Batman Returns to Glory While Parsons Edges for Triple Crown
BATMAN RETURNS TO GLORY WHILE PARSONS EDGES FOR TRIPLE CROWN
Brandon Martinez returned to Victory Lane once again in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, snagging the lead away from the rest of the field early, and never looking back en route to another victory.
Martinez wouldn’t start right at the front, but it didn’t take him long to make his way to the top. He took the lead on lap four, after Mason Tessier would show the field around for the early laps. A mid-race stretch of green flag racing moved the running order around, with some of the top championship points contenders making their way towards the front. The four drivers competing in the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series finale would also work their way into the top five.
Tessier was giving Martinez a run for the win, especially just after the halfway point, but he wouldn’t be able to finish at the front. He got sideways entering turn three on lap 26, collecting Peter Bennett as they both slid up the track, drawing the caution. Both would move to the tail end of the field, grouping the field back up behind Martinez.
Josh Parsons would start just outside the top 10, and slide through the field into the top five when the field crossed the line for lap 22, just eight laps from the finish. Parsons wasn’t going to let himself lose any spots, as he moves his way to second with just three laps to go, and started chasing Martinez for the lead. It wouldn’t work, but, Parsons would earn the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series championship with his second-place finish.
Kevin Nowak, who rolled north from New York, finished third, and second in the Phil’s Triple Crown, while Brendan Hammann and Connor Holderbach finished the top five.
Ryan Doucette was sixth, followed by Sheleigh Martinez, Jacob Burns, Connor Souza and Peter Bennett. In the championship point standings, Bennett leads Parsons by 36 points and Hammann by 62 points.
THREE-WIDE PASS NETS CESTODIO THE VICTORY; MASSA PHIL’S TRIPLE CROWN
In a final lap thriller, Scott Cestodio earned his third win in four weeks with a three-wide pass in the 30 lap Pure Stock feature, holding off Danny Massa and Greg Perry. None of the three of them started right at the front of the field, but they worked their way there by the time it mattered most.
The first lap of the race had a bit of chaos, after Ava Chouinard tried to get her way to the bottom groove coming off turn two, and multiple cars were collected with contact. The wreck would end the night for Ed Gould and Mike Henriques before they would even complete the first lap.
Once the race had some rhythm going, Marissa Morgan would show the way in the lead, before Joey Morrissette would take the top spot from her on lap five. Morrissette would show the way around until lap 13, when Danny Massa would use the bottom groove off turn two to take the lead from him, bringing Perry with him to the second spot. Although another caution would slow the action, it looked like Massa and Perry would decide the race between the two of them, as they both pulled away out front.
But, a caution with just a few laps remaining changed the complexion of the race. Massa would restart from pole position, with Perry to the outside, and Cestodio in line third. At the green, the top two raced side-by-side as they came to the line for the white flag, but Cestodio wasn’t going to let them earn the victory easily. He used a bottom, three-wide move to slide by both of them, as they raced three-wide into turn one and off turn two heading for home.
Cestodio would clear entering turn three, but the race wasn’t over for Massa and Perry. Both were battling for the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series championship, and neither would give an inch coming across the finish line. They would race door-to-door crossing the line, with Massa edging Perry by just a mere few inches, earning the Triple Crown title. With just three weeks left, Perry leads Massa by 16 in the championship standings, with defending champion Doug Benoit just 24 back.
In the final race tally, Cestodio, Massa, Perry, Doug Benoit, and Morrissette completed the top five. Cliff Avila was sixth, followed by Max Bergstrom, Amy Arsenault, Marissa Morgan, and Ava Chouinard.
MATTERA EARNS HER FIRST SPORT 4 VICTORY; LEVESQUE WINS TRIPLE CROWN
Samantha Mattera moved from Seekonk’s Thrill Shows to Fast Friday racing a few years back, and wasn’t able to have the success she was having at the Thrill Shows right off the bat. But, after many years of trying to earn her first checkered flag, Mattera wasn’t going to let anyone take it from her on Friday night in the 25 lap Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series finale in the Sport 4 division.
Mattera started just inside the top five, but it didn’t take her long to make her move around Timmy Ouellette to take the top spot. Once Mattera took the lead, it wasn’t an easy task to hold the remainder of the 24 car left in the field behind her. A few cautions in the middle of the race slowed the action, including one that eliminated Raymond Herman from contention.
Charging up through the field from her sixth-place starting spot, Crystal Murray would grab the second spot on lap 10, but Murray was nearly a whole straightaway behind Mattera in her path to try to earn the victory. A caution flag would slow the action with just seven laps remaining, closing the field right back to Mattera’s bumper and creating some chaos in the final circuits.
