Mulkern Racing: PASS North Series
Lonnie Sommerville Thompson Speedway Report
THOMPSON, Conn. – Lonnie Sommerville of Saint John, New Brunswick, finished sixth in the PASS North Series California Paints 75 at Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Conn., on Thursday, July 12. Sommerville started inside the Top-10 and started moving toward the front in the second half of the race, at one point getting involved in a spirited four-car battle for the lead. The Mulkern Racing No. 48 A.E. McKay Builders Chevrolet was up to fourth-place on the race’s final restart with eight laps remaining when the car in front of him missed a shift coming to the green flag, dropping Sommerville back to sixth.
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 California Paints 75
WHERE: Thompson International Speedway, Thompson, Conn. (.625-mile banked oval)
STARTED: 8th
FINISHED: 6th
PASS North Series
LAST RACE: July 7, SouthernMaineMotors.com 150, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (8th)
NEXT RACE: July 21, Dunkin’ Donuts 150, Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine (.375-mile oval)
******
LONNIE, WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FINAL RESTART OF THE RACE?
“The 77 car missed a shift and stacked us up. I don’t know if we could have gotten Cassius (Clark), but I knew I could reel him in because we’d been racing with DJ (Shaw). I figured we were probably pretty equal, and I figured at worst the finish was going to be 77-48. Cassius missed that shift – which is probably the first time in five years it’s happened to him – and it just sums up our season.
“We finally get our head above water, and we’re digging and we’re working, and we’ve finally got a good race car, and then…”
THE CAR SEEMED TO BE REALLY GOOD OVER THE LONG RUNS TONIGHT.
“It was full intentions of not doing what we did last year. We weren’t going to race anybody early. I was just going to ride for 45 or 50 laps and then go. That was our game plan, and we did that. And it was going to be very effective – until that last restart.”
DO YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU AT LEAST SALVAGED A GOOD FINISH DESPITE WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END?
“It could have been worse. I could have turned him trying to get off (the No. 77), or somebody could have turned me. Somebody got into the back of me, obviously. It very easily could have been turned sideways in front of the field. It is what it is.
“We’ll take what we can get out of it.”