Parsons Outlasts Bennett for Second Win on Season
Josh Parsons grabbed the lead midway through the 30-lap Legends feature, passing Connor Souza, then holding him at bay for the next five laps. Then it was Peter Bennett coming ahead and putting a fortune in sweat equity into overhauling the leader. But Parsons was fast on the night and had generated a straightaway-long lead and was coasting toward the checkers. Bennett was able to pare it down to three car lengths, but time ran out at that point and Parsons snared the trip to Victory Lane. Brendan Hammann had been picking his way through the field from fifteenth following a lap two caution and made his way to a third-place finish, just ahead of Brendan Hammann and Ryan Doucette.
Rene Marcotte had the pole for the green and scooted ahead of Souza, who drifted wide enough that Jacob Burns and Mason Tessier, who had been row two, ran under him for a three-wide.
But Reagan Parent and Hammann got tangled in turn two, bringing a lap one restart.
Marcotte was away again but Tessier got under him as Souza fell back on the outside. Tessier went tot he front and Souza pushed back into second with Kevin Nowak on his high side. Kevin dropped in then looked under as Tessier broke away into the lead. After some bitter debate, Nowak took over second in lap four. Three laps in and the high-speed field had strung itself out into single-onto file. Six laps in, Tessier led Nowak, Souza, Holderbach, and Burns, but Marcotte was around in turn two and collected Jeff Wood who then pitted for the night.
After a bad start, Tessier nosed away from Nowak and grabbed the front in turn three while Burns was getting under Nowak. They rushed ahead and wrapped around Tessier to make it three-wide on the front. Souza won the lead and Nowak grabbed second as Tessier fell to third.
Holderbach moved in onto Souza’s bumper and they ran nose-to-tail. However, Parsons was suddenly running fourth and ran past Nowak, worked on Tessier for two laps and was by and troubling Souza for the lead. Holderbach looked under Souza, but was held off after some door-to-door running.
Parsons sped away as Souza, Doucette, and Bennett battled three wide behind him. Doucette won second and Bennett dropped to third ahead of Parent. Hammann now arrived on Parent’s bumper and moved into fourth. But by now, Parsons was running in the clear air, a full straightaway ahead.
Nine laps remained as Bennett bore down on the throttle and Hammann slipped past Doucette into third. Nowak came up onto Doucette’s bumper.
With three laps remaining, Hammann found himself three cars back of Bennett and worked at closing, but there wasn’t enough distance left to close it up.
Parsons flashed home for his second win of the season, following his win on the second night of the season. Bennett and Hammann were in for the podium finish.
Sixth went to Holderbach, followed by Burns, Parent, Souza, Devin Deshaies, and Tessier.
MASSA RULES PURE STOCKS
The Outlaw, Danny Massa, Jr. stole a big win, pushing past Ava Chouinard 20 laps into the thirty-lap feature, then held off Greg Perry to the line to bring home the win. Chouinard came in third, followed by Doug Benoit and Lenny Sousa to complete the top five. Tommy Blackwell had fought his way to fifth, but was caught up in a tech infraction in post-race inspection.
Chouinard took the lead from the pole position, nosing ahead of Joey Morrisette, who set up a big battle as Max Bergstrom ran in underneath. Meanwhile, Massa was looking under Marissa Morgan for fourth. Behind them, Benoit and Amy Arsenault were dueling for position.
Ava quickly established a four-car lead and Bergstrom edged Morrissette for second. Massa, Morgan, and Benoit followed. Benoit passed Morgan onto Massa’s tail. Arsenault followed with Perry on her high side.
Massa looked underneath Morrissette but was refused. Behind Chouinard, Bergstrom, Morrissette, and Massa executed a three-wide with Massa and Morrissette going door-to-door in turn two, battling out through turn four. By this time, Chouinard had built a comfortable 18-car advantage over Bergstrom. Morgan continued to give chase behind Morrissette and Massa.
Benoit ran up to her bumper.
Eight laps in and Ava was a half-straight in front. Behind her, seven cars were running nose-to-tail, featuring Bergstrom, Massa, Morrissette, Morgan, Benoit, Perry and Arsenault. It was all spoiled by a solo spin in turn four.
Ava took a nose on Bergstrom and Massa dived in from low in the second row sticking Bergstrom on the outside. Marissa Morgan followed with Perry on her bumper and Morrissette on the outside. Chouinard gained a car length of breathing room but Massa then came roaring up to her bumper. The distance between them pitched and yawed. Meanwhile, Mike Henriques came up to Morgan as Perry pushed past. Henriques followed into fifth.
Lap 17 saw Massa dig in under Chouinard, who nosed ahead but could not get far enough to drop and block. Massa continued to push and they were dead even crossing the stripe with ten to go. The Outlaw claimed the front in turn three. Chouinard now had Bergstrom on her tail, followed by Perry and Doug Benoit. But Bergstrom spun in turn four, bringing up a lap 22 restart.
