Lawton A First-Time Winner in Seekonk Pro Stocks

Seekonk, MA — Former Late Model front-runner Glenn Lawton of Acushnet, MA roared to victory for the first time in Seekonk Speedway’s top tier division, capturing the 40-lap Pro Stock feature on Saturday night, July 28. The 38 year-old former track champion started second in the event, passed early race leader Steve O’Brien on the third go-around, and held off veteran Dean Pettey to secure his 25th career win at the 1/3-mile Bay State oval. One minor caution slowed the event at lap 10, just after Pettey made a successful three-wide maneuver to pass John Dabrowski and David Hutchins for fourth.

When racing resumed, Pettey passed Hutchins and Scott Dion in rapid succession, assuming second place on lap 12. At the halfway point, Scott Fournier ran third, with 13th place starter Fred Astle, Jr., and Tom Scully, Jr. fourth and fifth. Astle used the outside lane to pass Fournier on lap 25 while point leader David Darling, slowed by heavy race traffic, ran eighth.

Scully overpowered Fournier for fourth with 10 circuits to go, as Lawton, Pettey, and Astle ran nose-to-tail at the head of the class. Pettey, who suffered significant body damage in the prior week’s event, fought a power steering problem throughout the race and was unable to get to the outside of Lawton without the benefit of a caution. In the end, the Westport native crossed under the checkers 0.37 seconds ahead of Pettey, becoming the first Pro Stock rookie to visit Victory Lane this year. “I can’t believe it,” the second generation racer declared. “It has been a dream of mine to win a Pro Stock race for 17 years. I hoped we would get one this year, but after the first week (when we wrecked), we went through a lot. I was starting to wonder. For the last 15 laps, I was just thinking ‘absolutely no cautions’. I didn’t want to see a yellow come out.”

“He was tight, and I knew if I could get to the outside of him, it would have slowed him up and I could have gotten around,” Pettey explained after finishing second. “He did a good job with the line he ran. I was saving my tires, waiting for a caution but it never came. We put four new tires on tonight, and were a tick on the loose side. Still, it was a good night for us.”

Fred Astle, Jr. finished third for the third time in the past five races with previous event winner Tom Scully, Jr. and four-time victor David Darling rounding out the top five. Positions six through ten went to Fournier, Todd Annarummo, Mike Brightman, Kenny Spencer, and Scott Dion.

In the 25-lap Late Model main, East Providence, RI’s Robin Berghman scored a popular win, passing Randy Clark on the second circuit and dominating the competition all the way to the finish. Bill Bernard ran second in the early going, until Mike Becker took away the spot on lap 6. Kevin Casper and Jeramee Lillie closed on Bernard at the midpoint of the race, as the second year driver fought a handling issue. Coming through turn four sideways, Bernard was collected by Matt Breault and crashed hard into the frontstretch concrete, nose-first. Becker was beaten by Berghman on the restart and soon fell into the clutches of Jeramee Lillie, who claimed second with 10 laps to go.

Behind them, championship contenders Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. and Kevin Casper waged a battle for fourth with Kyle Casper lurking directly behind them. Kyle passed Kevin in the final mile for fourth while Lillie was forced to hold off DeGasparre’s advances. Berghman, in turn, scampered across the line to score her first Late Model win of the season and 8th career Seekonk feature. Lillie, DeGasparre, and Kyle and Kevin Casper were second through fifth, with Becker, Ray Alexander, Mark Hudson, and Matt Breault and Kevin Folan, who both rebounded from mid-race crash damage, rounding out the top ten.

For the fourth time this year, Rochester, MA’s Adam Murphy scored top honors in the 20-lap Sport Truck feature. David Haywood led the first go-around before Andy Jeffery took command while Murphy, who started eighth, quickly advanced to third. Murphy had risen to second by the time the first of three cautions waved for a crash involving Caitlin Alferes and Mike Ronhock. When racing resumed, Murphy muscled to the inside of Jeffery and claimed the lead on lap 8. Two additional minor incidents bunched up the field, allowing Charlie Rose and point leader Mike Cavallaro to take second and third from Jeffery, but Murphy was never significantly challenged in the final 9-lap green flag run. Rose, Cavallaro, and Jeffery finished second through fourth.

Zach Tucan crossed the line fifth but was penalized by A.R.C. Officials for contact with Lee Hayes during a lap 12 incident and relegated to the tail end of the lead lap finishers. Rookie Ted Berube was credited with fifth, followed by Hugh Bowser, Mike Ronhock, Brian Murray, Haywood, and rookie Eric Boyko, who notched his first career top ten finish.

North Providence, RI’s Rey Lovelace held off a last lap charge from point leader Steve Axon to win a wild 20-lap Street Stock feature which was slowed by caution six times. Rookie Mark Henshaw paced the first 14 laps until contact from Dick Cavallaro’s second-place mount sent the 17-year old around in front of the pack, triggering a multi-car wreck. Sparky Arsenault inherited the lead but an apparent flat tire saw the former track champ fade outside the top ten while Lovelace advanced to first. Axon drove under the leader coming down the backstretch on the final lap, while veteran George Rego rocketed to third in the outside lane, nearly stealing the win. In the end, however, the 23 year-old third-generation racer claimed his second career win by 0.284 seconds.

Axon and Rego were second and third, ahead of Brian Spillane, Billy Brady, rookies Randy Arruda and Chris DeMoura, who came from the 24th starting position to earn a career-best seventh, Paul Lallier, Dan Lineham, and two-time winner Mike Lema, who finished 10th in a borrowed ride.

Uxbridge, MA veteran Mark Boisvert, SYRA’s all-time win leader Chris Robinson of West Warwick, RI, and rookie front-runner Tim Brown of Norton, MA posted top honors in the Fast Friday Series events. Boisvert started on the pole in the 25-lap Kraze’s Speed Equipment Pure Stock feature and led every circuit to earn the win. The 25-lap Seekonk Youth Racing Association 750-restrictor plate feature was an action-packed race with four different leaders and plenty of three-wide action. When the dust settled, 15 year-old Robinson had notched his fifth win of 2007 and 23rd career checkered flag. Brown, 15, started ninth in the 25-lap 600-plate main, closed to third on lap 2, and passed Kaitlyn Donovan to claim first the next time around en route to his second victory of the year.

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.

Pro Stock Feature (40 laps)

1. #70-Glenn Lawton, Acushnet, MA
2. #57-Dean Pettey, Assonet, MA
3. #30-Fred Astle, Jr., Westport, MA
4. #2-Tom Scully, Jr., Cranston, RI
5. #52-David Darling, Rehoboth, MA
6. #47-Scott Fournier, Berkley, MA
7. #11-Todd Annarummo, Swansea, MA
8. #27-Mike Brightman, Acushnet, MA
9. #03-Kenny Spencer, Taunton, MA
10. #4-Scott Dion, Taunton, MA

Late Model Feature (25 laps)

1. #81-Robin Berghman, East Providence, RI
2. #3-Jeramee Lillie, West Warwick, RI
3. #71-Gerry DeGasparre, Jr., Pawtucket, RI
4. #28-Kyle Casper, Somerset, MA
5. #88-Kevin Casper, Somerset, MA
6. #00-Mike Becker, Avon, MA
7. #7-Ray Alexander, Barrington, RI
8. #02-Mark Hudson, Norton, MA
9. #20-Matt Breault, Acushnet, MA
10. #17-Kevin Folan, Attleboro, MA

Sport Truck Feature (20 laps)

1. #81-Adam Murphy, Rochester, MA
2. #41-Charlie Rose, Jr., Tiverton, RI
3. #80-Mike Cavallaro, Seekonk, MA
4. #2-Andy Jeffery, Middleboro, MA
5. #91-Teddy Berube, Somerset, MA
6. #22-Hugh Bowser, Taunton, MA
7. #5-Michael Ronhock, Mashpee, MA
8. #13-Brian Murray, Tiverton, RI
9. #24-David Haywood, Tiverton, RI
10. #07-Eric Boyko, Blackstone, MA

Street Stock Feature (20 laps)

1. #14-Rey Lovelace, North Providence, RI
2. #04-Steve Axon, Attleboro, MA
3. #1-George Rego, North Dartmouth, MA
4. #22-Brian Spillane, Walpole, MA
5. #48-Billy Brady, Marstons Mills, MA
6. #5-Randy Arruda, Swansea, MA
7. #08-Chris DeMoura, North Dighton, MA
8. #77-Paul Lallier, Pawtucket, RI
9. #91-Dan Lineham, Coventry, RI
10. #39-Mike Lema, Taunton, MA

Pure Stock Feature (25 laps)

1. #47-Mark Boisvert, Uxbridge, MA
2. #8-Bill Chouinard, Swansea, MA
3. #39-John A. Robidoux, Swansea, MA
4. #9-Amy Arsenault, Attleboro, MA
5. #01-Scott Cestodio, Swansea, MA
6. #13-Bob Hinckley, Acushnet, MA
7. #5-Randy Moretti, West Warwick, RI
8. #0-Tom Blackwell, Taunton, MA
9. #10-Steven Cromwell, Fairhaven, MA
10. #48-Rick Hayward, Halifax, MA

SYRA-750 Feature (25 laps)

1. #9-Chris Robinson, West Warwick, RI
2. #55-Matthew Burke, Plymouth, MA
3. #0-Kyle Kuchta, Niantic, CT
4. #22-Brian Mondeau, Bridgewater, MA
5. #16-Brian Como, Jr., Charlton, MA

SYRA-600 Feature (25 laps)

1. #2-Timmy Brown, Norton, MA
2. #6-Jake Spillers, Ashburnham, MA
3. #75-Adam Swift, Fairhaven, MA
4. #38-Nick Ladyga, Voluntown, CT
5. #10-Carl Medeiros, Westport, MA

Sources: Todd Baptista/Seekonk Speedway PR

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