Red Light Racing at Langley

Red Light Racing
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 13 Race 2
Langley Speedway

January 16, 2025
by Tim Corder

Red Light Racing’s Skitter Creek SK Modifieds took to Langley speedway for its second race of Season 13. Twenty-six drivers took to the Langley’s essentially flat track under the lights Thursday night. In many ways the race seemed to be a sequel to last week’s event at New Smyrna as the two events shared similar themes, including Jeff Aho (#21) leading most of the early laps but ultimately not having a finish reflecting that performance. In the end, Brandon Feeney climbed 16 spots from his 17th place starting position to claim the win. Rounding out the top 5 were last week’s winner Bradley Stefane (#89), Eric Stout (#12), Brian Neff (#60), and TJ Henson (#62).

Repeating his starting position from last week, Aho was the class of the RaceDayCT.com starting grid, winning the pole with a 14.858 second trip around the 4/10 of a mile track. The remaining drivers making completing the top 5 starting positions were Brina Bianchi (#14), Fred LeClair (#71), Kenny Allen (#81), and Brian Neff (#60). As testament to how tumultuous the race would turn out, only Neff and LeClair would finish the race in the top 10.

Aho set the pace for a field leading 64 laps before spinning on a lap 68 following a restart. Aho and Neff were battling for the lead in turn when Aho seemed to slow to avoid contact with Neff. Leclair was close behind the slowing Aho, unable to slow in time, Leclair tapped Aho’s rear bumper sending Aho spinning as he did last week in front of the field. Aho would finish the night in 22nd.

As with last week, the race finished in extra innings, except with two green-white-checker attempts this week. The first GWC attempt had Brian Neff bring the field to the green with Brian Feeney restarting on Neff’s outside in second. Feeney jumped to the lead on the restart. Before the white flag could wave a pile-up happened behind the leaders when Kenny Allen contacted the back bumper of Donny Moore (#26), Moore then tapping the bumper of Andrew Massey #83, sending all three spinning and collecting several cars behind the initial melee.

As mentioned, Aho led the most laps of the race. As a result of the caution flag waving a total of 12 times, the pace car led the second most laps with 48 laps at the point under the yellow flag. Another repeat from last week was that none of the drivers escaped the battle with no incident points.

The hard charger of the race was Eric Stout, he gained 21 spots to finish 3rd from his 24th starting position. The fastest lap of the race was once again turned by Jeff Aho on his 44th lap around the circuit. Joining Aho, Neff, and Feeney was Fred LeClair who led one lap.

With the win, Brandon Feeney jumped 13 spots in the early championship standing to tie Stefane at the top of the standings. Eric Stout was also a big mover in the championship race, up 11 spots to tie for third with Allen and Higgins. 505 Motorsports leads the team standing by 16 points over BFee Motorsports.

The series turns to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on January 23rd. Virtual Grip Racing is broadcasting live all events this season, so, be sure to tune in for another action-packed race, green flag is scheduled to drop at 7:55 PM Eastern.

Red Light Racing at New Smyrna

Red Light Racing
Skitter Creek SK Modifieds
Season 13 Race 1
New Smyrna

By Tim Corder – January 9, 2025

Red Light Racing’s Skitter Creek SK Modifieds kicked off the first race of Season 13 with an action-packed 150 laps at New Smyrna Speedway. The race was a cornucopia of excitement including classic short track racing, a “Big One” that would make Talladega jealous, pit-strategy, and a green-white-checkered finish.

After a pole-winning 17.383 second qualifying lap Jeff Aho (#21) brought the RaceDayCT.com starting grid to the green-flag under the New Smyrna Speedway lights. Aho would continue to set the pace for much of the first two-thirds of the race, leading 72 of the first 100 laps. Aho’s night took a turn after he pitted during a caution on lap 98. Aho would rejoin the field in 12th, the last car on the lead lap, and he would gain 3 spots to finish the event in 9th.

Ultimately it was Bradley Stefane (#89) that would claim the first trophy of Season 13. After starting in 5th, Stefane would lead an impressive 53 laps of the event. Stefane also recorded the fastest lap of the race, completing lap 105 in just 17.354 seconds. Stefane passed Luke Allen (#6) on lap 101 following a restart and would keep the point for the remainder of the event.

The most memorable part of the night for many spectators, and drivers, likely was the massive lap 34 pile-up that appeared to involve every car in the field to some degree. The chaos was triggered when Aho and Eric Stout (#12) made contact in turn 2 while leading the field after a restart on lap 33. After the contact, the two leading cars turned sideways and blocked much of the backstretch leaving the already tightly packed field with essentially nowhere to go other than into each other. Searching for words to describe the melee announcer Soup Zahn summarized the scene in the best way possible, “It’s an octopus trying to put on its socks.” This kerfuffle, and other contact of much less magnitude, ensured that none of the 25 drivers would leave the event without incident points.

While Aho and Stefane led a combined 125 of the green-white-checker extended 151 laps, five other drivers lead at least one lap. The other leaders were Luke Allen and Eric Stout as well as Chris Haizlip (#93), Kenny Allen (#81), and Bruce Pearson (22).

Due in large part to the field-encompassing lap 34 pile-up, only 11 drivers would finish on the lead lap. Allen Wannamaker (#9) was the last car to finish on the lead lap, and the top ten finishers were Stefane, Rob Higgins , Kenny Allen, Bruce Pearson, Adin All-Vecchione, Fred LeClair, Chris Haizlip, Luke Allen, Aho, and Rex Hoyle.

With 4 bonus points for the win, Stefane left the event with 47 points. Higgins and Allen are tied for second in the points, each have 41 points after Season 13’s inaugural event. The series visits Langley Speedway Thursday, January 16th, with a 7:55 Eastern start. All the series races will be broadcasted live on Virtual Grip Network (VGN).