Astle Flies to fifth checkered. Cavallaro, DeSouza and Bruneau roll to first victories. Uhrig repeats on Sunday
Seekonk, MA — Flyin Fred Astle picked up his fifth win of the season in the Pro Stock 40 lap feature. Rob Murphy led the first lap of the main event before the first caution came out on lap 1 when Jeramee Lillie spun. Dave Hutchins was also involved. Once back underway, it was Taunton’s Ken Spencer getting the jump and setting the pace. Ken opened up a comfortable lead over Murphy, who held on for second until Astle came by at lap 12. Once into second, Fred started to hunt down Spencer.
Points leader Dave Darling was methodically working his way through the traffic after starting 13 in the 17 car field. But as he used the patience that brought him two previous championships, his points lead was disappearing as Astle and Tom Scully Jr raced further up the field.
Bu lap 20, Astle had caught Spencer for the lead, with Scully just moving past Murphy for third. As the two leaders raced, the fans were expecting more fireworks between the two veterans, as they had tangled on the final lap of their qualifier as they crossed the finish line. But the confrontation never culminated, as Astle moved his Wood Frame Structures Chevy underneath Spencer and moved into the lead on lap 23.
The second yellow came out on lap 32, when Mike Marfeo spun in turn four. As they went back to green, Astle took off, leaving Spencer and Scully to race for second. The pair raced side by side for three laps, with Scully making a crossover move that would make Harry Gant proud, moving past Spencer on lap 35, just before the final caution came out for Tommy Ellis, who went around in turn three.
In the five lap shootout, Astle went unchallenged and picked up his division tying fifth win of the season, closing the points lead to seven points with two events remaining. Scully held on for second with Spencer coming home third. Darling was able to use the final restart in a final charge to fourth, with Mike Brightman rounding out the top five at the finish. Rob Murphy, Ryan Vanasse, Jake Vanada, Steve O’Brien and Kyle Casper rounded out the top ten.
“Once again, Ron and Lisa Lauro are in Vermont, so it’s fitting I win again this week,” a laughing Astle stated.
Mike Cavallaro picked up his first career Late Model feature win Saturday in the 50 lap feature event. Mike started sec
ond, but fell back to third when Kyle Casper moved into second, and started to challenge leader Matt Breault. The top two pulled away from the field, but on lap five, contact was made spinning Breault. Casper spun also, which collected Tyler Thompson, Jimmy Rosenfield, and Bob Hussey. Casper and Thompson would not return.
Cavallaro inherited the lead, which he would only give up briefly over the course of the remaining laps. Points leade
r Ryan Vanasse lined up on the outside of the front row, and the pair raced wheel to wheel for several laps. Vanasse would get credited with leading lap 11, but Cavallaro was on a mission, and regained the lead right back. The continued to race side by side until lap 18, when Rosenfield spun in turn two. Breault would get credited with the assist.
The final caution came out on lap 21 when Frank Duquette spun on the frontstretch. One more time, Cavallaro and Vanasse put on a duel at the top of the field, and on lap 22, Vanasse once again edged Cavallaro for the lead. But at that time, the tires started to go away on the Team V Transportation Chevy, and Vanasse started to backslide. Denny Stampfl moved in to take over second on lap 24, and started to challenge for the lead. The Volvo Rents Chevy put heavy pressure on Cavallaro, moving to the outside several times before losing his tires and falling back to third. Bill Bernard moved into second with seven laps remaining, and started to close in on Cavallaro, but he could only get within two car lengths of the J Fortin Concrete Forms Chevy as Cavallaro made it two for two for his car owner Eric DeSouza.
“I want to dedicate this win to my biggest fan, my mother in law who passed away on Thursday, and to Mr. Vanada, who is going through cancer surgery,” a satisfied Cavallaro stated in Victory Lane.
With his fifth place finish, Ryan Vanasse became the first Late Model driver in over a decade to clinch the title with a week remaining.
Kyle DeSouza moved into the front spot at the drop of the green in Saturday’s 15 lap Seekonk Sports Truck feature, and never looked back on his way to his first career Truck win. DeSouza started on the pole and held back Jason Heroux for the lead. Heroux fell back to third on lap two, when Fall River’s John Paiva moved into the runner up position.
Points leader Rick Martin started fifth on the field, and quickly moved into the fourth position. His night would not end in a good run, however, as he slowed up on lap four and brought his Excel Recycling Chevy into the pits with mechanical issues, not to return. By the end of the night, he
would lose the points lead with only two events remaining.
