Devin Deshaies’ command over the Bandolero Bandits division returned to provide him with his seventh win after a wreck sidelined him halfway though his previous outing. This time he started towards the rear and it took a few laps to climb back into the lead he so often enjoys. Devin had to work his way through several tough competitors enroute to the front. He was followed by last week’s winner, Giovanni Ruggerio, who pursued him all the way to the checkers. Nathan Smith, Riley Caron and Nikolas Frechette rounded out the top five.
Frechette grabbed the lead off the pole and Caron latched onto his bumper, following under Brayden Meservey into second. Behind them, Ruggerio and Nathan Smith were side-by-side but Deshaies dived between them to make a brief three-wide. Deshaies vaulted ahead into fifth on Meservey’s tail, leaving Ruggerio in sixth and Smith in pursuit. But a spin by Collin Vanasse called it all back.
Frechette and Caron came out of the starting box door-to-door and Caron acclerated into the laed in turn one. Isaiah Newcomb pushed up on Frechette’s outside while Deshaies got under Meservey as Newcomb suddenly went very wide in turn four. Caron pulled out to a ten-car lead as Frechette slid in under Newcomnb and Meservey went up to Frechette’s bumper. Suddenly, Newcomb lost a wheel in turn four, bringing out the caution. Newcomb’s wheel bounded around the outside wall, all the way to the backstretch, where it was chased down by a track crew member, who was taken down as he attempted to snare the bounding doughnut. He did succeed at stopping it where they stood.
Now Caron was low on the front row with Frechette. Meservey and Deshaies were backing them up with Smith and Ruggerio in row three. Caron nosede ahead, then took the front in turn one. Meservey ducked under Frechette and Deshaies took a look under Meservey. Brayden went into a spin in front of the field and everybody skillfully dodged away avoiding what could have been a major wreck.
It was the same lap as the previous restart and lined up the same, except for Meservy at the rear and they resumed. Caron was away again, right out of the starting box, but Deshaies was under Frechette into second in turn one. He began to close on Caron on the back stretch, as Ruggerio, Smith and Frechette gave pursuit. By lap five, Deshaies was riding Caron’s bumper. They closed in on lapped vehicles and both chose to go to the outside of them and Deshaies dropped back while passing them, but went right back to Caron’s bumper. Eight laps in, however, Brent Robidoux spun in turn three.
Now Caron and Deshaies shared the front row with Ruggerio and Smith at their backs. Caron pulled a nose out of the box, but Deshaies came back and they went door-to-door across the stripe. They whipsawed the lead for a lap-and-a-half until Deshaies got a nose ahead in turn three. Caron got loose and slewed uptrack, freeing Deshaies to grab the front. Ruggerio and Smith followed through to second and third. Caron held on for fourth, ahead of Frechette.
With four circuits remaining, Ruggerio took a look under the leader but Deshaies heated upo and worked out a two-car lead. Smith was two cars back of Ruggerio and Caron was another length behind that.
The finishing order of the entire field had now been established, and the Banditos executed the final three laps in parade fashion.
Sixth on the event went to Joey LeMay, followed by Vanasse, Robidoux, Meservey and Colin
Floyd.