Brendon Hammann quickly moved from his third-place starting spot to the front of the field by lap four and never looked back en route to his second career victory in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars on Friday night. Hammann, who struggled a bit in week one, redeemed himself in a big way with the checkered flag two weeks later.
Week three of Fast Friday kicked off the same way as the previous two, with restrictions in place for COVID-19 issued by the state of Massachusetts. Proper social distancing and the mask wearing was maintained by track staff and competitors alike, with no spectators in attendance due to restrictions given by the state.
The Legends Cars put in a good performance with 22 cars taking the green flag. An early caution including RJ Marcotte and Brandon Martinez slowed the field on lap four and there were a few tangles in the middle of the race that took out some challengers. After winning in week two, Jake Johnson started 12th, and was moving forward before he was collected in a wreck in turn four.
It setup quite the battle between Martinez and Johnson to see who could race to the front first, while Hammann was comfortable out front, nailing restart after restart to maintain control. A caution for a spin by Devin Deshaies on lap 16 slowed the action for the final time, with Hammann maintaining control to the finish.
Martinez was in the top five by then, but Johnson started working his way there by lap 17, taking fifth, and sliding all the way up to second, by Martinez, by the time they came around for the checkered. It was Hammann in Victory Lane, followed by Johnson, Martinez, Reagan Parent and Connor Holderbach.
Mason Tessier was sixth, followed by Corey Fanning, Jacob Burns, RJ Marcotte and Connor Souza. The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars return to the track next Friday, August 1, with a 25-lap feature.
Doug Benoit Makes It Back-to-Back in Pure Stocks
Two weeks, two checkered flags for Doug Benoit. The driver of the No. 2, who is a former champion of the Pure Stock division, has a brand new car in 2020, and it’s paying off nicely for him after three races. Benoit started eighth, took the lead on lap 21, and picked up his second straight win as part of Fast Friday, but it didn’t come without a tough battle.
Week three of Fast Friday kicked off the same way as the previous two, with restrictions in place for COVID-19 issued by the state of Massachusetts. Proper social distancing and the mask wearing was maintained by track staff and competitors alike, with no spectators in attendance due to restrictions given by the state.
Max Bergstrom and Mike Henriques led the 18-car field to the green, with Bergstrom leading the opening lap, before Danny Massa Jr. rolled from third to the lead for lap two. A caution on lap 10 slowed the action when Justin Rioux slowed in turn two, closing the battle up front between Massa, Scott Cestodio and Benoit.
The three drivers, who all have plenty of experience, would battle to the finish. Massa would open the bottom groove off turn two on lap 20, giving Benoit the lane, and they would race side-by-side into turn three. Benoit got the edge, but a quick caution on lap 22 put them back even, with Massa restarting to the outside of the front row. Benoit got the jump, with Cestodio grabbing second quickly, and setting his front bumper to try and make a move.
Benoit would hang on over Cestodio in second, Massa third, defending champion Greg Perry in fourth and Henriques fifth. Timmy Ouelette was sixth, followed by Joey Morrissette, Arthur Meack, Emily Brightman and Clay Petschke.
The Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment Pure Stocks return to the track next Friday, August 7, with a 25-lap feature.
Lefort Charges to the Front for Sport 4 Win
The third time was the charm for defending Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4 champion Mikey Lefort. In the first two weeks, the driver of the lucky No. 13 would finish third, and second, inching closer to Victory Lane. Friday, in week three, he found the top spot. Lefort started ninth on the grid and worked his way into the top five by lap five. It was on lap 16 where he passed leader and former champion Dave Westgate and never looked back in the caution-free affair.
Week three of Fast Friday kicked-off the same way as the previous two, with restrictions in place for COVID-19 issued by the state of Massachusetts. Proper social distancing and mask wearing was maintained by track staff and competitors alike, with no spectators in attendance due to restrictions given by the state.
Henry Lavalle and Taylor Bowser led the field to the green for the 25-lap feature, a distance that is up five laps in 2020 compared to the past due to the large car count. Lavalle would lead the first two laps, before Westgate, who started fifth, took the lead on lap three. Westgate would show the way until lap 16, when Lefort slid by. Jordan Lopes, who was back in the Sport 4 division after missing the first two weeks, worked right behind Lefort to the front.
Lopes would go by Westgate into second on lap 17, and set his sights to chasing down Lefort. However, as the laps wound down, Lopes couldn’t close the gap. Lefort would win by .888 seconds, followed by Lopes, Tyler Duhancik, Westgate and Tyler Almeida.
In Victory Lane, Lefort would thank AJ Manuel on the microphone — Manuel won the first two weeks, but elected to keep the No. 88 home for week three — and Lefort thanked him, jokingly, for giving him a shot to win.
David Simpson Jr. finished sixth, followed by Matthew Pion, Lavalle, Taylor Bowser and Daniel Hays. The Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4 division returns to the track next Friday, August 7, with a 25-lap feature.
“Smiling” Reese Bogue Adds Another Win to His 2020 Resume
For the second time in the first three weeks of the 2020 season, Connecticut native Reese Bogue was the class of the field in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandelero Outlaws. Bogue, who started the race in fifth, followed early leader Brenden LaBelle for the first eight laps before taking the lead, and setting sail to the finish.
Week three of Fast Friday kicked-off the same way as the previous two, with restrictions in place for COVID-19 issued by the state of Massachusetts. Proper social distancing and mask wearing was maintained by track staff and competitors alike, with no spectators in attendance due to restrictions given by the state.
LaBelle and Giovanni Ruggiero brought the field down to the initial green flag, with Nicholas Chaber Jr. and Stephen Bowden making up row two. LaBelle jumped out to the early lead until a lap seven caution involving the No. 3 of Olivia Dardinkski slowed the field, bunching them back up for a restart.
LaBelle once again jumped out to the lead until his car snapped out from underneath him exiting turn four collecting Ruggiero, Bowden, Samantha Dell, previous winner Isaiah Newcomb and Nicholas Rose, who made hard contact with the turn four wall. On the ensuing restart, it was Bogue who had inherited the lead, with Chaber on his outside. Bogue jumped out front and began to pull away, while at the finish it was Bogue followed by Chaber, Dell, Labelle, and PJ Evans in fifth.
Aubrey Keller was sixth, Dardinkski was seventh, followed by Nicholaus Bulkeley, Rose and Newcomb. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandelero Outlaws return to the Cement Palace on Friday August 7th, with the first green flag of the night at 7 p.m.
Darren Krantz, Jr. Scores First Career Seekonk Win in Bandolero Bandits
New York native Darren Krantz Jr. had shown speed in each week of Fast Friday, but this time, it all came together for him in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits. Krantz, who rolled off third in the 15-lap feature, didn’t take long to work his way past early leader Adam Harrison, taking control of the race on lap two and leading all the way to the checkers.
Week three of Fast Friday kicked-off the same way as the previous two, with restrictions in place for COVID-19 issued by the state of Massachusetts. Proper social distancing and mask wearing was maintained by track staff and competitors alike, with no spectators in attendance due to restrictions given by the state.
Adam Harrison and Collin Vanasse led the field to green, with Krantz and Rich Helger Jr. making up the second row. On the initial green, Helger jumped out to the outside in an attempt to quickly grab the lead, and it looked like the gamble would work, until the back of the car slid out from underneath him in turn four, bringing out the first caution of the night.
On the restart, Krantz quickly worked his way to the top spot, with Harrison, Ethan Dion, and Brody Monahan close behind. On lap four, Dion and Harrison made contact and shot up into the outside wall, collecting Monahan in the process. From there, it was all Krantz.
By lap five, previous winner Ryan Vanasse Jr. had moved into second, followed by Helger, who had rebounded from his early spin, Brent Robidoux and Collin Vanasse. The top five would remain the same until lap 14, when Collin Vanasse edged out Robidoux for fourth. At the finish it was Krantz taking down the win, followed by Vanasse Jr., Helger, Collin Vanasse, and Robidoux.
Milania Shilosky was sixth, followed by Mike Hanafin, Zacarias Kelley, Harrison and Dion. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandelero Bandits return to the third-mile oval next Friday, August 7th, with the first feature of the evening rolling out at 7 p.m.
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com
Brendon Hammann quickly moved from his third-place starting spot to the front of the field by lap four and never looked back en route to his second career victory in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars on Friday night. Hammann, who struggled a bit in week one, redeemed himself in a big way with the checkered flag two weeks later.
