Call Survives Brawl with Parsons for Legends Win
CALL SURVIVES BRAWL WITH PARSONS FOR LEGENDS WIN
Casey Call arrived in the lead of the Legends feature on lap six; Josh Parsons grabbed second on lap seven. For the remainder of the 25-lapper, the duo threw everything they had at each other en route to a nose-to-tail finish that found Call the winner of the opening night laurels. Peter Nowak had run. Kevin Nowak had led laps 2 through six and was very fast with his sedan model, but was caught up in run third since lap seven with Peter Bennett on his heels, but an accident with five laps to go that put him against the frontstretch wall just past the stripe and ended his night. Peter Bennett leapt into his third place to harry the leaders to the finish line. Fourth went to Brendan Hammann who had climbed up from 21st after an opening-lap accident had relegated him to the rear. Rounding out the top five was Matthew Carpenter.
It took three attempts to get the race out of ground zero. First shot saw Ben Amado and Parsons together and pitting for repairs – Hammann needing only a push start to get to the pits but Amado suffering enough damage that he did not return.
A second shot at getting underway fell as Jacob Burns went around on the backstretch and Brandon “Batman” Martinez taking a 360 as well. (All three members of the Martinez clan are now back following a year off – Brandon, Shileigh and Zack. And all three are represented in Legends.)
Third try’s the charm and Nowack dropped under Burns into second then took Connor Souza out of the lead. Parsons followed him to second, then Call roared up to displace them both and take over the lead going into lap 7. They made up a three-car break, pulling away from Bennett and Matt Grant. The leaders got into a three-wide over leadership just before Souza took a turn three spin.
Nowak and Parsons lined up with Call and Bennet at their backs. Nowak got the jump but Parsons battled back for some door-to-door. Call went to Nowak’s bumper as Parsons edged back alongside Bennett. Call then got underneath Nowak and went to the front. Parson’s ducked underneath looking for second but Nowak pushed back into second. But Parsons persisted and this time went to second. He jumped onto calls bumper and the two roared off in a two-car breakaway. Nowak continued in third, followed by Bennett.
The field spread out, running single file and places remaining the same among the frontrunners. As they got into lapped traffic on the 13th circuit, Call managed to put three cars between himself and Parsons. Nowak was third, 20 cars behind Parsons.
The leaders came up to lapped traffic and in the mix, Parsons drove under Call and into the lead, but caution flew on that lap as Shileigh Martinez was forced to dodge an accident. The aftershocks included Nowak’s meeting with the frontstretch wall and he began to lose fluid down the frontstretch banking. The field was red-flagged to facilitate the removal of broken vehicles.
Call and Parsons were door-to-door again with Bennett and Matt Carpenter behind them. Jordan Churchill was joined by Hammann, who had worked his way back into contention after his early spin. Shieleigh and Brandon were followed by John O’Sullivan and Burns.
Five laps remained as Call nosed ahead and Parsons dropped in. Bennett ran along under Carpenter. Parsons intended his drop-in to take a shot under the leader, but Call shut the door down low. Parsons locked onto his bumper. Bennett grabbed third solo and Hammann came in under Carpenter to fourth. Batman pulled alongside Hammann to challenge for position.
Carpenter got under Martinez, who dropped into sixth behind him and Shileigh took seventh.
At the finish, Call and Parsons finished in a fight, bumper-to-bumper as they had spent most of the race.
Eighth place fell to Jordan Churchill, followed by Connor Holderbach, Andrew Carpenter, Burns, O’Sullivan and Mason Tessier.
ARSENAULT OPENS PURE STOCK SEASON HOLDING THE CHECKERS
Amy Arsenault held off ever-tough Pure Stock champion Doug Benoit and equally persistent Greg Perry to garner the first feature win on the season. It was a green-to-checkers win for Arsenault, but not an easy one. Outside polesitter Max Bergstrom just would not go away for two-thirds of the feature as the storm clouds gathered in the form of Perry and Benoit. Benoit started third and spent his time seeking an opportunity as Arsenault and Bergstrom traded shots. Perry slewed through the field from sixth to get past The Outlaw (Danny Massa) going into lap eleven. Bergstrom and Benoit had been swapping second and third since the early going; now Perry arrived to further complicate the placement.
A lap 5 restart saw Arsenault and Benoit sitting wheel-to-wheel with Bergstrom and The Outlaw behind them. Perry and Mike Henriques followed. The front was filled with threats to win based on their racing history. Amy won the lap 20 restart and Bergstrom looked under Benoit. As they went door-to-door, Henriques was under Massa and Perry was trying to be patient behind them. Henriques escaped Massa and Perry got underneath. Arsenault had generated a five-car lead before caution flew again, with 17 laps remaining.
On the restart, she pulled ahead, Bergstrom got under Benoit seeking second and there was a three-wide brawl for fourth between Perry, Massa, and Henriques with Aaron Plemons on their collective bumpers. The three-wide went on for two laps before Perry pulled ahead, but Massa and Henriques charged back and it was three cars side-by-side again.
