FAST FRIDAY RECAP
FFriday Night Recap August 24 with Kyle Souza
Friday night, we saw four drivers who had already frequented Victory Lane this season returned to the winning grounds at the Seekonk Speedway.
In the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits, Devin Deshaies rebounded from a mess one week ago and rolled to another victory. The No. 64 has been the dominant car all season long, but last week, while leading, he attempted to pass two lapped cars and the end result was him in the pit area for the remainder of the night following contact. But, on Friday night, Deshaies put all that behind him. With just three races to go, he looks to be the title favorite, but will have to fight Giovanni Ruggerio over the final few races.
The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaws also saw another familiar face hold the trophy. Connor Souza, who recently returned from a trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in the Bandolero Nationals, rolled into the winner’s circle — but it wasn’t easy. He had to fight Evan Marchand on a restart inside the final five laps, and the two drivers gave everything they had to score the front two spots. Souza credited some patience he learned down south that he says helped him win the race, while Marchand helped his points lead open up with just three weeks left.
A mere few inches decided the Sport 4 feature in a race that had fans on their feet. Cliff Avila has been doing everything to get the car faster and try to get in Victory Lane, and Friday night, he was finally able to hold that checkered flag. But not by much! Avila beat AJ Manuel to the line by just a few inches to score his first win, while Manuel was forced to settle for second. Cliff has been part of the Thrill Show racing for years and does have trophies from Sunday racing — but this is his first Friday night win.
Doug Benoit also continued his roll in the Pure Stocks, but this time, it didn’t come without a fight. He worked the outside of Mike Henriques for much of the second half of the race, but it took just one corner for him to pull away. He beat Amy Arsenault to the line, while David Desrosiers was able to snag third away from Henriques in the final few corners. With another win, Benoit is well on his way to the drivers championship, and he has already sealed the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series title.
The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars rolled to the finish with Trenton Goodrow taking a wild ride down the frontstretch. He was able to climbout under his own power, but while he did that, Derek Gluchacki was celebrating another feature win. Derek also was able to seal up the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series championship with his win, adding to a trophy case that is already full from 2018 wins. Derek will have his work cut out for him going for the drivers title, but he still has time to make up some ground and make it interesting.
Next Friday night, Seekonk Speedway is from racing. On Saturday September 1, the Labor Day Thrill Show takes center stage. We will see you in two weeks!
WITH KYLE SOUZA
WITH KYLE SOUZA