On lap-6 Kyle Casagrande moved by Cook and he brought Cory Casagrande and Jeff Jolly with him past Cook. On lap-11, Hayes moved to the inside of Saunders to take over the race lead. One lap later, Membrino also moved past Saunders to drop him back to third. Kyle Casagrande was fourth and Jolly was fifth. Cory Casagrande cut down a tire and found the turn 3 wall with 13 laps complete to bring out the caution and set up a green white checkered finish.

Hayes took the lead on the restart and he led the final 2 laps to score his second win of the 2010 season. Albert Saunders finished second, with Kyle Casagrande, Jolly, and Membrino rounding out the top-5

8/8/10 With the Modified Tour in town there were no heats for the weekly divisions. Feature line up was handicapped by top fifteen in points giving us a seventh starting position. During the first few laps field was all bunched up with little room to get by anyone. On lap four cars directly in front of us spun and we caught our right front on the 02 car. Damage to the right front meant we would be worried about the tire rub on the fender for the rest of the event. After the restart our car was moving up and was running side by side with the  #7 coming off turn four when Kyle got into us. It wasn't till after the race we found how hard this hit actually was with the right rear wheel and axle tube bent. We found ourselves running in sixth until the caution flew on lap fourteen. This put us on the outside for the green white checker finish. Two cars got by us on the bottom on the restart and with only two laps to go we had to settle for a disappointing 8th place finish. Car has been fast but we seem to have run out of the good luck we enjoyed the first half of the season. 

8/2/10 Double features. This weeks show had the DARE Stocks running two features to make up the rained out show from July 16th. In the first feature the #6 started ninth. For the most part we followed the #2 car up through the field. The #2 took the lead with our car in second until the caution flew with two to go. Starting outside on the restart it looked like we would end up finishing fourth with cars on the bottom getting under us. On the last lap the cars we were battling for second got together and we got by to get the spot back and finish second.

With no heats for the DARE cars, second feature line up was by points. Starting eighth car was fast  moving up to fifth and  catching the lead cars. About halfway we were under the #92 when our right rear fender was hooked by their rub rail and almost torn off the car. The Speedway let us continue racing with the hanging fender for about three laps when the caution came out for another incident. While under caution we were black flagged for the loose sheet metal. Unfortunatly what would have been two top fives for the night was not to be. The #6 finished sixteenth.

7/24/10 Rain again. The show this Friday was canceled due to the heavy rain that came through the area. We will be running the make up from July 16th as well as our weekly feature Friday night July 30th. We'll use this week to prepare some spare parts.

7/20/10 First rain out of the season for the Dare Stock division last Friday. We did complete our heat races before the rain came, starting and finishing sixth. Car is running and working well but with the cars in front of us running side by side for the five lap heat it made little sense to push the issue. With seven cars per heat qualifying for handicapped positions we will be starting ninth in our rained out feature that will be added to the show this Friday. 
In case your wondering how the handicapping system works. If you qualify in the heat to be handicapped, usually first six or seven positions per heat. Then you start the feature by last three weeks money won. The driver with most money won in the previous three weeks starts in the last handicapped position up to the driver with the least money won the previous three weeks on the pole. That is basically how it works, although there are a few other variables such as missing a week or not being able to run due to mechanical trouble.

7/12/10 Another rough night for the #6. Last Friday starting sixth in the heat the #6 finished in fifth. The handicapping formula gave us a thirteenth starting position for the feature. Andrew was working up through the field and the car looked like it was headed to the front. On lap four our night ended with a incident that took the left front fender off and damaged the left front suspension. Andrew pulled the car in and we finished eighteenth. Our worst finish of the season dropped us from fourth in points to a tie for sixth. We'll be back this week trying to make up some lost ground.
 
Saturday we brought the car to the Enfield Resources for Children Soap Box Derby. Although the rain came in buckets for a time the event was a success. Chris and Mary Howland from our sponsor Howland & Sargent Insurance do a great job along with all the volunteers to bring the fun of racing to the kids.

7/4/10 Rough night for the #6. Night started off well with fast times in warmups. In the heat the #6 started sixth and finished forth. Starting ninth in the feature car was fast and moving steadily up through the field. On lap five we were passing on the outside as the bottom line was bumper to bumper. Going through turn one car on our inside was driven into by the 23 and sent up the track spinning our car. The right front of the car made contact with the wall but was able to continue. Moving back up through the field we got together with the 92 off turn two bringing out the caution and restarted in the rear again. In the last few laps we managed to pass four or five cars to finish fourteenth. Not the best night but at least the chassis is still straight. See you next week!

6/26/10 1st 2010 Win! During this weeks warmups car had a serious push and after making adjustments it was on to the  heats. After starting forth in the heat we finished in fifth. Car was still a little tight so we made an additional adjustment and hoped it would cure the problem for the feature. Starting fourth in the feature Andrew was able to get the car to the bottom quickly and move into second.  
As posted on www.staffordspeedway.com In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, the field completed one lap before the caution came out for Kaitlyn Brice who hit the backstretch wall and Nick Salva, who spun. Vinny Gambacorta took the lead and he led the first 4 laps before giving way to Andrew Hayes on lap-5.

Hayes' pass opened the door for Stephen Daddio, Cory Casagrande, Kyle Casagrande, and Tony Membrino, Jr. to all get by Gambacorta. The top-5 cars then ran in line until the caution came back out with 10 laps complete for debris on the track.

Hayes took the lead on the restart with Kyle Casagrande taking second. Membrino moved into third, with Cliff and Albert Saunders moving into fourth and fifth. The caution came back out with 13 laps complete for a spin by Kristen Bonaiuto in turn 1.

Kyle Casagrande took the lead on the restart, but Hayes hung tough in the outside groove and he powered back into the lead on lap-14. Hayes and Casagrande ran side by side for the final lap, with Hayes taking the checkered flag by a half car length to take his first victory of the 2010 season. Kyle Casagrande finished second, with Membrino, Albert Saunders, and Jeff Jolly rounding out the top-5.

Great night for Hayes Racing Group securing our first 2010 win.

6/20/10  A sixth in our heat Friday night gave us a fourth starting position for the feature. In the feature it took a few laps for the front of the field to sort out and we battled the 92 to take the lead for one lap before the 64 got by after running us hard into turn three. The battle for second was three wide for a half lap and after the restart on lap seven we found ourself running in fifth. On the last lap the 2 and 00 got together and came out of turn two high, Andrew was able to get by and hold off the 7 to finish in third. A good night for the #6 with little damage to the car. 


Saturday the #6 went to the Enfield Public Library Truck Day we had a great time letting the kids get behind the wheel.
Thank you to Lisa Ellis Childrens Services Director for the invitation to attend.


As posted on www.staffordspeedway.com In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Stephanie Berardi moved by Donald Cook on the first lap and took the race lead. Cook fell back quickly as Andrew Hayes moved into second and Jeff Jolly into third. Don Wood was fourth with Josh Wood and Cory Casagrande dueling for fifth.

Jolly got kicked to the high side and he fell back several spots. Berardi held the lead until lap-6 when Hayes moved to the front of the pack. But his lead was short-lived as Don Wood took the lead on the very next lap. The cars of Berardi and Josh Wood made contact and spun into the wall coming off turn 4 to bring the caution out with 7 laps complete.

Don Wood charged into the lead on the restart with Tommy Membrino, Jr. getting by Cory Casagrande for second. Jolly was now fourth with Hayes back in fifth place. Cory Casagrande quickly moved back by Membrino to take over second.

The car on the move was Kyle Casagrande, who restarted in 12th on lap-8 and he was right behind Hayes in sixth place on lap-12. Hayes and Casagrande would both get by Membrino and Jolly, but it was all Don Wood at the front and he nailed down his second win of the 2010 season. Cory Casagrande finished second, with Hayes, Kyle Casagrande, and Membrino rounding out the top-5. 

