Astle Takes Second Straight Pro Stock Win
Seekonk, MA — Flyin’ Freddy Astle took down his fourth feature win of the season, second in as many weeks, and kept his edge on the championship even over runnerup David Darling. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds for the Westport driver. The previous week saw him lead the final 30 laps to the checkers. This time around, he wasn’t in the lead until the thirty-fifth circuit. And his prime antagonist, Darling, had loomed in his windshield since the twelfth go-around. And the Rehoboth driver hung on his tail, challenging through the final laps.
Jake Vanada suffered a big disappointment as he had led from lap 8 to lap 34, only to be passed by Astle and Darling in the closing revolutions. The speed merchant from Berkley hung on for third place at the checkers.
The points race between Astle and Darling should remain with the 21-point spread at which they stood coming into the night’s confrontation. Darling had finished two up on Astle in their heat race, won by West Warwick’s Jeramee Lillie, earning two points; Astle got that pair back by finishing one-up on Darling.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Somerset’s Kevin Casper and Saunderstown, Rhode Islander Tom Scully, Jr. rounded out the top 5.
Casper led off from the pole, and outrushed Lillie to the front. Dick Houlihan came from the third starting spot underneath Lillie for second and began to duel Casper. Lillie settled into third for two laps before Vanada, moving up from his fifth place starting slot, grabbed third.
Back in the pack, Darling and Astle were already battling: Darling had started outside the fourth row and Astle was right behind him in row five. Astle edged ahead into ninth place on the third lap, and they began a slow climb through the field.
Mike Brightman squeezed under Lillie before the latter could finally gain the low groove on lap 7. But Kenny Spencer slowed to avoid and Scully was on his bumper. The two made contact and spun, bringing out a caution. Casper now had Houlihan beside him on the front, Vanada and Lillie backed them up. Mike Brightman, Astle, Darling and Rob Murphy made a tough combo restarting behind them.
Casper was auguring for the lead with Houlihan giving him a hard time when Vanada powered up to make it three wide at the front, coming out of turn 2. Houlihan eased back, out of the hotbox, and Vanada successfully challenged for the lead. Brightman passed Houlihan for third and Darling followed through into fourth. Astle and Murphy were chasing Houlihan followed by Lillie, Scully and Rick Martin.
By lap ten, Vanada had a one-car lead over Casper and it was 5 cars back to Darling, who had passed Brightman. Astle was on Darling’s tail and Brightman followed. The race had become a long pace line at this time. Lap 17 saw Vanada pulling away from Casper, and Darling moving in behind the latter with Astle for a shadow. On the next lap, Murphy got into Brightman and loosened him up, but an incredible save kept the 27 of Brightman going straight.
Vanada held a 6 car lead over Casper and Darling was trying to work his way underneath for second, finally getting by on lap 24, Astle riding through on his tail.
Paul Reichert and Phil Meany got together, spun, straightened out and appeared ready to continue, but the caution had already come out. Now, Vanada was restarting with Darling on his shoulder and Astle behind him. Casper was high on the second row, and Brightman and Scully backed them up.
Vanada went to the lead on the backstretch of the restart and a quick lead line developed with Vanada, Darling and Astle winding the track just inches apart. Vanada started getting a bit wide on lap 29, with Darling edging up. A caution came out for debris in turn three. The same trio set up for the restart with Casper high on the second row, Brightman, Scully, Murphy and Lillie followed.
Again Vanada went to the front. Darling tried to work underneath, but was held off and Astle then tried to get around him into second. Casper got back into third, passing Brightman, then Scully worked past into fourth. Murphy, coming up next, got together with Brightman, and Mike slid up the track and the field surged by under him.
Lap 32 saw Reichert spin at the stripe to set the yellow flying. Again Vanada surged to the front, but this time, Astle followed and got under Darling. On the next circuit, Fred went to the bottom and he and Vanada went door-to-door with Darling on their tails. Astle emerged into the lead on lap 35 and Darling moved Vanada back to third on the next trip around.
The final four laps saw Astle trying to shake Darling and Vanada, at best keeping it straight and heading for the checkers. Darling made every attempt he could to pass, but was held off. At the finish it was Astle, Darling, Vanada and Casper, all in the same second. Scully, Murphy, Houlihan and Spencer, followed by Lillie and John Dabrowski made up the top 10.
ANDERSON PACES PRO FOUR MODIFIEDS FROM GREEN TO CHECKERS
New Hampshire hot shoe Tyler Anderson pulled off a win from the pole in the Pro-four modified race in the Kraze’s Special 25-lapper. Anderson had to survive 7 restarts in the race which saw only 10 of the 18 starters finish the race.
First warning of the race’s nature was on the initial lap, when 3 cars ended up in a pile between turns 3 and 4. Cape Codder Dan Meservey, Jr., George Sherman of Framingham and Somerset’s Billy Joerres had to be separated, with Meservey and Joerres unable to finish. A lap had not been completed, so the original grid, minus the pitted duo, lined up to begin the race once again. But not before a second attempt was called back for a false start.
Anderson beat Whitinsville, MA driver Stan Metz off the line. Plymouth’s Cory Cleary ducked under Metz for second and Dave Richardi got door-to-door with Metz for third. With Cleary beginning to reel Anderson in, lap 6 saw Metz rotate in turn 3 and collect Henry Sirignano. Phil Lausier had to spin to miss the pile and the 3 lay stalled in the curve. Wreckers had to be called to separate Metz and Sirignano and they became the next casualties of the race.
Anderson faced off with Cleary on the restart. Cleary made a good lunge at the green flag, but Anderson went to the lead down the backstretch. Jeff Zuidema’s car began trailing sparks and he retired to the pits. A lap 8 spin in the first turn by Brian Vincent stopped the race again, and Zuidema returned, just one lap down. Vincent turned pit side and the field was relined.
Now, Anderson had Adam Norton on his shoulder with Easton Massachusetts’ Dave Richardi and Cleary behind. They ran under the green side-by-side, but Anderson was into the lead on turn 4. Richardi went under Norton to begin a battle for second, while Cleary worked below Norton, who wrestled with him for the spot but finally had to relinquish. Cleary quickly started working under Richardi on lap 13.
Dave Bedard spun between turns 3 and 4 and Lausier again spun to miss him, coming to a stop.
Anderson and Cleary faced off on the lap 13 restart and Anderson was at the front by the second turn. Richardi came quickly up behind Anderson and bumped his rear. He wiggled and slowed, but kept the lead. Cleary made for the pits on lap 15.Entering lap 18, Anderson was pursued by Richardi, Frank Perry, Norton and Sherman. But Bedard spun in turn 4. At the same time, Lausier was around in turn two and yet another caution was called.
Anderson won the restart over Richardi, but Lausier was again around in turn two. He was pushed to the pits. Ten cars were now left with 8 on the lead lap.
Anderson again went to the lead on the backstretch with Perry giving chase, followed by Dave Richardi and Norton, who was trying to get under Richardi. By lap 20, Anderson was moving easily at the front, but Rob Richardi, Jr. had been moving smoothly up through the field and now was past Norton into third and troubling his brother, Dave for second. Perry followed Norton.
Anderson came home for his first win as a Pro Four rookie. The Richardi’s traded places, with Rob edging Dave for second. Norton captured fourth and Sherman was fifth. He was followed by Perry, Bedard, Jeff Zuidema (a lap down) as were Vincent and Charette to round out the top 10.
Following his lap with the checkered flag, Anderson made a rookie move directly to victory lane, leaving the announcer and trophy handlers flat-footed at the Start-Finish line.
