Legends: Nowak Visits and Wins
LEGENDS: NOWAK VISITS AND WINS
Kevin Nowak has been touring Legends venues and this week returned to the Cement Palace for the second step on the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown. His win in the event places him in the final running and he says he has a ticket to come back and make a run at the big prize. It took Nowak half of the 30 laps to rise from eleventh to the lead, but once there, he held on all the way to the checkers.
Peter Bennett’s points lead remained secure, as his second-place finish to Nowak padded the bulge. Brendan Hamman kept pace, finishing third while Ryan Doucette and Jacob “Rowdy” Burns rounded out the top five. The race left the points spread between Bennett and Hammann at 40 points.
Connor Souza and Burns came off the front row ahead of Dennis Pantani and Mason Tessier. Souza jumped ahead and then slid up track. But Isaiah Newcomb, fresh from a Bandolero win on the evening, spun in turn four and brought out a full-race restart. Second try had Souza and Burns wheel-to-wheel with Burns nosing ahead. But Souza put on a spurt to take the front in turn two. Burns came back alongside but the dropped into second. Connor Holderbach made his way onto Souza’s tail as Burns fell back past Tessier and dropped in. But Newcomb tangled with Don Parsons and they spun. RJ Marcotte and Parsons headed into the pits. Parsons did not return.
Holderbach lined with Tessier, ahead of Doucette and Bennett. Souza and Josh Parsons followed. Holderbach grabbed the lead and Doucette grabbed onto Tessier’s bumper. Bennett and Souza followed. Doucette dropped under and into the lead, leaving Tessier outside. Parsons was under
Tessier a moment later and it then became three-wide as Bennett ducked under them both. Bennett ran to third and Parsons grabbed fourth.
Sean Buffington now climbed into contention, forging his way into third. Nowak was hitching a ride on Buffington’s bumper.
With sixteen laps to go, Holderbach led Buffington, who was at his bumper. Nowak was running third under Parsons. They wound around the track strung out until lap 12, when Jeff Wood spun in turn three and came to a stop with flames flickering under his hood.
The red flag flew and the fire truck responded, quickly quelling the flames. He was pushed into the pits for the night.
Holderbach and Bennett lined up with Nowak and Parsons in row two. Buffington had Hammann on the outside in row three.
As the green fell with twelve to go, Nowak dived under Holderbach to make it three-wide at the front. Nowak won the lead and Bennett followed him underneath and into second. Then came Buffington and Parsons. The field quickly went single file.
With nine to go, Nowak had a car-length on Holderbach. Bennett quickly began looking underneath. They were now door-to-door and Parsons was moving up to fourth. Bennett grabbed second to see Nowak now with ten cars worth of open space ahead. Parsons was now seeking a way under Holderbach.
Brandon Martinez was running ahead of Tessier and suddenly lost power and Tessier piled into him with great impact. Parsons was coming forward very fast and tangled with Holderbach. Caution flew with five remaining.
Nowak pulled away on the green and Bennett dropped in. Buffington was on his tail with Hammann grabbing fourth, ahead of Doucette. The field was very quick going single file. This order remained the same until Lap 27, as Hammann drove under Buffington into third. The white flag fell and they circled the track in order to the finish.
Sixth on the evening went to Buffington, followed by Tom Gray, Joey Ternullo, Souza, Zachary Martinez, who ran tenth, Marcotte, Holderbach and Parsons.
CESTODIO RETURNS TO PURE STOCKS AND TO VICTORY LANE
Former champ Scott Cestodio shook off the rust of three years’ absence, climbed into Lenny Sousa’s number 31, then worked his way progressively through the pack from tenth place. Sousa is on vacation at the current time. By the time the race was over, the quick-running event had seen him realize his old skills and forge to the front.
The Outlaw – Danny Massa, Jr, – chased him across the line. Greg Perry, Joey Morrissette, and Doug Benoit rounded out the top five.
Justin Menard grabbed the lead off the pole and Morrissette got under Nicholas Mignone looking for second. Behind them, Massa and Tommy Blackwell were wheel-to-wheel, while Benoit and Amy Arsenault were paired up behind them. Morrissette got away from Mignone and Massa Jumped into third. Benoit came all the way; up to fourth while Perry and Arsenault debated, with Perry gaining the advantage. Third lap in and the field was running single file.
Five laps in and the top six were running nose-to-tail: Morrissette, Massa, Benoit, Perry, Cestodio, and Menard. They ran this way until lap 7, when Ava Chouinard spun in turn two.
It was to be the only stoppage of action in the feature. Still, it took two tries to get them underway again.
On the successful restart, Massa got away from Morrissette after some wheel-to-wheel, Perry charged up to second and Cestodio started working his way past Joey on the low side. The new line, not riding quite as close as before was Massa, Perry, Cestodio, Morrissette, Benoit, and Menard. The field again was soon running single file. Max Bergstrom took a look under Menard but couldn’t get by.
Cestodio was working over Perry’s bumper with great impatience. Morrissette watched with great interest. Cestodio completed the pass in turn four and there were a dozen laps to go.
