Chouinard, Robinson, Anderson Repeat Winners

By admins July 21, 2007

Seekonk, MA — Swansea, MA’s Bill Chouinard, Chris Robinson of West Warwick, RI, and Derryck Anderson, Jr. of Warwick, RI returned to Victory Lane in Seekonk Speedway’s Fast Friday Series of events on July 20.

Chouinard, a second-year Pure Stock competitor, inched closer to point leader Scott Cestodio at the top of the standings after besting a 13 others to claim his second 25-lap feature of the year. Chouinard started ninth in the Highland Real Estate Group-sponsored #8 Chevrolet and immediately headed for the front, going three-wide to work his way into the top six by lap 2. John Frias led the opening circuits before Chouinard’s step-brother, John Robidoux, took over the top spot in the Sanford & Son #93.

Tom Melnick-Holland passed Frias for second and held the spot until Chouinard buzzed past on the eighth go-around. By this point, Cestodio had weaved his way through the field as well, coming from 13th to fifth.

At the halfway point, Robidoux, Chouinard, and Cestodio ran first through third with Melnick-Holland, rookie Steve Cromwell, Carlos Silva, Amy Arsenault, Will Wallace, John Frias, and Tom Blackwell comprising the balance of the top ten.

The first of four cautions waved for a crash involving Melnick-Holland and the lapped machine of Joe Carpenter on lap 13. When racing resumed, Chouinard worked his way around Robidoux, but another yellow flag negated the pass, sending the field back to the last completed green flag lap. Frias, Wallace, Blackwell, and Rookie of the Year contender John A. Robidoux were all involved in spins in the second half of the race, bringing out the next pair of cautions. When racing resumed, Chouinard moved to the inside of Robidoux and took over the lead on lap 17 as Cromwell muscled into third. Carlos Silva and Amy Arsenault locked horns while racing for fifth on lap 18, bringing out the final caution.

Chouinard blasted out to a full second advantage during the final green flag run to secure his second win of the year while Cromwell used the outside line to best Cestodio for second. John Robidoux was fourth with Silva and Arsenault working their way back into the top six. John Frias was seventh, followed by Blackwell, Melnick-Holland, and Randy Moretti, who bounced back from an early race spin to post his first career top ten.

One week after flipping down the frontstretch and ending up on his roof, 15-year old Chris Robinson extended his advantage atop both the all-time SYRA win list and the 750-restrictor plate standings, copping his fourth 25-lapper of the season and 22nd career victory. Robinson brought out the first caution when he slowed in turn three after an excursion through the grass as Kyle Kuchta set the pace.

After pitting, Robinson quickly rose to fourth behind Kuchta, Brian Como, Jr., Dylan Estrella, and Brian Mondeau. Kuchta developed a problem coming off turn four, necessitating the third and final caution on lap 5, but was able to return to competition.

When the green was displayed again, Robinson, who had risen to second before Kuchta’s mishap, rocketed away from the rest of the field in the Sprague’s Repair #9 while Como, Mondeau, and Estrella raced for second through fourth. Kuchta weaved his way through the pack and made it into the top four in the final circuits, but Robinson was long gone by this point, crossing the stripe 4.68 seconds ahead of Como. Mondeau finished inside the top three for the third time in the past four events, while Kuchta and Estrella rounded out the top five, followed by Stephen Gardiner, Jr., and Jacob Swift.

In the 600-restrictor plate main, Anderson utilized the outside lane to pass Adam Swift on the fourth go-around and held on to post his second consecutive 25-lap race win in the Wood Frame Structures #65. Swift led David Hutchins, Jr. and Carl Medeiros, Jr. in the opening laps while Anderson came from ninth via the second groove. By lap 2, he was alongside Hutchins for second and two-thirds of a mile later, he had taken the lead.

Medeiros passed Hutchins for third on lap 5 while point leader Casey Sanchez methodically worked his way through traffic, coming from 12th to sixth in the first half of the race. By the crossed flag signal, Chris Igo and Tim Brown had climbed to second and third with Nick Ladyga, Sanchez, and Swift comprising the balance of the top six.

