Marchand, Caddick, LeBrun, Lamothe & Lambert grab Fast Friday wins
MARCHAND LEADS 600’S GREEN TO CHECKERS FOR FIRST WIN
Evan Marchand snagged the front on the drop of the green and would not let up, carrying the torch from the initial green all the way to Victory Lane for his first-ever win in SYRA 600 competition. Only a lap 15 caution slowed the streaking Marchand en route to win, and he was able to pull away and reassume the lead. Trenton Goodrow served as goad to Marchand, taking second on the opening lap and harrying him the entire 20 laps. It was his first career victory. Marissa Morgan, Scott Serydynski, Jr and Luke LeBrun rounded out the top five.
Marchand leapt off the pole as Goodrow went under Zachary Martinez into second. Serydynski followed into third. Anthony Marvin got outside Martinez and went into fourth followed by Morgan. Martinez was having problems with the car and by lap 3 had faded to tenth.
LeBrun had leapt from ninth to sixth, passing Karlin Levesque, Corey Charette and Martinez. Into lap three, Marchand led Goodrow, Serydynski, Marvin, Morgan and LeBrun. LeBrun moved up to Morgan’s bumper, while Levesque passed Charette for seventh and was 8 cars back of LeBrun, who was working the outside on Morgan but could not make the pass.
By lap eight, Levesque had closed on LeBrun and worked his way underneath. Marvin, meanwhile, was troubling Serydynski over third but was refused. Levesque then turned the tables and moved in under Marvin but was rebuffed. LeBrun then went low on Levesque, succeeding in taking his position back. Marchand continued to lead Goodrow and Morgan.
Goodrow was looking to go around Marchand, but was held off and settled onto his bumper as Levesque made another try at sixth, going outside LeBrun but was held off. Goodrow stayed snugged against Marchand’s bumper until Martinez’ engine went silent and he coasted to a halt in turn three.
Marchand and Goodrow lined up. Marchand moved out, leaving room for Serydynski to get under Goodrow, who responded with more speed and dropped in. Serydynski began to work all over his bumper, but Morgan and LeBrun came up to overhaul him, dropping him to fifth. Levesque was working on Marvin for sixth, and succeeded on lap 16.
At the front, Goodrow had been incessantly at Marchand for the lead and redoubled his efforts. He became so engaged that Morgan spotted an opening and looked underneath, but Goodrow slammed the door. Serydynski was looking to get fourth back from LeBrun and made the move going into the penultimate lap as the white silk flew. He succeeded and pursued Morgan, who held third. Serydynski was disqualified from the feature event after a post race inspection.
The finishing field had been established and though Goodrow attacked Marchand’s position, he was unable to overcome and Marchand flashed over the line just .132 seconds in the lead. Rounding out the top ten were Levesque, Marvin, Alexandria Lillie, Charette and Ella Sprague.
CADDICK AGAIN CONQUERS SPORT FOURS
Corey Caddick used his hard-charging style to power his way to the front of the Sport Four feature, overtaking and then passing the early leader, “$5 Sunglasses Guy” Glen Leduc. An equally charged-up Gil Bradstreet got around Leduc three laps later and Bradstreet skillfully laid down pursuit of Caddick, including a moment he nosed ahead at the stripe going into lap 17. Caddick recovered, however, and reclaimed the lead and the victory three laps later. Bradstreet’s shot at second was denied, however, by points leader David Westgate with just over a lap remaining, forcing Bradstreet to settle for third. David Simpson, who had been in the top four all race ran in for fourth while Ray Herman collected fifth.
Leduc jumped off the pole, leaving outside polesitter John Lineberger, Emily Charette, Simpson and Christine Cavallaro behind. Bradstreet went around Caddick and Cavallaro. Caddick, however, was just having a hiccup as he went under Charette and onto Lineberger’s bumper. He was past Lineberger like a shot and lap four saw him looking outside Leduc. Leduc got loose and Caddick charged hard, but the centrifugal force sent him wide in the turn and they went wheel-to-wheel down the front in lap six.
Caddick continued to charge and went by Leduc, who then saw Bradstreet come by underneath. By lap nine, Caddick was in charge with a 20-car lead on Bradstreet. Meanwhile, Simpson was sliding under Leduc into third.
Westgate was coming up from a ninth-place start and was next to victimize the Sunglass Guy four fourth place. Chuck McDonald followed past into fifth. An argument over position ensued between Westgate and Simpson on lap 12, which continued for three laps as Caddick increased his lead to better than a straightaway as Bradstreet, Simpson, Westgate and McDonald stretched out behind.
