Seekonk Sports Trucks are Radical. Lallier picks up first win of the season, while Kid Scully and Gerry Jr get back to Victory Lane

Seekonk, MA — When Rick Martin arrived at Seekonk speedway, he had just enough time to unload his Toyota and roll out for the second Seekonk Sport Truck qualifier. By the end of the night, he found himself in Victory Lane for the first time an a few years, ending his longest dry spell of his career. “My day started out at 5 to go to NH and race. We broke the engine and I looked at my watch and knew I could still make it to Seekonk.” Rick stated in Victory Lane. “I have to thank my father for helping me. I called him and asked him to load the truck so we could get here. I would not have made it in time if it wasn’t for him.”

As the field came down for the green flag in their 30 lap main event, Mike Ronhock got sideways as the field headed into turn one, with Brian Murray spinning and Lenny Guy making contact. Ronhock and Guy would be able to continue. This would put John Paiva to the outside of Billy Clark on the restart. The Arcand Spring Ford of Clarke got the jump, and led the first lap, but as he slid up the racetrack, the Phil’s Propane Chevy of Bill Prisco moved down low and picked up the lead. Following Prisco was the Silver Key Inc. Chevy of Jody Tripp. And Charlie Rose Jr in the Sanford Tree Experts Ford.

Mike Cavallaro was using the outside lane to try and keep up with Prisco and Rose, as they are the closest to him in the Champion Chase. While the Firehouse Motors Chevy was running the outside, martin was putting his Rick Martin’s RC Hobbies and Signs Toyota through the paces on the inside. As they crossed at lap ten, the top five were Prisco, Tripp, Rose, Martin and Cavallaro.

Martin snuck under Rose and picked up fourth the following lap, and was sitting there when the second caution came out for the Dumas Motorsports Chevy of John Dumas, as he spun his machine in turn four. The third yellow came out on lap 13, when Ed Gannon III stalled his Arnel Vinyl Siding and Windows Ford heading into the pits. One more lap was completed before Hugh Bowser went around in turn 4, but it was the lap that Martin jumped underneath the Prisco, and put his Richies Auto Radio Toyota at the top of the leaderboard. Rose followed, and sat in second at this restart. Prisco, Paiva and Cavallaro rounded out the top five.

Rose hung tough on the outside for a couple of laps, but was unable to overcome Martin, and while running the outside lane, Prisco was able to move back into second. The Rebel Racing Chevy of Cavallaro continued his quest for his third title, using the outside lane, and when the final caution came out on lap 27, he was sitting third, behind Martin and Prisco.

Back on opening night, a similar circumstance happened. Martin was leading with a caution with two laps remaining. Cavallaro was second that time. This scenario was going through many minds under this caution. Would Cavallaro get him again? Mike had to deal with Prisco if he was going to have any chance at Martin. As it played out, Prisco did hang tough on the outside, but could not keep Martin from becoming the newest winner in the Seekonk Sport Trucks. On the final circuit, Prisco slid back a little and allowed Rose to pick up third, while Prisco and Tripp rounded out the top five.

“Ninety miles and hour from NH, and I made it here with just a minute to spare,” the Radical one exclaimed. “When that last yellow came out I was thinking my buddy John Paiva was going to get a beating when we get in the pits for not making it back in,” he said in jest. “It all worked out, though. I want to thank Richie’s Auto & Radio, Rick Martins Hobbies & Signs, Excel Recycling, Henry’s Diesel, and everyone that works on the truck.

With one truck feature left, Mike Cavallaro holds a 33 point lead over Charlie Rose Jr, with Bill Prisco 41 points out of the lead. Ed Gannon and Lenny Guy make up the top five.

Paul Lallier entered the night 49 points out of the lead in the Street Stock point race. After sweeping his heat and feature events, it is down to 27 points. “All I wanted when this season began, was to have a shot at the title going into the final week,” Paul stated after the race was over.

Charlie Rose Jr and Doug Rioux set the front row when the green flag unfurled. Rioux led the first lap by .031, and started to take off out front. His brother Chris jumped into second after a couple of laps, and set his sights for the lead in a four wide battle. He settled into second and took a look to the outside. On lap six, Chris got a run on the inside as they headed into turn one. As they came off of turn two, contact was made between the brothers, and Doug went around down the backstretch. While the field jockeyed around him, Roland Wheeler got sent into the wall, and received front end damage, and Scott Serydynski ran out of room and hit the spinning Rioux mount, ending his night and championship aspirations.

One more lap was completed before Brian Spillane lost his left rear tire and slapped the turn one wall in his 2^nd Generation Automotive Restorations Camaro. By this time, Lallier had moved into second, with John Geremia III, Charlie Rose Jr and Jeff Amaral rounded out the top five.

The Lisco Irrigation Chevy of Lallier had a run on the outside, and on lap nine, the 70 sat at the top of the leader board. The Sign Designs machine of Chris Rioux continued to hang tough and took back the lead on lap eleven. Lallier dropped behind, then underneath Rioux, and on lap 13, Lallier once again set the pace. Rioux settled into second and continued to hang on to the rear bumper of the Chaz’s Auto Body Camaro of Lallier.

Over the last several laps, the field settled in and ran without fanfare to the checkered flag. Lallier hung on and picked up his first win of the season while Rioux had his best finish of the season in second. John Geremia III finished third with Charlie Rose Jr and Jeff Amaral rounding out the top five.

“It’s been a tough season, but I’m glad I got a win before it’s over,” exclaimed Lallier in Victory Lane,” regardless if the championship comes or not. I need to thank Chaz’s Auto Body, Lisco Irrigation, Dunkin Donuts of Attleboro, Sign Designs, Cisco’s performance, Neolite Signs, and Anawan Glass, Big Dog Disposal, Tex Barry’s of Attleboro, all my friends and family, and especially my father.

With his win, and a seventh place finish for Sparky Arsenault, the points lead going into the final event sits at 27 points. Tony Oliviera moved into third and sits 69 points out of the lead, while Steve Axon and Paul Newcomb are now tied for fourth.

Gerry DeGasparre Jr moved closer to his third consecutive and fourth overall Late Model title in winning the 30 lap main event. “I’m ready for this one to finish!” stated an excited five time winner in Victory Lane. With a 50 point advantage going into the final night of racing, one would be hard pressed to find him losing the title.

Randy Burr and Mike Taschereau sat on the front row for the 30 lap affair. Ryan Vanasse had no patience at the beginning of the event, and quickly went three-wide for the lead. The J-Corp Chevy of Burr led the first lap by .011 over Taschereau and Vanasse. By the time the field came back around for the second lap, Vanasse had the lead and started to pull away. With Taschereau running the outside, Bill Bernard used the low lane to pick up second from Taschereau. Bernard tried putting his Ashland Lumber Chevy to the inside of Burr, but before he could complete the pass, the East Coast Speed Chevy of Steve Potter went around in turn 4, bringing out the first caution. The top five were Vanasse, Bernard, Burr, Taschereau, and Jon Dickerman. Kevin Casper, Kyle Casper, DeGasparre, Jeramee Lillie and John Hanafin rounded out the top ten.

Back under green, and the Team V Transportation Chevy of Vanasse continued to set the pace. Bernard moved his WA Bernard Chevy into second with the North American Amusements Chevy into third. Burr started to backslide on the outside, allowing Kyle Casper, Jeramee Lille and DeGasparre by, the second and final caution came out on lap 12 when the Graphic Signs machine spun in turn four. This lined up Bernard on the outside of the front row with Dickerman, Kyle Casper and Jeramee Lillie rounding out the top five.

Vanasse continued to open up a lead while Bernard tried to hang on on the outside, but to no avail. The freight train started coming through as Dickerman and Lillie slid underneath to pick up a couple of positions. Behind the Pinehill Woodcrafters Chevy of Bernard was championship hopeful Kyle Casper in the Kidd Motorsports Chevy. Just shy of the halfway point, the Somerset Federal Credit Union Chevy of Casper and the A-1 Custom Auto Body Chevy of DeGasparre came together down the frontstretch. Casper got sideways, and Gerry pushed into him as they entered turn one. Both cars got straightened out and continued, although Casper lost a couple of positions.

At the halfway point, Vanasse had a seven car length lead as Lillie tried to make a move on Dickerman. DeGasparre was up to fourth. DeGasparre’s Spumoni’s Restaurant Chevy was running well on the inside, and squeezed past the 2B Racing and Fabrications Ford of Lillie. Dickerman chased his AirGas Chevy up the track and allowed the points leader to blow past on the inside. Lillie followed through and put his Houle Motorsports machine into third.

Over the last ten laps, DeGasparre started to hunt down and close in on Vanasse as his lead continued to dwindle. With four laps to go, the reigning champ had found the tail end of Vanasse as they hit lapped traffic. With two laps remaining, Gerry found the inside lane to his liking one more time, and squeezed past Vanasse and picked up his fifth win of the season beating Vanasse by .752 to the stripe. Lillie held on for third with Bernard and Kyle Casper rounding out the top five.