Arsenault continued to hold a three-car lead over Bergstrom who was being troubled by a persistent Benoit. Benoit was on the high side and Perry eased out of the trio to look under Benoit. He edged in and then nosed out on lap 13. Plemons had threaded his way into fourth and now sneaked his nose in under Perry. Perry pulled away just before Nicholas Mignone spun out i9n turn ten.
The lap 15 restart had Bergstrom alongside Arsenault, Plemons to the high side of Perry and Benoit sitting under Henriques. On the green, Bergstrom took a nose over the stripe but Amy was back again in turn two and then pressing forward. Behind them, it was another triple with Perry, Plemons, and Henriques.
Perry disengaged to pass Bergstrom into second while Benoit charged back up to third, passing Henriques and Plemons as Massa swung into fourth behind him. He began a stubborn pursuit of Perry while Henriques got past Plemons to begin harassing Massa.
Perry went to Arsenault’s bumper and began looking alternately high and low. Benoit ran a close third while Massa and Plemons were battling alongside each other. Henriques festered at their bumpers. Plemons fell back and Henriques ducked in underneath.
Perry was all over Arsenault’s bumper as, with four to go, Plemons spun in turn four, getting himself sideways and bringing caution.
Arsenault had the low side and on the green, Benoit ducked under Perry, looking to steal second as Perry got a bit loose. Henriques and Massa were now running neck and neck over third. With two to go, Henriques edged back and Marissa Morgan got under Massa looking to grab sixth.
Arsenault was running in clean air as Benoit and Perry were engaging over second as they went into the white flag lap. She claimed the checkers, but it took the electronics to reveal Benoit a .054-second winner of second over Perry. Henriques and Massa completed the top five, with Morgan sixth. Rounding out the top ten were: Cliff Avila, Tommy Blackwell, Lenfender Souza, and Missy Charette.
LOPES LEAPS TO VICTORY IN SPORT FOUR OPENER
Jordan Lopes broke out of the offseason with a big win in Sport Four competition. Along the way, he disappointed Mike Lefort, who suffered his second narrow miss in the early going, after AJ Manuel snared the previous week’s preview race from him in a narrow victory exacerbated by lapped traffic.
Manuel, out to repeat his 2018 championship, followed LeFort for third while early leader Karlin Levesque (laps 1-7) snared fourth. Former champ David Westgate rounded out the top five on the evening.
It was a great night in the Sport Four division, as the huge car-count had led to an eleven-car consolation race to settle the final starters. John Lineberger outdistanced Ray Herman to win the consi. The Feature started 25 cars.
Levesque, the outside pole, was the first out of the box after Christine Simpson nosed ahead out of the starting box. They went door-to-door before Simpson got loose in turn four and Levesque moved ahead to lead at the end of lap one. Lefort immediately seized the moment and leaped from third to second to shadow Levesque. Westgate grabbed third, but Lopes had leapt from eighth to fifth on lap one, then got past Simpson onto Westgate’s bumper. They went door-to-door for two laps with Lopes running outside until he could drop into the spot. Four laps in, it was Levesque leading LeFort then Lopes, Westgate, and Tyler Almeida.
Meanwhile, Manuel had started ninth and was weaving his way forward. Five laps down and he was at Almeida’s bumper. They engaged in an eight-lap duel for the position as ahead of them, Lefort got under Levesque and pushed ahead into the lead. Levesque settled in and he was joined by Lopes as the lead trio ran nose-to-tail, looking to seize any opportunity they could find.
Lefort broke away and gained a three-car lead. Meanwhile, Lopes forged his way into second leaving Levesque in third, ahead of Westgate who still had Manuel all over his back bumper. With ten laps remaining, Lopes was closing in on Lefort. Levesque held third and behind him, Westgate, Manuel, and Almeida were at each other, nose-to-tail.
Six circuits remained as Lefort ran with Lopes on his bumper, running through lapped traffic. At this point, Jason Poitras spun out in turn two.
Now Lefort and Lopes were side-by-side with Levesque and Westgate at their backs. Manuel and Almeida followed, just ahead of Arthur Meack and Joseph Pilling. They went wheel-to-wheel out of the box until Lefort got a nose on Lopes in turn three. Lopes tried to drop underneath for the pass but Lefort shut the door.
As Lopes was looking high and low to get around Lefort, Manuel surged in under Westgate, looking for fourth. Lefort slid up track and Lopes seized the moment, getting under and putting his nose ahead in turn two. Four laps remained. Lefort dropped in on turn three but went back outside.
But behind them, Levesque, Westgate, and Manuel went three wide over third place and Almeida darted angrily about behind them. Lopes edged ahead as Manuel drove in under Leavesque. Lefort snugged back up and they played bumper tag. Manuel assumed third as they went under the white flag and Almeida dodged under Levesque. Westgate joined the fray and they worked each other over. Westgate finally seized fifth, and Almeida nabbed sixth.
Rounding out the top ten came Meack, Tim Bolger, David Simpson, Jr, and Crystal Murray. Murray had fought her way from the rear into the top ten after qualifying for the feature through the consi event.
