Thomas takes home NEMST win while Fanning, Belsito, & Arrenegado collect NWAAS wins
GLEN THOMAS CONQUERS NORTHEAST MINI STOCKS
Glen Thomas did what no other Northeast Mini Stock driver could do since the season’s opener back in April at Lee USA Speedway: he denied Toby Wells a win. Until Seekonk, Wells was on a tear, taking every trophy available to the NEMS drivers with no hostages taken. Finally, after a bounty of $250.00 was offered to anybody who could knock Wells off the top, Glen Thomas broke through the barrier, outrunning Wells over 40 laps with just a half-second margin. Wells rocketed in for second and Tim Collins made it for third, as the Mini Stock Tour had the crowd in the palm of its hand.
Joe Baxter sailed in for fourth. But fifth went to Seekonk’s own Darryl Church who showed up with his Seekonk Sports Truck to challenge the beasts of the tour. And with his four cylinder power plant, he grabbed a big fifth place – not to mention winning his heat race.
A field of 27 made the show and 25 hit the oval for the feature. And from the moment the green dropped, the thrill was on. Church jumped off the outside, beating polesitter Pete Zakarite to the stripe and leading the first two laps before Thomas stormed up to steal the front. They went wheel-to-wheel before Thomas grabbed the front in turn four of lap two. Church clung to second as Zakarite held fourth, ahead of Derek Douglas and Richard Sprague who was working under Shaun Waites, Sr.
But Wells was climbing rapidly, clipping off a competitor each lap and occasionally two. By lap five he was in fifth from his twelfth place start. He was past Derek Douglas for fourth on lap seven and by Zakarite to third on lap nine. Church gave him some trouble, making him work for five laps to get by for his shot at Thomas.
Now the problem was Thomas, who had better than a straightaway lead, but not quite a half lap. But fate intervened in Wells’ favor as Justin Faford crashed hard into the wall just before the flag stand to bring out the caution. Despite heavy damage, Faford was able to restart and drive the wounded stallion to the pits. And the race quickly resumed.
Thomas, Wells, Church, and Collins lined up and Thomas was out and away across the stripe with Wells in hot pursuit. The field quickly strung out and Thomas gained a two car lead. Church clung to third as Wells looked to the outside for the pass. Collins went to Church’s bumper then went underneath. But lap 26 saw Mitch Bombard out of power and rolling to a stop. He was pushed off and Tomas and Wells squared off again.
Thomas popped out again and Wells dropped to his bumper in turn two. They dueled with Wells all over Thomas’ bumper. Joe Baxter and Viens pushed Church back to sixth, but Darryl pursued and had his chance as a lap 30 caution came out. It took two attempts as Thomas and Wells had a bad try the first time around. On the second shot, they ran door-to-door for a lap before Thomas had an edge at the stripe in lap 32. He got loose, but Wells was close on his bumper and couldn’t take advantage. Thomas recovered and forged a two-car lead.
Wells rushed up again and spent the final laps trying every type of pass he had ever used to get by, but Thomas wanted the $250 bounty too badly and outran him to the checkers. Crossing sixth was Viens followed by Derek Douglas, Zakarite, Jacob Rheaume and Richard Sprague, Jr.
FANNING IN FIRST CAREER WIN IN STREET STOCKS
“Kid Chaos” — Corey Fanning took advantage of a race which ran with but one caution (lap four) to take over the lead with 10 of the 25 laps remaining and power comfortably to the finish. It was a far easier second half than the initial circuits where he had to scramble up from the fifth row. But scramble he did, and he ran in better than a second ahead of runner up, Craig Pianka. Last week’s winner, Vinny Pangelinan, came in third, just ahead of Rey Lovelace and AJ Soloman.
Soloman started the pole with Anthony Kohler on his outside. He went to the lead and was running well over the first five laps with Kohler at first giving him a good contest on the outside. But Jeremy Walker ran under Kohler and Thomas Adams got under Pianka. Kohler and Walker diced it up over second while Pianka held sixth, ahead of Sam Porazzo and Fanning, who had moved up two spots all ready. As Soloman continued to hold off Walker, Pianka advanced, passing Kohler and then Adams into third. On lap six, he went by Walker and then Soloman into the lead.
