Earl Curtin, Nick Ladyga, Frank Shepard, Curtis Rolando and Matt Barboza Open Fast Friday with Victories
SEEKONK, MA — Earl Curtin III jumped out front early in the Pure Stock 25 lap main event, and never looked back, picking up the opening Fast Friday Pure Stock victory. In a race that went nearly caution free, Curtin was able to hold on through a late race, holding off defending champion Jesse Melberg and Chris Lima in a green white checker finish.
While Curtin was cruising around about 10 car lengths ahead of Ed Flanagan Jr for the first 19 laps, Lima and Melberg were working their way through the pack, using the inside and outside lanes. Lima moved into third, just past Amy Arsenault at the lap seven mark, but only held her off for a few laps. Lap 12 saw Arsenault back into third until the pair caught Flanagan, and Lima found some momentum on the outside, moving into third again on lap 17 and into second two laps later. Melberg followed into third with two laps remaining.
The lone caution came on lap 23 when rookie Ed Gould spun in turn two. On the restart, Melberg moved past into second, but could reel in Curtin. Lima crossed the line for third, with Amy Arsenault and Dave Desrosiers fourth and fifth. Melberg and Lime were later disqualified in post-race tech.
1) Earl Curtin III 2) Amy Arsenault 3) David Desrosiers 4) Ed Flanagan Jr 5) John Robidoux 6) Bill Doyle 7) Tom Blackwell 8) Richard Savard 9) Ed Gould 10) Jamie Burch 11) Dan Johnson 12) Dan Massa Jr 13) Melissa Charette 14) Keri Lynn Manfredo 15) David Westgate DQ) Jesse Melberg DQ) Chris Lima
Nick Ladyga made it two for two in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends 25 lap main event, holding off in a spirited battle with Nick Lascoula. The two former SYRA competitors quickly jumped made the race theirs, jumping to the front by lap two, squeezing past lap 1 leader Chris Robbins. Lascoula was the first one to the front, and spent the next eight laps trying to dodge the CT native, but on lap ten, Ladyga moved past the former SYRA champion. As the pair played cat and mouse for the next several laps, they opened up a commanding lead over the battle for third, which had Joey Parker and Al Wisialko having the same type of battle between themselves.
The only caution of the event came out on lap 19, when debris was rolling in the racing groove. As the Nick and Nick show continued, the pair raced side by side for the lead before Ladyga finally put the Abington native behind him for good, holding on by half a second. Parker held off Wisialko by .04 second for third with Brandon Martinez rounding out the top five.
1) Nick Ladyga 2) Nick Lascoula 3) Joey Parker 4) Al Wisialko 5) Brandon Martinez 6) Andrew Carpenter 7) Chris Robbins 8) Matt Carpenter 9) Joe Putman 10) John Bellucci
Frank Shepard opened up the 2013 Sport4 season in the same way he closed out 2012, in Everett’s Auto Parts Victory Lane. Frank jumped out to the early lead in a three wide move to the front on the opening lap, after a restart was forced when Lenny Sousa and Frank Lavallee got together. Devin Miranda and Chris Bissell got together on lap three for the final restart.
Once the race got back underway, Shepard had his hands full with teammate Jeff Dombrowski, as Jeff tried the inside and outside of the race leader. Defending SYRA 600 champion Tyler Boudreau was making his Sport4 debut, and competed in the top five, racing with fellow 600 alumni Shawn DeMello for third. The duo raced hard together while Sousa was working his way back through the field. In the end, Shepard held on for his second career win, while Dombrowski had to settle for second. DeMello edged Boudreau for third with Sousa fifth.
1) Frank Shepard 2) Jeff Dombrowki 3) Shaun DeMello 4) Tyler Boudreau 5) Len Sousa 6) David Gargardo Jr 7) Devin Miranda 8) Jason Enos II 9) Glen Leduc 10) Chuck McDonald 11) Chris Bissell 12) Eric Pelletier 13) Chris Testa 14) Robert Henry 15) Nick Mattera 16) Henry Lavallee
Curtis Rolando jumped out front on the opening lap of the SYRA 750 20 lap feature, and led all the way to the checkered in a race that went non stop. Curtis started on the pole by virtue of his qualifying win, and the former 600 champion never looked back.
While Curtin was in control, the race for second was spirited between a pair of 750 rookies. Talow Bowser took over the runner up position on the opening lap, moving past Dave Lougee on the inside, but Lougee continued to keep pressure on the second generation racer. The pair raced side by side for several laps, with Lougee winning the battle for a few laps before Bowser took back over for a couple more. At the halfway point, Lougee moved into second for the final time.
As the laps wound down, Christine Cavallaro, who had fallen back to the tail end of the field, started to make her presence known. Cavallaro moved into the top five with five laps remaining, and past Ashley Kuhn for fourth with thre laps left. Kuhn held on for fifth.
1) Curtis Rolando 2) David Lougee 3) Taylor Bowser 4) Christine Cavallaro 5) Ashley Kuhn 6) Kaitlyn Donovan 7) Shelby Donovan
In the 20 lap SYRA 600 main event, one of the best battles of the night raged on with Matt Barboza holding off Brett Meservey for the win. The pair started side by side on the front row at the drop of the green, and through two restarts in the feature, the pair never waivered.
the first caution came out on lap 4, when Kendra Levesque stalled while trying to get back into the pit area. Barboza and Meservey continued on their wheel to wheel battle, swapping the lead back and forth between them. Behind the lead duo, Doug Meservey Jr was running third, not far behind the leaders, at times making it a three way battle for the lead. Shea Kulpa and TJ Morsehead were in the thick of the battle right behind. Over the final five laps, Doug started to fall back a little while Brett took over the lead by a slim margin. At the white flag, Brett Meservey had the lead by 3/4 of a car, but that all changed when the pair went into the final corners. A lapped car slowed in front of the leaders, allowing Barboza to slide past, picking up the victory by .085 seconds. Morsehead slid past Doug for third at the stripe with Doug Meservey and Kulpa rounding out the top five. The top five cars were separated by .890 seconds.
1) Matt Barboza 2) Brett Meservey 3) Thomas Morsehead Jr 4) Doug Meservey Jr 5) Shea Kulpa 6) Cassie Meservey 7) Madison Birchall 8) Jowy Lembo 9) David White 10) Eric Lebrun 11) Evan Taylor 12) Jessica O’Leary 13) Scottie Serydynski 14) Sarah DeMello 15) Kendra Levesque
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR