Eric Berndt took the checkered flag in the 40-lap SK Modified Spring Sizzler feature at Stafford.
The win was the first of 2019 for Berndt, and the 21st SK Modified victory of his career at Stafford.
Berndt was followed by Todd Owen, Michael Gervais Jr, Ronnie Williams, and Tyler Hines.
Rounding out the top-10 were Matt Galko, Marcello Rufrano, Nick Salva, Mike Christopher Jr, and Dan Avery.
After Berndt took the lead from Hines on lap six, he did not surrender the lead. Owen got close to the back of Berndt’s modified, but was never able to get alongside.
“We just got loose through the last 10 [laps] and didn’t have much for him,” Owen said. “We were a little better than him the middle of the race and he was better at the end.”
For the second straight week, there were numerous cautions throughout the feature, with seven yellow flags falling in the first 16 laps. Last week’s winner Keith Rocco slammed into the turn four wall hard on lap eight.
“It felt like it took forever,” said Berndt of the seemingly endless run of yellow flags. “When you’re leading [caution laps], those feel like forever… Once we got green again, the car was really getting better every lap.”
The elder statesman of the Stafford SK Modified division certainly proved Saturday afternoon that there’s plenty left in the tank.
The full results can be found below:
- Eric Berndt
- Todd Owen
- Michael Gervais Jr.
- Ronnie Williams
- Tyler Hines
- Matt Galko
- Marcello Rufrano
- Nick Salva
- Mike Christopher Jr.
- Dan Avery
- Glen Reen
- Joseph Cipriano III
- Stephen Kopcik
- Matt Vassar
- Andrew Molleur
- Edward Spiers
- Tony Membrino Jr.
- Tyler Leary
- David Arute
- Troy Talman
- Jeff Malave
- John Catania
- Michael Rutkoski
- Cory DiMatteo
- Keith Rocco
- Thomas Bolles
- Chris Jones
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Paul Lambert is an aspiring collegiate journalist. A writer and broadcaster, Paul's excited to cover New England short track racing in 2022. Paul has also been published in the Boston Herald, Speedway Illustrated and on Autoweek.com.