting Ricard
back out into second.
"I knew I couldn't get
by Lanagan on the outside," Ricard said. "So I
tried to get to the bottom groove as quickly as
I good."
When the race resumed. Ricard moved his car to
the bottom and then had the elbow room he needed
against Lanagan, who was fighting a loose car.
"In the past, our car has been good early in the
season, and then it's fallen off," Ricard said.
"But this year, the car is getting better as the
season goes along. We've found something. And
now this really gives me a boost.
Ricard grew up in the shadows of Stafford Motor
Speedway. His grandmother lived across the street
from the track, allowing Ricard to spend a lot
of time at the speedway.
But Friday he was able to visit a place he had
never been to before - victory lane.
"When
the spotter told me the bottom was open, I just
made a dive bomb move into the hole," Ricard said.
Even on a night filled with a downpour, that move
helped Ricard make the biggest splash of the night.
Tom Butler rallied past Lanagan on the final lap
of the night to take second.
"But I'm happy
for Ed Ricard," Butler said. "He's had a fast
car all year."
And he wasn't afraid to use that speed to pull
off the moves he needed to make.
The 20-lap Limited Late Model feature was dominated
by Mike Bennett of Stafford, who took control
on the second lap and was never seriously challenged
by Andrew Durand, who finished second.
The 15-lap DARE feature was also rained out, and
also will be made up on July 29.
30-lap Late Models: 1. Ed Ricard, Stafford; 2.
Tom Butler, Stafford; 3. Rick Lanagan, Stafford;
4. Craig Collins, Enfield; 5. Ryan Posocco, Stafford;
6. Mike Mordino, Waterbury; 7. Jim Peterson, Monson,
Mass.; 8. Rick Charette, Ellington; 9. Tom Fearn,
Springfield; 10. Scott Cook, Uncasville.
20-lap Limited Late Models: 1. Michael Bennett,
Stafford; 2. Andrew Durand, Chicopee, Mass.; 3.
Ed Charette, Plainville; 4. Kevin Ganbacorta,
Ellington; 5. Michael Young, Plamer, Mass.
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