08/02/2004
Hossfeld,
Ellis Lead List of Seekonk Speedway Winners
Seekonk, MA --
Buffalo, NY’s Chuck Hossfeld powered past early race
leader Eric Beers on a lap 67 restart and held off the challenges of
Busch Pole winner Donny Lia to win the NASCAR Featherlite Modified
Series Coca-Cola 150 at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday night, July 31.
Forty open wheel competitors turned out before the
season’s largest crowd at the 1/3-mile Bay State oval to vie for one
of the 30 starting positions. Lia,
of
Jericho
,
NY
, set fast time in Busch Pole qualifying with a lap of 12.055 seconds,
or 99.444 MPH, in the Mobile Management #18 Chevrolet.
The top six in time trials drew for starting spots with Beers
claiming the pole. When
the green waved, Beers shot out into the lead, with sixth place
starter Hossfeld and Jeff Malave dicing for second.
With a third of the race completed, Beers, Hossfeld
and Malave ran first through third.
Defending race winner and point leader Eddie Flemke sat several
car lengths back in fourth, followed by Tony Hirschman and three-time
Seekonk champion Dick Houlihan, who was making only his second start
of the season. The third
of six yellows waved on lap 59 when Flemke was sent around in turn
two, collecting several others including Tommy Cravenho.
When racing resumed on lap 67, Hossfeld blasted by on
the outside to take the top spot.
Houlihan, who had worked his way to fourth by the time the
caution waved, passed Malave and Beers just before the halfway point
as Lia began his charge to the front.
By lap 79, he had advanced to third.
On the 120th go-around, he went by Houlihan on the
outside.
A late race spin set up the final, single-file restart
with just five laps remaining. Lia
closed to Hossfeld’s bumper, tried the outside line, and even gave
him a tap coming off turn two the final time around, but was unable to
keep the Mystic Missile #4 Dodge from making its first trip to
Victory Lane
this season. For
Hossfeld, it was his fifth career win in the NASCAR Featherlite
Modified Series. Donny
Lia settled for second, while hometown hero Dick Houlihan posted a
career best third. Eric
Beers came home fourth, followed by Jeff Malave, Rick Fuller, John
Blewett III, Ted Christopher, Bobby Santos III, and Tony Hirschman.
After a season beset with mechanical woes, two-time
track champion Lenny Ellis, Jr. of
North Dartmouth
,
MA
put it all together Saturday night, winning the 35-lap feature for the
NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Pro Stocks.
Ellis started on the pole in the BOC Gases-Cruise Holidays of
Lakeville #41 Chevrolet and led from the drop of the green, followed
closely by his former crew member, Billy Manchester.
With ten complete,
Manchester
’s teammate, Dave Hutchins, sat third, followed by Matt Dewey, and
rookies Tom Scully, Jr. and Brian Clarke.
Tom Ellis and Dave Silvia tangled coming off turn four to bring
out the first of four cautions on lap 14.
When racing resumed, Hutchins and Dewey relegated
Manchester
to fourth. At the crossed
flag signal, Scully Jr., was fifth, followed by Charlie Rose, Tom
Scully Sr., Clarke, and Wayne Dion.
Dewey made a sparkling move to the inside of Hutchins to take
second on lap 20, but it was all for naught as a five-car pileup
involving Clarke, John Dabrowski, Ray Parent, Ron Mohan, and Tyler
Thompson sent the field back to the last completed green flag lap.
Before another circuit could be completed, Rob Murray
and David Darling locked horns coming through turn four.
Darling’s Dodge went all the way around before slamming the
concrete wall, inflicting heavy front end damage to his three-time
winning machine. Through
the final dozen laps, Ellis had his hands full trying to hold off
Hutchins on the high side and Dewey, who was glued to the bottom of
the race track looking for an opening.
Charlie Rose, Jr. crept up to join the fun in the closing laps,
but no one was able to unseat Ellis who scored his tenth career Pro
Stock win and first since 2001.
“This Carrita motor is the best I’ve ever had,”
the popular 52 year-old veteran confessed.
“”Truthfully, the Modifieds had laid down so much rubber
down that there was no outside groove tonight.
If I had to run up there, I think we would have finished a lot
further back. I knew the
#02 (of Dewey) was coming up on me at the end, but he raced me clean.
I honestly never thought I’d win again.
I’ve done more than I ever thought I could do in racing.”
Dewey crossed the line second, but had lost a lead
weight on the track during the race, and was below the minimum weight
in the post-race inspection. He
was relegated to 26th in the final order.
Charlie Rose, Jr. was credited with second, followed by
Hutchins, Dion, Dean Pettey, Vinnie Annarummo,
Manchester
, Kenny Spencer, Jimmy Rosenfield, and Rookie of the Year point leader
Tom Scully, Jr.
With the bulk of the program serving as a continuation
of the Opening Day show which was halted due to rain, point leader
Glenn Lawton found himself starting third in the 25-lap Late Model
main. The
Westport
,
MA
veteran made the most of the opportunity, wheeling his N.A.C. Security
& Stereo Systems Monte Carlo to
Victory Lane
for the second time this season.
Polesitter Alex Bernard led the first two circuits
until
Lawton
charged by on the outside. Once
out front, Glenn opened up a near straightaway lead on the field, and
was never significantly challenged.
Minor spins on lap 10 and 17 bunched up the field, but
did little to interfere with the leader’s game plan.
Defending track champ Gerry DeGasparre got into
Bernard on lap 10, but backed off, allowing the second place runner to
right his Chevy. Scott
Fournier was the next driver to battle with Bernard for second.
He took the spot briefly, but was unable to maintain it as the
race reached its final stages. A
chain-reaction crash on lap 19 ruined top ten runs for second place
point man Ryan Vanasse and Scott Dion, but was also unlucky for
DeGasparre, who had just passed Bernard and Fournier to take second
when the yellow appeared. In
the final sprint to the finish, Fournier and DeGasparre got by
Bernard, but
Lawton
was long gone, earning his second win of the season and 15th
in Late Model competition, tops among active drivers.
Fournier, DeGasparre, Bernard and three-time winning
rookie Mike Brightman rounded out the top five.
Positions six through ten went to Nick Macedonio, Robin Sloane,
Bryan Connors, Kevin Folan, who had started 20th, and Bobby
Grigas.
Lakeville
,
MA
’s Stan Sherman powered his Nissan to
Victory Lane
for the first time in 2004 in the 20-lap Sport Truck feature after
inheriting the lead with five laps to go.
Polesitter Chad Hancock led from the drop of the green with
Sherman
and four-time winner Lee Hayes running nose to tail in his wake.
Two hard crashes slowed the race twice in the first 10 laps.
Peter Gloddy spun and was tagged by Bobby Ambroceo on the third
go-around, and Nick Brightman slammed the backstretch wall nose-first
after tangling with Billy Clarke coming to the halfway marker.
On lap 16, Hayes closed to Hancock’s rear bumper
coming through turns three and four.
The trucks made contact, and the leader was sent spinning
around. Hayes was
black-flagged and Hancock was forced to resume at the rear.
This gave the lead to Sherman, who held off a hard-charging
Kevin Casper to post the win.
Casper
was second, followed by Ken Morrissette, Mike Cavallaro, Billy Prisco,
and Ray Souliere.
Eighteen-year old second generation driver Elmer Wing
III of
Lakeville
,
MA
dominated the 20-lap Street Stock feature to score his first win of
the campaign. Wing’s A1
Asphalt Camaro started on the pole and withstood five caution flags en
route to career victory number three.
Chris Rioux and Tony Oliveira battled for second in the early
going until an overheating problem knocked Oliveira from the event.
Al Clements IV took second from two-time winner Paul
Lallier on a lap 12 restart, and offered Wing his stiffest competition
of the evening. Time and
again, however, Wing was able to pull out into clean air.
Bob Bettencourt overtook Clements for second during the
green-white-checker finish, but Wing drove across the line
uncontested. Bettencourt
finished second, followed by Clements, and Lallier.
Chris Rioux was next, but he was disqualified in the post-race
technical inspection, allowing Pete Simpson to claim fifth.
In Seekonk Youth Racing Association action, Matt
Breault, 15, of
Acushnet
,
MA
won his second Journeymen division 15-lapper, while 13-year old
Michael Panciocco of
Johnston
,
RI
checkered his first 12-lap Apprentice main of the year.
Jimmy Graves, Jr., 11, of
Warwick
,
RI
copped his first SYRA Apprentice Rookie feature.
Extra distance-extra excitement racing resumes at the
1/3-mile Route 6 oval on Saturday, August 7, with the Providence
Journal-Cumberland Farms Mid-Season Championship features for the
Seekonk Youth Racing Association.
A full program of qualifying and feature events is also slated
for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Pro Stocks, Late Models, Street
Stocks, and Sport Trucks. The
final event in the extra-distance series will be the Pro Stock
feature, slated for Saturday, August 28.
Tickets for the regular Saturday night shows are
priced at just $12 for adults and $4 for children 6 to 12.
A family four-pack for two adults and two children up to age 12
is available for just $25, a savings of $7.
Children 5 and under are admitted free.
Grandstand admission tickets purchased for the June 26 or May 2
rained out programs will be honored this Saturday, or at any regularly
priced Saturday night program this season.
For more information, or to order tickets or gift
certificates, contact the office at (508)-336-9959 or visit online at www.seekonkspeedway.com.
NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series
Busch Pole Award
#18-Donny Lia, Jericho, NY, 12.055 seconds, 99.444 MPH
(
Raynham
,
MA
Tommy Cravenho holds the track qualifying record with a lap of 11.739
seconds, or 102.5 MPH, set in 2000.)
NASCAR
Featherlite Modified Series Coca-Cola 150
1.
