Tom Scully Jr. Claims Seekonk Pro Stock Mid-Season Championship Event
Seekonk, MA — Second generation standout Tom Scully, Jr. of Cranston, RI passed Scott Fournier for the lead on the 15th circuit and held off former Late Model champ Mike Brightman and four-time feature winner David Darling to post his second win of the season in the Francis Farm 50-lap Pro Stock Mid-Season Championship race at the 1/3-mile Seekonk Speedway oval on Saturday, July 21. With extra distance-extra cash events on tap for the four weekly racing divisions, fans were treated to over 240 green flag laps by 91 race cars and trucks in just three and a-half hours.
Spencer passed Brightman for fourth on lap 37 while Hudon gradually worked his way from the back of the pack into the lower rungs of the top ten. Blistered right side tires caused the cars of Brightman, Darling, and Astle to tighten up during the final dozen laps, while Scully scored a decisive win, crossing the line 0.595 seconds ahead of Darling. “I was pretty quick tonight,” the 26 year-old father of three admitted after scoring his seventh career victory, worth $2,000. “I could get on the gas off the corners pretty well and I knew that they’d have to get under me to try and make a pass. My thanks to our sponsors and the crew for all their hard work. It was a great night.”
“We were tight to begin with,” Darling remarked after finishing second. “We worked our way up to second and then with about 8 laps to go, the car just wouldn’t turn any more. That’s when we blistered the right front tire. Still, if we had had a caution at the end, we might have had a shot at him.”
Astle finished in the top three for the third time in the past four races while Spencer and Brightman claimed fourth and fifth. Positions six through ten went to Annarummo, early race leader Fournier, Rob Murphy, Rick Martin, in his first start of the season, and Matt Hudon, who earned his ninth straight top ten finish.
A first-time winner emerged in the $1,000 to win 30-lap Late Model portion of the program in 23 year-old Jonathan Dickerman of East Weymouth, MA. Dickerman started third in the 20-car field after winning his qualifying race and passed Randy Clark for the lead on the third circuit. A multi-car crash on lap 2 involving front runners Matt Breault and Jeramee Lillie brought out the first of three cautions. When racing resumed, Dickerman opened a considerable advantage over Robin Berghman, who paced Mike Becker, point leader Gerry DeGasparre, Kevin Casper, Clark, and Kevin Folan. After a two-car tangle slowed things on lap 17, DeGasparre, Casper, and Becker locked horns while racing three-wide for second to bring out the final yellow the next time around. Kyle Casper charged to third with 10 laps to go via the outside and was soon followed into fourth by Lillie, but the night belonged to Dickerman, who sat in Victory Lane for the first time in his three-year career. Berghman and Kyle Casper were second and third while Lillie and Breault raced their way back into the top five after their early race skirmishes. Positions six through ten went to DeGasparre, Kevin Casper, Clark, Bill Bernard, and Bryan Connors.
Seekonk, MA’s Mike Cavallaro bounced back from a hard crash in the previous week’s race to claim the 25-lap Sport Truck affair. Lenny Guy and Andy Jeffery paced the opening circuits before Cavallaro, who rolled off eighth, went to the outside to take first on lap 8. Hugh Bowser took second soon after, and applied pressure to the leader throughout but was unable to overtake him. A green-white-checker finish gave Bowser, Charlie Rose, and Adam Murphy the opportunity to restart within striking distance, but no one could keep Cavallaro from earning his fourth victory of the season and the $500 first place paycheck. Bowser, Rose, and Murphy were second through fourth with rookies Ted Berube and Rick Albernaz finishing fifth and sixth. Seven-decade racing veteran Billy Clarke was seventh, ahead of Andy Jeffery, Zach Tucan, and Mike Ronhock.
