DESHAIES CONTINUES TO DOMINATE BANDITS
Once again, Devin Deshaies had the pulse of the Bandolero Bandits as he swept into the lead on the sixth circuit, stealing the spot from Riley Caron, who had taken it away from Nathan Smith on the first lap. Deshaies was then in control for the final 13 of the 20 laps while Riley, Isaiah Newcomb and Giovanni Ruggerio duked it out for the runner-up spot. Caron managed to hold off Ruggerio, who finished third, while retired with five laps remaining. Smith claimed fourth and Nikolas Frechette rounded out the top five.
Smith had the pole, under Caron, while Deshaies was outside Ryan Arieta in row two. Ruggerio and Isaiah held down row three. As the green fell, Smith poked his nose ahead and Caron dropped in behind. Deshaies got outside Caron but going into the second lap, with Smith leading, Caron got loose in turn three and wobbled, slowing. The accordion was immediately in effect and there was a bit of contact at mid-pack with Madelyn Hovey ending up facing the wrong way coming out of turn four with a crumpled nose. She was off on the hook after just one lap.
It was the same start except that Deshaies was now low in the second row and Arieta had moved to his high side. Caron scooted ahead of Smith while Arieta fell back on the outside. The front morphed into a three-wide with Deshaies sneaking in under Isiah and Ruggerio. Devin shot forward onto Caron’s tail while Smith and Ruggerio yielded third to Smith.
Deshaies was working over Caron’s back bumper then got alongside, taking the lead coming down the frontstretch and then going out to a five-car lead. Collin Vanasse, running eighth, spun in turn four. Deshaies and Caron were the front row for the restart and Caron leapt to the lead, Deshaies dropped in onto his bumper in turn two and Caron put a carlength between them. Isiah Newcomb followed, ahead of Smith and Ruggerio who were wheel-to-wheel over fourth place. Deshaies closed to within a half-car of Caron, then went to the outside as Newcomb moved onto the leader’s bumper.
Caron got his nose into the grass in turn three, which sent Deshaies into the lead and a ten-car lead over Newcomb who dodged into second. Deshaies was lapping Vanasse on the next circuit and once more around, he was 15 lengths up on the field. With eight laps remaining, Devin led by the length of the straightaway, with Newcomb, Ruggerio, Caron, Smith, Arieta and Nikolas Frechette in tow.
The field went single file and stretched out until five laps remained. It was then that Isiah spun off turn four to the infield, bringing caution. Deshaies and Ruggerio took up the front row. Caron and Smith sat behind them with Newcomb and Frechette in row three. On the restart, Newcomb threw his left front wheel while pulling ahead of Ruggerio, who then found himself under Frechette. In the scramble as Newcomb ground to a halt, the field was able to remain out of trouble. Newcomb had just pulled down his first career win on the previous feature race.
Second try at the restart with five laps remaining saw Deshaies grab the lead passing through turn two. Caron dropped from outside pole into second and Ruggerio snugged up on his bumper while Smith and Frechette went door-to-door.
Deshaies remained ahead of Caron, who was pursued by Ruggerio, Smith, Frechette and Arieta. The group went single file, then stretched out as they wound closer to the checkers. They went into the white flag lap in the same order, then paraded at high speed to the finish line with Deshaies claiming his fourth win in six tries this season.
Arieta ran home in sixth place, followed by Vanasse, Brent Robidoux and Joel Newcomb.