Matthew Smith spun into turn four just as the leader came up to lap him. Caddick barely managed to avoid wrecking as the car spun up in front of him. He went to take the pole with Bradstreet on the outside. Caddick came away leading by a nose as Bradstreet battled. They were still alongside in turn three, but Caddick went ahead down the front stretch. Bradstreet settled in but had acquire Westgate for a chaser, followed by Simpson, McDonald and Leduc. Behind them, Herman was working his way around Linebeger. But Charette was sideways and stopped in turn three, bringing caution.
Caddick and Herman faced off again, going wheel to wheel all the way to turn four before Caddick reclaimed the front. But Mike Belanger was around in turn three and a second lap-16 restart was in the offing. Caddick this time nosed out and had a half car in turn two. But Bradstreet pushed hard and they came down the front stretch dead even. They were still dogfighting on lap 17 before Caddick pulled ahead in turn four. Westgate pursued with Simpson on his tail. Westgate looked underneath and collected second after a battle, while further back, Herman made a charge, getting past Leduc and McDonald for fifth, while Cavallaro got past Linberger, Leduc and McDonald for sixth.
Westgate applied the pressure, but Caddick ran home for the win.
After McDonald came Leduc, Michael Glad, Henry Lavalle, Belanger and Lineberger.
LEBRUN COLLECTS 750 TROPHY, EASILY OUTDISTANCING FIELD
Eric LeBrun used a caution-free feature to dominate the SYRA 750 division and add to his precarious lead over Michael Toner, who ran in for second. The four-point difference between the duo was only increased by two points on the race, but LeBrun had earned his trip to Victory Lane. Taylor Bowser, starting seventh on the field, made the long run to the front, but was unable to overtake LeBrun and Toner and claimed third. She was followed by Shea Kulpa, Matthew Barboza, Tom Ouellette and Cassie Meservey.
Meservey led off from the pole and went wheel-to-wheel with outside polesiter Ouelette before nosing to the front out of turn two. Ouellette got loose, running very wide in turn four as Meservey ran to a substantial lead. Barboza pulled up to her bumper and began looking underneath on lap two but Meservey shut the door. Ouellette continued to run the outside in third.
LeBrun had come around the field and as Ouellette moved to pass Meservey, went for the lead himself and a three-wide was set up at the front. Ouelette was briefly recorded in the lead as they ran across the stripe, but he backed out and LeBrun surged to the front, ahead of Meservey and Ouellette. Another lap saw Barboza, Bowser and Toner likewise involved. Barboza sprinted ahead to fourth with toner fifth as Bowser backed out and Shea Kulpa moved past.
By lap 5, LeBrun had gained a half-straight lead. Ouellette had moved to Meservey’s outside and they scrapped over the position. LeBrun took advantage and moved out to a full-straight lead as Toner moved up to pass Ouellette and then Meservey into second. Barboza nabbed fourth as Ouellette faded and Bowser rushed up to contest his position. She was outside and past on lap eight, into third behind LeBrun and Toner.
By lap 12, Bowser was at Toner’s bumper as Kulpa was working around Meservey. LeBrun continued to maintain his straightaway lead. Behind the lead trio, Meservey, Kulpa, Ouellette and Barboza were running a tight pace-line. Kulpa ran into fourth and moved away and Ouellette passed Meservey.
Lap 18 saw Meservey into a spin, but she was able to gain control and continue moving, but Barboza moved past. He engaged Ouellette and they dueled with Barboza gaining fifth for the finale.
LeBrun waltzed home and Bowser hounded Toner to the line. The entire feature had run without a caution.
LAMOTHE OUTDUELS MARTINEZ FOR LEGENDS WIN AND TRIPLE CROWN
Jordan Lamothe worked hard to outrun Brandon Martinez but his efforts turned out worthwhile as he gathered in the Legends win in the extra-laps feature and garnered double points in the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown event. In addition, the win thrust him into the position of Triple Crown Champion for the 2015 Nick’s Pitstop Legends.
The combat was fierce as Chris Robbins rocketed up from sixth to wrest the lead from Matthew Carpenter on lap one. Carpenter held on until lap 6 as Lamothe moved from ninth to third, passing Jake Johnson, then Martinez, Ryan Kuhn and Ray Parent, Jr. He then went around Jesse Melberg and two laps later Brandon Packard fell victim. A lap six pass of Carpenter put him on Robbins’ coattails.
