Mulkern Racing: PASS North Series
Lonnie Sommerville WMMP Race Report
Lonnie Sommerville of Saint John, New Brunswick, finished second in the PASS North Series 150 at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H., on Sunday, August 12. The race was shortened to 123 laps by rain. After starting on the outside pole, Sommerville led a total of 40 laps in the event in the Mulkern Racing No. 48 A.E. McKay Builders/Southern Maine Motors Chevrolet and never fell out of the Top-2 in the event. It was the second straight Top-5 finish for Sommerville, who finished fifth last weekend at Seekonk Speedway.
WHO: Lonnie Sommerville, Saint John, New Brunswick
TEAM: Mulkern Racing No. 48 A.E. McKay Builders/Southern Maine Motors Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Gary Crooks, Mooresville, N.C.
WHAT: PASS North Series 150
WHERE: White Mountain Motorsports Park, N. Woodstock, N.H. (.25-mile banked oval)
STARTED: 2nd
FINISHED: 2nd
LAPS LED: 2 times for 40 laps
******
LONNIE, YOU HAD A GREAT RUN TODAY.
The car was good when the sun was out. It’s the first time we came here with the crate motor. The start of the race, the first 25, 30, 40 laps – whatever we ran there – I was 70 percent and I was driving off. I was pretty excited that we had a car that was that good and going to be dominant. It kind of reminded me of Beech Ridge last year.
Then it started clouding over, and it started getting a little tighter and a little tighter. It was still a good race car, but with a crate motor, once it gets a little snug, if you have to hold up getting back into the gas you just lose all that straightaway speed.
WERE YOU HOPING TO HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT RACE WINNER DJ SHAW LATE?
DJ got me there (on Lap 55), and I let him go so I didn’t abuse my stuff. I’m not saying I would have gotten back by him if we did finish (the full distance), but I did think big picture when he did get by – wanted to try and ride a little more and then race him at the end. The last couple restarts, I was going to try and get by him and had nothing for him.
All in all, it was a good day. The season we’ve had, we’ll take it. We’ve had a good race car the last couple of races and just haven’t quite been able to put it all together. But it just shows how good a race team we can be.
DID YOU WANT TO SEE THE RACE RESTARTED AFTER THE RED FLAG FOR RAIN?
In my opinion, in a situation like this, when you go back with 25 to go on a wet race track, and you go back to green after sitting, it’s a recipe for disaster. For me, I’ve got a seven and a half hour drive home, so I’m happy to take my second place and go on to Stafford in two weeks.