Vanasse Caps Speedway Funfest With Pro Stock Win
Ryan Vanasse led the Seekonk Pro Stock field from the falling of the green to the checkered flag in a show of strength behind the wheel. Earlier in the evining, the Warwick, RI speed ace had earlier battled to the stripe with Kyle Casper for a second place finish in the Late Model division.
The iron man springboarded to the lead from the front of the starting grid and never saw another car ahead of him for the entire 40 laps of the race. Closest challenges came during the restarts following cautions in the event.
Vanasse jumped away from his starting spot on the outside of the front row and was enjoying a 3-car lead by the second lap and had it up to 5 cars by the time the first yellow waved on the third lap, when veteran Joe Cerullo and Tom Scully, Jr. got together coming out of the second turn. Cerullo went to the pits on the hook. Scully made the first of several pit stops he made through the race under his own power.
On the restart, Vanasse vaulted away from the pole while Kyle Casper (also driving double duty on the evening) and Phillip Meany began a spirited duel for second. With Vanasse enjoying a 4-car lead, Casper broke away from Meany and began to chase him down. Fred Astle was moving rapidly through the ranks from his 11th starting position into 6th on the tenth lap while last week’s winner, Dave Darling had come from 12th to 8th.
John Dabrowski’s car began showing a good deal of smoke, and was black-flagged into the pits. On the following lap, Ray Parent looped his car coming out of turn two, begging the question of oil from Dabrowski on the track. Astle had made his way to fourth and Darling seventh.
The lap 14 restart had Vanasse leave the pack again, while brrothers Kyle and Kevin Casper duelled for second. Kevin won the duel and began to chase Vanasse while Kyle battled alongside Scott Dion for third. Darling ducked under Astle behind Kyle and Dion. Vanasse was enjoying a 5-car lead.
Billy Brady found the wall on turn 3 on the nineteenth lap bringing out another caution. Vanasse was not to be denied on the restart, but Ken Spencer went around in turn 2, bringing the field back for another restart. Vanasse rocketed away again, but Astle and Kyle Casper got together and looped, briniging out another caution on the lap 19 restart. Darling picked up damage in the melee and retired to the pits. Meany went off on the hook, and Rick Martin retired for the evening.
This time, the green waved successfully and again Vanasse ran into the clear air, and led Kevin Casper, Dion, Mike Brightman and Rob Murphy into lap 20, when spencer had trouble with turn 3, bringing the yellow back out. Darling returned, laps down during the caution.
Vanasse and Kyle duelled intently on restarts on laps 25, 26 and 28 with Casper grudgingly relinquishing the lead to Vanasse each time. On the 28th, Murphy and Brightman, battling for position, spun out. Both drove to the pits for repairs and Jake Vanada lost his rear end gears and had to be taken off the track by the wrecker. The field was reset again, with Parent on the front with Vanasse down low. Astle was on the bottom of the second row with Spencer on the outside.
Vanasse and Parent duelled wheel-to-wheel for two laps. Parent fell into second with Astle behind him. Astle nosed his way under Parent to take over second while Vanasse was running away from the field, holding a 5-car lead over Astle on the 34th lap.
The field paraded to the checkered flag with Vanasse grabbing the well-deserved win. Astle nabbed the runner-up spot for the second time in the new season’s two races with Ken Spencer outlasted Parent, claiming third. Brightman and Murphy charged over the line together, with the latter edging through to a hair’s-breadth lead and fifth place.
RESULTS:
Position Car Number Driver
1 11 Ryan Vanasse
2 30 Fred Astle
3 03 Ken Spencer
4 17 Ray Parent
5 80 Rob Murphy
6 27 Mike Brightman
7 88 Kevin Casper
8 95 Steve O’Brien
9 7 Kyle Casper
10 2 Tom Scully, Jr.
11 52 Dave Darling
12 96 Dave Hutchins
13 4 Scott Dion
14 46 Jake Vanada
15 14 Rick Martin
16 5 Philip Meany
17 92 Billy Brady
18 12 John Dabrowski
19 8 Josephy Cerullo
Kyle Casper Wins Second Late Model Feature
Two races so far this season and so far, Somerset, MA driver,Kyle Casper remains undefeated in Seekonk’s Late Model Division. And Ryan Vanasse out of Warwick, RI, remains the only second place finisher. The duo have amazed the gallery two weeks running, with a .354-second margin of victory this time out. Indeed, they both went on to double duty on the night, also racing the the premier Pro Stock Division.