6/13/10 Lucky to finish. Starting 4th in this weeks heat we were running sixth when with two to go Andrew got under the 51 trying to make the pass for fifth. Josh didn't know he was there and squeezed us down. Instead of wrecking two cars Andrew cranked it left and spun. Ending the heat with a seventh meant another week of starting the feature in the rear.
14th on the outside for the feature. There was so much happening in this race I could never remember all the details. So stay tuned to youtube for the video from kris 7717. I do know early in the race our right side sheet metal was pushed in from the number back causing a tire rub. We were in the stands hoping the right rear would make it. The #6 moved up steadily through the field and was running around eighth with about four to go when the 51 and 04 got together right in front of us. We made contact with the rear of the 04 but were able to get by and finish the race with another sixth placed finish.
After coming back to the trailer there was minor damage to the nose but it sounded like the electric fan was hitting the radiator. After removing the hood we found out why. When getting into the rear of the 04 a corner of the rear bumper cover must have jumped over our front bumper. Transmission cooler was smashed but not leaking and the radiator was twisted back about 4 inches on the top right side. Lucky to finish.   

6/8/10 Last Friday night the #6 started out with a heat race win. The luck of the draw put us starting fifth in the feature. After working up to third at one point the ensuing restarts put us on the outside and falling back close to the rear of the field. In the closing laps the #6 was able to move up through the field to a sixth place finish. This was one of those nights when you wish there were another five laps. 


5/30/10  Great job by Crew Chief Alex Hayes setting up the car!
This week with the Modified Tour in town there were no heat races for the weekly Stafford divisions. A schedule change moved the DARE Stocks to the first feature of the night. Starting the feature in the fourth starting position Andrew made the pass for third when the caution flew, with the lap not being completed it was back to fourth for the restart. After holding his own for two restarts on the outside the car was back up to third after the 72 had a problem under the hood. With three to go the 2 got under us allowing the 7 to follow putting us back to fifth. With two to go the two cars up front 51 and 99 got together and both spun, we had to slow allowing the 00 to get by. On the final lap the 00 dove under the 2 and the 6 was able to follow him and salvage a podium finish by beating Jeff back to the checker by a bumper cover.
You can watch this weeks race by using this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekGLSoEAU5E  Video by Kris7717 crew member of Fluckiger Racing.


As posted on www.staffordspeedway.com In the 15-lap DARE Stock feature event, Josh Wood took the lead at the green flag with Nick Salva moving into second behind him. Stephanie Berardi, Andrew Hayes, and Steve Daddio rounded out the top-5 behind Wood and Salva. Two caution periods in the first 4 laps slowed the action as Don Wood, Donovin Secore, and Kyle Casagrande spun with 2 laps complete and Kelsey Rottino spun with 4 laps complete.

As the field took the restart on lap-5, Salva's great run came to an end as his car billowed smoke from under the hood and brought the yellow back out. Wood continued to lead back under green with Daddio moving into second ahead of Hayes, Cliff Saunders, and Jeff Jolly. Kaitlyn Brice spun with 7 laps complete to bring the caution back out. Wood was again the leader back under green with Daddio in second. Hayes was now third with Jolly and Saunders behind him. Kyle Casagrande was the car on the move, as he restarted 8th and quickly worked his way up to fifth on lap-10.

The race changed on the final lap as Wood and Daddio came together while racing for the lead and the win and both cars spun in turn 2. The race stayed green and Casagrande was able to move by Jolly and he came back around to take the checkered flag ahead of Tony Membrino, Jr., Hayes, Jolly, and Cory Casagrande.
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5/23/10 A better week. After warmups we found ourselves starting sixth in the heat. Andrew ended up getting stuck on the outside and with only a five lap heat finished in eighth. With the eighth place heat finish we did not get a preferred handicapping starting position for the feature. Starting sixteenth in the feature he managed to get a car that was a hand full getting into the corners up to seventh when the caution flew with about six to go. Since the lap was not completed after making the pass for seventh we were restarted in eighth on the outside again. On the restart we fell back to tenth and even though car was fast enough to move up there was no room with cars ahead of us racing side so we settled for a tenth place finish. After the race we discovered the sway bar had tightened up considerably which probably accounts for the ill handling getting into the corner. Alex and the crew will be looking into the cause. Modified Tour is in town this Friday so it will be a completely different track from last week with Mod. Tour rubber being laid down.
You can watch this weeks race by using this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbuiHcEEZGE  Video by Kris7717 crew member of Fluckiger Racing.


5/15/10 This one hurt. This week started off fine with a sixth in our heat race putting us near the front for the feature.
In the feature car was handling well and moved into fifth from our seventh starting spot by the third lap, but on lap four the fun was over. The 64 car had something break in the throttle coming out of turn four and got into the rear of our car spinning us in front of the rest of the field. As the car rolled backwards into the infield the 13 trying to avoid the incident hit us square in the right rear wheel. We ended up with a fourteenth place finish and our first and hopefully last DNF of the season. Rear end housing center section is broken, so we'll have to build a rear as well as repair the body and bumper damage on three corners of the car. It will be a busy week in the 6 garage. We would also like to send out a thank you to the 99 DARE Stock team of Stephen Daddio for their help the past few weeks. 
You can watch this weeks race by using this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXppfK8Rbt8  Video by Kris7717 crew member of Fluckiger Racing.

5/9/10 Friday night the #6 secured another top ten finish. The heat race was uneventful up until the last 200 feet coming to the checker when the 51 car lost control and came down into our car causing a lot of damage to the right side from the front bumper to the rear quarter. With the 100 lap Late Model event before our feature we had sufficient time to make repairs. Replacing the right front tire, wheel and upper ball joint as well as removing and straightening the front fender and door. After repairs checking the front suspension measurements nothing appeared out of order and we were ready for the feature. Starting 7th and the event running flag to flag we gained one position to finish 6th, our third top ten this season. Not a bad night with the crew doing excellent job to get the car ready after the heat race incident.

5/3/10 The Friday night opener was an extra distance 20 lap feature for the DARE Stocks. The night started off well in warm ups after Alex took half the wedge adjustment made last week out of the car. Car was comfortable loose according to Andrew. Started our heat on the outside second row and finished third. For the feature we had a second row inside starting position, but with the #8 pole position car having a radiator problem the #6 moved up to the pole. The 6 was in the lead and on lap three the entire field stack up behind us and we had a half straightaway lead. The 7 car was eating away at our lead when the caution flew. Andrew maintained the lead on restart until a second caution when the 7 got by on the restart. Andrew raced Kyle side by side on the outside for two laps before falling in behind him and running to the end for a second place finish. Great job by the driver and crew!

Saturday we displayed the car at the North East Regional Chili Cook Off. Thanks to everyone that stopped by and thanks "Mad" Mike for inviting us again this year.

    

4/26/10 This weeks opening race the Spring Sizzler ended with a top ten finish for the #6. We lived with the transmission problem for the weekend only having high gear so we suffered on the starts and restarts. That problem was fixed as soon as the car got back to the shop Sunday morning. We should gain some starting speed for our next event the Friday night opener April 30th. In this weeks heat race we did well with a second place finish after starting on the pole. We drew a fifth place starting position for the feature and Andrew was running about sixth when the caution flew. On the restart we were in the outside row and four cars got by before he could get the #6 back to the bottom. In the closing laps we were able to get by one car for a ninth place finish. The Sunday portion of the Sizzler was rained out and is rescheduled for Sat. May 1st with the Late Models, SK Modifieds and Modified Tour running their events. Since the Late Models and SK Modifieds will be running Saturday they will not be in Friday Nights show. The three divisions for Friday nights show will be the DARE Stocks, Limited Late Models and SK Lights. All three divisions will have their normal feature lengths extended and reduced admission prices. Visit www.staffordspeedway.com for details.   

4/23/10 The 6 Car opens the 2010 season at this weekends Spring Sizzler. We have had a 1st gear transmission problem throughout our practice sessions and we're working with John from Berardi Transmissions to fix the problem. The car is handling well after a lot of changes to the set up over the off season. Andrew is happy with the car so Alex decided to put the car away for the day after two practice runs. Tomorrow we'll see how we stack up against the competition in the first heat and feature races of the season.

3/26/10 Welcome FIVE GUYS BURGERS and FRIES of Enfield, Avon, Farmington and Middletown to the team. 
If you want great burgers and fries made from the freshest ingredients you won't be dissapointed.
Stop in and see for yourself!

3/5/10 Hayes Racing Group announces Asnuntuck Community College as a partner for the 2010 season.
Thank you to all the staff at Asnuntuck for the opportunity to promote a local college that offers a quality education in an accessible, affordable, and nurturing environment.  Asnuntuck Community College information can be found on the college website www.acc.commnet.edu , by calling 860-253-3000 or visiting the campus conveniently located at 170 Elm St. Enfield, CT.