Scully, Jr. Bests Pro Stocks For Opening Night Seekonk Win
Seeekonk, MA — Second generation ace Tom Scully, Jr. of Cranston, RI led the list of Opening Night winners at the 1/3-mile Seekonk Speedway oval on Saturday night May 10, capturing the 40-lap Pro Stock feature in the Subway of Seekonk-East Coast Collision-Dr. Feelgood Limousines #2 Chevrolet. Rookie Ryan Vanasse led the first two circuits before a hard-charging Kenny Spencer rocketed past via the outside. Spencer maintained his advantage through a pair of early cautions while Fred Astle, Jr. worked his way forward from sixth. Astle was strong in the high groove, passing Scully, Jr. for second on lap 8 and edging past Spencer to lead the 10th go-around.
Spencer battled back on lap 11, and soon Astle and Scully were locked in a heated exchange for second. The pair made contact on lap 13, and Astle spun around in turn three and was forced to restart from the tail. Veteran Joe Cerullo snatched second from Scully on a lap 16 restart, but went around in turn one battling for position the next time by, moving the two-time defending champ David Darling to third.
At the halfway point, Matt Hudon, Jake Vanada, Scott Dion, and Astle ran fourth through seventh. Astle used the outside line to his advantage once again, charging to third just as Vanada and Tom Scully, Sr. tangled to bring out the sixth yellow on lap 26. Astle took second on the restart and closed on Spencer’s rear bumper at a high rate of speed, making contact with the leader and spinning him out on the backstretch with 28 laps completed.
Scully Jr. inherited the lead when the dust settled and never looked back, opening up a comfortable advantage over Matt Hudon and David Darling to earn his ninth career Seekonk win. Vanasse was fourth, followed by Dion, Cerullo, Astle, Steve O’Brien, John Dabrowski, and Mike Brightman.
Somerset, MA’s Kyle Casper overpowered early race leader Matt Breault on the 19th circuit of the 30-lap Late Model main, and held on to score his ninth career win in the Somerset Federal Credit Union-Kidd Motorsports #7. Breault blasted into the lead via the outside starting spot but was interrupted by caution with one lap completed when three-time champ Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. was sent spinning in turn three. Breault, Jeramee Lillie, and the Casper brothers, Kyle and Kevin, put on a highly-competitive show throughout the first half of the event while DeGasparre worked his way to the front, taking fourth on lap 17.
Two laps later, Casper dove under Breault and Lillie went past via the high line, relegating last year’s Rookie of the Year to third. While battling for position with Kevin Casper on lap 24, Breault spun in turn three, and collected Mark Anzalone in the process.
Casper drove away from Lillie in the final sprint to the finish to post a popular win, followed by Lillie, DeGasparre, who passed Kevin Casper via the outside line with two laps to go, and Jonathan Dickerman, who earned fifth. Positions six through ten went to Denny Stampfl, Bill Bernard, Randy Clark, rookie John Hanafin, and Matt Breault, who clawed his way back to 10th.
Mike “The Rebel” Cavallaro nipped “Radical” Rick Martin at the line by 67 one-thousandths of a second to win the 20-lap Sport Truck feature. Martin drew the pole starting spot and led the first 18 laps until a late race caution set up a green-white-checker finish and erased Martin’s substantial advantage. Martin and Cavallaro traded paint all the way to the finish, which saw the Seekonk, MA native prevail for the 23rd time in his career. Martin, Charlie Rose, Billy Prisco, and rookie Jody Tripp comprised the remainder of the top five. Hugh Bowser, Ed Gannon III, Brian Murray, Zach Tucan, and Lenny Guy ran sixth through tenth.
Attleboro, MA’s Steve “The Axman” Axon led 19 circuits en route to his first career victory in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Frank Duquette and defending ’07 champ Sparky Arsenault stalked Axon throughout the event, which was slowed for caution three times. After Ryan Lineham brought out the yellow on lap 7, Duquette, who was strong on the restarts, nudged ahead to lead lap 8, but Axon powered back in the inside lane. Arsenault passed Duquette for second in the final mile, but finished 0.46 seconds behind the victor. Chris Rioux was fourth, followed by veteran Dennis Dupuis, Brian Spillane, two-time champ Bob Bettencourt, Jr., John Geremia III, Paul Lallier, and Paul Newcomb, Jr.
Saturday night racing resumes at the Bay State facility on May 17 at 6 PM for the weekly Pro Stock, Late Model, Sport Truck, and Street Stock divisions. General admission tickets for 2008 are priced at $12 for those 13 and older. All children 12 and under are admitted free. Pit admission is $20 for ARC Pit Membership Card holders and $30 for non-card holders. Senior citizen discounts are available on general admission tickets for 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. 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. #2-Tom Scully, Jr., Cranston, RI
2. #22-Matt Hudon, Acushnet, MA
3. #52-David Darling, Rehoboth, MA
4. #11-Ryan Vanasse, Warwick, RI
5. #4-Scott Dion, Taunton, MA
6. #6-Joe Cerullo, Cranston, RI
7. #30-Fred Astle, Jr., Westport, MA
8. #95-Steve O’Brien, Scituate, MA
9. #00-John Dabrowski, West Bridgewater, MA
10. #27-Mike Brightman, Acushnet, MA
11. #16-Jake Vanada, Berkley, MA
12. #1-Darryl Stampfl, Norwood, MA
13. #03-Kenny Spencer, Taunton, MA
Late Model Feature (30 laps)
1. #7-Kyle Casper, Somerset, MA
2. #3-Jeramee Lillie, West Warwick, RI
3. #71-Gerry DeGasparre, Jr., Pawtucket, RI
4. #88-Kevin Casper, Somerset, MA
5. #13-Jon Dickerman, Weymouth, MA
6. #2-Denny Stampfl, Norwood, MA
7. #47-Bill Bernard, Holliston, MA
8. #93-Randy Clark, East Harwich, MA
9. #76-John Hanafin, Quincy, MA
10. #20-Matt Breault, Acushnet, MA
11. #14-Rey Lovelace, No. Providence, RI
12. #80-Bob Hussey, Wellfleet, MA
Sport Truck Feature (20 laps)
1. #80-Mike Cavallaro, Seekonk, MA
2. #14-Rick Martin, Westport, MA
3. #41-Charlie Rose, Jr., Tiverton, RI
4. #88-Bill Prisco, Cranston, RI
5. #38-Jody Tripp, Tiverton, RI
6. #22-Hugh Bowser, Taunton, MA
7. #10-Ed Gannon III, Fall River, MA
8. #13-Brian Murray, Tiverton, RI
9. #3-Zach Tucan, Taunton, MA
10. #77-Lenny Guy, New Bedford, MA
11. #96-Jason Heroux, Johnston, RI
12. #1-Billy Clarke, Seekonk, MA
Street Stock Feature (20 laps)
1. #04-Steve Axon, Attleboro, MA
2. #96-Sparky Arsenault, Attleboro, MA
3. #03-Frank Duquette, Fall River, MA
4. #3-Chris Rioux, Pawtucket, RI
5. #26-Dennis Dupuis, Randolph, MA
6. #22-Brian Spillane, Walpole, MA
7. #21-Bob Bettencourt, Jr., Fall River, MA
8. #24-John Geremia III, Johnston, RI
9. #70-Paul Lallier, Pawtucket, RI
10. #41-Tony Oliveira, Taunton, MA
11. #0-Greg Perry, Taunton, MA
12. #07-Jeff Amaral, Bristol, RI
13. #16-Paul Newcomb, Plymouth, MA
Sources:Todd Baptista/Seekonk Speedway PR