It wasn’t an easy win, as four-time Late Model Champ, Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. came out with a very hot setup on his number 71. The Pawtucket, RI hotfoot had setup trouble on opening day, but all problems were corrected by the time he hit the track Saturday night. He roared off his pole position below Robert Pelland III and into a growing lead, which he enjoyed for nearly two-thirds of the 30-lap race. Pelland found himself in a battle with veteran Mike Cavallaro through the 10th lap. At that point, the yellow came out as Dennis Strange looped his car in turn 3 after contact with Colbey Fournier in the pack.
On the restart, DeGasparre roared off and the duel between Pelland and Cavallaro resumed. Cavallaro got underneath, sticking Pelland on the outside as Gerry went out to a 3-car lead on the field. On lap 13, Frank Duquette spun in mid-pack bringing out the second caution and involving several cars. Damage sent Strange off to the pits on the hook. Pelland had restartd third and leapt up inside of Cavallaro on the outside pole when DeGasparre moved ahead. Ryan Vanasse was dogging Pelland’s heels down low..
Matt Breault spun on lap 12 in the first turn and the flag waved again. On the green, DeGasparre was gone again, but a challeng for second led to a three-wide challenge down the backstretch between Pelland, Cavallaro and Vanasse. Cavallaro lost out from the outside and fell back behind the duo. Vanasse broke away and went in pursuit of the leader.
Contact in trun 3 turned Pelland around in the thrid turn, sending him to the rear on the restart. Again, DeGasparre dived to the front, chased by Vanasse, Casper, Jonathan Dickerman and Randy Burr. But Vanasse worked his way in behind the leader and got underneath and into the lead. Casper followed closely behind and Jerry suddenly found himself in third position. A lap 19 restart after a spin with Robert Hussey and Duquette, had Vanasse on the pole and Casper on the outside. After coming to speed, Vanasse slowed with a momentary bobble, but was able to maintain position. They fought bittlerly for 7 laps, with Casper on the outside, able to edge a few feet ahead on each straight. When caution again loomed on lap 26, Casper’s half-fender lead at the strip gave him the pole for the restart.
On the restart, the same brawl spilled out with neither driver able to pull to a significant lead. As the white flag flew, Casper had managed a three-quarter car lead over Vanasse and held on through the final lap for a narrow victory. Vanasse was forced to accept second just ahead of DeGasparre, Dickerman and Burr, to round out the top 5.
Place Car Number Driver
1 7 Kyle Casper
2 11 Ryan Vanasse
3 71 Gerry DeGasparre, Jr.
4 13 Jonathan Dickerman
5 32 Randy Burr
6 12 Robert Pelland III
7 47 Bill Bernard
8 03 Frank Duquette
9 80 Robert Hussey
10 57 Colbey Fournier
11 20 Matt Breault
12 88 Kyle Desousa
13 22 Tyler Thompson
14 10 Rick Shinn
15 87 Mike Cavallaro
16 66 Dennis Strange
Martin Edges Paiva in Sport Trucks
Twelve THOUSANDTHS of a second separated Rick Martin from John Paiva at the finish line after 25 grueling laps of sport truck racing at Seekonk Speedway’s second racing event of the season. Perhaps the thickness of a coat of paint, or perhaps the width of a steel bumper spelled the difference in a race either could have won. It might become a grudge match between the high-flying duelists. Martin and Paiva had a very similar battle in their qualifier on opening day and Paiva was a very close third to Martin’s win last time out. This time out, their best-lap times were a tenth of a second off, Martin navigating the one-third mile in 14.771 and Berube reaching 14.859 — .088 different. Both drivers bring excellent skills and superbly prepared vehicles to the track. Adding more fuel to the fire, they come from the adjoining communities of Westport and Fall River, MA.
