June 3, 2019
Andrew Molleur Outduels Top SK Modified Drivers To Make History With First Career Stafford SK Victory A www.staffordspeedway.com release In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Troy Talman and Andrew Molleur ran side by side for the first lap dueling for the lead before Talman got clear on lap-2. Talman’s time out front was short as Cory DiMatteo pulled alongside Talman and had the lead by a nose at the line on lap-3. DiMatteo and Talman were still side by side on lap-5 when the caution came out for Joey Cipriano who got into the turn 2 wall. Talman took the lead with DiMatteo again pulling alongside in a fight for the lead but the field could only complete one lap as cars were 4-wide behind the lead duo with Tom Bolles spinning through the infield grass and Dan Wesson coming to a stop at the end of the frontstretch to bring the caution back out. Glen Reen spun on the restart with Michael Rutkoski also getting into the turn 3 wall to bring the caution right back out. Michael Christopher, Jr. was penalized to the rear of the field for contact with Reen. Talman took the lead back under green with Andrew Molleur and DiMatteo side by side for second. Keith Rocco was fourth and Stephen Kopcik was fifth. Tyler Leary spun on the infield to bring the caution out with 8 laps complete. Talman took the lead on the restart with Molleur taking second. Rocco and DiMatteo were side by side for third with Kopcik fifth. Rocco got clear into third on lap-11 with Kopcik moving into fourth. DiMatteo slid back to a side by side battle with Todd Owen for fifth. Molleur took the lead from Talman on lap-12 and that move opened the door for Rocco to get alongside Talman for second. Rocco got clear of Talman on lap-15 with Owen now in fourth and Kopcik in fifth with Molleur continuing to hold the race lead. Jeff Malave spun in turn 2 and collected David Arute to bring the caution back out with 16 laps complete. Molleur and Rocco ran side by side for the lead until lap-19 when Molleur got clear to the lead. Owen moved into second with Rocco falling back to third in line. Ronnie Williams was up to fourth with DiMatteo holding down fifth. Williams got by Rocco to move into third on lap-23 with Owen looking high and low for a way around Molleur for the lead. The fight for fifth place was heating up on lap-27 as DiMatteo was 3-wide with Michael Christopher, Jr. and Glen Reen with Reen taking fifth, Christopher sixth and DiMatteo falling back to seventh. With 10 laps to go, Owen was still giving chase to Molleur for the race lead with Williams third, Rocco fourth, and Reen fifth. Christopher spun coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution out with 36 laps complete. Christopher was given a one lap penalty by NASCAR officials for drawing the yellow flag. DiMatteo and Reen spun on the restart to bring the caution immediately back out. The next restart saw Molleur and Owen side by side for the lead with Rocco and Michael Gervais, jr. side by side for third. Molleur got clear to the lead on lap-39 with Gervais and Owen side by side for second and Rocco in fourth. Gervais was able to get to the outside of Molleur as they came to the white flag. The two cars ran side by side for the final lap and they were still side by side coming to the checkered flag. Molleur beat Gervais to the line by inches to lock down his first career SK Modified® feature victory. Owen finished third with Rocco and Matt Vassar rounding out the top-5. |
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