PRO /SLM NATIONALS
SEEKONK SPORTSMAN FEATURE
BAXTER’S LATE PASS CAPTURES SPORTSMEN
John Hanafin ran out to a substantial lead in the Sportsmen offering at the Pro-Stock Nationals, but Chad Baxter moved up from a fourth place start into second on lap 12, then reeled Hanafin in. The latter had gone out to a half-straight advantage and though Baxter might have hoped for a caution to bring things back together, he was forced to do the laborious job of pursuit. And pursue he did. Baxter made the pass on lap 24 of the 30-lap feature, then ran unopposed to the finish line with Hanafin on his tail. Paul Lallier had battled in the top five all night and came in third, while Ryan Flood and Vinny Pangelinan rounded out the top ten.
Hanafin and Lallier came off the front row with Flood and Baxter behind them. On the green, Hanafin and Lallier went door to door with Hanafin grabbing the lead in turn two. Flood grabbed the latter’s bumper and rode in under Lallier while “Kid Chaos”, Corey Fanning, ducked under Baxter. Justin Travis followed.
Flood nosed into second in tunr four of lap two and in lap 3, Hanafin had generated an eight-car lead. Lallier was finally able to drop into the groove behind Fanning, just in front of Travis.
Baxter went to third on lap six and Lallier took his place below Fanning. Over the next three laps, the positions at the front remained the same as Pangelinan came in underneath Travis for sixth.
Lap eleven saw Hanafin a half-straight in the lead as Baxter was getting underneath Flood and into second. Lallier, Fanning, Pangelinan and Tavis followed. Baxter was beginning to pare down Hanafin’s lead and it was just five cars on lap fifteen. One lap later, it was only 4 cars. Hanafin heated it up and over the next two laps, the gap remained the same but at the end of lap 18, Baxter was again edging up on the leader.. Lap 19 saw the lead down to two cars.
Baxter moved in on Hanafin’s bumper on lap 20, then fell back a length on the following circuit. It was down to a half-car and then Baxter moved in to give a bumper check. He looked underneath, but Hanafin slammed the door. A second try put Baxter underneath for some wheel-to-wheel running. He nosed out in turn two of lap 24 and then claimed the lead coming out of turn four.
With five remaining, Baxter led Hanafin, then Lallier, Fanning, Flood, Pangelinan, Travis, Jesse Melberg and Tom “The Bomb” Adams. Lap 22 saw the leaders into lapped traffic and Baxter led the way. Flood, Fanning and Pangelinan battled the final laps with Flood and Pangelinan edging Fanning back to sixth as Baxter came home with the win, just ahead of Hanafin.
Following Fanning came Dick Benoit, Jesse Melberg, Adams, Sparky Arsenault and Justin Travis.