Darling Feathers Points Lead with Win
DARLING FEATHERS POINTS LEAD WITH WIN
Dave Darling took his time making his way to the front, taking over the lead from Radical Rick Martin after lap 30, then drove on unmolested for the final 10 laps. Fred Astle got past Martin two laps after Darling and ran home second. The two-point differential between the two gave Darling a 42-point lead in the divisional championships. Martin, after leading from lap five until lap 30, ran home third behind Astle, while Dylan Estrella and The Rocket – Ryan Vanasse – rounded out the top five.
It was a fast-run contest with only two cautions over the forty laps.
Tom Scully, Jr. jumped off the pole ahead of outside polesitter Kevin Casper and Martin got under Casper to chase Scully. Vanasse and Astle ran door-to-door. Vanasse got loose and rose up the track, taking Astle along with him.
Seven laps in, Martin pushed under Scully to take over the lead. Scully came loose and nosed down track, taking a bump from Casper. Scully, Ryan Lineham and Casper pitted.
Martin had Estrella on the outside for the restart on lap forty-one with Astle and Darling behind them. Martin grabbed the lead after some door-to-door with Estrella settling to second and Darling coming under Astle into third. Astle looked under to get his position back but Darling shut the door.
Fourteen laps in, Martin had Estrella on his bumper and the field was single file. Darling was six cars back. He ban closing slowly. Astle ran seven cars back with 12 laps down. Darling pushed into four cars back of Estrella, taking it down to a four-car margin. By lap 28, he had cut that in half and with 21 remaining it was one length. He was on Estrella’s bumper by lap 30.
Things tightened up and Martin, Estrella, and Darling ran nose-to-tail ahead of Astle, Scully Casper, and Vanasse. Twice more around and Darling ducked under Estrella for a brief door-to-door before grabbing second. The leaders battled until Darling seized the front on lap 30.
The restart had Darling and Martin side-by-side with Martin and Astle in row two. Scully and Casper followed. Dave took the lead and Martin wound up outside Astle, who drove ahead into second as Casper came in behind Martin. Estrella rushed back up onto Martin’s bumper with Scully on his high side. Estrella grabbed fifth behind Casper as Vanasse got under Scully and the moved into fifth.
With eight to go, Darling had a ten-car lead on Astle, who had a long stretch on Martin, Casper, Estrella, and Vanasse.
The final eight laps were a single-file high-speed pursuit with the only change coming as Vanasse was able to nip Casper at the finish line to secure fifth.
Sixth went to Casper followed by Scully Lineham, Ted Urquhart and Dick Benoit.
KUHN CAPTURES LATE MODELS
Late Models’ 2018 champ, Ryan Kuhn came back from his sojourns with the American Canadian Tour to capture the 50-lap Power Five feature in the last turn of the race, spoiling Mark Jenison’s effort to grab his second win of the season. Jenison had led since prying Nick Uhrig off the front on lap 37. Over the final couple of laps, however, Jennison was seen having trouble keeping his ride in the low groove and Kuhn sought to take advantage underneath. As they swung through turn three on the final circuit, with Jenison seeking to shut the door, there was contact and Mark wiggled enough for Kuhn to go under in turn four and Vinny Arrenegado to follow him into second. That’s how they finished, with Kuhn taking the win, Vinny second and Jenison third. Ryan Lineham and Gerry DeGasparre, Jr rounded out the top five, making it three Late Model title-holders in the quintet.
Bobby Tripp jumped off the pole into the lead and Nick Uhrig got by Dan Johnson into second to chase Tripp over the first 23 laps. Paul Newcomb clambered into third going into lap two and remained there until lap eighteen. Kuhn had started fourth, but was stuck on the outside and slipped back ngil by lap seven, he was running ninth. For fifteen laps, Kuhn held that position, amidst a static group which included Derek Gluchaki and Tyler Tomassi. Jenison, however, was powering forward from his ninth-place start. By lap five he was past Johnson into fifth, where he plateaued until lap 13. Ahead were Lineham in fourth, Newcomb in third, Uhrig and Tripp.
Uhrig ran close to Tripp making frequent attempts to get by, but Tripp held him off. The 20-car field was single file by lap eight and Newcomb was closing on Uhrig so that the top three ran nose-to-tail on lap ten. Behind them, Jenison was working the outside on Ryan Lineham then DeGasparre running door-to-door with Johnson. Arrenegado followed with Kuhn on his tail. Johnson got past DeGasparre.
Uhrig got all over Tripp’s bumper, but Bobby put a car-length between them as Lineham took a look to Jenison’s high side then dropped back in. The order held over the next three laps. Uhrig grew impatient and gave Tripp a tap on the bumper as Newcomb continued to run hard at his back.
Jenison arrived and went to Newcomb’s outside, then took over third on lap 18. Behind Newcomb, DeGasparre and Lineahm were side-by-side, ahead of Arrenegado and Kuhn was below Johnson with Gluchacki pestering them from behind.
Uhrig, on lap 19 looked underneath and went in. The battled and Uhrig tot loose allowing Tripp to move back ahead. He tried again as Newcomb came back underneath Jenison/ Uhrig was able to get past Tripp on lap 24. Caution came out bringing a lap 24 restart, but Uhrig kept the lead for the restart and Tripp lined up outside. Newcomb and Jenison followed with Lineham and Arrenegado in row three. Kuhn and Johnson followed. Uhrig grabbed the lead and Jenison went under Tripp. Lineham followed. Kuhn was next and went into fourth Once established, he got under Lineham. Jenison was closing on Uhrig, a half-car back.
Mike Duarte, closing on Tripp, banged into his back and went around, bringing caution. The lap 34 restart had Uhrig under Jenison at the front with Kuhn behind Uhrig and Lineham on his shoulder. Tom Adams had arrived and was under Gluchacki in row three. Uhrig nosed ahead and Jenison stayed outside. They ran wheel-to-wheel for three laps before Jenison could secure the front. Kuhn then ducked under Uhrig as Adams watched from fourth with Lineham at his back. Gluchacki dropped into fifth.
Jenison established a three-car lead over Kuhn and over the next three laps pushed it out to four lengths. But with eight remaining, Duarte’s tire went down in turn one. Mike did a full 360, then made an amazing save into turn two and comes out facing in the direction of the traffic. He attempted to go pitside, but ground to a halt at the tunnel entrance and had to be taken off by the wrecker.
Jenison bolted three-quarters past Kuhn coming out of the starting box, then took full control in turn two. Lineham followed and Arrenegado was coming under Johnson behind him. Going into lap 46, Jenison was a car up on Kuhn when Tomassi spun in turn two. Jenison grabbed the lead again coming across the stripe on the restart and Kuhn fell in behind with Uhrig on his tail. Lineham got under Uhrig while Arrenegado was working round Uhrig into third.
Jenison, it was now apparent, was having a time holding in the low groove and Kuhn sought to leverage that to his advantage. He kept nosing under and Jennison worked at keeping the door shut. But as he struggled through turn three headed for the checkers, Kuhn tried again. There was a moment’s contact and Jenison came loose this time and wiggled into turn four, rising up. Kuhn shot under and Arrenegado, ever the opportunist, shot through as well. Jenison recovered his stick and grabbed third ahead of Lineham and DeGasparre. Uhrig grabbed sixth, followed by Adams, Newcomb, Ryan Morgan, Gluchacki, Mark Hudson and Johnson.
LALLIER GRABS THE WIN; LALLIER TAKES THIRD
Tyler Lallier knocked Sparky Arsenault out of the lead he had held for 22 laps, then went on to win the Sportsman event and protect his divisional points lead from Kid Chaos – Corey Fanning – who had won the two previous races. Paul Lallier sailed in battling for second with Kyle Casper, who was able to collect the runnerup award, forcing Paul to settle for third.
Arsenault and Fanning rounded out the top five.
Sparky bounded off the pole at the outset and Austin Erickson got past Chris Gomes for second to chase Arsenault into lap six before Smokin’ Joe Kohler got past into second. On Kohler’s tail came Casper as Sparky built a ten-car lead. Erickson was another ten cars up on Kohler. But it all collapsed as Tim Watson spun between turns three and four.
Arsenault and Erickson were door-to-door on the lap 5 restart. Sparky was back in the lead coming off turn four and Kohler ducked under Erickson. Three laps later, Kohler held second and Casper was now underneath Erickson with Adam Pettey and Chad Baxter giving chase. Sparky took it out to a six-car lead and then Kohler, Casper and Erickson got Nose-to-tail behind him. From there it was six lengths back to Tyler. Steve Axon was under Perry and moved ahead leaving room for Paul Lallier to pass underneath as well.
