It took Scott Payea 16 out of the 100 laps to get to the front of the ACT Series hundred-lapper, and then it was an 84-lap grind to gather in his fourth straight win on the season and continue his dominance atop the series. Dillon Moltz, who has been keeping pace in second fell a few points further back, as he finished sixth on the evening. Between them, Jason Corliss finished second followed by Rich Dubeau, Ray Parent and Rowland Robinson, Jr.
While Parent considers Seekonk his home track, the first of the Seekonk regulars to finish was Vinny Arrenegado, in eighth. ACT regular Jimmy Hebert landed between Arrenegado and Moltz. Ryan Vanasse finished on Vinny’s tail, just ahead of Gerry DeGasparre, Jr., Ryan Kuhn and Ryan Lineham, placing a cadre of the Speedway’s Late Model drivers in the top dozen finishers. A total of 17 drivers were still running on the lead lap at the close of the feature.
Bobby Pelland III and Lineham were on the front row for the start, backed up by Nick Johnson and Robinson. On the green, it was a match race between Pelland and Lineham til turn three when Lineham squirted ahead. Robinson followed Pelland into lap three with Kyle Welch and Johnson wheel to wheel behind him. Arrenegado spun in turn four of lap two bringing a lap one restart.
Again, Lineham squirted into the lead on turn four. By lap 3, Lineham had the company of Robinson at his back, followed by Jimmy Hebert, while Payea was making his way under Pelland into fourth (after starting eighth.) Lineham went out to a three-car lead over Robinson as Payea picked his way into fourth by lap six.
Hebert got under Robinson and pulled halfway past at the stripe, then took over second in turn two of lap nine. He then ran alongside Lineham while Payea was getting under Robinson, looking for third. Welch followed with Jason Corliss at his back. Ray Parent began looking under Corliss.
Johnson spun in turn two on lap 13 and Mark Jenison was caught up while DeGasparre was able to stop and avoid the carnage.
On the restart, Lineaham was accompanied on the front tow by Hebert. Payea was getting dangerously close: low man in the second row with Robinson on his shoulder. Welch and Corliss followed. They were door-to-door at the stripe, then Robinson nosed ahead. Lineham battled back and then took the lead down the backstretch on lap 15. Payea came underneath for second and debated the position with Hebert before taking second on lap 17. Another circuit and the leaders were Lineham, followed by Payea, Hebert, Robinson, and Welch.
Payea began looking under Lineham. At first he was unable to make the move but Lineham began drifting up in the conrers. Lap 23 saw Payea go there and they were wheel-to-wheel coming out of turn four and across the stripe before Payea edged ahead.
Four cars spun in turn two of lap 26. Mike Mitchell, Jennison and Miles Chipman pitted for repairs. Payea and Lineham set up for the restart and Lineham was wide coming out of the obx, but they went door-to-door coming across the line. Payea worked halfway past Lineham and lap 28 saw Hebert looking underneath to steal second. Hebert won the challenge and Lineham dropped into third. Robinson followed, chased by Corliss.
The field no began to string out and lap 36 saw Robinson trying to get under Lineham for third. Ryan held him off just before Josh Masterson spun to bring the caution.
Payea and Hebert faced off and went doorhandle-to-doorhandle for a lap before Payea was in the lead again. Lineham pulled up into second on lap 38, with Corliss under Robinson behind him. Lineham looked to the inside from his spot on Payea’s bumper but Payea shut the door. Parent and Robinson battled for position behind them.
Mike Ziter rolled to a stop at the stripe, refired, started off then rolled to a stop again, bringing out caution. Payeay escaped Lineham again and Hebert took second. Corliss and Robinson followed then Robinson edged Corliss out of position but he took it back then went under Lineham .
At the midway point, Payea and Hebert continued to battle while Corliss edged Lineham for third. One more time around and Mitchell, Jenison and Ryan Kuhn were spinning between turns one and two. Ziter went off on the hook after some damage. The restart saw Hebert pull ahead of Payea, who continued to fight it out. But Hebert pulled ahead in turn four. Corliss went under Payea for second and they dueled side-by-side for a lap.
The field began to string out again and Parent moved up, digging in under Robinson, who had just passed Lineham.
Payea was on the move again by lap 60 and went to Hebert’s outside for the pass. They brawled for four laps but Payea had the lead back by lap 64. On lap 67, Mitchell spun again. Masterson ducked around him. Payea, who had found something in the outside lane had moved from third to first over the last run from a caution. Now he came away from the green into the lead, trailing Hebert, Robinson, Parent and Rich Dubeau. The field was again single file.
With 25 to go they were running the same order. Hebert had fallen back, battling Ryan Vanasse for sixth. Parent pressed on into third with 20 laps remaining and Dubeau got under Hebert for fourth.
The running arder on lap 85 was Payea, Corliss, Parent, Dubeau, Hebert and Robinson.
Dubeau began looking past Parent but Ray held him off. He made a drop under move and they now went side-by-side. Now Ron Barboza spun in turn three after bouncing off Mitchell. Payea had put some lapped cars between himself and Corliss, but this would erase that advantage on the restart.
The lap 91 restart saw Hebert bobble coming out of the box and Payea jumped on the opportunity. He went out to a five=car lead before Masterson spun on lap 94.
Payea and Corliss faced off again and Payea won it on the backstretch. Dubeau came nosing under Corliss but couldn’t go there. Robinson got under Parent, making it three wide before he moved up to challenge Corliss. Parent continued to fight it out over the final three laps and on the white flag lap surged back into fourth behind Dubeau while Robinson then Moltz followed him across the line. Payea had his four straight wins in hand and Corliss a well-earned runnerup spot.
Sixth went to Moltz, followed by Jimmy Hebert, Arrenegado, Vanasse, DeGasparre, Kuhn and Lineham.