WOW!! What a Sportsman race on Saturday night. They were running two and three wide for ALL of the positions, especially toward the front of the pack. The Sportsman division is the most exciting one we have here weekly, and they showed why this week.
It was great to see another first time winner in the Sportsman. Ryan Flood did an outstanding job holding on through the several late restarts with Vinny Pangelinan and Scott Bruneau hounding him. Scott had a couple of great runs for the lead, but just couldn’t close the deal. He came close though.
Another great battle lasted much of the race. Two drivers having their best ever runs. Ryan Souliere and Ed Flanagan swapped the fourth and fifth positions back and forth through the first 25 laps of the race. It was great to watch them show so much improvement over this season.
While Ed’s finish was disappointing, the way he was running before he got caught up in someone else’s mess was encouraging. Immediately after the race, he was still smiling. Maybe not so much Sunday morning when he pulled the car apart, but there has definitely been better runs over the past few weeks.
Mike Cavallaro hasn’t been this happy about a third place finish since his runner up position over 25 years ago in the Pro Stocks. This is a truck he built over the past couple of years as a backup, and hadn’t gotten any track time, other than the occasional practice session. When his truck was destroyed several weeks ago, he was unsure if he would be back at all this season. Not because he didn’t have another truck to race, but because his passion was waning.
His passion is coming back, and is starting to have a little fun again as well. He said this third place finish felt better to him that the win he got the previous week.
We mentioned the Pro Stock/Super Late Model Nationals were going to be last week. Well, Mother Nature struck again, and pushed the event to this Wednesday, July 19th. There has also been a change in the schedule for the night.
22 cars were on hand this past Wednesday, including several Seekonk regulars. There was a rescheduled PASS race the following night, which I believe kept some of the competitors away. Will the rescheduling of the Nationals bring some more of them in? I sure hope so.
The Pro4 Modifieds ran into a scheduling conflict, and had to pull out of the event, forcing management to find a replacement. What’s better than the most exciting division at the track? It’s a perfect fit. 30 laps, with $1,000 to win. This is a non-points race for them, so it’s all about the fun and the money. This should be a great was to showcase.
Had another first time winner in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends as well. Derek Gluchacki has been close a couple of times this season, but was finally able to close the deal and celebrate in Everett’s Auto Parts Victory Lane.
It was also a great way to welcome his new sponsor, Bristol Toyota.
It took Doug Benoit 7 years to win his first feature event. He stated that when he finally won a race, he was going to retire. Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, he returned and worked his way through the pack and picked up his second win, one week after his first. They always say the second one comes easier than the first. In this case, it certainly did.
Over the years, we’ve talked safety for the drivers, and we witnessed it again this past week on how having the proper safety equipment can keep a driver from injury. In the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends feature, Brandon Martinez took a wild ride down the back stretch. He was hooked off the second turn and barrel rolled several times. He was seen running around the pit area after the races. I guess it’s true, Batman can’t fly.
Years ago, Bruce Manual was a car owner in the old Formula Four division, winning championships with Kevin Casper and Billy Prisco. Well, he’s back at it again, this time his driver is his son Alex Manuel. This past Friday, he picked up his first career win as a driver. It sounds like Bruce hasn’t lost his touch.
The Bandalero’s put on another good show. Tyler Tomassi picked up his first win, beating two time winner Mason Tessier. Tyler jumped out front early and led green to checker. Mason said this run, from the back, was just as much fun as winning.
The American Canadian Tour returned, and showed how well they run as a pack, and how dominant they can be, even when racing against the best at the local track. LM point leader Ryan Lineham led the first couple dozen laps, but faded over the long run. Scott Payae picked up his fourth consecutive win on the season, while our top finisher was Vinny Arrenegado. It was a good run for him, as he was involved in an early spin, and had to come from the back of the field.
The Mr. Rooter New England Truck Series visits the Bay State oval for their first ever visit. The Sport Trucks have the night off. This should be an entertaining race, as they have been on all sorts of tracks over the season. Big tracks like Thompson, short tracks like Waterford, and even on Dirt, up in Vermont at Devil’s Bowl. This will be another new track for them.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Pro Stocks and the Sportsman this week. Let’s see how they fare both Wednesday and Saturday.
with Race Voice