Mike Ronhock picks up first Truck win. DeMoura tops Street Stocks. Astle makes it 4 in a row and DeGasparre comes back to victory
ASTLE MAKES IT FOUR IN A ROW
Seekonk, MA — Fred Astle seemingly can’t be stopped this late in the season. Saturday, he hauled down his fourth consecutive win and fifth overall. And a fifth place finish by his nearest competitor, Dave Darling, eased pressure on Astle for season’s end championship points with but one race remaining in the season.
Six drivers held the lead through the race with Ryan Vanasse holding an edge in laps led at 16. Astle took over on Lap 29, after a bump from Rick Martin sent Darling into a spin. Astle led the remaining laps of the 40-circuit race with a hungry Jake Vanada pestering him to the finish line. Vanada finished seconds, with Tom Scully, Jr., Rob Murphy and Darling filling out the top five.
Bridgewater’s John Dabrowski started the pole and went to the lead, but outside polesitter Phil Meany fought it out through the first circuit and edged to the front. He took over the lead on lap 2 with Jeramee Lillie on his tail. Dabrowski experienced problems and began going backwards through the pack. By lap 5, Meany held the lead over Lillie, Rick Martin, Ryan Vanasse and Dick Houlihan.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Lap 7 saw Bobby Tripp go around off turn 4, bringing out a restart. Meany and Lillie were the front of the grid with Martin and Vanasse behind, followed by Houlihan and Kevin Casper. Off the start, Lillie began edging ahead and shot the door as they went into lap 8. But Rob Murphy was around off turn 4 and into the infield for another caution. The lap seven restart saw Lillie on the pole with Meany on his shoulder. Vanasse and Martin started behind them.
Vanasse went through to the lead on the start and Meany looped on the next lap in turn two, collecting a number of cars. The next green saw Vanasse and Lillie door to door for a lap before Vanasse went to the lead again and Kevin Casper went underneath into second as Lillie got hung outside.
Back in the pack, Astle and Darling were dicing it up, after starting twelfth and eleventh, respectively. By lap 10, Darling held sixth with Astle on his tail. They traded places on lap 11 and then Astle went through to fourth spot and Darling sixth with Lillie holding the interim spot.
Vanasse continued to hold the lead, chased by Casper. Into lap 13, Vanasse led Casper, Martin, Astle, Darling, Vanada, Lillie and Scully in a pace line. Darling went under Astle into fourth. Martin, running third, took second from Casper on lap 16, and then Darling moved past. Two laps later, Astle had gotten by. Vanasse was showing a 7-car lead over Martin when Scully got into the back of Lillie and Lillie spun, bringing out the caution.
The restart had Martin on Vanasse’s shoulder with Astle and Darling behind them. Casper and Vanada were the third row. Martin was trying to work Vanasse’s outside on the restart until Tripp was around in turn on, collecting Meany.
Martin now had the pole with Vanasse on his shoulder. Darling and Astle were behind them. Vanasse went to the front on two consecutive restarts, only to be called back for jumping ahead too early. The third start had Martin leaping to the lead and Darling getting underneath Vanasse. Astle followed on Darling’s tail. Though hung on the outside, Vanasse wouldn’t give up and battled Astle, but began to fall back.
Lap 23 saw Vanasse outside Casper, and contact was made with Casper’s right front into Vanasse’s left rear. They separated and retired to the pits under caution to get new rubber.
The new starting grid had Martin on the pole with Darling on his outside. Astle and Vanada came next, followed by Scully and Kenny Spencer. Again, Darling came out very fast into a big lead, but the start was called back again. Second time, Martin went to the lead and Astle went under Darling to battle for the second spot.
But Casper got into Lillie, sending him around and Ron Smith got involved.
Again, Martin and Darling took aim from the front row. It was an even start with Darling working hard on the outside. He went in front at the stripe but Martin made contact in turn two and Darling spun, bringing yet another caution. Darling went to the rear as an accident car and Martin for the assist on Darling’s spin. Both drivers had to be warned to the rear and went grudgingly. This placed Astle on the pole for the lap 29 restart with Vanada on the outside. Scully and Spencer made up the second row with Rob Murphy and Mike Brightman behind them.