Paiva, Lenny Guy, Dick Houlihan and Martin had started as a 4-car block smack in the middle of the 17-car pack, with Falmouth’s Michael Ronhock and Tivertonian Brian Murray on the front row for the start. Guy had set a blistering pace in his qualifier for a going-away win for the new truck seeing its first competition of the season. Houlihan, a multi-champion at Seekonk and other venues, was making his return to racing after a multi-year layoff. On the second lap, Guy spun, but did not bring out a caution and continued from the rear. At lap 10, it was Paiva under Martin in the lead with Houli in third place. The laps unwound with the top three unchanged and battling through lap 20,
On lap 21, Guy and Robert Andreozzi spun between turns 3 and 4. On the restart, Paiva led Martin, Houlihan, Ronhock and Ted Berube away from the green flag. Houlihan had a momentary pause in his power delivery and slowed, falling off the pace, allowing Ronhock to pass into third. Paiva had Martin stuck to his tailgate, with Ronhock 3 cars to the rear. Houlihan, up to speed, was giving chase with Berube on his coatttails.
Another caution and a lap 22 restart had Martin on the outside, Paiva down low. They battled off the line, but Eric Boyko’s spin on the backstretch had the field back for a complete restart. Again, the duo went at it, wheel-to-wheel and for the rest of the distance it was a firefight for superiority. On the final lap, the duo came out of turn four, headed for the checkered flag and trading paint much of the distance. In the flash of an eye, the two were past and when the electronic system had unravelled the positions, it was Martin taking home his second consecutive win with a paper-thin victory.
Place Car Number Driver
1 14 Rick Martin
2 17 John Paiva
3 5 Michael Ronhock
4 46 Dick Houlihan
5 91 Ted Berube
6 22 Hugh Bowser
7 92 Ronny Cornell
8 77 Lenny Guy
9 3 Jariah Roderick
10 44 Michelle Dumas
11 13 Brian Murray
12 29 Dane Saritelli
13 2 Robert Andreozzi
14 07 Eric Boyko
15 49 Jim Hawkins
16 43 Don Leach
17 02 Joseph Gardner
Axon Claims Street Stock Feature
Steve Axon of Attleboro, Ma, worked his way from seventh on the starting field to take the Saturday Night win in Seekonk Speedway’s ever-popular Street Stock Division. The largest division saw 24 cars come to the starting gate for the race. It took a tangle between leasders Michael Lema and Rey Lovelace and Axon seizing the opportunity from his third position late in the race to bring the win.
Lovelace had started on the outside pole and flirted with the top 5 all race. Early laps had seen him battling with polesitter Mark Henshaw. A lap six tangle between Greg Perry, Jr. and Ronald Lum brought the field back to the stripe for a restart. with Henshaw on the pole and Lovelace behind him. Axon restarted fifth on the field, down low, behind Lovelace.
Henshaw grabbed the lead with Michael Lema on his back. Lema tried to go around, but Henshaw held him off while Lovelace and Axon followed. Lima passed into the lead on lap 15 followed by Henshaw, Axon, who had gotten by Lovelace, Lovelace and Ray Negley.
Trouble on lap 18, as Tim Eaton’s cooling system erupted, drowning turn 2 and the backstretch.Lema led the pack into the restart with Hensaw on his right shoulder and Axon right behind. Lovelace and Lema made the top 5. Lovelace got tagged on turn three and went around, calling back the field fir another restart. Lovelace had to be taken off the track by the wrecker with extreme front body damage. Berthelette got up into the backstretch wall and went off the track. Lema was able to hang onto third for the restart, while Axon went to the pole with Chris Beaulieu on the outside.Michael Mitchell made fourth and opening day winner, Scott Serydynski was fifth, after threading his way laboriously through a thick pack of cars.
On the final restart, Axon grabbed the lead with Beaulieu in hot pursuit. Lema dived under Beaulieu to secure second, Lema crossed the stripe in third and Serydynski nabbed fourth. Ray Negley placed fifth.
Place Car Number Driver
1 04 Steve Axon
2 39 Michael Lema
3 79 Chris Beaulieu
4 1 Scott Serydynski
5 61 Ray Negley
6 19 Ryan Lineham
7 40 Michael Mitchell
8 3 Chris Rioux
9 74 Scott Bruneay
10 17 Mark Hensahaw
11 8 Crystal Serydynski
12 71 Patrick Delaney
13 41 Tony Oliviera
14 47 Tyler Jarvenpaa
15 93 Chuck Taylor, Jr.
16 96 Sparky Arsenault
17 08 Chris DeMoura
18 14 Rey Lovelace
18 0 Greg Perry, Jr.
20 4 Gerard Berthelette
21 24 John Geremia III
22 44 Craig Pianka
23 98 Tim Eaton
24 76 Ronald Lum
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR