Stefanik said the team was planning to make a driver change for 2012 so he decided it was time to go.

“I guess they’re going to make a change so make a change,” Stefanik said. “It just wasn’t working out for everybody. It just wasn’t working.

For Keith Rocco of Wallingford on Sunday, the number 13 didn’t mean anything dreadful, but rather represented the exclamation point on a season of total domination at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Rocco easily left all challengers deep in his rearview on the way to winning the Finale Weekend 50-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the Speedbowl.

It was the 13th victory in 23 SK Modified events this year at Waterford, extending once again his record for SK Modified division wins in a season.

Kelly, of New London, inherited the lead when Panaroni was black flagged with 11 laps remaining and went on to win the 50-lap Northeast Mini Stock Tour feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Emerson Cayer of Contoocook, N.H. was second and Ken Cassidy Jr. of Lisbon was third.

Ladyga’s father, Jim Ladyga was suspended indefinitely by the track for his involvement in the same altercation.

Speedbowl race director Scott Tapley said Nick Ladyga and Jim Ladyga approached 16-year old Legends driver Troy Talman of Oxford, Mass. in the pit area at the track following the Legends race at the track last week.

One thing Thompson International Speedway officials know is that driver Joe Coates won’t be putting on any full moon displays at their track when they return to action for the World Series of Speedway Racing Oct. 14-16.

Coates exposed his rear end to fans in the grandstand during the Limited Sportsman feature at the track Thursday.

Thompson Speedway officials made the decision Friday to suspend Coates, a driver in their Limited Sportsman division, indefinitely.

Rocco limped to a 12th place finish of 16 cars in Thursday’s 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at Thompson and the finish proved enough for the Wallingford driver to edge Ryan Preece of Berlin for the division title.

Rocco, who ended up four laps down from race winner Woody Pitkat, beat Preece by six points in the final standings.

“As much bad luck as tonight was we still had enough good luck to save us,” Rocco said.

But that doesn’t mean that Sanderson isn’t pondering a big change for his operation in 2012.

Sanderson said Sunday that no decision has been made concerning the future of seven-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Mike Stefanik behind the wheel of his car, but also said that the pair typically don’t make any decisions about what they will do the next year until the end of the season.

The disqualification of multiple front running Late Model competitors from Sunday’s Late Model feature, reported by The Courant Sunday night, was made official by the track on Monday. 

Townsend, of Springfield, Mass., was declared the winner of the 30-lap Late Late Model feature from Sunday at Stafford’s CarQuest Fall Final after Stafford officials announced the disqualifications of four of the top-five finishers in the event.

King confirmed Sunday evening that Civali, of Meriden, will drive his car in the season ending event at Thompson.

Civali was released from his former ride with Hillbilly Racing last week after running the first 14 events of the season for the organization. Civali did not compete in Sunday’s Whelen Modified Tour CarQuest Fall Final 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Coming into Saturday night’s penultimate event of the season at the Speedbowl, Rocco needed to finish ahead of Jeff Pearl and Rob Janovic Jr. to clinch the championship a week before the end of the season.

The simplest way for Rocco, of Wallingford, to make sure he was ahead of them was exactly what he did.

Rocco won the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature to clinch his second division championship at Waterford.