A LOOK BACK AT THE 1994
STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY SEASON

By: Scott Running

1994 was the tenth season of the Stafford Motor Speedway / CARQUEST Auto Parts relationship. CARQUEST Auto Parts was once again the title sponsor of the CARQUEST 150 Whelen Modified Tour event for the sixth consecutive season as well as the CARQUEST 150 for the K & N Pro East Series, known then as the Busch North Series. The 1994 season was the second season of the CARQUEST Quest For Success Award. During the 1993 season, over $2,000 was paid out to competitors and another $2,000 plus was paid out during the 1994 season.

The Whelen Modified Tour made four stops to Stafford during the 1994 season with Mike Ewanitsko taking the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, Rick Fuller won the May TSI Harley-Davidson 150, Jeff Fuller was the winner of the August CARQUEST 150, and Wayne Anderson was the winner of the season ending CARQUEST Fall Final 150.

The SK Modifieds® entered their 13th season of competition with Bob Potter taking down his fourth career Stafford track championship. The race for the championship came down to Potter and Mike Paquette. Although Potter only won once during the year, he finished in the top-4 in 13 out of 14 starts and his worse finish of the season was a fifth place finish, which was consistent enough to score the track championship in his favor over Paquette. John Anderson and Mike Christopher were the big winners of the 1994 season with 4 wins each, while Paquette and Ted Christopher were the only other multiple feature winners of the year with 2 wins each. Single feature event wins were scored by Steve Chowansky, Tony Sylvester, and Potter.

The 1994 season was the 8th season of Late Model competition at Stafford and it was Jay Stuart taking the track championship ahead of defending track champion George Greco. The championship fight was a tight battle all season long, but the difference at season's end was Greco's three finishes of 20th or worse while Stuart had only 2 such races. Greco did everything he could do by winning the season ending CARQUEST Fall Final feature event, but Stuart finished the season ending race in second right behind Greco and locked up the championship. Larry Vassar was the big winner of the 1994 season with 4 feature wins, while Greco and Stuart each scored 3 victories. Rich Gautreau, Tom Fox, and Cliff Stakey each took home a single feature victory.

The ProStocks entered their fifth season of competition at Stafford Motor Speedway, with Dennis Doyle outlasting the quartet of Willie Hardie, Jim Mavlouganes, Tom Fearn, and Dave Etheridge. All five drivers were mathematically in the running for the championship at the season ending CARQUEST Fall Final. Etheridge had the best finish of the 5 with a third place finish, but Doyle finished 9th to lock up the championship in his favor. Doyle led the division with 3 feature victories, while Jeff Zuidema and Mavlouganes each won twice. Single event feature wins were scored by Etheridge, Bill Lauridson, John Zarotney, Mark Forino, Rick Fuller, and Rich Vasseur.

The 1994 season was the second year of competition for the DARE Stock division and Jeff Daggett, Ryan Posocco, and Homer Webb each won two races while Dean Casagrande and Chet Burdick each one a single race.