Sanchez and Ladyga made contact while racing for fourth in the second half of the race, losing several spots in the process, but both drivers battled back in this caution-free affair. At the finish, it was Anderson scoring the win, followed by Igo, Brown, Carl Medeiros, who earned a career-best fourth and earned the Ultra Flex Racing Products $50 savings bond award, Sanchez, David Hutchins, Jr., Swift, and Ladyga.

Pure Stock Heat 1 (8 laps)

  1. #01-Scott Cestodio, Swansea, MA
  2. #93-John Robidoux, Swansea, MA
  3. #8-Bill Chouinard, Swansea, MA
  4. #10-Steven Cromwell, Fairhaven, MA

Pure Stock Heat 2 (8 laps)

  1. #77-Carlos Silva, Swansea, MA
  2. #9-Amy Arsenault, Attleboro, MA
  3. #5-Randy Moretti, West Warwick, RI
  4. #0-Tom Blackwell, Taunton, MA

Pure Stock Feature (25 laps)

  1. #8-Bill Chouinard, Swansea, MA
  2. #10-Steven Cromwell, Fairhaven, MA
  3. #01-Scott Cestodio, Swansea, MA
  4. #93-John Robidoux, Swansea, MA
  5. #77-Carlos Silva, Swansea, MA
  6. #9-Amy Arsenault, Attleboro, MA
  7. #36-John Frias, Fairhaven, MA
  8. #0-Tom Blackwell, Taunton, MA
  9. #91-Tom Melnick-Holland, Coventry, RI
  10. #5-Randy Moretti, West Warwick, RI
  11. #51-Joe Carpenter, Seekonk, MA
  12. #47-Mark Boisvert, Uxbridge, MA
  13. #44-Will Wallace, Jr., Orleans, MA
  14. #39-John A. Robidoux, Swansea, MA

SYRA-750 Heat (10 laps)

  1. #0-Kyle Kuchta, Niantic, CT
  2. #9-Chris Robinson, West Warwick, RI
  3. #16-Brian Como, Jr., Charlton, MA
  4. #46-Dylan Estrella, North Attleboro, MA

SYRA-750 Feature (25 laps)

  1. #9-Chris Robinson, West Warwick, RI
  2. #16-Brian Como, Jr., Charlton, MA
  3. #22-Brian Mondeau, Bridgewater, MA
  4. #0-Kyle Kuchta, Niantic, CT
  5. #46-Dylan Estrella, North Attleboro, MA
  6. #12-Stephen Gardiner, Jr., North Attleboro, MA
  7. #56-Jacob Swift, Fairhaven, MA

SYRA-600 Heat 1 (10 laps)

  1. #5-Casey Sanchez, Providence, RI
  2. #10-Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA
  3. #75-Adam Swift, Fairhaven, MA
  4. #38-Nick Ladyga, Voluntown, CT

SYRA-600 Heat 2 (10 laps)

  1. #65-Derryck Anderson, Jr., Warwick, RI
  2. #96-David Hutchins, Jr., Somerset, MA
  3. #8-Chris Igo, North Easton, MA
  4. #24-Glenn Deming, North Scituate, RI

SYRA-600 Feature (25 laps)

  1. #65-Derryck Anderson, Jr., Warwick, RI
  2. #8-Chris Igo, North Easton, MA
  3. #2-Timmy Brown, Norton, MA
  4. #10-Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA
  5. #5-Casey Sanchez, Providence, RI
  6. #96-David Hutchins, Jr., Somerset, MA
  7. #75-Adam Swift, Fairhaven, MA
  8. #38-Nick Ladyga, Voluntown, CT
  9. #95-Kaitlyn Donovan, Waterford, CT
  10. #24-Glenn Deming, North Scituate, RI
  11. #7-Justin LaCasse, North Attleboro, MA
  12. #58-Jake Howes, Carver, MA
  13. #6-Jake Spillers, Ashburnham, MA (DNS)
  14. #4-Christine Cavallaro, Seekonk, MA (DNS)

Sources: Todd Baptista/Seekonk Speedway PR
Date Posted: July 22, 2007

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