RUGGERIO WINS OUTLAWS: ALL 15 CIRCUITS AT THE FRONT
Giovanni Ruggerio picked up where he left off in 2018 by commandeering the field on opening day, 2019. He powered off the pole, leaving Riley Caron and saw nothing but clear air all the way to the checkers. Not that it was an easy win, as Isaiah Newcomb ran in behind him just six laps in and gave chase the rest of the distance. At the end, it was hold-your-breath, folks, as Newcomb put on a charge to the line that only failed by .013 (thirteen-thousandths of a second! The drag race to the front stretch included Dell And Nathan Smith had a lot to say in the battle, forcing Newcomb to duel with him for second before yielding with two laps remaining. Newcomb had been on the high side of Smith and when a lapped car caught Smith up, Newcomb slipped by to trade paint with Ruggerio all the way down the front stretch to the checkers.
Samantha Dell recovered from a lap 10 spin in order to avoid a wreck and gathered up fourth place, just ahead of newcomer Ethan Heilborn.
At the start, Giovanni zipped away from outside polesitter Caron and Smith edged Caron back to third on the initial go-around. Caron got stuck on the outside and was unable to drop in as Newcomb and Tell then streamed by. By lap three, the field was stretched out with Caron running fifth.
Three laps in, Smith looked around Ruggerio on the high side but couldn’t power past. This allowed Newcomb to run underneath into the runner-up slot. Dell added to Smith’s woes, now, by working over his back bumper.
Two laps later, however, Newcomb spun in turn four and Dell spun to avoid him. This sent Caron to the wall just out of turn four and he scrubbed along past the starter’s stand. It knocked his right front wheel askew, ending his race.
Ruggerio and Smith lined up for the lap ten restart with Joey LeMay and Heilborn behind them. It was door-to-door down the front stretch with Gio taking a nose in turn two. Smith was back alongside in three and Ruggerio grabbing a nose, again, across the stripe. Smith dropped in onto his bumper, towing LeMay.
Newcomb showed his grit, coming from eighth on the restart up to third. Cameron Tavares fell in between him and Dell.
Smith was intent on the outside, dropping in behind but then going back up to the second groove. He kept looking under and then around with Newcomb trying to be patient and find an opportunity. With four laps remaining, Dell seized the moment and got under LeMay into fourth. The front closed up to find Ruggerio, Smith, and Newcomb locked together nose-to-tail.
Newcomb then three his car outside Smith in turn four and Smith was caught up by lapped traffic in the low groove. Newcomb now had second and came alongside the leader. Ruggerio wouldn’t yield and they went rubbing down the frontstretch from turn four all the way to the checkers with Ruggerio eking out the win.
LeMay claimed sixth, followed by Cameron Tavares, Stephen Bowden, Aubrey Keller, and Nicholas Rose.
LABELLE PICKS UP WIN IN SEEKONK DEBUT
Bandolero Bandit newcomer Brendan LeBelle took full advantage as Ryan Vanasse, Jr. came loose in turn four while navigating around the lapped car of Zacarias Kelley. LeBelle seized the lead at the stripe, going into lap 5 and ran the final 11 laps to the finish unheaded. LeBelle, it had been noted in preseason news, was good for speed and he put it to good use, charging up from mid-pack to overhaul the leaders, then assume control of the feature.
The Junior Rocket pursued LeBelle all the way to second, and another newcomer, Reese Bogue, grabbed third, just ahead of Ryan’s cousin, Colin Vanasse. Adam Harrison rounded out the top five.
Polesitter Rob Murphy, Jr. had taken first shot at the lead, but Colin stayed on the outside pole to challenge Murphy with Ryan coming off the low side of the second row to sneak underneath. Ryan snared the lead from Murphy in turn three. Meanwhile, LeBelle was showing the speed he’d been mentioned for, going from sixth to fourth on lap one.
LeBelle edged Murphy out of third and he worked on Colin for two laps, while Bogue moved up to fourth after falling to sixth on the initial circuit. Four laps in, Murphy got onto the grass, came loose and made a huge save to continue. But Mike Hanafin spun in turn four. Colin Floyd also took a spin in traffic, but it came after the caution had flown for Hanafin.
The lap eleven restart had LeBelle on Ryan’s high side with Coin and Bogue backing them up. The Rocket pulled ahead under green but LeBelle stayed outside. Ryan claimed the lead in turn four and Bogue sneaked in under LeBelle, but could not complete the pass. Colin pursued with Adam Harrison following.
But Ryan had to pass the lapped car of Zacarias Kelley in turn four and came loose. LeBelle Pounced and snared the lead crossing the stripe into lap seven. Ryan recovered to hold onto second and Bogue latched onto his bumper. Colin grabbed fourth and Harrison held fifth.
Now it became a single-file run toward the checkers. LaBelle had a four-car lead over Vanasse, who worked to narrow it down, but it was only by increments and the laps began to wind down.
The final laps to the checkers were a quest for speed with angry motors snarling all around the track. Ethan Dion engaged Murphy in a battle for sixth over the final laps. Dion had climbed from a back row start to challenge and managed to get by Murphy on the final circuit to claim sixth.
Rounding out the top ten came: Murphy, Jaden Dib, Hanafin, and Floyd.
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com