In the 25-lap Street Stock feature, two-time track champion Bob Bettencourt, Jr. of Fall River, MA earned his first win in three years, passing Joe Melberg on the 17th circuit and holding off fellow former titleholder Dick Cavallaro in the final laps to post career win number 15. An eight-car wreck on the second lap eliminated previous race winners Mike Lema and Wayne Silvia and front-runner Scott Serydynski. When racing resumed, Melberg, Bettencourt, and Cavallaro ran first to third while Doug Rioux, Jim Silvia, Mike Mitchell, and Rey Lovelace battled for fourth through seventh. Silvia and Melberg locked horns to bring out the second caution on lap 20. In the final green flag run, young guns Lovelace, Mitchell, and Frank Duquette took third, fourth and fifth but the veterans won out, as Bettencourt and Cavallaro finished first and second with the winner claiming $400. Mitchell nipped Lovelace by two one-thousandths of a second but was disqualified in the post-race technical inspection. Lovelace, Duquette, and 1985 champ Dennis Dupuis were credited with third through fifth. Jim Silvia was next across the line but was penalized by A.R.C. Officials for contact with Rioux coming to the checkers, moving Scott Bruneau, Elmer Wing III, Brian Spillane, Dan Lineham, and 17 year-old Billy Brady, who raced his way back through the field after the lap 2 crash, into positions six through ten.
Saturday night racing resumes at the 1/3-mile Route 6 oval on July 28, with the track’s annual Fans on Parade event, in addition to the weekly Pro Stock, Late Model, Sport Truck, and Street Stock action. Saturday general admission tickets are $12 for adults and $4 for Juniors 13 to 15 years of age. All children 12 and under are admitted free. Pit admission is $20 for ARC Pit Membership Card holders and $30 for non-card holders. The American-Canadian Late Model Tour rolls into town on Saturday, August 4 for a 100 green flag lap race with sponsorship from Phil’s Propane of Tiverton, RI. Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, and Sport Trucks will also be in attendance. Adult grandstand admission tickets for this event are priced at $15. Senior citizen discounts are also available on general admission tickets for all Saturday night races. All guests 55 years of age and older will receive a $2 discount. Guests must present photo identification for proof of eligibility if requested.
The third of four Demolition Derby Spectaculars will take place on Sunday afternoon, August 5, at 5 PM, with Spectator Drags, Enduros, Figure 8 Racing, a Monster Truck Special, and a show-capping Demolition Derby. Grandstand admission tickets are priced at $20 with children 12 and under admitted for $5. For more information, please visit online at www.seekonkspeedway.com or contact the track office directly at (508)-336-9959.
Francis Farm Pro Stock Feature (50 laps)
1. #2-Tom Scully, Jr.,
2. #52-David Darling,
3. #30-Fred Astle, Jr.,
4. #03-Kenny Spencer,
5. #27-Mike Brightman,
6. #11-Todd Annarummo,
7. #47-Scott Fournier,
8. #80-Rob Murphy,
9. #14-Rick Martin,
10. #22-Matt Hudon,
Late Model Feature (30 laps)
1. #13-Jon Dickerman,
2. #81-Robin Berghman,
3. #28-Kyle
4. #3-Jeramee Lillie,
5. #20-Matt Breault,
6. #71-Gerry DeGasparre, Jr.,
7. #88-Kevin
8. #93-Randy
9. #47-Bill Bernard,
10. #23-Bryan Connors,
1. #80-Mike Cavallaro,
2. #22-Hugh Bowser,
3. #41-Charlie Rose, Jr.,
4. #81-Adam Murphy,
5. #91-Teddy Berube,
6. #28-Rick Albernaz,
7. #1-Billy Clarke,
8. #2-Andy Jeffery, Middleboro, MA
9. #3-Zach Tucan,
10. #5-Michael Ronhock,
Street Stock Feature (25 laps)
1. #21-Bob Bettencourt, Jr.,
2. #6-Dick Cavallaro,
3. #14-Rey Lovelace,
4. #03-Frank Duquette,
5. #94-Dennis Dupuis,
6. #74-Scott Bruneau,
7. #29-Elmer Wing III,
8. #22-Brian Spillane,
9. #91-Daniel Lineham,
10. #48-Billy Brady, Marstons Mills, MA
Sources: Todd Baptista/Seekonk Speedway PR