Astle made for the front and had the door closed by turn3. Darling restarted in twelfth, but began to determinedly move toward the front with Martin on his tail. He had made it to sixth place by lap 35.
Vanada hounded Astle the final 10 laps but could not get past the rear bumper. Scully maintained third place with Murphy and Brightman in tow. With three to go, Darling made his way past Brightman for fifth.
At the finish, it was Astle with a .773 second lead over Vanada to take the Don Dionne Memorial Trophy. The award named after one of the original Pro Stock drivers at Seekonk Speedway, winner of the first Pro Stock championship and two of the first three. Dionne had died in the past year.
DEGASPARRE TAKES SECOND WIN, EDGES UP IN POINTS RACE
Four time late model champ Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. hauled down his second victory of the season with a hard-fought charge to the checkers over Tyler Thompson. The Pawtucket ace got past Thompson, of Somerset, with 10 laps remaining in the 30-lap challenge. Rocket Ryan Vanasse kept his hold on the points lead with a solid third place finish. The Warwick pilot’s lead over Somerset’s Kyle Casper extended when the latter finished six spots further back, in ninth place. DeGasparre’s win edged him closer to Casper for the runnerup spot in the overall points chase.
Matt Breault, of Acushnet, Mass, nailed down the fourth spot, and Jimmy Rosenfield, returning after an extended absence, rounded out the top five.
Bob Pelland III led off from the pole with Dennis Stange on the outside. Thompson started behind Pelland with Bob Hussey on his shoulder. Acushnet’s Kyle DeSouza and DeGasparre made up the third row.
Stange’s car got squirrelly at the green, and Pelland charged into the lead. Thompson inserted his nose under Stange, pinning the Athol driver on the outside. Hussey and DeSouza dueled for third, while Casper moved up from his seventh starting slot to enter combat with DeGasparre. Rosenfield and Breault were battling behind them.
Seven laps in, Pelland led Thompson, and Stange, with a four car gap back to Casper and DeGasparre and another gap to the rest of the field, led by Hussey and Breault. But John Paiva went around on lap 10, bringing out the caution.
Pelland had Thompson on his shoulder for the restart; Stange and Casper were behind them, followed by DeGasparre and Hussey. DeSouza was in and out of the pits during the caution. Thompson pushed ahead on the restart and Pelland worked to hold him off through the lap, but Thompson got a full car’s lead into turn one of the eleventh lap and shut the door. At the same time, Casper moved past Stange into fourth. Breault got past Hussey into sixth, and Rosenfield spring boarded from tenth into seventh. As they crossed into lap 12, Thompson led, with Pelland on his bumper, Casper, Stange, DeGasparre, Breault and Rosenfield. Three laps later, Thompson had extended his lead over Pelland to 3 cars.
Pelland and the pursuing Casper made contact coming out of turn 4 on the nineteenth circuit and Pelland got up into the frontstretch wall, scrubbing his right side most of its length. Casper managed to bring it to a stop in turn two with a flat, probably cut down in the contact. The crash ended Pelland’s night on lap 19; Casper pitted for new rubber and returned at the rear of the pack.
The restart had Thompson with DeGasparre on his outside at the front with Breault and Rosenfield behind them. Stange and Vanasse were the third row. Thompson and DeGasparre went door-to-door for a lap, until Thompson got loose and DeGasparre charged into the lead. Entering the 22nd circuit, DeGasparre led Thompson, Breault, Vanasse, Rosenfield and Stange. Vanasse attempted the pass on Breault on the next go-around although Breault made it difficult to get by.
By lap 25, with just 5 to go, DeGasparre had a 6 car lead over Thompson, while Breault and Vanasse were still dueling over third. Vanasse was high and clear into third on lap 28 and shut the door on Breault into 29.
DeGasparre won going away, with a 1.151 second edge over Thompson. Vanasse was .407 behind Thompson.
RONHOCK SAILS HOME WITH FIRST VICTORY
Cape Codder Michael Ronhock and Fall River’s Ron Cornell logged 25 out of 25 of the lead laps in the Sport Trucks race Saturday night, but the Mashpee Mauler led the latter half of the race through the checkers to garner his first-ever victory on the asphalt oval. The win tightens Ronhock up, closing on fourth place-holder, New Bedford’s Lenny Guy, and just a handful of points between them indicate a tight run for the spot in next week’s season-ender. Ronhock had come into the fray in fifth place, but was the only member of the elite five who did not have a win on the season. Twenty-five laps later, another member had joined the exclusive club.
Seekonk’s Michael Cavallaro nearly had his fifth win of the season, but Ronhock held him off in a wild charge at the finish line for a .040 second victory. Ed Gannon from Fall River nabbed a close third, while Somersetter Ted B Berube and Dan Leach from North Dighton filled out the top 5.
Cornell shot off the pole, taking the lead over outside polesitter, Jariah Roderick. After Portsmouth, Rhode Islander Rob Andreozzi tried under Roderick to nab second, and was held off, the East Taunton driver settled in behind Cornell and Andreozzi filled in the third slot. But entering lap 3, Quincy driver Michelle Dumas went around in turn four, bringing out the caution.
Cornell and Roderick lined up again, and Cornell went to the front with Andreozzi making the underneath move as before. Dane Saritelli move up under Roderick and they began a duel for third, while behind them Ted Berube and Rick Martin were jousting for fifth.
As the field headed for lap 4, Andreozzi got into the infield in turn 4 and looped his truck with his wheels spinning and sent up a huge cloud of dust that obscured vision in the turn. Out of the cloud came Dumas and Guy, already thrown together by the low visibility. Guy was able to continue on the track, albeit with the underside of his bed bent up to the frame. Dumas ended up in the infield on the front stretch with a cold motor. She had to be lifted from the field on the hook, finishing 21 laps down.
Ronhock had taken the two laps to move from fifth to second and started on Cornell’s shoulder after a long pause for track crew to sweep the silt from the racing surface in the turn. Cornell pulled the lead at the green and Ronhock pursued, with Roderick on his tail. Saritelli, Berube, Martin, Gannon and Dan Leach poured in behind them. Again, Berube and Martin were contesting position as were Gannon and Leach behind them. Martin slipped back a bit, and Gannon moved up under him, but he used a burst of speed to come even with Berube again.
By lap 8, Saritelli was up alongside Roderick, and Martin was behind him.
Andreozzi was off the track into the dirt once again on lap 11, this time in turn two, bringing out the caution and another restart. Cornell and Ronhock faced off again, with Saritelli and Roderick behind. Martin and Berube were paired, as were Gannon and Leach.
Cornell and Ronhock battled off the line; Saritelli moved to third while Martin and Roderick contested for fourth. Ronhock got by into the lead on the second turn of lap 13 with Saritelli, Martin, Gannon, Guy and Roderick lined up behind.
Cavallaro had been stuck among the rear of the pack until lap 16. He passed Leach, who had fallen back after the early contests into ninth, then edged past Estrella and Berube into 7th on lap 20. By this time, Ronhock was enjoying an 8-car lead over Cornell and Saritelli. Gannon had third, and Martin and Guy were duking it out for fourth. Cavallaro tried a three-wide move around them and succeeded in getting by Martin on the next lap. Next time around he got past guy and Saritelli into third.
Ronhock had a 2.3 second lead into lap 23. Saritelli and Guy were contesting when Saritelli went around, collecting Guy. Saritelli was able to continue, but the caution had already flown, setting up for a restart on lap 23, which would be a green-white-checkered finish. Ronhock and Cornell again made up the front row with Gannon and the surging Cavallaro behind them. Berube and Leach pursued from the third row.