“That was a great race. I really enjoy racing with Ryan,” Gerry spoke about. “He and his guys are great to race with. I love those guys. Congratulations to my guys. The A-1 Custom Auto Body guys did a great job tonight. The car was on a rail. We tried something a little different and they got it right.”

The hottest points battle going on is for the Pro Stock title, as Tom Scully Jr sat 13 points behind Fred Astle Jr coming into the nights events. When it was all over, Scully sat in Victory Lane and had cut the deficit to single digits. “Happy birthday Ma, this one’s for you” Tom Jr exhaled in Victory Lane.

40 laps was the distance for the Pro Stocks, and it was Matt Hudon and John Dabrowski bringing the field down. Hudon got the jump on the start as the Tire Warehouse Chevy of Dabrowski tried to hang tough on the outside. Scott Dion squeezed his Douglas A King Builders Chevy under Dabrowski and picked up second position. The Pub 76 machine of Ken Spencer followed suit and moved up to third. By lap six, Spencer had moved past Dion into second. Mike Brightman and Kid Scully rounded out the top five.

Mike Brightman started to put pressure on Dion, but couldn’t get the momentum he needed and his Impact Collision Parts Ford continued to run behind Dion. Spencer closed in on the leader, and by lap ten, sat on the rear bumper of the Honey Dew Donuts Chevy of Hudon. Hudon and Spencer had broken away from the rest of the field at this point, but the field would get a reprieve when Ryan Lineham spun his East Coast Collision Chevy off the fourth corner.

After a false start, the race for the lead was hot and heavy. Hudon was on the inside and Spencer on the outside. As they came off of turn two, contact was made, and the Hadrose Well Drilling Chevy spun down the backstretch, taking Spencer out of contention. Hudon was penalized for the contact and both drivers headed to the tail end of the field. This handed the lead over to the Northern Light’s Electric Chevy of Dion, with the EMI Ford of Brightman on the outside. Scully Jr, Dave Darling and Fred Astle rounded out the top five.

After another false start, Dion set the pace with now Tom Jr on his tail and Fred Astle behind him. As they came off of turn four, with Dion and Brightman racing wheel to wheel, Kid Scully was an opening on the inside, and made it a three wide battle for the lead. Brightman was credited with leading lap 16, as he hung it out in the third groove, but could not continue the top of the leaderboard. Tom Scully Jr was the newest leader of this event at lap 17 with Fred Astle following Scully under Dion and Brightman into second.

As the field crossed for the 20 lap mark, the top five were Scully Jr, Astle, Brightman, Vanada and Darling. Vanasse, Dion, Les Rose Jr, Darryl Stampfl and Tom Scully Sr rounded out the top ten. The third and final caution waved at lap 22, when the Autopart International Chevy of Dan O’Brien spun into the backstretch infield.

Dave Darling took his Johnson Landscaping Dodge into the pits under the caution with some front sheet metal damage, and couldn’t make it back out before the field got back up to speed. The top two point men sat on the front row, with the polesitter being the chasee. Scully got the jump on the start and set the pace. The battle for third was hot as the Aubuchon Hardware Ford of Jake Vanada was using the outside lane to move by Brightman into the third position. Brightman settled into fourth with Ryan Vanasse rounding out the top five.

The last dozen laps ran without fanfare, and the Wheelock NAPA Auto Parts Chevy of Tom Scully Jr picked up his fourth win of the season. With that, the gap between Astle and Scully shrunk to only 8 points going into the final 40 lap feature. The WoodFrame Structures Chevy finished second, with Vanada, Brightman and Vanasse rounding out the top five.

“What a perfect night,” stated a tired Scully in Victory Lane. “The car was a little tight, but we were able to hold off the 30. Thanks to Dr Feelgood Limos, Mom’s Subway, East Coast Collision, and Wheelock NAPA Auto Group. Brian made a great call for the setup and the guys were great. I’ll be happy with a top five next week, and we’ll go from there.”

A.R.C. racing returns for one final Saturday event, as the 63^rd seasonal champions are crowned on September 20. The Phil’s Propane 50 lap Late Model feature will highlight the night’s activities. Come join us as we close out the championship season. The final event on the schedule will be the 17^th annual DAV Memorial weekend on October 10, 11, and 12, as the Pro Stocks and the True Value Modifieds run twin 100 lap features. The NEMA Midgets, NEMA Lites, Late Models, Street Stocks, Seekonk Sport Trucks, Pure Stocks and Seekonk Youth Racing Association close out the racing season. Tickets are just $25.00 for adults, with kids 12 and under $5.00. Sunday kicks off with our annual Pit Party at 10, and features at 1pm.

Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR

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