By lap 11, Heroux moved back into the second position, with Dylan Estrella taking over the third position on lap 13. The first caution came out on lap 14, when Barry Shaw Jr spun in turn 2. Mike Ronhock was penalized for the assist. As they came back up to speed, Estrella moved into second, with Heroux, Paiva and Hugh Bowser rounding out the top five. Estrella started to pressure DeSouza, but could find the momentum to get along side. The second caution came out on lap 22, when Jariah Roderick spun in turn two.
Over the final laps, DeSouza continued his dominance over the field and took down his first career Truck win. Estrella fell back quickly over the final laps and fell out of the top five. Heroux came back and finished in the second spot, tying his best finish, with Paiva, Jody Tripp and John Dumas rounding out the top five. Tripp took over the points lead by 13 over Martin in the chase for the title.
“I need to thank my dad for this,” a speechless DeSouza exclaimed. “This is great. The guys in this division have been so helpful to me. Mike Cavallaro helped up out over the last few weeks and helped us get the truck better.”
In last weeks Street Stock feature, Scott Bruneau led late, with mechanical gremlins thwarting his bid for the win. This week, he kept the gremlins at peace, and picked up his first win of the season. Bruneau took over from Ron Barboza on lap two and held on through four cautions to pick up the win. Following Bruneau into second was Chris Rioux, who hounded Bruneau for the entire distance. The first caution came out on lap 6 when Bobby Pelland III spun. Another came out on lap 10 when Ray Negley spun in turn 4. Elmer Wing III sat in the third position for the first ten laps before he was forced off the racetrack with his second broken axle in two weeks.
Rioux tried to make a run on the outside on the restart, but would have to settle in behind the leader. Paul Newcomb Jr used the restart to move into third, with Chris DeMoura and Sparky Arsenault rounding out the top five at the halfway point. Arsenault was working his way through in the hopes of catching points leader Mike Mitchell, who was mired in traffic. Sparky moved by DeMoura on lap 18, just before the third caution came out on lap 18 when Michael Veins and Pelland got together. The final caution came out on lap 22, when Negley spun again, this time with some help from Paul Lallier.
Over the final few laps, Rioux tried as he might, but came up short and Scott picked up his second career Street Stock win. Charlie Rose Jr started back in the 16th spot, and worked his way through the field into the top five by lap 20. Over the final few laps, he found his way i
nto third at the drop of the checkers. Ryan Lineham was trying to make it two in a row, but could only muster up a fifth place finish. Points leader Mike Mitchell was caught in traffic all night, and came home seventh, watching his lead fall to 32 points.
“I just wanted to run my line and hit my grooves,” a happy Bruneau stated. “I have to thank my father, my girlfriend Lynell, my crew chief Kyle Bowers and all of my sponsors.”
On Sunday, Nick Uhrig picked up his third win of the season in the Pure Stocks, as they ran in conjunction with the Labor Day Thrill Show. Jamie Salley moved into the lead, and pulled away from the field, with Lou Robinson in second. Uhrig started seventh, but by lap two, he sat third. By lap five, he moved past Robinson, and started to close in on Salley.
The most serious incident happened on lap 14, when several cars got together, ending Tom Blackwell’s run. Once the field was bunched, Uhrig raced the outside lane, and picked up the lead on lap 17. Points leader, Scott Cestodio started 18th, and moved his way through the traffic, and by lap 18, sat on the rear bumper of Uhrig. Try as he might, he could not overtake him, and had to settle for second. Randy Moretti moved into third with six laps remaining, but had to settle there at the checkers. Salley and John Robidoux rounded out the top five.
ARC Racing resumes this Saturday, September 12, as Kraze’s Speed Equipment presents the Seekonk Sport Truck 30 lap feature. Also on tap will be the Pro4 Modifieds for their third appearance of the season, and the second Pro4 Powder Puff race, featuring the ladies of the Formula Four in a 20 lap “Race for a Cure” event, which will help to raise money for the Race Against Cancer for Breast Cancer Awareness. We will also close out the points season for the Late Models and officially crown Ryan Vanasse as the 2009 Late Model Champion. Gates open at 4, with the green flag dropping at 6pm. Adult admission is just $12.00, with kids 12 and under FREE. For tickets, purchase them online at seekonkspeedway.com.
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR