NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS SOUTH EXTRA
By Lou Modestino
Milford, Connecticut’s Doug Coby really had the other 23 Tour Type Modified drivers covered at Seekonk Speedway’s 7th Annual Open Wheel Wednesday 100 lap race. Taking the lead early on and holding off Matt Hirshman of Pennsylvania, Coby took the 10 grand first place money back to the Nutmeg State. The event has been a fan favorite since the inception of the race. Getting the leftovers were; Swansea’s Todd Annarummo, Mike Stefanik of Coventry, RI and Chris Pasteryak of Lisbon, CT, who placed third through fifth.
Surviving three restart challenges, Randy Cabral (Bertrand 47) won the Northeastern Midget Association’s 25-lap feature at Seekonk Speedway’s Open Wheel Wednesday. It was the first win of the season for Cabral, the fourth winner in the last four NEMA races. “It was just great getting that monkey off my back,” he said in victory lane.
Eventual runner up Jeff Abold (Seymour 29) applied the last restart challenge with six laps remaining. “It was my race to lose at that point,” said Cabral. Starting sixth, he had led since lap four when he passed Paul Scally(Scally 30) in the front shoot.
Cabral, who is “always nervous about restarts” got away from Scally (lap seven) and Jeremy Frankoski (lap 10 earlier. Greg Stoehr (Stoehr 26b) edged Frankoski (Cantor 7ny) for third with point leader Russ Stoehr (Dumo’s Desire 45) fifth.
Abold passed Frankoski shortly after the second restart and had followed Cabral for eight laps before the final yellow.”I was thinking we had something for him on a restart, that it was our best chance,” said Abold. He added “at the point we were in very similar cars.”
“He [Abold] likes to go early,” explained Cabral. “I saw him start to go so I guess I went a little early too.” A three-time Seekonk winner, Abold did make a serious inside challenge heading into one (“he showed me the nose”) before Cabral grabbed a four car length advantage and went on to win with a 0.741 advantage.
“We’re trying to keep it consistent,” said Greg Stoehr who came from 12th. “We just hung in there.” Sitting seventh at the second restart, he got third with three laps left. Greg has emerged as the top contender to brother Russ’ championship hopes.
“The way it started, I didn’t think it would go this way,” said Cabral, adding “we chased the car all day. It wasn’t really good until the heat.” He called a ride, earlier in the evening, in the Pro-4 “a calming influence.” Cabral’s 11.256 in his heat was the fastest competitive lap of the night. He also had the fastest feature lap (11.327). NEMA heads to Waterford Speedbowl this Saturday July 30 for the second annual Shane Hammond Memorial.
Results: 1. Randy Cabral, 2. Jeff Abold, 3. Greg Stoehr (Lakeville), 4. Jeremy Frankoski 5. Russ Stoehr (Bridgewater, 6. Mike Horn, 7. Keith Botelho, 8. Chris Leonard, 9. Todd Bertrand, 10. Ben Seitz, 11. Barry Kittredge, 12. Lee Bundy, 13. Anthony Nocella, 14. Paul Scally (Raynham), 15. John Zych Jr., 16. Jesse State, 17. Chris deRitis.
A strong field of 19 Pro 4 Modifieds took to the 1/3 banked track. But early on the attrition rate whittled the field down including three entries who layed down smoke from the ailing engines. Dan Meservey, Jr. of Brewster, who was one of them, managed to return to the track after some adjustments in the pit area. When the checkered flag flew on lap 25 it was Phil Lausier of Hudson, NH crossing the finish line first giving his first win ever in that series. In the process he beat the heavy favorite Norm Wren of Nashua, NH who placed in the runner-up spot. Easton’s Dave Richardi, Jr., Robin Berghman of E. Providence, RI and Plymouth’s Corey completed the top five.
The Thompson International Speedway will host a National Championship Series event for the Pro All Stars Series this Thursday, July 21. This 100-lap Championship race will be the headliner of a racing double-header that will also feature a 40-lap Tour-Type Modified race plus 5 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions.
Joining the Pro All Stars in the the second part of the double header will be some of the northeast’s best Modified drivers who will be returning for the second of three 40-lap shoot outs on the 2011 Thompson schedule. Todd Szegedy, 2003 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion, claimed the Tour-Type race back on June 2. Ted Christopher followed Szegedy across the line with Ryan Preece, Mike Stefanik and Steven Reed rounding out the top five. This second race in the series of three is expected to attract even more Tour-Type competitors in what is destined to be another great racing event.
Also part of the Thursday night schedule is made up of five of Thompson’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. The Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Thompson Modifieds, XTRA/MART Limited Sportsman and Monster Mini Stocks. Grandstands will open at 4 p.m. with racing starting fifteen minutes early at 5:45 p.m.
Ryan Newman getting stripped of his Modified win at NHMS was a big suprise. Usually NASCAR has let the wins stand and wacked the perpetrator with a big fine. This time the crew chief Kevin Manion ended up with both. Obviously Newman wasn’t part of the plot but he got gigged anyway. Sort of makes you think about Newman’s other Modified wins at NHMS are also questionable. At this point in time, we’ll never know. Manion is also the current crew chief for the NASCAR Earnhardt-Ganassi Bass Pro Racing Team.