Mark McKeon
06-22-2008, 10:49 PM
5 Students are First Time Winners
at Whip City Speedway
By Mark McKeon
WESTFIELD, MA JUNE 21 Five teenagers, four of whom are too young to drive on the highway, each won the first feature of their career in their current class on Saturday night at Whip City Speedway, defeating drivers 3 and 4 times their age. Rob Spino, Peter Dance, Matt Seymour and Seth Carlson all visited victory lane for the first time as Mini Sprint winners, while Bethany Viets won her first Quad 4 Midget feature.
In the 750 Sportsman Mini Sprint feature, Rob Spino engaged in a tooth and nail battle with Matt Brown. The pair ran side by side for several laps before Spino took the lead for keeps with less than two laps to go. “It was the best run I ever had,” said Spino, a 15 year old student at Emmett O’Brien High School in Ansonia, CT. “I raced him clean and he raced me clean and I waited for a chance to make a pass and when it came, I took it.”
Peter Dance not only won the first 750cc Mini Sprint race of his life, he won his heat as well. In the 20 lap feature, Dance capitalized on his P1 starting spot, stretched out his lead to a straightaway length and led every lap in a 20 lap race that was slowed by only a single caution flag. “The car was a little loose, but I dealt with it,” said Dance, a 14 year old student at Wamogo Regional High School in Litchfield, CT.
Matt Seymour’s victory in the 600cc Mini Sprints represented his third podium of the year, and comes on the heels of last week’s runner-up finish. A former competitor in the 250 Youth Sprints, Seymour, age 17, graduated last month from Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, MA and will be attending Quinsigamond Community College in the fall.
After a seven car wreck at the start, in which 5 cars were eliminated from competition, the 270cc Mini Sprint feature was slowed by only one additional caution flag. Fifteen year old Seth Carlson took the lead on the third lap and set sail for the winners circle. “The car was great, but I was lucky because there were so few caution flags; I like long green flag runs. Be sure to put in the paper that I want to thank my Mom,” said Carlson, a student at Tantasqua Regional High School in Fiskdale, MA.
A couple weeks ago, Bethany Viets finished second to her father, Scott Viets, in a Quad 4 Midget feature. In this week’s feature, the positions were reversed as the 16 year old student at East Granby High School picked up her first win in a Midget and her father finished second. In the Quad 4 make-up feature, Tony Montesi picked up the win in a photo finish with Kelly Ferrell
Modified Lite drivers Ryan Nicewicz and Brian Peterson entered the weekend tied for the lead in the points race. When the night was over, each had won an additional feature: Nicewicz claimed the make-up race and Peterson took the honors in this week’s event by passing 5 cars on the first lap.
Mark Dupuis picked up his third victory of the season by winning the 1200cc Mini Sprint make-up feature. Marc Guerard’s win in this week’s caution free 1200cc Mini Sprint feature also brings his 2008 Whip City total to three.
Points leader Kristen Phillips picked up her second win this year in the 750 Sportsman Mini Sprints. She took the lead at the halfway point and went on to dominate the caution free event.
R.J. Tufano was a model of consistency during the evening program. He competed in 4 features, 2 in a 1200cc Mini Sprint and 2 in a Quad 4 Midget. He finished second in both Mini Sprint races and third in both Midget races.
270cc: SETH CARLSON, Kevin Tefft, Brayton Round III, Kendall Segar, Frank Russo, Bryan Russo, Dylan Menditto, Tim Bertrand, Ryan Bigelow, Shayne Prucker, Brian Hurd, Zachary Aszklar, Scott Franqueza, Kurt Conklin, Brian Boudreau, Glen Clark, Kelly McCarthy.
600cc: MATT SEYMOUR. Luke Greenwood, Sam Christie, Ricci Hirth, Greg Smith, Ryan Bigelow, Anthony Nocella, Richard Crooker, Lowbed Johnson, Jim DeCambra, Chris Lennox, Paul Bigelow, Arthur Marrero, Susan Lescynski.