Massa won the drag race out of the box and Perry ducked under Chouinard for second. They brawled into the next lap before Perry could secure the position. Behind Chouinard, Blackwell and Benoit dueled for fourth just ahead of Lenny Sousa.
With six circuits remaining, Perry was all over The Outlaw’s bumper. Perry was high and then low and high again. But Massa kept steady and held him off. He got a bit of help as they got into some lapped traffic with two to go. Behind them, Chouinard continued in third, chased by Benoit, Blackwell, Sousa, Cliff Avila, and Morrissette.
Perry launched a final attempt through the white flag lap, but Massa was able to hold him off to the checkers for the win.
Avila claimed sixth, followed by Morrissette, Arsenault, Billy Chouinard, Bergstrom, Henriques, and Missy Charette.
SPORT FOURS TO WESTGATE
Dave Westgate held off an overheating engine and a hard-charging Samantha Mattera to capture the Sport Four win, then stalled just past the finish line in turn two. He was unable to drive the victory lap, perhaps an engine failure due to the heat, which he said he could see climbing each caution and coolant spraying up onto his windshield.
Samantha Mattera had her best race to date, collecting second on Westgate’s tail. (They had started seventh and eighth and came through the field in order to their finishing spots. At the end, Tyler Almeida had been threatening to dethrone them both. However, Lucky Mike Lefort and AJ Manuel came barging up behind and Almeida drifted wide giving them a conduit to dive through and harass the leaders.
At the finish, top five went to Westgate, Mattera, Lefort, Manuel and Jordan Lopes. Almeida held on for sixth.
Matt Smith and Jason Poitras kicked things off as Poitras pushed ahead from the outside pole. Smith came back and they went door to door through turn two. Smith grabbed the front and Poitras dropped into second with Timmy Ouellette on his tail until Ouellette went around between turns three and four.
The lap one restart saw the same scenario between Smith and Poitras with Smith again taking the lead. Poitras stayed outside to make a battle of it. Westgate had springboarded to fifth on the restart and grabbed third over the next circuit. He settled behind Poitras on lap three, chased for three laps, went by and then passed Smith for the lead on lap six.
Mattera lost Westgate’s lead on lap three and got in behind Dave Simpson. They duked it out over the next six laps with Simpson steadfastly clinging to fourth behind Poitras. Almeida was waiting in the wings behind them. But coming down the front stretch on lap 10, Dave Pitassi, Justin Rioux and Joseph Pilling got together on the front stretch. Pitassi took a trip across the infield grass and Pilling spun up near the wall, as caution flew. Westgate came in after the yellow and went hard on the binders, but still bounced off Pilling – but continued up track as caution flew. Rioux rounded the track then ground to a halt just short of the tunnel. He finally had to go off on the hook.
Westgate and Smith lined up ahead of Poitras and Almeida and it took two tries to get going as Poitras went around, then pitted. He returned for the restart.
Almeida got the better of Smith on the green and Mattera got underneath. She grabbed the thrid spot in turn two. Almeida began looking under the leader as LeFort came wide around behind Mattera. But Poitras problems persisted and he was around in the grass in turn four.
Westgate and Almeida lined up again. A fierce field waited behind them to have at them: The Boss Lady and Lucky Mike were row two; AJ and Smith were row three, followed by Tough Tim Bolger and Arthur Meack, then Crystal Murray and Henry Lavalle. Five laps remained.
Westgate, despite the hot engine, jumped away from Almeida and Mattera dived underneath, seeking second. They dueled as Westgate grabbed a two-car lead and behind them, Lefort and Manuel ran door-to-door waiting for Mattera or Almeida to make a mistake. Lopes was impatiently at their bumpers ahead of Smith while Bolger and Murray were wheel-to-wheel.
Almeida fell back, Lefort went to third, Manuel dropped into fourth and Smith fell back to make it three wide with Murray and Bolger. Bolger broke forward and Smith fell behind Murray.
With two remaining, Westgate’s heating problems had puffs of smoke coming from his exhaust, but he had enough horses to hold Mattera off as well as Lefort, Manuel, and Lopes behind her. Almeida was still in the mix, pursuing Lopes avidly, chased by Bolger and Murray.
Westgate pushed through for the win with the Boss Lady on his bumper for second. Lefort held Manuel off by just .036 seconds for third and Lopes came in still on their bumpers just ahead of Almeida.
Seventh went to Bolger followed by Murray, Meack, Smith, Christine Simpson, and Lavalle.
RUGGERIO IN SPLIT SECOND WIN
Giovanni Ruggerio jumped off the second row of a green-white-checker restart, ducked under leader Samantha Dell and after a side-by-side battle over the closing lap, eked out a 32-thousandths of a second margin of victory. Gio had started fourth, shuttled back to sixth on a lap-one caution restart, then pressed his way forward.
His effort short-circuited a sterling effort by Dell, who had battled Isaiah Newcomb for the lead over the first three-quarters of the race, then taken over with four remaining. Dell was chased across the line for third by Nathan Smith, while Riley Caron and Newcomb rounded out the top five.
