Darling Takes Seekonk Pro Stock Opener
Seekonk, MA — Seekonk native Dave Darling paired superior horsepower and superb driving to win the Phil’s Propane 75-lap Seekonk Speedway Opener. Darling, a former Speedway champ, dueled the distance with another champion, Fred Astle, Jr. (Westport, MA) for the win.
Darling roared away on the restart with Astle in hot pursuit followed closely by Parks and Brightman. Kevin Casper came up to challenge Brightman for fourth. On lap 21, Casper spun out coming out of turn 1. Martin, Casper and West Bridgewater’s John Dabrowski aimed their cars into the pits along with Hutchins. All returned for the restart.
On the restart, Darling powered into the lead, held off a challenge by Astle. Jake Vanada of Berkeley, MA moved rapidly up to challenge Brightman for fourth. Vanada got under Brightman and was powering for the lead. As Brightman tried to close the door on Vanada, his car got sideways on the front stretch and spun into the infield. Kyle Casper and Philip Meany collided, trying to avoid Brightman’s spin.
Again Darling ran away from Astle on the start, with Parks in pursuit in third. Vanada held fourth and challenged for the third spot, taking it away from Parks on an outside pass on lap 26. Into the thirtieth lap, the four cars held position with Rob Murphy in fifth. Scott Dion pursued in sixth with Martin moving up through the field to hold seventh. On lap 32, Martin took over sixth position with Dion slipping back to seventh.
Debris on the backstretch entering turn 3 brought out a caution on Lap 36. During the yellow, Dion had engine problems and had to be pushed into the pit area. On the restart, Darling powered again into the lead with Astle in pursuit. Vanada was able to wedge his car under Astle in the low groove, but Astle dueled and took second back. Meanwhile, Parks was losing ground, as Murphy and Martin were able to get past.
A turn two spin on lap 39 involving 4 cars sent Ken Spencer and Casper into the pits. A side-by-side duel between Darling and Astle on the restart ran a full lap. Martin moved into fourth behind Vanada. Hutchins took a turn four spinout on the forty-fourth lap.
The restart saw Astle coming hard off turn four and running past Darling, to the green flag, but the starter threw the yellow flag and nullified the restart. This time, it was Darling winning the lead.
Results were the same through two more restarts. By now, Martin had moved into fourth place behind Vanada.
On lap 46, Kevin Casper and Jeramee Lillie got into each other in turn two, Lillie’s nose was torn of and the radiator burst, cascading coolant down turn one and a red flag was thrown, stopping all traffic while track crews removed Lillie’s car and laid down drying compound on the spill.
Darling, followed by Astle, Vanada and Martin, led the field again until Hutchins spun on turn 4. On the restart, the first three remained the same, but Martin began going backwards rapidly with a tire losing pressure. He was forced to retire, but the field wound on.
Green flag racing followed to the finish, with Darling, Astle, Vanada, Rob Murphy and Tom Scully, Jr. of Warwick, RI holding down the top five spots. Lapped traffic at lap 71 was the only question, but the quintet navigated the turbulence all the way to the finish and a hard-fought win for Dave Darling and a close second for Astle.
Pos ## Driver Status
1 #52 David Darling Running
2 #30 Fred Astle Running
3 #46 Jake Vanada Running
4 #80 Rob Murphy Running
5 #2 Tom Scully Jr Running
6 #03 Kenny Spencer Running
7 #66 Mike Parks Running
8 #27 Michael Brightman Running
9 #12 John Dabrowski Running
10 #95 Steve O’Brien Running
11 #96 David Hutchins Running
12 #4 Scott Dion Running
13 #14 Rick Martin DNF
14 #50 Jeramee Lillie DNF
15 #88 Kevin Casper DNF
16 #17 Ray Parent DNF
17 #7 Kyle Casper DNF
18 #11 Ryan Vanasse DNF
19 #5 Philip Meany DNF
Kyle Casper Wins Late Model Feature
Kyle Casper won the 30-lap Late Model feature race at Seekonk’s opening day festivities. Casper started on the inside of the second row, behind pole sitter, Randy Burr of Middleboro, MA.
At the start, outside pole Ryan Vanasse jumped the start a tad early, bringing the field back around for a restart. Casper got under Burr to challenge for the lead, but Kyle DeSouza of Fairhaven, MA, and Colbey Fornier of Berkeley, MA, got into each other in turn three, as the yellow flag flew..
As racing got underway, it took just 3 laps for smoke to start coming from under Mike Cavallaro’s car, sending him to the pits under a black flag. and on lap 4, Vanasse looped his car in turn 4. This brought out another yellow and on the restart, Casper was on the outside of the front row with Burr on the pole. They raced side-by-side for four laps followed closely by Robert Pelland III of Cranston, RI, and Tyler Thompson of Somerset and Ray Parent. With Casper pinching Burr down into the groove on each turn, Burr finally had to fall back, putting Casper at the head. He edged out to a four car lead by lap 11.
Robert Hussey spun on lap 14 bringing out another caution. It took three attempts at restarts to get beyond lap 13 with spinning cars on each attempt. Burr was forced to pit, as were Pelland, Gerry DeGasparre, Parent and Robert Hussey, who got into the wall between turns two and three. His car had to be taken off by the ramp truck. Matt Breault was sent off to take care of a hose dragging at the rear of his car.