LATE MODELS: VANASSE HAULS DOWN FOURTH WIN
Ryan Vanasse of Warwick, RI, hauled down his fourth win of the season and further tightened his grasp on the lead in the Late Models division with a going-away win. Only four drivers held the lead in the 30-lap race, and Vanasse led the most; the final 13. Acushnet driver Matt Breault finished second, followed by Tyler Thompson of Somerset, Kyle Casper of Somerset and Fairhaven’s Kyle DeSouza.
Bob Hussey led the first two laps off his pole position. On the second, Colbey Fournier and Bob Pelland III got together in turn one with Pelland ending up sideways on the track and a big pileup sending him, Kyle Casper, Gerry DeGasparre, Jr., and last week’s winner Randy Burr to the pits. DeGasparre and Burr suffered excess damage and were unable to return.
Cape Codder Hussey and Thompson faced off for the lap one restart. Thompson went to the lead on the backstretch. Matt Breault went around on the second lap, but continued and began challenging Thompson by the fourth circuit. He tried underneath on the sixth and seventh laps, then started outside on lap 8. By lap 10 Breault was edging a nose past.
On lap 11, Pelland slowed to a stop on the backstretch, and drove pit side after the caution flew. Officials penalized him a lap for causing a false caution. He did not return to racing.
Breault had Thompson on his shoulder for the lap ten restart, with Vanasse down low in the second row; Dennis Stange held the outside. DeSouza and Mike Cavallaro followed. Breault won the race for the lead and Vanasse ran in under Thompson, taking second on the backstretch on lap 11.
By lap 15, Breault was still leading with Vanasse chasing. Thompson, Stange, DeSouza, Casper and Cavallaro paraded behind them. Fournier’s spin out of turn four just as Vanasse was beginning to overtake Breault, brought out another yellow flag. Fournier went to the pits along with Kevin Folan and Cavallaro. They were all back for the lap 16 restart.
Breault and Vanasse waged withering warfare on the restart, but on lap 17, Breault’s car wiggled on the track coming out of turn four, allowing Vanasse to move to the lead, which he would not relinquish. Breault had a new problem, with Thompson, Casper and DeSouza on his tail.
Cavallaro’s right rear tire went down on him on lap 27, and he spun on the frontstretch. The tire could be seen deflating as the car came off the fourth turn.
Breault was too quick on the trigger on the restart, and they were called back to go it again.
This time, Vanasse grabbed the lead and Breault settled in to be hounded by Thompson and Casper. Stange and DeSouza diced it up for fifth spot.
Three more quick laps and Vanasse had locked down his fourth win of the season, breaking the three-win tie he had with Casper, his closest competition in the championship points race. The 38 point spread between them will extend a bit with Casper taking down fourth place to Vanasse’s win.
MITCHELL WINS AS STREET STOCK POINTS RACE TIGHTENS
Mike Mitchell worked his way gradually from ninth on the starting grid to first under the checkered flag as the tight Street Stock division race saw competitors at the top coming closer together.
The Cumberland, RI driver saw his score closing up on leader Ryan Lineham of Coventry, who was held to an 11th place finish.
Scott Serydynski’s second place also closed his gap to the leader as did Steve Axon’s ninth. Axon, of Attleboro, held second to Lineham, and though the points were few between them, Axon gained.
With two races remaining in the season’s schedule, THE BALL is in everybody’s corner.
Brian Spillane, who finished third on the evening, had led from lap 2 to lap 18. The Attleboro driver has had ignition problems spoil his previous two races. This night, he raced to the finish for a solid third.
Spillane took the lead from Joe Kohler in the first lap, then survived challenges from the field and a host of cautions. Kohler had gone ahead at the green, but Woonsocket’s Gerard Berthelette worked under Kohler and Spillane took advantage to claim the lead. Paul Newcomb began working on Kohler on the high side with Berthelette on their tails. By lap 5, they’d settled in: Spillane, Kohler, Newcomb, Berthelette and Michael Lema.
On the next lap, Sparky Arsenault, Lineham and Serydynski were running in a group when Arsenault lost a tire and looped. The others scrambled to avoid him and Lineham took his car directly to the pits.