Newcomb and Smith shared the front row for the start and Newcomb snared the lead. Dell dived under Smith from low in the second row. They ran door-to-door while Newcomb forged a five-car lead before Dell could settle into second with Smith on her bumper. Ethan Heilborn came up to fifth then fourth before Ruggerio ran in behind him.
A lap three caution, courtesy of a Nicholas Rose Spin on the front stretch, saw Newcomb burst into the lead again and Smith nose in under Dell. Ruggerio dived under Smith to make it three wide with Samantha on the outside. She backed out and Ruggerio and Smith went wheel-to-wheel. Newcomb took it out to a two-car lead before caution for a spin on lap 10
He pulled away from Dell again, who dropped in and Ruggerio went to her high side. She pulled ahead into second and Smith inserted his car under Ruggerio and into third. With eight laps remaining, it was Newcomb, Dell, Smith, Ruggerio and Cameron Tavares.
Dell continued to Harrass Newcomb. She stayed glued to his bumper, looking high and low for any opportunity. She finally nosed under at the stripe into lap four and they went door-to-door into turn four before she could secure the lead. Smith and Ruggerio followed, ahead of Tavares and Riley Caron.
Now it was Newcomb’s turn to get all over Dell’s bumper but with three remaining, Nick Rose spun. Dell and Newcomb went side-by-side into turn four then Dell grabbed the front and Smith looked under Newcomb.
Another spin brought a green-white-checker restart. Dell pulled away stripe the electronics told the tale of a thirty-two thousandths victory. Smith grabbed third, ahead of Caron and Newcomb. Sixth on the event went to Tavares, followed by Aubrey Keller, Rose, Ethan Heilborn and Joey LeMay.
PJ EVANS GRABS CHECKERS IN FIRST RACE OF SEASON
PJ Evans dropped from outside the second row into the runner-up spot behind polesitter Colin Vanasse then shot into the lead before lap one was complete. From there, he owned the front for the remainder of the 15-lap feature. He got plenty of pursuit from Smilin’ Reese Bogue, starting on lap four and continuing to the finish. Vanasse stayed close to the front and gathered in third, just ahead of Ethan Dion and Brenden LeBelle, who rounded out the top five.
Ryan Vanasse, Jr. started behind cousin Colin and underneath Evans in row two. As the checkers fell, Ryan had momentary problems that dropped him back just enough for Evans to shoot down and onto Colin’s tail through the first two turns and then underneath as Colin moved up track on the backstretch. Ryan recovered and drove up to Evans’ bumper with Colin and Adam Harrison charging in behind him. Bogue had started inside LeBelle in row three and as Evans went to a four-car lead on the second circuit, drifted up as LeBelle moved ahead. However, Dion and LeBelle got together to bring out the first caution.
Evans and Ryan lined up with Colin and Harrison in row two. Evans burst out of the box and Colin slipped under Ryan and into second. Bogue got under Ryan and Rob Murphy, Jr. grabbed fifth. Ryan then ducked under Colin just as Colin Floyd slowed to a stop in turn three. Floyd ended his evening pitside.
Evans was away again under the green and Bogue ducked under Colin then into second. Colin and Ryan were again wheel-to-wheel before Colin took over third. Bogue latched onto Evans’ bumper as Murphy shot into third. Ryan pushed in under him, intending to steal the position, but they became entangled in turn two, bringing the third and final caution with ten laps remaining.
Evans again pulled away from Bogue and Smilin’ Reese dropped into second on his bumper. Colin grabbed third with Dion at his back and Harrison running fifth. LeBelle was coming up on his outside.
As the field stretched out, Bogue began to empty his entire bag of tricks to circumvent Evans, who repeatedly held off all advances. From moment-to-moment, they seemed to be running as one. Colin followed in third, fending off Dion as Harrison and LeBelle pursued. Ryan Vanasse, coming from a restart at the rear began to shoot forward through the field. LeBelle was on the outside and moving through the crowd as well.
Evans and Bogue pulled away from the field as they battled and began passing lapped cars with six circuits remaining. Passing Brandon Cowen broke the force holding the two leaders together and Evans gained a few feet of breathing room over Bogue. Colin continued in third, leading the field with Dion at his back, followed by LeBelle, Harrison, Vanasse, Murphy and Jaden Dib.
Bogue came back up and was again at Evans bumper with three laps remaining. He looked under, but Evans slammed the door, forcing him to back off; Evans then shot ahead into a three-car lead. Bogue pushed hard and cut it to two lengths going under the white flag. The pursuit was disrupted by passing the lapped cars of Mike Hanafin and Brent Robidoux.
Evans had all the lead he needed and flashed under the checkers with the win as Bogue ran in for second.
Sixth on the event went to Harrison, followed by Ryan Vanasse, Jr., Murphy, Dib, Hanafin and Robidoux.
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com