Fanning had navigated the same waters and now (lap six) was in third, chasing the leaders. Another lap and he had gone under Walker, into second as Soloman faded to fourth and Walker recovered to move back up to third. Jay Steele entered the mix, and he and Kohler hacksawed over fifth, trading the edge with each succeeding lap and Chris Rioux elevated himself to seventh.
Pangelinan was in the mix, dueling with Rioux. Lap nine saw him go three wide with Kohler and Steel. Kohler backed out and Vinny settled in behind Soloman for fifth. Meanwhile, Fanning was on Pianka’s bumper then looked underneath, as did Pangelinan with Soloman. Vinny edged him out of fifth and went to work on Walker.
Fanning went under Pianka, stealing the lead on lap 14. At the same time, Walker began to trail fluid and was black flagged, costing him third place. Pangelinan fell heir, moving up from fourth as Soloman followed. Lovelace gained advantage, moving up and then taking fourth away from Soloman. Rioux followed in to take sixth.
With ten laps remaining, the entire top 14 cars were in their final finish positions, and the laps unwound in a single-file pursuit. Fanning was eight cars up on the field with five remaining and Pianka had as much distance to Pangelinan. Another eight cars found Lovelace running fourth. An impatient Rioux was behind Rey knocking on his rear bumper.
Fanning charged under the checkers with his first career win. Sixth went to Rioux, followed by Scott Bruneau, Tyler Lallier, Adam Dion, Kohler and Tim Watson.
BELSITO POINTS LEAD SOLIDIFIES WITH YET ANOTHER FEATURE WIN
Angelo Belsito, by no means a lock on the points lead, saw his lead extend by a handful of points over Tom Scully, Jr. as Belsito won yet another Pro Stock Feature race. However, Ryan Vanasse ran a solid night, taking the lead from Rick Martin on lap two and not relinquishing it until lap 31 in the midst of a grueling duel with Belsito. Belsito, however, was able to secure the front and Vanasse was in the runner-up spot. Flyin’ Freddy Astle had one of the better nights of his season, coming in hot on Vanasse’s bumper for third, just ahead of Ryan Lineham. Scully completed the top five.
Martin and Vanasse lined up at the front and Vanasse battled the Radical One on the outside while behind them Mike Brightman was dueling Astle, just ahead of Lineham. Astle fell back while Vanasse was able to drop in front of Brightman. Vanasse went under Martin and drove through to the front. Brightman took two more laps to grab second place and two laps later, Lineham wound past Martin into third. Astle, not to be denied, moved back up into fourth.
By lap five, the field had strung out except for Martin, who was caught on the outside and falling back. He finally was able to drop in front of Scully. Astle was looking under Lineham who hung tight on the berm to hold him off.
Vanasse grabbed a six-car lead on lap eight as Lineham ran under Brightman. Behind them, Astle led Belsito, who was working below Martin. Scully followed. Lineham and Brightman continued to battle it out while Astle was all over their bumpers. Lineham went to second on lap ten and Astle knocked Brightman out of third. Belsito was on his bumper but looking underneath. Mighty Mike slammed the door.
Lap 13 saw Vanasse with a fifteen car lead over Lineham and Astle while Belsito and Brightman continued to duel.
Lap 13 saw Joerres run into Alex Mielnicki’s back and they spun. Kyle Casper took the opportunity to retire his number seven to the pits for the evening. On the restart, Vanasse had Lineham outside in the battle of the two Ryans. Astle was third and Belsito again was under Brightman. Scully was behind them, waiting for an opportunity.
With Vanasse nosing ahead, Lineham elected to fall back and try a drop-under move, which Vanasse met with a door slam. Astle then nosed under Lineham and they went door-to-door across the stripe.
Vanasse tok a seven car lead over Astle, Belsito, Lineham, Scully and Brightman. Belsito again looked under Astle, who powered up to hold him off. But Angelo had momentum and powered through to second. By lap 25, he was closing on Vanasse, trailing Astle, Lineham and Scully. The field was stringing out.
Lap 28 saw Darling cross under Kevin Casper and into eighth. Two laps later, he was past Martin onto Brightman’s bumper. Lap 29 saw Belsito on Vanasse’s bumper and then looking under down the front stretch. He had the lead out of turn two. Lap 32 showed Belsito leading Vanasse, Astle, Lineham, Scully and Brightman.