When racing resumed, Casper jumped out at the lead again, pulling a 3-car lead on lap 15 over Vanasse, Jonathan Dickerman and Thompson. It was up to five lengths on lap 19.Dickerman got by Vanasse.
Casper continued to breeze through the laps all the way to the checkered flag, followed across the stripe by Vanasse, Burr in third, Kyle Desousa moved into fourth, with Thompson holding down 5th.
Pos ## Driver Status
1 7 Kyle Casper Running
2 11 Ryan Vanasse Running
3 32 Randy Burr Running
4 88 Kyle DeSouza Running
5 22 Tyler Thompson Running
6 13 Jonathan Dickerman Running
7 66 Dennis Stange Running
8 03 Frank Duquette Running
9 18 Ray Parent Running
10 20 Matthew Breault Running
11 57 Colbey Fournier Running
12 87 Mike Cavallaro Running
13 10 Rick Shinn DNF
14 47 Bill Bernard DNF
15 12 Bobby Pelland III DNF
16 71 Gerry DeGasparre Jr DNF
17 80 Robert Hussey DNF
Serydynski Wins Street Stock Opener
In an emotion-packed moment, Scott Serydynski, Seekonk Speedway’s all-time Street Stock win leader, raced the Ken Rego-owned number 1 car to the first win of the season in the Street Stock opener. Afterward, Serydinski dedicated his win to Deborah Rego, who passed away shortly before race day. “We send our best wishes to the Rego family,” Serydynski said at Victory Lane on the start/finish line. “This is dedicated to Deb Rego. May her soul rest in peace.”
Serydynski started the 25-lap race fourth on the field, at the outside of the second row. Outside polesitter Rob Murray ran hard past Gerard Berthelette who had won the first starting position, to lead lap 1. By lap three, though, Serydynski was trying to get under him. After 5 laps it was Murray, Serydynski, Berthelette, Tony Oliveira, and Michael Mitchell.
By lap 6, Serydinski was working outside Oliveira and was in the lead by lap 8. From there on, it was follow-the-leader.
Rob Murphy chased but could not catch and at lap 17 began to feel pressure from behind from Oliviera and Michael Mitchell. Scott Bruneau held 5th, three cars behind Mitchell. On lap 20, with 5 remaining, Mitchell went to the outside to try to pass Oliviera but finally had to fallback into fourth.
For the win, it was Serydynsky, followed by Murphy, Oliviera, Mitchell, Scott Bruneau and Chris Beaulieu.
Pos ## Driver Status
1 1 Scott Serydynski Running
2 3 Chris Rioux Running
3 41 Tony Oliveira Running
4 40 Mike Mitchell Running
5 74 Scott Bruneau Running
6 79 Christopher Beaulieu Running
7 0 Gregory Perry Jr. Running
8 08 Chris DeMoura Running
9 61 Ray Negley Running
10 04 Steve Axon Running
11 76 Ronald Lum Running
12 19 Ryan Lineham Running
13 39 Michael Lema Running
14 8 Crystal Serydynski Running
15 14 Rey Lovelace Running
16 24 John Geremia III Running
17 71 Patrick Delaney Running
18 17 Mark Henshaw Jr. Running
19 4 Gerard Berthlette Running
20 47 Tyler Jarvenpaa Running
21 02 Ron Barboza Sr. Running
22 44 Criag Pianka Running
23 93 Chuck Taylor Jr. Running
24 98 Tim Eaton DNF
25 Michael Viens DNF
Martin Wins Sport Trucks 25-Lapper
Westport’s Radical Rick Martin won the Sport Truck 25-lap feature race at Opening Day in a race that went green to checker. He started third on the field, behind pole sitter Ted Berube, who led for 15 laps. Martin worked from his second spot, which he’d held since lap 5, when he moved past Brian Murray into second.
On the 16th circuit, there was contact between Martin and Berube which loosened Berube up and slowed him enough for Martin to make the pass. Martin began to pull away from that point.
The race ran without incident, save a call-back by the starter at the outset as nervous drivers pushed the start before reaching the starter’s stand. During the slowdown for the yellow flag, John Borges spun out. The field was relined and started. The 25 laps ran without further incident. It was yet another win in the trucks division for Martin, who had won 11 the previous season, while finishing second in the division points. Second place went to Berube. Third was John Paiva, who had earned the win over Martin in the qualifying race. Hugh Bowser and Dylan Estrella were fourth and fifth.
Order of Finish Position Car Driver
1 14 Richard Martin Running
2 91 Ted Berube Running
3 17 John Paiva Running
4 22 Hugh Bowser Running
5 46 Dylan Estrella Running
6 5 Mike Ronhock Running
7 16 Russell Borges Running
8 92 Ronny Cornell Running
9 13 Brian Murray Running
10 3 Jariah Roderick Running
11 29 Dane Saritelli Running
12 49 Jim Hawkins Running
13 44 Michelle Dumas Running
14 23 Anna Gregoire Running
15 2 Robert Andreozzi DNF
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR