BAXTER HAULS IN PURE STOCK WIN
Chad Baxter gathered in the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown win for the Pure Stocks, taking home the win and double points in the laps-added race. It was Baxter’s second feature win on the season.
Baxter climbed to the front from a fifth place start, dropped three places at the outset, then worked his way past most of the field into the lead.
At the green, Jeremy Lambert came off the pole but Melissa Charette became crossed up on the back stretch, setting up an accordion-effect which put much of the field together on the back stretch. Kerri-Lynn Manfredo went off on the hook and Max Bergstrom drove in. Andrew Kun went directly into the pits from the track upon the yellow.
Jeremy Lambert and Charrette lined up with Benoit and Lenny Sousa behind thEm. Ed Gould and Baxter were row three. Lambert was away at the front again, trailing Sousa, Gould and Charette. Lap one saw Sousa closing on Lambert with Gould, Colby Lambert Charette and Mike Henriques in pursuit. Coming out of turn four, Henriques moved right and got into Charette who flew into the wall at the beginning of the front stretch, collapsing the nose of the car. Red flag flew and emergency crews and vehicles converged. Charrette was able to walk to the ambulance for her obligatory checkup and was later interviewed live by track announcer Tiger Perry. The car’s front wheel was crushed back against the firewall.
Again the field lined up and Jeremy was away like a shot. He settled in at the lead with Sousa on his bumper.
Colby came around outside with Scott Cestodio on his bumper. Gould, Benoit and Baxter gave chase.
Caution came out for debris on the track on lap seven and Jeremy Lambert ran to the pits. The field reformed and restarted, but it took three tries to get running once more. Lambert returned from the pits in time to preserve his first lap status.
Finally they pulled away and Sousan and Colby were wheel-to-wheel . Sousa worked a nose ahead but Colby drove back alongside. Sousa got the lead to himself out of turn two on lap eight and Cestodio made his way under Colby with Baxter on his bumper. Chad took a look under Cestodio and made his way into second then looked under Sousa.
Sousa became crossed up in turn two, which allowed Baxter, Cestodio and the resurgent Kun to pass. Lap thirteen saw them settled in single file, following about a car apart. Colby, Dan Massa, Sousa and Bergstrom were in pursuit.
Baxter went out to a five-car lead as Kun and Cestodio battled for second, which Kun won and began to close on Baxgter. But caution came out as Robert Moore became stuck in the pit exit tunnel. Baxter and Kun lined up for the restart, ahead of Cestodio and Colby. Baxter pulled away and Cestodio glommed onto his bumper, trailing Kun, Lambert, Massa, Benoit and Bergstrom.
Baxter, Cestodio and Kun were running bumper-to-bumper on lap 18. Baxter began moving away on lap 21. Kun went to Cestodio’s bumper with Colby and Massa homing in on them. Kun went to the outside for the pass but Cestodio held him off.
Baxter took a half-straight lead as Cestodio and Kun diced it behind him. Cestodio nosed out but Kun drove underneath and finally succeeded to second on turn four of lap 28.
Under the white silk, Baxter took his half straight lead and bore down, taking the checkers. Kun nabbed second with Cestodio third. Colby and Massa rounded out the top five.
Sixth went to Jeremy Lambert followed by Benoit, Gould, Sousa Bergstrom, Mike Henriques and Emily Brightman.
PURE STOCKS