It wouldn’t be the final restart — as Mattera would have to hang on for three or four in the final 10 laps, but it didn’t rattle her. She would cross the line ahead of the entire field at the checkered flag, winning the race by over one second over David Westgate. But, before the finish, Murray was hounding the back bumper, trying to find her way around. She got sideways entering turn three on lap 20, and lost a few spots, dropping to fifth. That would almost hurt her chances of winning the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series championship.
Murray was racing Jordan Lopes, Mike Lefort and Karlin Levesque for the Phil’s title. In the final three laps, there was contact between many of the leaders, leaving Murray and Levesque nose-to-tail in the final two laps. As the field crossed for the checkered, Mattera, Westgate, Dunancik, Murray and Levesque would be the top five. Murray and Mattera, two females who earned victories on Friday night, would celebrate in Victory Lane.
However, following a ruling in technical inspection, Murray would not win the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series title, handing it to Levesque. With just three races remaining in the championship points battle, there is a three-way tie at the top. Lopes, Lefort and AJ Manuel all have 460 points and are going to decide it between themselves in the final few weeks.
LEMAY GRABS FIRST CHECKERED; SMITH EARNS TRIPLE CROWN IN OUTLAWS
Joey LeMay had been trying all season to earn his first career Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw victory, but this Friday, everything fell the right away for him. At the drop of the green, the field rolled around to complete lap one when contact between Isaiah Newcomb and a few others sent Newcomb to the pit area for the rest of the night, along with Aubrey Keller. Both drivers would not return to contend for glory.
At the green, LeMay would jump out to the top spot, leading laps two and three, before another caution slowed the action when Nicholas Rose and Nick Chaber Jr. got together, ending both of their nights on the wrecker. With just seven cars left to battle for the checkered flag, the remainder of the race would be contested under green flag conditions.
LeMay jumped back out front on the restart, and even though he led all 15 laps en route to his first career win, the record books aren’t going to show how close of a battle it truly was. For the final 12 laps, Nathan Smith, who was seeking his first win of the season, hounded the back bumper of LeMay’s Everett’s Auto Parts No. 8 looking for the right time to make a move by him. In the final few laps, Smith gained ground, and even took a look to try to make a run for the top spot.
But, when the checkered flag went high in the air, LeMay would earn the checkered, while Smith would settle for second. Giovanni Ruggerio grabbed third spot, followed by a best career finish for Steve Bowden, a fourth. Ethan Heilborn, Samantha Dell and Riley Caron wrapped the running cars at the finish.
With his second-place effort, Smith earned the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series championship in the Outlaw class, fending off three other drivers to snag the trophy. Ruggerio opened his points lead by a few more markers to 14 over Dell, while Smith is 28 back with just three races remaining in the title fight.
MONAHAN SNABS BANDIT WIN WHILE LEBELLE EARNS TRIPLE CROWN
There is nothing like your first career win.
Even though Brody Monahan had been to Victory Lane at other tracks in New England, Friday night was the chance for him to etch his name into Seekonk Speedway’s record books as the winner of the 15 lap Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandit feature.
Monahan had a favorable starting spot, on the outside of the front row, but didn’t quite have the start to the race he was looking for. Joel Newcomb would bring the field down for the green and lead the first lap, but it wasn’t long before division points leader ‘Smilin’ Reese Bogue worked his way to the front from his mid-pack starting spot. Bogue would take the lead on lap two, and with the speed he’s shown this season, it looked to be a sure victory falling right into his lap.
However, Monahan wasn’t going to let him slip away. Monahan chased the back bumper of the No. 4 for the first half of the race, but just as the field crossed for the halfway point, he made his move. Monahan passed and led the field across for lap nine, but he wouldn’t be done fending off charges from others.
A caution flag flew on lap 11 when contact between Adam Dion and Bogue sent both of them to the tail, giving Monahan a shot at the restart from the pole position. In prime form, Monahan took off at the point, and held off PJ Evans in the final circuits to take down his first career Seekonk win in the No. 31. PJ Evans would come home just .265 seconds back in the second spot, while Brenden LeBelle crossed third. Collin Vanasse and Adam Harrison would complete the top five.
With his podium finish, LeBelle earned the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series championship for the class. When Dion and Bogue tangled, both part of the finale for the Triple Crown, LeBelle was in prime position to take down the trophy. With just three weeks remaining in the championship chase, Bogue leads LeBelle by 46 points and Ryan Vanasse Jr. by 66 points.
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com