#4-Chuck Hossfeld,
Buffalo
,
NY
2.
#18-Donny Lia,
Jericho
,
NY
3.
#46-Dick Houlihan,
Bridgewater
,
MA
4.
#19-Eric Beers,
Northampton
,
PA
5.
#17-Jeff Malave,
South Windsor
,
CT
6.
#1-Rick Fuller,
Auburn
,
MA
7.
#77-John Blewett III,
Howell
,
NJ
8.
#13-Ted Christopher,
Plainville
,
CT
9.
#00-Bobby Santos III,
Millis
,
MA
10.
#48-Tony Hirschman,
Northampton
,
PA
Pro
Stock Feature (35 laps)
1.
#41-Len Ellis, Jr., No.
Dartmouth
,
MA
2.
#91-Charlie Rose, Jr.,
Tiverton
,
RI
3.
#96-Dave Hutchins,
Somerset
,
MA
4.
#99-Wayne Dion,
Warwick
,
RI
5.
#57-Dean Pettey,
Assonet
,
MA
6.
#11-Vinnie Annarummo,
Swansea
,
MA
7.
#95-Billy
Manchester
,
Westport
,
MA
8.
#03-Kenny Spencer,
Taunton
,
MA
9.
#44-Jimmy Rosenfield, Middleboro, MA
10.
#2-Tom Scully, Jr.,
Cranston
,
RI
Late
Model Feature (25 laps)
1.
#70-Glenn
Lawton
,
Westport
,
MA
2.
#57-Scott Fournier,
Berkley
,
MA
3.
#71-Gerry DeGasparre, Jr.,
Pawtucket
,
RI
4.
#49-Alex Bernard,
Warwick
,
RI
5.
#27-Mike Brightman,
Acushnet
,
MA
6.
#92-Nick Macedonio,
Swansea
,
MA
7.
#81-Robin Sloane,
East Providence
,
RI
8.
#12-Bryan Connors,
Pawtucket
,
RI
9.
#17-Kevin Folan,
Attleboro
,
MA
10.
#9-Bob Grigas,
Marshfield
,
MA
Sport Truck Feature (20 laps)
1.
#20-Stanley
Sherman
,
Lakeville
,
MA
2.
#88-Kevin
Casper
,
Somerset
,
MA
3.
#35-Danny Perry,
Cranston
,
RI
4.
#94-Bill Prisco,
Cranston
,
RI
5.
#24-Ray Souliere,
Swansea
,
MA
6.
#1-Billy Clarke,
Seekonk
,
MA
7.
#78-Bobby Ambroceo,
Needham
,
MA
8.
#77-Lenny Guy,
New Bedford
,
MA
9.
#29-Dane Saritelli, No.
Providence
,
RI
10.
#13-Ryan Berthelette,
Assonet
,
MA
Street
Stock Feature (20 laps)
1.
#29-Elmer Wing III,
Lakeville
,
MA
2.
#21-Bob Bettencourt,
Fall River
,
MA
3.
#99-Al Clements IV, Oak Bluffs, MA
4.
#77-Paul Lallier,
Attleboro
,
MA
5.
#17-Pete Simpson,
Warwick
,
RI
6.
#16-Wayne Silvia,
Bristol
,
RI
7.
#28-Matt Hudon,
Acushnet
,
MA
8.
#6-Dick Cavallaro,
Seekonk
,
MA
9.
#33-Mike Taschereau,
West Warwick
,
RI
10.
#81-Matt Dusenberry,
Marblehead
,
MA
SYRA-Journeymen
Feature (15 laps)
1.
#00-Matt Breault,
Acushnet
,
MA
2.
#14-Justin Perry,
Somerset
,
MA
3.
#25-Louie DeChello,
North Haven
,
CT
4.
#85-Nick Ribbe,
Kingston
,
MA
5.
#83-Kyle Dimond, Middleboro, MA
6.
#21-Joe Ferrucci,
East Haven
,
CT
7.
#48-Billy Brady, Marstons Mills, MA
8.
#27-Tommy Donahue,
North Easton
,
MA
9.
#8-Dave Richardi,
North Easton
,
MA
10.
#18-Alec Kuhn,
Plymouth
,
MA
SYRA-Apprentice
Feature (12 laps)
1.
#24-Michael Panciocco,
Johnston
,
RI
2.
#3-Zach Tucan,
Taunton
,
MA
3.
#9-Chris Robinson,
West Warwick
,
RI
4.
#01-Dianna Murphy,
Coventry
,
RI
5.
#77-Emily Santor,
Norwood
,
MA
SYRA-Apprentice
Rookie Feature (6 laps)
1.
#8-Jimmy Graves, Jr.,
Warwick
,
RI
2.
#5-Christian Brown,
Chatham
,
MA
3.
#13-Brian Como, Jr.,
Charlton
,
MA
Source: Todd Baptista/Seekonk Speedway PR
Posted: August 1, 2004
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