Vanasse was four cars out on Astle, who began to close in. Astle looked under with three to go and at the white flag, they were dead even. Belsito flashed under the checkers then Vanass just .025 seconds ahead of Astle.
Brightman was sixth, followed by Darling, Martin, Casper, Vanada and Bob Hussey.
ARRENEGADO CLAIMS SECOND WIN WITH CRAB MANCHESTER MEMORIAL WIN
Vinny Arrenegado started the Crab Manchester Memorial Race one car up from last but found his way to be first on the fiftieth and final lap. Enroute between, he watched a series of early race cautions reshape his destiny in the event. And once at the front, the gods of racing served up some long periods of green flag racing.
Over the second half of the race, he was challenged by Dave Hutchins, Jr. and Charlie Rose. Hutch ran sixteen hard laps on his heels with the added disadvantage of having Rose hot on his heels and itching to take over second. Rose then turned the tables with an underneath pass to take over second and try to run the streaking Arrenegado down. But Vinny had run out to a long lead, and the task was made more difficult when Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. got by Hutchins into third. Gerry closed in but the laps wound down before he could go any further. Arrenegado’s passage under the checkers was followed by Rose, DeGasParre, Hutchins and Dylan Estrella for fifth.
As the green fell, rookie TJ Moreshead jumped off the pole and nosed away from Mark Hudson as Curtis Rolando followed Moreshead under Hudson and DeGasparrey ran from fifth through the same gap. Rose followed and Hudson was stuck on the slow freight on the outside row, blocked from dropping in. Rolando had three laps in second before DeGasparre moved him back. Rose pulled into third.
Dylan Estrella was moving up from a ninth start and put himself on Rose’s back bumper and points leader Bobby Pelland III moved in on his bumper. Austin Blais and Ryan Vanasse followed and Blais and Pelland got together in lap eight. They went to the rear as Moreshead and DeGasparre lined up at the front.
After a lap door-to-door, DeGasparre broke to the front and Estrella came around to second. Three laps later, Rose edged Moreshead out of third. And TJ settled in just ahead of Vanasse. Jeramee Lillie had come up to pursue Vanasse. But Hutch spun in turn two on lap twelve and it took two tries to get the field back underway.
Estrella dropped into second from the outside pole, making Moreshead brake and started an accordion effect that had cars scattering at midpack. The second attempt saw DeGasparre again take the lead over Estrella and Moreshead working under Rose. Vanasse was inside Lillie. But three laps more and Jariah Roderick, running seventh, spin out and Steve Potter stopping just in time.
Seven laps elapsed before the next caution as Estrella, dueling DeGasparre went around, hitting DeGasparre’s nose, spinning them to the grass. Lillie headed for the pits for repairs. Again it took two tries to complete the lap 26 restart. Uhrig and Arrenegado faced off ahead of Hutchins and Moreshead but Uhrig started falling back as John Mahoney went around, collecting Lillie. Uhrig ran for the pits. Second try saw Arrenegado on the pole and spinning his tires but still able to push ahead. He had the front in turn four.
Pelland, Vanasse and Moreshead went three wide in a contest over fourth with Pelland succeeding, Moreshead falling back suddenly and Roderick powering past Vanasse.
Arrenegado had a seven car lead over Hutch, Rose and Pelland as the field strung out single file. It remaind that way until Lillie, Rolando and Bill Bernard found themselves three wide. Bernard elected to back out. Vanasse was working on Roderick for several laps. Lap 40 saw them together and spinning. Vanasse got the call for the assist and a black flag ending his evening. Bernard headed again for the pits and Vinny and Hutch lined up again.
This time Rose and Pelland followed. On the green the battled for two laps before Arrenegado could claim the lead. Rose had designed on Hutch and began looking under as Vinny gained a three-car buffer. Rose took second on lap 43 and the next circuit saw DeGasparre underneath and into third. Vinny now had seven cars on them and continued to build. DeGasparre eased Hutchins out of third while Estrella and Lillie troubled Pelland over fifth.
Lillie was able to push past Estrella and deprive Pelland of position but Estrella put on a rush to move both of them back and take over the fifth spot as the laps ran out with Arrenegado the victor.
Sixth went to Lillie, followed by Blais, Pelland, Rolando and Uhrig.
Sources: Seekonk Speedway PR