Worrell Wins the Holly 100: A Poignant Victory at Stafford

Stafford Springs, CT — The Holly 100 at Stafford Motor Speedway, round six of the Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series, was a poignant tribute to Holly Wenzlick, the late partner of longtime league member Matt Hoose. On a night where the community’s emotional bonds were on full display, the 100-lap event provided a masterclass in short-track strategy, tire management, and late-race drama.

The narrow and challenging bullring set the stage with a mandatory same-tire rule and a top-13 invert from the previous race. This placed Tom Hilbert on the pole, while dominant drivers James Lowe and Chris Worrell started on the sixth row. Matt Hoose, despite being the fastest in practice, started 18th due to the inversion.

When the green flag dropped, Hilbert seized the early advantage, leading the opening 27 laps before his tires eventually began to fade. John Wilson briefly took the lead before Kenny Allen, known as Papa Kenny, surged ahead for 23 laps.

As the race crossed the halfway point, the duo of Chris Worrell and James Lowe began a methodical march through the field. Using a “shake and bake” strategy, Lowe followed Worrell through traffic. By lap 61, Lowe—seeking his fourth consecutive win—caught Kenny Allen and took the race lead. Behind them, Adam Schoen and Ed Foster mounted a methodical charge as Lowe’s tires began to overheat.

In a surprising twist, Chris Worrell passed his teammate Lowe for the lead with 22 laps remaining. Lowe’s tires were spent, and he settled into a defensive role to protect Worrell from the charging Schoen and Foster. The race seemed destined to end under green until lap 98, when Adam Schoen spun after contact with Ed Foster, triggering a multi-car pileup and setting up a Green-White-Checkered finish.

On the restart, Chris Worrell executed a perfect jump to maintain the lead. Ruben Altice, who had recovered from an early-race spin, made a daring low-line move in the final turn to steal second place, narrowly edging out Ed Foster. Chris Worrell crossed the finish line to claim his first victory of the season, a win he dedicated to the Hoose family.

In a heartwarming finish, Matt Hoose successfully navigated the late-race carnage to finish in sixth place, having gained 12 positions from his starting spot. The night concluded with the BRL community reflecting on the strength of their virtual family and the memory of Holly Wenzlick.