Scott went after The Outlaw with a vengeance. With eight to go, Massa was seven cars to the good and coming into lapped traffic. One lap later, Cestodio was just one length off the pace and another time around and he was on his bumper. Perry, Morrissette, and Benoit.
With five to go, Cestodio was nosing under Massa and they went side-by-side down the backstretch. He captured the lead coming out of turn four. Massa dropped into second, then, ahead of Perry.
Cestodio began to pull away – two cars with three laps remaining, then three. It remained the same under the white flag and to the finish.
Sixth went to Marissa Morgan, while Max Bergstrom, Menard, Chouinard, and Blackwell completed the top ten. Arsenault was just off the pace in eleventh.
LEFORT IS SPORT FOUR VICTOR
Current points leader Mike Lefort grabbed his first win on the season by holding off current division Champ, AJ Manuel to the checkers. It was dog-eat-dog between them for the entire second half of the race. They had worked their way from seventh and eighth on the starting grid, while Tough Tim Bolger had again led the first ten laps. Bolger held on for third and held off a persistent Jordan Lopes, who claimed third. Karlin Levesque rounded out the top five.
Bolger and David Simpson, Jr. came off the front row and ran parallel tracks into turn one before Bolger pulled ahead in turn one and took the lead for himself in turn two. Simpson dropped in and Tyler Dunancik dropped onto his bumper in third. Samantha Mattera was fourth. Boger went out to a three-car lead. Mattera fell off and behind Dunancik came a wheel-to-wheel challenge between Lefort and Christian Herman. Manuel waited for them to settle the issue.
Bolger was running hard and went out to a fifteen-car lead as the field strung out single-file. But five laps in, Herman went around into the grass in turn four.
Dunancik lined up outside Bolger for the restart. Simpson now had Lefort on his shoulder and Manuel in his mirror. Arthur Meack was behind Lefort. Now Jordan Lopes had worked his way into the mix and had Crystal Murray alongside.
Bolger had the front right out of the box and Dunancik dropped into second. Lefort grabbed third going down the backstretch. Bolger went to a four-car lead, then added some more distance as Lefort worked his way past Dunancik. Manuel ran fourth with Lopes at his back, then Murray.
Lefort bore down and closed to within two lengths of Bolger, and was at his bumper one lap later. But Breanna Williams, attempting to leave the oval became stuck in the Pit exit and caution ensued.
Now the front was Bolger and Lefort. Bolger, on the low side, pushed ahead oft of the box but Lefort came back alongside crossing the stripe. He then grabbed the lead in turn one and Manuel went around Bolger. They battled it out with Dunancik, Lopes, and Murray watching. Into the next lap, Manuel was able to get past coming out of turn four.
Lefort kept pushing ahead and went out to an eight-car lead before Ronald Gajdowski spun out of turn four. Now, Lefort and Manuel were side-by-side at the front. Bolger and Dunancik followed, just ahead of Lopes and Murray. It took two tries to get back underway with Justin Rioux taking a turn four spin in between the attempts.
Lefort and Manuel came away wheel-to-wheel, but with five to go, Lefort pulled ahead by a half-car. AJ bore down and came back alongside with Bolger on his tail.
Lefort and Manuel now put on a side-by-side show as Lopes tightened up on Bolger’s bumper with now Karlin Levesque getting past Murray into fifth. They brawled to the white flag for the final lap and Lefort took a nose. Manuel dropped in and trued to shoot under, but Lefort had expected his move and slammed the door, then rushed headlong under the checkers, dragging AJ along in second. Murray, who had been battling it out for a top five, suddenly began to sputter and pulled off track.
Lefort had that first win on the season which had been troubling him for many nights.
Sixth on the evening went to Meack, followed by Tyler Almeida, Tyler Dunancik, Tyler Pitassi and Simpson. Perhaps the first time that there have been three consecutive Tylers in the top ten. Mattera was just off the pace in eleventh.
BANDOLERO OUTLAWS: NEWCOMB STRIKES GOLD
Isaiah Newcomb notched his first win on the season in a hard-fought, caution-prone outing for the Outlaws division. There were six halts over the first six laps before the field lost six of the dozen cars. However, with nine to go in the fifteen-lapper, the abbreviated field settled down for some hard racing and completed the event without further issue. Al six who departed went pitside on lap six, including points leader Samantha Dell.
Newcomb was followed across the stripe by Giovanni Ruggerio, Nathan Smith, Ethan Heilborn and Riley Caron.
`Newcomb started outside Heilborn, who ran door-to-door with him through lap one with Ruggerio and Caron wheel-to-wheel behind them. Dell tried to get through an opening between them, which closed up and set her into a spin.
The lap two restart had Heilborn and Newcomb at the front again, but Smith had leapt in to restart third, under Ruggerio. Caron and Stephen Bowden made up row three.
They ran side-by-side to turn three before Heilborn could secure the front. Smith got under Ruggerio and they dueled around into turn two of the next lap, where Smith grabbed second. Thomas Dyment then spun in turn three.
On the restart, Smith saw Heilborn get the leap out of the box, dropped in and looked under. He edged ahead, then grabbed the lead in turn one of lap three before Dyment spun again.
