Seekonk Speedway Race Magazine July 19th - 22nd | Page 5

Derek Griffith exercised patience, running just outside the top five of the PRO/SLM 200-lapper until late in the race, then sliding past Travis Benjamin, then Joey Pole and finally getting by Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald into the lead on lap 184. Pole and MacDonald had dominated the front for most of the race, but their equipment was fading as the final laps approached. Griffith, then Garrett Hall and Derek Ramstrom managed to get by while Dave Darling, Benjamin and Mike Brightman inserted themselves between The Outlaw and Pole. Griffith, Hall and Ramstrom were the top three; MacDonald grabbed fourth while Darling was the first Seekonk regular, cornering fifth place.

The race was divided into two 100-lap segments, separated by a 30-lap Sportsman feature. The two races were different in their character as well. Pole took off into the lead and kept increasing his lead over the first half and MacDonald gave chase. Reid Lanpher took over in the second hundred circuits and led the field until near the end while Pole and MacDonald fell back.

Pole and MacDonald had earned the front row through time trials and heats, and Pole

nosed ahead out of the box. MacDonald dropped in on turn two and Benjamin grabbed third. After a lap 2 restart, Pole and MacDonald were side-by-side for four laps before Pole nosed ahead and The Outlaw dropped in again. Darling moved into third. Ahead of Benjamin. Ten laps in, Pole was up by six carlengths.

Ryan Vanasse got past Bobby Pelland III into sixth and chased Griffith through lap 24 as the field stretched out into single file. Lanpher then followed suit, and Ramstrom moved in behind Pelland.

Pole was moving fast and began lapping cars on lap 15. He put two between himself and MacDonald and went out to a straightaway lead over The Outlaw. Darling continued to run third, ahead of Benjamin and Griffith. By lap 34, Pole had lapped half the field and continued to hold the straightaway lead. The field extended single file around the oval by lap fifty as Pole seemed untouchable.

Lap 61 saw the first change in many laps as Benjamin made his way past Darling into third Griffith had been following them, but was edged back to sixth by Lanpher. Garrett Hall was running seventh, just ahead of Vanasse, Ramstrom, Pelland and Kyle Casper. Brightman was running behind Casper in 12th and Tom Scully Jr. was fighting his car and running thirteenth. Scully retired the car on lap 72.

With 20 laps remaining of the initial 100, Pole continued at the front, followed by MacDonald, Hall, Darling and Lanpher. MacDonald now began edging up on the leader. But with 10 laps remaining to the break, the gap stabilized and they ran to lap 100 without changing position. The first cycle ended with a Bobby Pelland spin in turn four, where he just kept it off the outside wall. The yellow and black flags were shown from the stand. Pole had lapped all but nine cars on the field.

Following the Sportsman feature, the Pro Stocks lined up for the second hundred laps with the leading five cars in reverse order for the start: Lanpher was on pole with Darling on his shoulder. Benjamin and MacDonald were row two. Pole was low in row three with Hall outside and Griffith was low in the fourth row with Hall on the high side.

Lanpher nosed ahead on Darling, who dropped into second while MacDonald id for third and dropped in. Lanpher was quickly three cars ahead. Pole got under Benjamin into fourth. Griffith and Benjamin closed up on him and they ran nose-to-tail. Pole went underneath again into third as Griffith tightened up, two cars back.

Pole then got under Darling into second and Griffith followed. By lap 120, Lanpher continued to lead Pole, MacDonald, Griffith, Darling and Benjamin. Pole was a car back, while MacDonald was another 15 behind. Pole continued to pursue Lanpher and The Outlaw began to close on them. Behind Griffith, Benjamin was getting past Darling for position.

Lanpher bobbled on lap 134. But lapped traffic was slowing him and Pole took advantage. They came into turn three with Pole moving outside just as Lanpher went under a laped car. Pole had to grab the binders hard and Lanpher squirted ahead. The sudden reduction of speed had MacDonald getting under Pole to take second. Griffith now ran fourth behind Pole while Benjamin and Darling followed.

Lanpher ran into lapped traffic as MacDonald ran two cars back. There was another six lengths back to pole and Griffith. Hall was moving up behind Darling and Ramstrom was on his bumper.

Caution brought out a lap 169 restart and Lanpher grabbed the front again. Pole was underneath MacDonald and they wrestled over second. Pole edged ahead. Griffith worked his way alongside Benjamin, looking for fourth.

Pole did a bump and run on Lanpher to recapture the lead and MacDonald went to second. But Benjamin, running fourth, spun on the backstetch, brining out a lap 176 restart. Pole and MacDonald were the front row with Griffith and Darling behind them. Brightman and Ramstrom were in the thrid row.

Pole grabbed the lead and MacDonald could not drop in. He finally forced it down right in front of Griffith’s nose as Darling was working under Ramstrom behind them. Griffifth stayed tight on them in third. MacDonald now went under Pole and they ran wheel-to-wheel. By lap `89, Pole still held the front and MacDonald was loose in turn four. This allowed Griffith into second and Ramstrom got under Pole into third. Griffith got by MacDonald into the lead on lap 185 and Ramstrom moved the latter out of second.

Hall now took on The Outlaw and took over second on lap 193. He now went after Ramstrom for second and they debated until lap 198 when Hall grabbed the spot. This set up the final finishing order and the field closed out the final two laps.

At the end, Benjamin followed Darling across in sixth. Brightman was seventh, just ahead of Pole, Lanpher, Caper and Woody Pitkat.