(Stafford Springs, CT)---After exiting the 2012 season with uncertainty about his plans for the 2013 SK Modified® season at Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford Springs native Michael Bennett will team up with the Skowyra family to drive their #50 Flamingo Motorsports entry. 

“We talked with Michael last year about this year, and he’s been in touch with us several times so far this winter, and we were able to make a deal that works out great for both him and us,” said crew chief Adam Skowyra. "We’re looking to start the year off with some top-10 runs and if we can do that, hopefully we can turn that into some top-5 runs.  Michael has won in every division he’s raced in at Stafford and I think if Michael and I are able to quickly learn one another, we can be pretty good.  Everyone on the crew is excited, we’re all looking to have a great year, and it’s nice for us to have a plan for the season.”

“After last year, I was going to get out of racing to an extent,” said Bennett.  “I was planning on putting racing aside for a while and focus on more time with my son, but this deal came about with Adam that was worth pursuing.  We met and what he was asking for me to bring and what I was able to provide to the team worked out perfectly for me to be able to continue racing.  Adam is going to work on the car and I’ll be able to focus on just driving the car, which is nice for me to get back to the team role I had when I was driving for Davidson.”

Since Bennett began racing at Stafford late in the 2001 season, he has accumulated 23 feature wins, including a victory in only his fourth start in the DARE Stock division.  Bennett has won 14 races and the track championship in the Limited Late Model division in 2005, he has won 5 Late Model features from 2007-2010, and he has 4 DARE Stock victories from 2002-2004.  Bennett’s best finish in 3 seasons of SK Modified® competition has been a 9th place effort this past August, but he is looking to better that mark this year behind the wheel of the #50 car.

“I’m real excited for the season, Adam and his family have real good equipment,” said Bennett.  “With the SK’s, it takes a lot of time and effort and we just weren’t able to do that this year.  Obviously we want to win, but our expectations are that it won’t happen right away.  The SK’s are such a tough division, everyone is really good.  It’s hard to expect to win if you haven’t won a race yet, so we’re looking to start the season off with a strong Spring Sizzler and take things one week at a time.  I used to have the feeling that every time I showed up at the track I felt like I could win and beat the guys on the track and I want to get that feeling back.”

Bennett says that the key to his 2013 season will be integrating with not only a new team, but a new car.

“The key for this year is going to be me working with Adam and his father and giving them good feedback so they know what kind of adjustments that I’m looking for with the car.  They have a Troyer chassis car where my car was a CD chassis, so I’m not sure what to expect.  As long as it has four wheels and turns left we should be ok.  They haven’t won yet and I haven’t won yet in the SK Modified® division, but who knows what the future holds?”

The #50 car that Bennett will drive will carry sponsorship from Flamingo Motorsports, Les’s Auto Center, H+B Siding, Start/Finish Motorsports, and B.A. Muzio. 

The 2013 season will kick off with the 42nd Annual CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler on April 26-28.  Tickets for the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring” may be ordered by calling the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is $42.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. 

For more information on the 42nd Annual CARQUEST TECH-NET Spring Sizzler®, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.co

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