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06/07/2014 |
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MASSE
DOMINATES AT SEEKONK
WITH IMPRESSIVE SHOWING |
 Steven
Masse, of Bellingham, Massachusetts passed race
leader Anthony Nocella, of Woburn, Massachusetts, on
lap 9, and went on to win the Valenti Modified
Racing Series sanctioned 100-lap feature race
Saturday night at Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk,
Massachusetts.
Masse’s win, his first of 2014, his first at the
famed Seekonk oval,
and his eighth career VMRS victory, moves him to
fifth on the all-time Series win list.
From the pole position Nocella held the lead for the
first eight laps when Masse slipped by on the 9th
circuit. From that point on, Masse was the class of
the field leading the way to the finish in his Ell
Gee Restaurant Supply sponsored Chevrolet.
Masse’s last win was in August of 2013. He got off
to a slow start in the
new year with bad breaks, a damaged race car, and
tough luck, but theSeekonk win might be just what Masse needs to turn
things around.
“This win feels real nice. We drew a good number we
started second (outside front row) and we had the
best car tonight so we are in victory lane and I
couldn’t be happier.”
At times Masse looked like he was in cruise mode.
His spotter made sure he was in tune with the pack
of cars trying to hunt him down. “They were telling
me how many cars I had behind me. I just tried to
keep it about five car lengths ahead of everybody.”
Masse becomes the fifth different winner in five
races this season.
Justin Bonsignore, of Islip, NY, for the second
consecutive race at Seekonk put the ‘Monster Marine’
#21 Chevrolet in the runner-up position after
spending laps 50 through 95 chasing Nocella.
Bonsignore slipped by when Nocella slipped up on a
lap-95 restart.
“We had a good car. It’s tough to pass here,” said
Bonsignore post race.
“We came from ninth and obviously Steve had a great
car. We probably used ours up a little bit too much
to have any shot at him on the last restart. Anthony
(Nocella) really made it tough on us. I really had
to
work. Good hard clean racing. We’ll take it,” said
Bonsignore.
Nashua New Hampshire veteran Norm Wrenn drove to a
solid third place finish in the ‘Advanced Gas
Distributors’ #53 Chevrolet.
Wrenn was beaming after his best finish of the year.
A season that has not been too good until Saturday
night.
“We have been horrible so far. We picked a good
number today in the draw and it paid off. We
qualified without going into the consi. Last week we
didn’t even qualify. I’m ecstatic.” Wrenn explained.
“I have to thank my crew. They’ve stuck with me. If
it weren’t for the crew we wouldn’t be racing. I’m
happy for them,”
Max Zachem, of Preston Connecticut, finished an
impressive fourth with Dave Schneider, of Northport,
New York, rounding out the top five.
Schneider's consolation win put him in the 19th
starting spot.
Todd Szegedy, Chris Pasteryak, Geoff Gernhard making
his first start this season, Mr. Rooter Rookie of
the Year contender Mike Willis Jr, and Florida entry
Jonny Kay, rounded out the top 10.
30 drivers entered Saturday’s race. Masse, Dana
Smith, and Wrenn won heat races. Schneider won the
15-lap consolation race.
20 of the 24 starters finished the race on the lead
lap. It took 42 minutes 8 seconds to complete the
100-laps event. Seven caution flags slowed the race.
The series heads back to Connecticut Friday night,
June 20, for the 2nd annual Town Fair Tire 80.
Seekonk Speedway, June 7,
2014
Entrants: (30)
Distance: 100-laps
Time of Race: 42:08:239
Margin of Victory: 0.612
Best Speed: 97.226
Best Lap Time: 12.325
Lead Changes: Nocella (1-8) Masse 9-100
Cautions: Laps: (7) 26,26,31,49,56,65,95
Valenti Auto Mall 100 Race
Results
1. 13 Steve Masse 2. 21 Justin Bonsignore 3. 53 Norm
Wrenn 4. 20ct Max Zachem 5. 19 David Schneider 6. 85
Todd Szegedy
7. 5ct Chris Pasteryak 8. 11 Geoff Gernhard 9. 38
*Mike Willis, Jr. 10. 46 Jonny Kay 11. 77 Matt Mead
12. 99 Richard Savary
13. 28 Dwight Jarvis 14. 66 Dylan Kopec 15. 80 Dick
Houlihan 16. 25 Rowan Pennink 17. 50 *Carl Medieros,
Jr. 18. 90 Jeff Pearl
19. 92 Anthony Nocella 20. 0 Mike Holdridge 21. 14
Dana Smith 22. 32 Tom Abele, Jr. 23. 33 *Rob
Richardi Jr.24. 45 Dan Meservey Jr |
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Source: John Spence Sr / Valenti Modified Racing Series
Posted:
June 7, 2014 |
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