Fred Astle Captures Seekonk Miller 75 Gold Cup

By admin August 24, 2008 Seekonk

Ryan Lineham Adds Second Win of Season; First for Hanafin & Guy

Seekonk, MA — Two-time Pro Stock champion Fred Astle, Jr. added his third win in extra-distance ARC action with a $2,000 victory in tonight’s Miller Gold Cup 75-lap special.  The Westport, MA native and track points leader beat last week’s feature winner and defending champion David Darling to the finish line.  It was Astle’s fifth win of the 2008 season in the #30 Wood Frame Structures Chevrolet.

Eighteen Pro Stocks heeded the call for the 75-lap Miller Gold Cup at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday night.  Steve O’Brien and Matt Hudon battled hard in the initial circuits.  Matt Hudon took the lead via the high groove, just as Scott Dion flirted with three-wide down the frontstretch.  Dion and Fred Astle, Jr., also used the outside lane to advance to the second spot ahead of O’Brien’s 95.9 WATD machine.  Mike Brightman and David Darling were also both on the move.

Meanwhile at the front of the pack, Hudon’s Honey Dew Donuts #22 was out front.  But Dion applied the pressure to Hudon before making the pass off of turn 2 to put the Douglas A. King Builders colors out front.  Following the leader past Hudon, was Astle into the second position.  Fourth-place had a side-by-side battle between Brightman and Darling, before Darling got the edge.  Just ahead of them on lap #34, Astle got the Ron Louro #30 on the high side to pass Dion for the lead. Lap 35 found Darling making a bid for second, passing Dion for position in turn 1.  Three laps later, the race was slowed by the first caution of the event for a spin by Les Rose, Jr. in turn 4 after getting together with Ryan Lineham.

Two of the best in Pro Stocks dueled each other off the restart.  Points leader Fred Astle, Jr., duked it out two-time and defending champion David Darling for several circuits.  Astle was able to retain the lead, but Darling was applying the pressure.  Both drivers have won extra-distance Pro Stock events at the Action Track of the East before.

As Astle and Darling were driving away from the field, Darling repeatedly looked to the high groove to get past Astle in his Johnson Landscaping Dodge.  the battle for third-place was underway as well.  Tom Scully, Jr., beat Mike Brightman for the position while rookie Ryan Vanasse challenged Brightman for fourth. The leaders encountered lapped traffic in the closing laps of the events.  Astle and Darling worked the traffic well, using the low groove.  Astle and Darling claimed the first 2 positions, while Tom Scully, Jr., Ryan Vanasse and Mike Brightman rounded out the top-5 finishers.

With the Del’s Lemonade 100 for the True Value Modifieds on the docket for Saturday, August 30, the Pro Stocks will have the night off.  Only three races remain for the ARC Pro Stocks before a champion is crowned.

Quincy, MA rookie of the year contender John Hanafin copped the checkers in his #76 Ironworks Local 7 – President’s Landscape and Design Chevrolet, besting defending champion Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. and Kyle Casper.  Returning competitor Jeramee Lillie and Jon Dickerman rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Hanafin took the lead in the early stages of the 30-lap Late Model feature and proceeded to maximize his interval to second-place.  Kyle Casper emerged from the pack into second place with Randy Burr, Jon Dickerman running together.  Points leader Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. was moving up with returning competitior “The Hammer” Jeramee Lillie right behind him in the #3 Ford.  Kevin Casper and Mat Breault were battling side-by-side for position on lap 21, when a spin by Breault brought out the yellow.

DeGasparre got the better of Casper off the restart to vault into second place.  Lillie was quick to challenge Casper’s #7 on the outside.  Casper fended off Lillie’s advances for the third position as the field settled in for the closing circuits.  An incident involving Mark Langlois and Kevin Folan brought the final caution out on lap 25.  DeGasparre battled Hanafin off the restart, but the rookie held strong, keeping his black and gold machine at the point.  Jon Dickerman and Kevin Casper were battling right behind fourth-place Lillie before Dickerman prevailed on the final circuit.  Hanafin savored his victory lap as the former-Street Stock standout now had a Late Model victory to add to his laurels.

Lenny Guy was a popular winner in victory lane.  The New Bedford, MA veteran beat multi-time track champion Rick Martin to cop his first career Seekonk checkered flag.

Guy parlayed a 2nd place starting spot into an early lead over Billy Clarke.  Once the L.H. Boulanger & Son colors were out front, Guy tried to run away and hide from the field.  Behind him Hugh Bowser and Rick Martin made up the top-3, while Billy Prisco, Charlie rose, Jr., Mike Cavallaro and Ed Gannon, III were caught in tight action deeper in the field.

Prisco and Martin were moving up via the outside lane. High Bowser lost three positions to Martin, Jody Tripp and Billy Prisco in the closing circuits.  At the finish, side-by-side action was the conclusion with a fast closing Martin adding to the late drama.

Ryan Lineham of Coventry, RI aced a 26-car field to take home his second Street Stock checkered flag of the year.  Lineham has been competing the past few races in Joe Donato’s East Coast Collision #51 Pro Stock.  The excited driver celebrated by doing donuts in his #19 Lineham Motorsports-East Coast Collision Camaro.

Crystal Serydynski led the early going of the race until Dick Cavallaro’s slowed machine drew the caution flag.  Off the restart, Mike Mitchell showed the way with Ryan Lineham into second place past Ron Barboza, Jr.  Mark Henshaw and Paul Newcomb, Jr., dueled for the fourth plosition when the second caution came out for a spin by Justin Travis in turn 2 on the 7th lap.

The outside lane was to Lineham’s liking as his white-and-black machine ascended into the lead by lap 9.  Tony Oliveira in 5th was in the middle of a pack of cars that included Spark Arsenault, Paul Newcomb, and Brian Spillane.

With the remainder of the race under green flag conditions, Lineham won for the second time this season over Mike Mitchell and Ron Barboza, Jr.  Mark Henshaw, Jr., and Tony Oliveira rounded out the top-5.

Saturday, August, 23, 2008 Race Results (Unofficial)

PRO STOCK (75 laps)

  1. #30 – Fred Astle, Jr., Westport, MA
  2. #52 -David Darling, Rehoboth, MA
  3. #2 -Tom Scully, Jr., Saunderstown, RI
  4. #11 -Ryan Vanasse, Warwick, RI
  5. #27 -Mike Brightman, Acushnet, MA
  6. #3 -Tom Scully, Sr., Westport, MA
  7. #03 -Kenny Spencer, Taunton, MA
  8. #17 – Ray Parent, Tiverton, RI
  9. #16 -Jake Vanada, Berkley, MA
  10. #4 -Scott Dion, Taunton, MA
  11. #95 -Steve O’Brien, Scituate, MA
  12. #51 -Ryan Lineham, Coventry, RI
  13. #00 -John Dabrowski, W. Bridgewater, MA
  14. #62 -Les Rose, Jr., Raynham, MA
  15. #08 -Rob Murray, Tiverton, RI
  16. #74 -Mike Mortimer, Mastic Beach, NY
  17. #99 -Dan O’Brien, Scituate, MA
  18. #22 -Matt Hudon, Acushnet, MA

LATE MODEL (30 laps)

  1. #76 – John Hanafin, Quincy, MA
  2. #71 -Gerry DeGasparre, Jr., Pawtucket, RI
  3. #7 -Kyle Casper, Somerset, MA
  4. #3 -Jeramee Lillie, W. Warwick, RI
  5. #13 -Jonathan Dickerman, Weymouth, MA
  6. #88 -Kevin Casper, Somerset, MA
  7. #47 -Bill Bernard, Holliston, MA
  8. #32 -Randy Burr, Middleboro, MA
  9. #20 -Matt Breault, Acushnet, MA
  10. #80 -Lenny Ellis, Jr., N. Dartmouth, MA
  11. #93 -Randy Clark, E. Harwich, MA
  12. #14 -Rey Lovelace, N. Providence, RI
  13. #12 -Mark Langlois, Seekonk, MA
  14. #22 -Tyler Thompson, Somerset, MA
  15. #17 -Kevin Folan, Attleboro, MA
  16. #26 -Marc DeJesus, Westport, MA
  17. #33 – Mike Taschereau, W. Warwick, RI

SPORT TRUCKS (20 laps)

  1. #77 – Lenny Guy, New Bedford, MA
  2. #14 – Rick Martin, Westport, MA
  3. #38 – Jody Tripp, Tiverton, RI
  4. #88 – Billy Prisco, Cranston, RI
  5. #22 – Hugh Bowser, Taunton, MA
  6. #41 – Charlie Rose, Jr., Tiverton, RI
  7. #10 – Ed Gannon, III, Fall River, MA
  8. #80 – Mike Cavallaro, Seekonk, MA
  9. #21 – John Paiva, Fall River, MA
  10. #1 – Billy Clarke, Seekonk, MA
  11. #96 – Jason Heroux, Johnston, RI
  12. #07 – Eric Boyko, Blackstone, MA
  13. #3 – Zach Tucan, Taunton, MA
  14. #13 – Brian Murray, Tiverton, RI
  15. #81 – Dave Haywood
  16. #5 – Mike Ronhock, Mashpee, MA

Street Stocks (20 laps)

  1. #19 -Ryan Lineham, Coventry, RI
  2. #40 -Mike Mitchell, Manville, RI
  3. #2 -Ron Barboza, Jr., Warren, RI
  4. #17 -Mark Henshaw, Jr., Raynham, MA
  5. #41 -Tony Oliveira, Taunton, MA
  6. #96 -Sparky Arsenault, Attleboro, MA
  7. #16 -Paul Newcomb, Jr., Plymouth, MA
  8. #1 -Scott Serydynski, Johnston, RI
  9. #04 -Steve Axon, Attleboro,
  10. #22 -Brian Spillane, Attleboro, MA
  11. #98 -Jay Steely, Attleboro, MA
  12. #92 -Danny Gamache, Jr., Manville, RI
  13. #24 -John Geremia, III, Johnston, RI
  14. #3 -Chris Rioux, Pawtucket, RI
  15. #74 -Scott Bruneau, Tiverton, RI
  16. #70 -Paul Lallier, Attleboro, MA
  17. #76 -Eric Lum, Randolph, MA
  18. #08 -Chris DeMoura, N. Dighton, MA
  19. #12 -Charlie Rose, Jr., Tiverton, RI
  20. #8 -Crystal Serydynski, Johnston, RI
  21. #01 -Dave Ratcliffe, Harrisville, RI
  22. #45 -Justin Travis, E. Taunton, MA
  23. #14 -Pat Fitzgerald, Providence, RI
  24. #4 -Gerry Berthelette, N. Smithfield, RI
  25. #50 -Roland Wheeler, Warwick, RI
  26. #6 – Dick Cavallaro, Seekonk, MA

Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com