Robbins had gone out to a ten-car lead by the time Lamothe moved into second on lap seven but he began to run down the leader. Carpenter held third, ahead of TJ Thompson, Packard, Martinez and Melberg. By lap 9, Lamothe had whittled the lead down to two car lengths and he was on Robbins’ bumper on lap 11.
Martinez ran under Carpenter for third and Thompson went low and was door-to-door with Carpenter, gaining fourth. Getting by Carpenter into third, Martinez began to close on Lamothe, who worked his way under Robbins to duel for the lead. They ran three laps side-by-side, hacksawing the front. Robbins wiggled, allowing Lamothe to seize the front. They ran tight with Martinez and Thompson forming a line as they approached lapped traffic on lap 18.
Lamothe distanced himself, but Robbins, Martinez and Thompson still ran the line ahead of Johnson, Packard and Melberg. Martinez eased Robbins out of second and Thompson began to work on him over third place. Thompson ran underneath and there was tire-to-tire contact, throwing a good deal of smoke. Robbins slowed visibly and Thompson took third.
Lap 25 saw Lamothe with a six-car lead over Martinez who seemed unable to close. Thompson, Robbins and Johnson pursued. Ahead of Packard, Melberg and Carpenter.
But Martinez had some speed left and on the white flag lap ran up to Lamothe’s bumper for the pass, but was unable to forge past. They finished 1-2 with Lamothe claiming the checkers. They were followed by Thompson, Robbins and Johnson. Packard collected sixth followed by Melberg, Carpenter, Andrew Molleur, Ryan Kuhn, Shileigh Martinez and Jesse Jakubajtys.
COLBY LAMBERT TAKES HIS FIRST WIN IN PURE STOCKS
Colby Lambert hauled down his first career win in a Pure Stock following an intense closing-laps battle with Keri-Lynn Manfredo. Manfredo had led from lap nine until a lap eighteen caution drew the field back together and Lambert, running second at the time, lined up on the outside pole for the restart. The ran door-to-door from there through the closing laps, hacksawing the lead. Lambert edged ahead on laps19, 20 and 21; Manfredo crossed first on 22,23 and 24. But her back end snapped out in turn one of the final circuit, sending her around and Lambert into the lead and to victory lane for the first time.
Andrew Kun finished second, followed by Daniel Massa, Chad Baxter and Amy Arsenault.
Mike Henriques led off at the outset with Manfredo on the outside pole. She dropped in behind Henriques while Lenny Sousa ran under Lambert. Sousa acquired third, then elected to take the outside route. Henriques lost some speed and Manfredo nosed into his bumper. Sousa ran around the outside, putting his nose by Henriques for a brief lead at the stripe into lap six. But Henriques powered up and pushed ahead by a fender for two laps before Sousa again crossed inches ahead on lap 8.
Sousa and Henriques left room underneath and Manfredo leapt into the breach, creating a three-wide which sent her to the front. Henriques held onto second and Sousa third, but Lambert leapt in to wrest second away as Massa moved up quickly to claim third as Henriques, caught on the outside, did a slow fade. Arsenault slid up from sixth to fourth and Dave Desrosiers roared into fifth just two laps later.
Kun was moving up after having been dropped to twelfth at the start, making his way past Jamie Birch then Henriques to set up on Desrosiers’ bumper. Two laps later, he had edged Desrosiers out of fifth, just as Chad Baxter entered the picture on Desroseirs’ bumper.
Manfredo continued to lead with a comfortable buffer and none closing in. But Emily Brightman spun in turn two, setting up the only caution of the event and a lap 18 restart.
As Manfredo and Lambert Brawled through the closing laps, Kun was on the move, getting past Arsenault on lap 21. Baxter went past Desrosiers onto Amy’s bumper, sliding Desrosiers back in front of Jamie Burch. Positions held until turn two of the final lap. Manfredo’s spin scrambled cars and Kun burst past Massa into second, while Massa continued in third. Baxter, likewise, went by Arsenault into fourth and Desrosiers took over sixth place. Lovelace and Mark Murphy also advanced a spot each, going respectively to seventh and eighth.
At the checkers, Lambert ran in a third of a second ahead of Kun for the win.
Sixth went to Desrosiers, followed by Burch, Murphy, Henriques, Melissa Charette, Jeremy Lambert and Doug Benoit.
Sources: Seekonk Speedway PR