STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. — Open Modified cars returned to Stafford Motor Speedway for their second of five visits of the season on Friday night for the Call Before You Dig Open 81.
Glen Reen slowly worked his way to the front and spent the majority of the second half of the race in the lead as he scored his first Open Modified win at Stafford.
Teddy Hodgdon and Marcello Rufrano brought the field to the green and they took turn swapping the lead over the first two laps before Hodgdon got clear to the lead on lap three. Jeff Gallup spun through the turn one infield to bring the caution flag out with three laps complete.
Ronnie Williams took the lead on the restart but he got loose on lap five, which allowed Hodgdon to retake the lead, but the caution flew for Anthony Bello, which negated the pass by Williams.
Williams and Hodgdon battled for the lead on the restart and after a lap of side-by-side action, Williams took the lead on lap six. Reen and Hodgdon battled for second but Reen dove to the inside of Williams on lap seven to charge into the lead.
Joey Cipriano followed him by Williams to move into second and Woody Pitkat took third to drop Williams back to fourth with Hodgdon in fifth.
Cipriano made a move to get to the inside of Reen on lap 20 to move to the front of the field.
Pitkat was still third in line with Williams and Rufrano making up the top five.
With the race nearing the halfway point, Reen was applying heavy pressure to the bumper of Cipriano as the two lead cars had pulled away from Pitkat in third.
Reen took the lead from Cipriano on lap 41 before Rufrano spun coming out of turn two to bring the caution out with 44 laps complete.
Under the caution all cars came to pit road for two fresh tires and adjustments.
Cipriano took the lead on the restart while Pitkat shot into second and nearly took the lead. Pitkat and Reen ran side-by-side for a lap in the fight for second before Reen got clear on lap 46.
The caution came back out with 51 laps complete for Bessette and Artie Pedersen, who got into the turn four wall.
Cipriano took the lead on the restart but his lead only lasted one lap as Reen went back to the front on lap 53. Pitkat moved into second to drop Cipriano back to third, just in front of Williams and Hodgdon.
Hodgdon took fourth from Williams on lap 55 while Reen was starting to stretch out his lead over Pitkat. Cipriano made a move to the inside of Pitkat on lap 57 but backed out of the move and fell back to fourth. Hodgdon went by Pitkat on lap 58 to move into second while Reen continued to lead.
With five laps to go, it was still Reen leading Hodgdon with Pitkat in third.
Reen led Hodgdon to the checkered flag to win the CBYD 81. Pitkat finished third with Arute and Cipriano rounding out the top five.
Feature Finish (81 Laps)
1) Glen Reen, Belchertown, MA, 2) Teddy Hodgdon, Danbury, 3) Woody Pitkat, Bellingham, MA, 4) David Arute, Tolland, 5) Joey Cipriano, Plymouth, 6) Ronnie Williams, Ellington, CT, 7) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, NY, 8) Craig Lutz, Center Island, NY, 9) Buddy Charette, Dracut, MA, 10) Jeff Gallup, Feeding Hills, MA Anthony Bello, Newtown, CT, 11) Joey Mucciacciaro, Wolcott, 12) Nick Anglace, Seymour, 13) Austin Bessette, Stafford Springs, 14) Todd Owen, Somers, 15) Matt Gallo, Berlin, 16) Artie Pedersen, Center Moriches, NY. 17) George Bessette, Jr., Danbury. 18) Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon. 19) Marcello Rufrano, North Haven, 20) Devin O’Connell, Madison, 21) Anthony Bello, Newtown