Second try at the restart, Heilborn was able to pull ahead, but Newcomb had the low spot in row two and got under Smith. Ruggerio pursued. Next time around Ruggerio had Dell looking underneath.
Now Newcomb was leading smith while Joey LeMay was alongside Heilborn. But Dyment and Nicholas Rose got together and spun coming out of turn four. Rose fought to keep it off the wall on the front stretch and succeeded but needed a push to restart.
Newcomb nosed ahead on the restart and grabbed the lead in turn two. Heilborn got under Smith while behind them, Dell and LeMay were battling. Once more around, and Dell looked under Smith. There was contact and she was around in turn two and needed a push start. She then took it to the pits, ending her evening.
It took two tries to resume racing, sandwiched around another caution, which occurred when LeMay came up on the outside of Ruggerio and Smith to pass three-wide. LeMay went around, Rose spun to avoid and Bowden ended up stopped in turn two.
Newcomb retrieved his lead with eight laps to go, going into turn one. Ruggerio was working under Heilborn behind him with Smith trialing. Caron was loose in turn four but gathered it back in. Giovanni grabbed second and Smith then got under Heilborn and the dueled over third. This was good news for Newcomb and provided him with a three-car advantage.
Smith settled the issue by taking over third with five circuits remaining and Caron got by Heilborn into fourth as the field strung out. Heilborn wasn’t happy; he got all over Smith’s bumper. Caron was behind them, followed by Keller and Rose. Three laps remained.
With two to go, Newcomb was in the catbird’s seat with fifteen cars on Ruggerio and Smith. They went under the white flag and headed for the finish. Heilborn was still working on Smith, and he continued his assault all the way through the checkered flag.
Keller took sixth place on the event, followed by Nicholas Rose, the last car still running. In the pits, Tavares qualified for eighth, while Bowden and Dyment, also off-track, rounded out the top ten.
EVANS PULLS OFF WIN IN BANDITS
PJ Evans garnered his first win in Bandolero Bandits by hanging out in the top three until he had a chance to spoil another hard run at the front by Adam Harrison. Evans and Harrison dueled for the lead with PJ easing Adam out of the lead after a restart with nine to go. Smilin’ Reese Bogue chased him to the finish for second on the evening, solidifying his grip on the points lead. Third went to Harrison, while Ethan Dion and Colin Vanasse rounded out the top five.
Evans started fifth, while Harrison and Ryan Vanasse, Jr. led off from the front. The Junior Rocket had problems from the getgo as he slowed decidedly coming out of the starting box. But Brenden LeBelle spun in turn two and a restart was needed. Red flag fluttered, however, to ease the cleanup as Mike Hanafin was powerless at the end of the front stretch. Grant Harkin, trying to avoid LeBelle had taken a rough trip through the infield. He was tended to, then walked under his own power for an ambulance trip to the pits and a thorough checkup. Bogue dropped onto Evans’ bumper into fourth as Evans settled to the groove in third. Smilin’ Reese took a look underneath and dived in to grab third in turn two. He went to the outside to find his way around Dion and Evans looked underneath. Suddenly, the lead was four-wide.
Harrison escaped back into the lead and Evans dropped back to third, Dion split Harrison and Evans in second, while Bogue ran fourth. Evans then dropped under Dion, who had drifted up and took a nose coming across the stripe going into lap five. He drew Bogue along with him on his bumper. The four-car crowd at the front was now showing all the aspects of an aerial dogfight, save for the high altitude.
Evans nosed under the leader, but there was contact and Harrison came momentarily loose. Evans caught the berm with his left side wheels and suddenly, Bogue went around him into second going down the backstretch. He again went to the outside of Harrison as Evans ducked under and into the lead. But Brody Monahan and Ryan Vanasse got together and spun. Rob Murphy, Jr. spun to avoid them. Monahan was wreckered into the pits with rear suspension damage, Vanasse also was off on the hook and Murphy also had to be towed in.
Evans’ hard-earned lead was temporarily lost as the lap hadn’t been completed. Harrison and Bogue were on the front and Evans was in row two with Dion. Collin Vanasse and LeBelle followed, ahead of Brandon Cowen and Zacarias Kelley.
Harrison eased ahead on the lap 8 restart and Bogue stayed on the high side, but Dion spun in turn one. They restarted the same lap in order with Dion going to the rear as the accident car.
This time, Harrison and Smilin’ Reese came under the green side-by-side all the way to turn one. Harrison got the edge in turn two as Evans crept under Bogue. He got under Harrison and Bogue rushed ahead for another three-wide at the front. Evans pulled ahead as Harrison backed out and Bogue was now wheel-to-wheel with Evans. PJ added power and pulled ahead, allowing Harrison underneath Bogue in turn three. With four to go, Harrison now acquired second. Bogue then wrested it back again and Dion ran at Harrison’s rear, followed by LeBelle with Collin outside.
Evans grabbed a two-car advantage with two laps remaining. But Bogue chopped it to a half-car as they cruised under the white flag. Evans kept steady through the final lap to keep Reese at his back for the win.
Sixth went to LeBelle, while Kelley, Brent Robidoux, Cowen and Monahan rounded out the top ten.
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com