Midpoint of the 30-lapper had Sparky still leading as Gomes spun out of turn two. He and Kohler went wheel-to-wheel on the restart before Arsenault moved ahead leaving room for Casper to go under into second. Lallier then dropped under Kohler as Paul got below Erickson behind them. Fanning was coming past Axon, looking for seventh.
Tyler shed Smokin’ Joe and got under Casper into second, but Eric Schwegel spun down the front stretch, bringing caution with 12 laps to go.
Sparky had Casper on his high side and Tyler was under Kohler, ahead of Paul and Fanning. Arsenault nosed out and grabbed the lead again in turn two while Tyler pushed under Casper. Craig Pianka and Jesse Melberg got together on the backstretch and Melberg banged into Pianka under caution and was sent to the pits. They lined up for the second try at the lap twelve restart with Arsenault coming out with the lead once more. Lallier was quickly past Casper and onto the leader’s tail and then underneath. Sparky was loose and Paul cleared under into second. Casper followed and Arsenault dropped into fourth with Fanning at his back.
Five laps remained as Casper nosed under Paul and they ran side-by-side. Casper grabbed second with two to go and Paul dropped into third. Tyler ran home for the win.
Sixth went to Steve Axon, followed by Baxter, Kohler, Erickson, and Pianka.
SHAW TRIPLES-UP ON TRUCKS WINS
Barry Shaw continued his winning ways with a convincing third win of the season. The Abington Accelerator had just one need on the feature: KEEP PERRY AWAY! It took Barry three laps to get by polesitter Lenny Guy and then another three for Ed Perry to do the same. Shaw kept three or four cars between himself and the dangerous Perry but Ed closed it up to just a half-carlength as the two-to-go sticks were shown from the flagstand, so it wasn’t over, yet. Shaw hustled across the stripe with Perry on his back for second just two circuits later and both were finally able to collect their breaths.
Andrew Kun grabbed third place, and a pair of rookies – Richie Murray and Mikey Cooper (both winners, already, here in the early midseason) rounded out the top five. The win boosts Shaw to second in the division, but Murray’s fourth tightens his hold on the division lead, ten points ahead of the veteran. They lead Kun, Perry Cooper, and Guy in that order.
Guy and Cooper shared the front row at the start with Shaw and Mike Cavallaro in row two. At the start, Guy pulled ahead and Shaw ran under Cooper, who dropped into third. Two laps in, Cavallaro spun and Shaw was outside Guy for the restart with Cooper and Murray behind them, followed by Perry and Connor Souza. Guy and Shaw engaged in some wheel-to-wheel while Perry dived underneath to make the second row three-wide with Cooper in the middle and Murray on the high side. Perry survived to grab third, Sousa took advantage to get into third while Murray ran on Cooper’s low side. Moments later, caution flew for debris in turn one.
Shaw had a nose past Guy and earned the right to the pole for the restart. Putting Lenny outside now put Perry on Shaw’s bumper and Souza on the outside. Next came Cooper and Murray. The leaders battled into turn four and Shaw then pulled ahead down the frontstretch. Perry went under guy while Cooper ducked under Souza, ahead of Murray, Kun, Nick Testone II, and Tim Watson. Over the next two laps, Shaw generated a three-car lead before Guy spun in turn two.
Again, Shaw pulled away from Perry, who dropped in. Cavallaro moved up between Cooper and Souza. Another two laps saw Shaw with a four-car lead over Perry. Kun came past Cavallaro and Murray fixed on his rear bumper.
By lap 12, Kun was running under Cooper for third and they ran side-by-side for two laps before Kun took advantage in turn one. Murray, meanwhile, ducked under Cooper and took fourth. Cavallaro, Souza, and Guy followed Cooper.
Maddie Harkin retired to the pits with seven laps to go and Perry cut Shaw’s lead to two cars. The middle of the pack was becoming contentious as Cooper, Cavallaro, and Souza were nose-to-tail looking for fifth with four laps to go. Twice more around and Perry was just a half-length off Shaw’s bumper with Kun in pursuit and Murray threatening him.
The White Flag Lap had Perry on Shaw’s tailgate and he took a look under coming off turn four heading for the checkers. But Shaw had saved a few rpm’s and rushed across the stripe for the win.
Sixth went to Cavallaro, followed by Souza, Guy, Testone, Watson, and Harkin.
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com