New Car, New Number, New Challenge: Street Stock Champ Travis Downey Jumping to SK Light in 2026 at Stafford Speedway
(Stafford Springs, CT)—After winning back to back Street Stock track championships at Stafford Speedway, Travis Downey will make the move up to Stafford’s SK Light division for the 2026 season where he will challenge for R.A.D. Auto Machine Rookie of the Year honors.
“I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do this season,” said Downey. “We wanted to move up from the Street Stocks, but we weren’t sure if it was going to be a Limited Late Model or a Late Model. A deal came along to pick up an SK Light roller from Kevin Finkbein so we got the car and started working on it. While we started working on the car, another opportunity came up for us to purchase a car from Jeff and Alex Pearl, so we bought that car. The original car we got is now back up for sale and our plan is to run the full season and see how many races we can finish and give it a shot to win Rookie of the Year.”
As well as a new car and division, Downey will also have a new number for the 2026 season. Downey ran the #42 for the past 5 seasons in the Street Stock division, but with that number already in use, Downey will pivot to the #41 for his rookie campaign and his car will carry sponsorship from P.J. Ladola and Sons Electrical Contractors as well as his host of associate sponsors, including Sullivan Automotive, Mutch Nicer Enterprises, Sanger Family Properties, Canton Well Drilling LLC, Traditional Adventures TV, RD Logging & Firewood, Coderre Farms, Canton West Avon Oil, GP Fence, Squid Decals, Cindy Burdick Motorsports, Tidy Services, Installations Plus, and Fieldstone Masonry.
“I’m pretty excited about 2026 because I know this is a real good car and it’s a top running car,” said Downey. “As long as I can keep it out of trouble we might be able to do pretty well with it. This is something that I’ve always wanted to try and I’m looking forward to having some new adventures. All of my sponsors and crew from the Street Stock will be coming back with me for this season and we’re all excited for this new challenge.”
Downey heads into the 2026 season having no prior experience driving an open wheel modified racecar. That fact doesn’t faze Downey at all as he recalls he also had no experience driving a Street Stock car when he first began racing at Stafford in 2021. Although he went winless in his first Street Stock season, Downey won Rookie of the Year honors before winning 8 races and consecutive track titles over the next four seasons. Downey will be looking to follow the same trajectory for his introductory season in the SK Light division.
“I really have no idea what to expect, but I also don’t really have any worries,” said Downey. “I feel like I’m a pretty adaptive driver and I’ve never driven something like an SK Light car before but then again I never drove a Street Stock before I started racing at Stafford either. Hopefully it won’t take very long for me to get adapted to the SK Light car. My main goal is going to be to finish all the races and get as much seat time as I can because you can’t learn anything if you’re not out on the track. I think if we can be in the top-15 in points at the end of the year we’d be pretty happy with that.”
Downey has already received guidance from Jeff Pearl, a championship-winning veteran of the SK Modified® division. Pearl will remain available throughout the 2026 season to offer advice as Downey navigates his rookie campaign.
“I’ve already got a lot of information from Jeff Pearl and he told me that he’d help walk me through any issues that might pop up during the season,” said Downey. “The competition will definitely be a lot more challenging than the Street Stocks. A lot of those drivers have been doing this for a long time now and they know what they’re doing, so it’s going to be a lot for me to catch up to their pace. The first couple races are going to be very important for me to get some seat time and my plan will be to ride around in the back for the first few races to learn what SK Light racing is all about and how different drivers react to different situations on the track.”
The first SK Light feature of the 2026 season will be held as part of the 54th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler®, set for April 25-26. The NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 25, with feature events for the Late Model, Limited Late Model, Street Stock, and Granite State ProStock divisions, along with SK Light qualifying duel races that will set the field for an extra-distance 30-lap feature event on Sunday, April 26.
Order 54th Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets
Sunday, April 26, will play host to the 54th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified® division, the 30-lap SK Light Modified feature, plus the NAPA Pit Party.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
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