HODGDON WINS NAPA DUEL RACE FOR SIZZLER AT STAFFORD

Photo: Tom Morris

Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway kicked off its 2024 race season with the NAPA Auto Parts Duels as part of the 52nd Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend.  Feature races were held for Stafford’s weekly Late Model,  Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions along with two 40-lap NAPA Duel races that set the top-20 lineup for Sunday’s 100-lap NAPA Spring Sizzler® main event. Scoring wins in the two NAPA Duel races were Teddy Hodgdon and Ronnie Silk.  Weekly feature wins were scored by Darrell Keane in the Late Model feature, Matt Clement in the Limited Late Model feature, and Travis Hydar in the Street Stock feature.

In the first 40-lap NAPA Duel Race, Matt Swanson took the early lead at the drop of the green flag with Teddy Hodgdon quickly moving into second.  Michael Christopher, Jr. was third in line with Stephen Kopcik fourth and David Arute fifth.  Ronnie Williams took fifth from Arute on lap-4 and that allowed Doug Coby to follow him through and take over sixth and drop Arute back to seventh.

Hodgdon hounded Swanson until lap-15 when he was able to take over the lead with a pass going into turn 3.  Williams was now in third behind Hodgdon and Swanson with Christopher fourth and Coby in fifth.  Jon McKennedy was sixth followed by Eric Goodale, Justin Bonsignore, Woody Pitkat, and Arute.

At the halfway point, Hodgdon was still in command with Swanson, Williams, Christopher, and Coby giving chase.  McKennedy took fifth from Williams on lap-27 as Hodgdon continued to lead the race with Swanson, Christopher, and Coby behind him.

Hodgdon led the field to the checkered flag to win the first NAPA Duel and earn pole position for tomorrow’s NAPA Spring Sizzler® 100-lap main event..  Swanson finished second with McKennedy, Christopher, and Coby rounding out the top-5.