Newcomb hounded Spillane from lap 7 all the way to lap18, when Newcomb looked underneath Spillane for the lead. They traded paint in turn 4 and Newcomb took the lead on lap 19, when debris in turn 2 caused a caution, a large piece of sheet metal. Tyler Jarvenpaa went to the pits, and when the sheet metal was lifted from the track, it was Jarvenpaa’s door, as determined by the number.
On the restart, Mitchell was in the second row, behind Newcomb and Spillane. Spillane got underneath Newcomb and had the lead back to himself on lap 22. Mitchell was working his way under Newcomb. Newcomb had a tire go down just as Mitchell started to get under Spillane.
Serydynski had quickly closed to third on lap 24, when Newcomb got underneath Spillane and they were side-by-side. Serydynski lost no time on the white flag lap making the lead a 3-wide and Spillane was stuck in the middle. His car bobbled slightly and fell back, leaving Serydynski and Mitchell trading paint from turn 4 all the way to the finish line. Mitchell squeaked out a .041 second lead over Serydynski, with Spillane being forced to settle4 for third. Ken Bamford and Rey Lovelace rounded out the top 5.
CAVALLARO WINS FOURTH FEATURE IN SPORT TRUCKS
It took Seekonk’s Mike Cavallaro just 11 laps to go from his eleventh starting position to the lead, and from there, he was unassailable to the finish of the Kraze’s Special 30 lap extended Trucks feature. He wasn’t without drama, as Fall River’s fast Ed Gannon picked him up on lap 12, and chased him to lap 23, where Westporter Rick Martin stepped in to bother Cavallaro the rest of the way to the finish line. Martin and Gannon nabbed second and third, while Dylan Estrella and Lenny Guy rounded out the top 5.
Billy Clarke led from the pole and outran Michelle Dumas of Quincy for the lead. When Lenny Guy spun in turn two, the field was called back to restart the race. Clarke again grabbed the front with Dumas still fighting him. Gannon jumped into third from his second row, outside start. Mashpee driver Mike Ronhock went to fourth and, while he was doing it, bumped Gannon in turn three. Gannon spun to the infield.
Ron Cornell got by Dumas and set his sights on Clarke. But Rob Andreozzi got around on the frontstretch on lap 4. Clarke restarted with Cornell alongside. Cornell was trying to power by Clarke on the outside when Ronhock went high for a 3-wide. Dumas went around and collected Russ Borges, bringing out the caution. Ronhock received a trip to the rear for the contact.
Clarke grabbed the lead again, while Dan Leach got by Cornell. Ronhock spun in turn 2, but continued. Clarke got wide and Leach wasted no time getting underneath for the lead. Cavallaro had been working his way up from his starting position back in eleventh. He followed Leach through into second and Gannon charged in to capture third. Martin grabbed fourth as Clarke was falling back on the outside. Gannon and Martin then edged Leach out on the next lap and guy passed on lap 13. By the fifteenth circuit, Cavallaro led Gannon in second. Martin was th8ird, followed by Guy, Estrella and Leach.
Cavallaro now was leading a parade around the oval, which continued until Dane Saritelli spun in turn four. His motor kept running, and he tried to get on with the race, but the caution was called. Cavallaro and Gannon battled on the restart, with Martin on Cavallaro’s tail. Estrella and Guy were at it for fourth.
Gannon got stuck to the outside with Martin on Cavallaro’s rear bumper and had to settle in for third. Ted Berube did a solo spin on lap 24, but continued.
With three laps remaining, Martin was all over Cavallaro’s tailgate and pestered him all the way to the finish line. Cavallaro edged him out by .25 seconds at the line. Gannon came across third. Estrella edged Guy for fourth and Lenny settled in ahead of Leach, Clarke, Ronhock, Andreozzi and Saritelli for the top 10.
Berube finished 13th and Martin’s second place adds more points to his first place lead over Berube, with just two races remaining on the regular season.
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR