Johhny Benson wins first ISMA race. Small Blocks are SUPER for Dave Osborne, Chris McKinstry winner in Mini Stocks and Stacey Krewko wins 1st Powder Puff Enduro
JOHNNY BENSON WINS BIG IN SEEKONK ISMA SHOW
Johnny Benson, Jr., of Cornelius, NC, took 28 laps to place himself in front of the field of Supermodifieds at the Racing Against Breast Cancer event at Seekonk Speedway, then spent the rest of the 100 circuits defending his position against all-time ISMA win leader Chris Perley en route to a big win for the former NASCAR Winston Cup rookie of the year and 2008 Craftsman Truck Series champion. Benson muscled Brad Lichty’s Patco Transportation supermod through a field thorny with top competitors like Rob Summers, former ISMA champ Russ Wood and current points leader Mike
Lichty in the other Brad Lichty car.
Perley, the Rowley Rocket, points champion six of the past seven years, had been on a tear, winning three of the last five events on this International Supermodified Association tour. He’d also won three of the seven ISMA events at the Cement Palace. On the evening, he’d have been the toast of the field, but Benson was a half second better.
Rookie David Gruel, Justin Belfiore and Rob Summers rounded out the top 5.
“I can’t say thank you enough to the Lichty family and everybody who works in this organization,” said Benson after the race. “They are such a great family to me. It means more to me winning this race with Brad and this group. It definitely means a lot.”
Rob Summers, fresh from qualifying a modified at Stafford Motor Speedway in the afternoon, jumped from the pole position into the lead. Teammate Russ Wood, who was second in points to Lichty, pulled in behind (from his fifth place starting position) on lap 6 and took over the lead on the tenth circuit. Summers reclaimed the front on lap 14. Wood continued to dog his tracks until lap 24, when a charging Benson, moved past him into second. Wood suddenly slowed then went to the pits, losing laps. (He later returned to finish 19th on the 25-car field, 22 laps down.)
Benson took four laps to set up a move to the front for good.
Perley had started ninth to Benson’s tenth. Benson, however, had leapt to seventh on the first lap. Perley took a more cautious place, nipping his way to second behind Benson on lap 34. If low-eleven second laps can be called cautious. However, in lapped traffic, a loosening car was problematic for Perley. While Benson could slalom through the myriad traffic, his challenger had to operate with care. “If I had made any sort of goofy move, I would have spun myself out,” he said after the race. Still, on the long grind, he was able to hold position and the leaders remained within a few lengths on stretches of open-track racing.
On the several cautions, however, Perley was stuck with lapped cars between himself and his quarry, having to pass them before he could set his sights on Benson again. Still, at the finish, Perley made a dash for his adversary, finishing just about a car-length back.
Oswego, NY native Gruel was making his first tour of Seekonk and driving his first race in a Super with a wing, having graduated from Oswego’s small-block Supermodifieds into the wingless supers common only to the upstate NY half mile. The ISMA rookie had started just behind Benson in 11th place, and then slowly and carefully moved up through the field, pulling into fourth behind Lichty on the forty-fifth circuit. He was finally able to overhaul Lichty on lap 90 and hold him off through the checkers.
Summers, who had fallen back to ninth at midrace, moved into fifth place, with 3 circuits left, dropping Lichty back to sixth. Eric Lewis was able to pry his way past for sixth on the final lap, leaving Lichty in seventh.
Rounding out the top ten finishers were Mark Sammut, Joey Scanlon and Jon Gambutti.
Post-race activities saw Benson and ISMA presenting a $2500 check of the supers’ purse money to the Kraze’s Speed Equipment Racing Against Breast Cancer fund.
SUPER DAVE WINS SMALL BLOCK SUPERS
Super Dave Sanborn of Tilton, NH needed only two moves to bring home victory in the 350 cubic inch Supermodified event at the Racing Against Breast Cancer night at Seekonk: he moved up from his third place starting position on the first lap of the race, and then took over the lead on the tenth circuit. Polesitter Tom Tombarello of Haverhill and Sanborn were the only leaders in the feature, which started 13 cars. Butch Valley, Jr., PJ Stergios, Ed Witkum, Jr. and Mike Netishen rounded out the top 5.
Tombarello grabbed the lead from polesitter Ed Holewiak of Somerset, a Seekonk regular, driving a newly-acquired car in his first Supermodified feature race. Holewiak had neatly won his heat race earlier in the day. Tombarello quickly moved into second and began to chase Tombarello. Byfield, Mass. Driver Donny Bowles claimed third over Holewiak, who in turn was chased by Mike Caswell, Valley and Stergios.
On lap 7, a black flag flew for Witkum and the Westford, MA native headed for the pit entrance. Tony Carroll suddenly went up into the backstretch wall on the same circuit, bringing out a caution. Though the wreck retired Carroll from the race, it gave Witkum time to affect repairs and return to the field without losing any laps. Carroll’s car came off the wall and ground to a halt at the lower edge of the track, headed into turn 3. Carroll stepped from the car uninjured and began the long walk up the track to the turn 3 pit entrance. Tombarello had Sanborn on his outside for the restart with Bowes and Caswell behind them. Tombarello went to the lead again, with Sanborn and Bowes following. A gap opened up back to Witkum who was being shadowed by Valley.
Valley moved around into fourth. On lap 10, Sanborn got underneath Tombarello into the lead with Bowes following setting Tombarello into fourth ahead of Valley and Stergios. Lap 12 saw Valley move underneath into third. And going into lap 15, Sanborn led Bowes, Valley, Stergios and Tombarello.
The field wound around the oval until, on lap 27, Bowes got into a lapped car and looped in turn 4. Tombarello elected to turn into the pits and collected Caswell, who was about to go around him on the outside. The hit sprung Caswell’s radiator and dislocated his left front wheel, sending a cascade of coolant down turn 4. It ended Caswell’s night. Tombarello was able to affect repairs and return to the fray for the restart.
Sanborn and Valley faced off for the restart. The two went door-to-door for two laps, with Sanborn finally closing down a lead on lap 29. He began to edge away and spent the final 5 laps building an 8-car lead over Valley. Stergios edged Witkum into fourth with Mike Netishen behind at the checkers. Bowes finished 6th, and Holewiak captured seventh. Daniel Lane, Tombarello and John Leonard rounded out the top 10.
MCKINSTRY WINS MINI STOCKS AMID CONTROVERSY
Divisional leader Chris McKinstry claimed victory in a Northeast Mini Stock Association race amid a chorus of boos from an angry crowd of race fans at Seekonk Saturday night. The anger was not directed at the winner but at tour officials’ decision to black flag race leader Tim Jackson of Jeffery, NH with just two laps remaining – at a time that he was leading the race by nearly half a lap.
Tire softener had been detected on Jackson’s car earlier in the evening, but he had been allowed to start the race. Jackson had started 17th in an 18-car field and began moving quickly to the front, while Mike Metcalf of Westminster, VT grabbed the lead, followed by Seekonk veteran Bill Schoeler of Warwick. Schoeler spun in turn two, but the field was able to avoid him and he kept it going. Foster, RI’s Roger Ducharm tried getting around Metcalf and edged ahead on lap four.
A lap 5 spin in turn 4 brought out the caution and the field regrouped with Metcalf and Ducharme on the front row. Metcalf again claimed the lead, but Ducharme was running him hard when Beth Adams and Dwayne Dorr got together in turn 4. A red flag was called and the ambulance rolled to Adams’ car. She was able to walk to the ambulance. John Kelley was dead in the water and had to be pushed to the pits.
The lap 6 restart saw Metcalf go to the lead again with Ducharme battling on the high side. Emerson Cayer managed to sandwich himself between them and into the lead with Metcalf getting loose in turn two. By lap 10, Cayer appeared to be running away from the field with Ducharme, Metcalf and Lauren Smith in pursuit. Seekonk’s Mike Viens, Calvin Rose, Jr., McKinstry and Jackson were also in pursuit.
Cayer continued to lead in lap 15 with Ducharme a distance back. Another gap to Rose and another to Jackson as caution flew again. The lap 14 restart had Cayer and Ducharme on the outside row with Rose and Jackson behind them. Cayer again nabbed the lead while Rose jumped under and into second. Ducharme went back under to reclaim second, but Jackson got under him to take it away on lap 17.
Jackson began to pressure Cayer and passed underneath into the lead on lap 18’s second turn. The very fast Jackson immediately began to pull away and by lap 20 had a lead on Cayer, Rose, McKinstry and Ducharme. By lap 25, he had forged a 1/3 lap lead over the field. On the 27th circuit, he was into lapped traffic and had a full straightaway lead over the second place car.
Jackson was having little problem handling the oval, going deep underneath and 3-wide around lapped traffic.
At the midway point, Mike Metcalf went to the grass in turn 2 bringing out the caution, and had to be pushed to the pits. Jackson restarted with the lapped Chad Baxter on his shoulder and another lapped car, Louis Maher at his back. Cayer was on the outside of the second row. McKinstry and Rose were row three.
Jackson went to the lead like a rocket, while McKinstry went to the bottom of the track to gain second. Cayer nabbed third and Rose fourth. By lap 42, Jackson was enjoying a straightway lead over the trio. On lap 50, he had yet again forged a third-of-a-lap lead over his pursuers.
Schoeler looped into the grass in turn two on lap 65 and retired to the pits. Two lapped cars restarted between Jackson and McKinstry with Cayer and another lapped car behind them. Jackson again went effortlessly to the lead and Cayer nabbed second from McKinstry, who had a lapped car in his way. Rose went to fourth as Jackson again left the field rapidly falling behind him.
Cayer and McKinstry battled for second but Cayer shut the door. On lap 70, McKinstry tried again and edged into the lead. Jackson was a straightaway ahead with McKinstry and Cayer followed by Rose and Dwayne Dorr with a big gap back to Tim Higginbotham of North Dighton.
With two laps to go, tour officials announced that Jackson would be black-flagged for the earlier detection of the tire softener, changing the complexion of the race. As the move was announced, the crowd began to voice its displeasure with the decision.
McKinstry, Cayer, Rose, Dorr and Randy Churchill, Jr. of Oakdale, CT, were the next five finishers, making McKinstry the winner. A sea of displeasure was voiced throughout the victory lap and winners’ interview by crowds around the oval.
STACEY KREWCO WINS POWDERPUFF “RACING AGAINST CANCER” EVENT
Stacey Krewko took advantage of lapped traffic and a timely caution to surge into the lead late in a wild powder-puff derby event at the Kraze’s Speed Equipment Racing Against Cancer event Saturday evening. Krewko and Lisa Butler had overhauled leader Michelle Heath in lapped traffic late in the event, and Butler successfully threaded through the mass amid a series of spinning vehicles.
When the field was called back to the previous lap, Krewko was placed in the lead with Heath and Butler among the lapped traffic.
On the restart, Krewko was able to run to the lead with Heath and Butler forced to pursue through the crowd of lapped cars. Both pursuers emerged to give chase as the final laps were circled and too far behind to overtake the speeding Krewko who sped home to the checkered flag.
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR