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04/28/2012 |
PREECE OPENS
SIZZLER WEEKEND WITH TRACK RECORD
by
Polly Reid |
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Ryan
Preece of Berlin, CT in the Eric Sanderson owned
Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford scored big
today turning a 17.924 second lap setting a new
track record at Stafford Motor Speedway and will
lead the 28 car field to green for the NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler
Sunday afternoon. Preece bested the time of 19.965
set by Bobby Santos two years ago at this event.
Corey LaJoie of Concord, NC clocked in second
fastest with Eric Berndt of Cromwell, CT third, Mike
Stefanik of Coventry, RI fourth and Justin
Bonsignore of Holtsville, NY fifth.
"To get the record here, we won the SK Championship
here last year, it's the first time here with the 16
together, I mean we knew we would have something
good, but this is pretty cool. Sly and the whole
team, they've been working really hard, we've been
geling really well, we've just been having fun and
when you have fun, usually good things happen.
Hopefully we can keep having fun, win some races
because that's what counts."
Excited about getting three poles in the last three
races would be an understatement. "I knew what the
track record was, I have since before I was in the 3
car, it feels good to do this." Preece scored the
pole at the season opening NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour race at Thompson two weeks ago which is right
where he left off in the season finale taking the
pole award at the World Series last October.
"This is great," said Sly Szaban, crew chief of the
pole winning modified, "Everyone is flying high
right now."
Third generation driver Corey LaJoie made use of the
experience around him to help him adjust to the half
mile CT oval. "It's not me, it's the car, it's a
good car, it makes the learning curve much less
steep," LaJoie said about his first trip to
Stafford. "Ronnie Silk showed me around this
morning, I followed him in practice. My dad is his
godfather so we grew up pretty much like cousins,
he's been helping me out all day. Little pointers
here and there from Teddy (Christopher) and Mike
Stefanik, they really helped me out, then I put
together a lap I thought was pretty smooth - we
backed up what we did in practice. Tomorrow, we'll
see what we got." For LaJoie, it will be select
events on the Tour - the next trip north could be one
of the Thompson shows.
Donny Lia will roll off the grid sixth with Doug
Coby seventh, defending NWMT Champion Ron Silk
eighth, rookie contender Keith Rocco and Jimmy
Blewett the top ten.
Grandstands open up at 10am tomorrow for the pit
party at 11am. Action starts at 1pm with the SK
division, late models then the NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler which
is scheduled to roll off at approximately 3pm.” |
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Source: Polly Reid / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: April
28, 2012 |
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