Ronhock forged to the lead with Gannon getting under Cornell into second. Cavallaro was three wide again and coming on. Gannon bumped Ronhock from behind, but a great save kept the five truck going straight. Cavallaro came around the three-wide, taking second from Gannon in the last lap, then ran up alongside Ronhock in turn three of the white flag lap. It was a hard run to the finish, with Cavallaro gaining the front hubcap on Ronhock at the line, unable to overtake completely. Ronhock held on through the grit for the .040 second win.
DEMOURA OUTLASTS LEMA FOR FIRST STREET STOCK WIN
Chris DeMoura out of North Dighton, Mass, ran from his outside pole starting position into the lead on lap 5, then spent 17 laps holding of a hungry Michael Lema for his first Street Stock victory of the season. DeMoura had to hold Lema off through a host of caution restarts before hanging tough for Lema’s final surge on the last straight to the finish. Sparky Arsenault and Paul Newcomb both finished within the same second as the leader, creating a very close finish. Steve Axon’s fifth place appears to have propelled him into the division lead over Ryan Lineham.
Lineham’s championship came into jeopardy in the second heat for the Streeters. A lap 8 tangle with Gerard Berthelette and Rey Negley sent him nose-first into the turn 3 wall, next to the entrance ramp from the pits, ending the night for his car. Lineham got his nose into Berthelette’s rear quarter on the backstretch and the two slowed. Negley had his nose into Lineham’s rear bumper and was pushing down the straight. When Berthelette broke away, Lineham’s nose went up the track and the push from behind sent him straight into the wall for a very hard hit. The crash brought out a red flag and the ambulance. After a few minutes, Lineham was able to walk to the ambulance under his own power for the ride back to the pits. His car was wreckered from the track. He was able to return for the feature after renumbering teammate Walter Carpenter’s 09 car to his 19 to continue to pursue the championship.
Fall Riverite Patrick Delaney started the pole with DeMoura on his shoulder. At the green, Lema shot up to make a 3-wide sandwich at the front, but backed out, settling into third behind Delaney and DeMoura, though he was contested by Tyler Jarvenpaa. The Taunton hot shoe would be a factor throughout the contest.
Five laps in, DeMoura had worked his way past Delaney. Lema held third, and Sparky Arsenault had move into fourth from his starting spot in seventh. Paul Newcomb followed with Scott Serydynski on his tail. Lineham was trying to get up from the back of the pack. Through his wheel slots, his front brake rotors could be seen glowing cherry red from the hard usage that they were being subjected to.
Chuck Taylor, Jr. looped his car between turns one and two on the twelfth circuit, bringing out a caution. DeMoura and Lema faced off at the front with Arsenault and Newcomb in the second row. Delaney and Axon followed. Ken Bamford and Brian Spillane were the fourth row. Serydynski had slipped back to ninth, just behind Brian Spillane. It took three tries to get the restart, with Jarvenpaa going around in turn two and Taylor in turn one on the first attempt. Ken Kohler rotated in the starting box on the second attempt.
Finally, a good start had DeMoura and Lema battling while behind them, Arsenault and Newcomb contested third; Beaulieu and Axon for fifth and Bamford and Spillane behind them. When things finally resolved, DeMoura was again leading Lema on the backstretch in lap 14. Next lap saw Jarvenpaa around in turn two.
On the restart, Rey Lovelace looped before the starters’ box. Officials penalized Negley for the assist and both Negley and Lovelace protested to the turn 3 trackside officials. When the protest went unresolved, the pair retired to the pits.
DeMoura went back to the lead again, with Arsenault trying under Lema for second. Newcomb and Beaulieu worked each other for fourth. By lap 20, the field had lined out with DeMoura leading Lema, followed by Arsenault, Newcomb and Axon fighting it out with Beaulieu.
Lap 22 saw Lema trying under DeMoura again, but had the door shut on him. Ever persistent, Lema made a final dash at the line but was nipped by the leader, DeMoura coming in ahead by .160 seconds. Arsenault took third, .465 back and Newcomb fourth at .891; the top four all finishing within the same second. Fifth went to Axon.
Lineham, in the unfamiliar car, managed a 17th place finish, allowing Axon to ease by in the points spread for yearend championships. Final competition for the point’s championships will be held next week.
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR