Stafford’s Late Model 50 Goes To Adam Gray

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. — Stafford Speedway returned to weekly racing action with the Late Model division taking center stage with their extra distance Paradiso Insurance Late Model 50 feature event. 

Adam Gray came up the big winner of the night by winning the Paradiso Insurance Late Model 50, his first ever extra distance feature win at Stafford.

The race started with Darrell Keane sliding through the infield grass right at the start and he collected the car of Matt Vassar in turn one to bring the caution out before a lap could be completed.

Zack Robinson took the lead at the start and he led the first lap before giving way to Tom Butler on lap two.  Jacob Perry was third in the early going with Andrew Durand fourth and Adam Gray fifth. Durand made a move to the inside of Perry on lap four to move into third and Gray followed him by Perry on lap five to move into fourth and drop Perry back to fifth. 

Kevin Gambacorta took fifth from Perry on lap six while Butler was slowly starting to pull away from Durand, who had gotten around Robinson on lap six to move into second. 

Gray went by Robinson on lap nine to take over third place and Gambacorta followed him by to take fourth and drop Robinson back to fifth place. Paul Varricchio dropped off the pace and came to a stop on the frontstretch access road to bring the caution flag back out with 15 laps complete.

Durand took the lead on the restart with Gray taking second to drop Butler from the lead back to third place.  Michael Wray was fourth in line with Perry in fifth. Tom Fearn took sixth from Gambacorta two laps after the restart while Gray nearly took the lead from Durand. 

Gray came right back on lap 19 but Durand was able to fend off that challenge as well to maintain the lead. Wray took third from Butler and Perry was now on the inside of Butler on lap 21 looking to take fourth place. 

Perry completed the pass in turn four and his move opened the door for Fearn to follow him by Butler and move into fifth and drop Butler back to sixth.

With 28 laps complete, the top three of Durand, Gray and Wray were in a nose to tail train fighting for the lead. 

Gambacorta began to charge his way back towards the front of the pack and on lap 38 he took fourth from Fearn while Durand was still leading Gray and Wray in a three-car train. 

Gambacorta was slowly lap-by-lap reeling in the lead trio and with eight laps to go, he was right on the back bumper of Wray for third place. Gray and Durand touched in turn four with Durand spinning to bring the caution out with 42 laps complete. 

Wray was sent to the rear of the field by Stafford officials for making contact with Gray who in turn made contact with Durand. This put Gray and Gambacorta on the front row with Fearn and Chris Meyer in row two for the lap-43 restart.

Gambacorta made a move to take the lead from Gray on the restart but a spin on the backstretch involving Butler, Wray and P.J. Zarrella brought the caution flag right back out before a lap could be completed.

Gray powered into the lead on the next restart with Fearn taking second. Keane was third with Robinson fourth and Gambacorta falling back to fifth. The field completed one lap before the caution came back out for a spin into the turn one wall by Durand.

Gray again took the lead back under green with Robinson taking second. Keane took third on lap 44 with Wayne Coury Jr. fourth and Gambacorta went by Fearn to take fifth and drop Fearn back to sixth. 

Butler and Varricchio both spun in the middle of turns three and four to bring the caution back out with 46 laps complete and set up a four-lap dash to the finish. 

Under the caution, Fearn brought his car to pit road where his crew put a new left front tire on his car. 

Gray took the lead on the restart with Keane taking second and Gambacorta third.  Coury was up to fourth with Perry taking fifth as Robinson slid back to sixth. 

Gray led Keane to the checkered flag to win the Paradiso Insurance Late Model 50, his second win of the season. Gambacorta finished third with Coury and Perry rounding out the top-five. 

R.J. Marcotte used a dominating drive to capture his first career SK Modified win in the 40-lap feature, George Bessette, Jr. was a winner for the second consecutive race in the SK Light feature, Matt Clement scored the Limited Late Model feature win and Travis Hydar was a winner for the fifth time in 2023 in the Street Stock feature.