750cc: PETER DANCE, Rob Walendy, Josh Woollam, Joe Platt, Kyle Spencer, Marc Guerard, Jay Haviland, Rick Stone, Mark Dupuis, John Virgilio, Dan Schaubert, Kyle Spencer, Paul Rose, Michael Parolo.
Makeup 750cc Sportsman: KRISTEN PHILLIPS, Jack Fogarty, Rob Spino, Matt Brown, Charlie Pease
750cc Sportsman: ROB SPINO, Matt Brown, Jack Fogarty, Kristen Phillips, Derek Nappi, Jim Close.
Makeup Quad 4: TONY MONTESI, Kelly Ferrell, R. J. Tufano, Glenn Cabral, Vince Jacobs, Scott Viets, David Rose, Bethany Viets, Tim Bertrand.
Quad 4: BETHANY VIETS, Scott Viets, R. J. Tufano, Tony Montesi, Kelly Ferrell, Dave Rose, Vince Jacobs, Glenn Cabral, Tim Bertrand.
Makeup Modified Lite: RYAN NICEWICZ, Joseph Anselmo, Brian Peterson, John Durst, Bob Poloski, William Carter, Rich Ashlaw, Wayne Abair, Eric Bourgeois, Brett Crowther.
Modified Lite: BRIAN PETERSON, Bob Poloski, Ryan Charland, Tony Montesi, John Durst, Rich Ashlaw, Joseph Anselmo, Brett Crowther, William Carter, Wayne Abair, Ryan Nicewicz, Bob Charland, Dan Schaubert.
Makeup 1200cc: MARK DUPUIS, R. J. Tufano, Rich Wood, Jr., Jamie Beaudry, Bob Dance, Jon Walts, Jon Moore, Josh Walts, Dirt Williamson.
1200cc: MARC GUERARD, R. J. Tufano, Matt Norrie, Janie Beaudry, Justin Phillips, Mark Dupuis, Jon Walts, Jon Moore, Rich Wood Jr. Bob Dance, Josh Walts.
250cc Youth: WAYNE IBITZ Jr., Hunter Jones, Tyler Chartrand, Alex Curley, Tyler Jackson, Matthew Bergstrom.
Novice Karts: COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, E. J. Adametz, Jake Higginson, Ryan Fujimoto.
Turquoise ,KATE LAFRENIERE, Ryan Irish, Kyle Smith, Alex Blanco, Jeffrey Champagne, Alex Adamsky, Cullen Pike, Michael Langevin, Mike Hauser, Kaitlyn Brice, Kevin Ridz.
Junior, KARA FRANQUEZA, Justin Walts, Josh Wood, Dylan Dexter, Anna Coons, Makayla Lucia, Dylan Campbell, Elliot Daly.
Lite: CHRIS TACK, Steve Rockwood, Will Coons.
Heavy: JAKE SAPOWSKY, Rit Dulac, Ron Fenner Gary Sokoloski, Justin Dube, Tim Gallant, Eric Jorgensen, Scott Kalber, Rich Dulac, Christ Tack, Shaun Fenner, Bill Tack.
2 Stroke: ERNIE WHIDDEN, Dan Card, Rich Dulac, Roger Angers Jr.
at Whip City Speedway
By Mark McKeon
WESTFIELD, MA JUNE 21 Five teenagers, four of whom are too young to drive on the highway, each won the first feature of their career in their current class on Saturday night at Whip City Speedway, defeating drivers 3 and 4 times their age. Rob Spino, Peter Dance, Matt Seymour and Seth Carlson all visited victory lane for the first time as Mini Sprint winners, while Bethany Viets won her first Quad 4 Midget feature.
In the 750 Sportsman Mini Sprint feature, Rob Spino engaged in a tooth and nail battle with Matt Brown. The pair ran side by side for several laps before Spino took the lead for keeps with less than two laps to go. “It was the best run I ever had,” said Spino, a 15 year old student at Emmett O’Brien High School in Ansonia, CT. “I raced him clean and he raced me clean and I waited for a chance to make a pass and when it came, I took it.”
Peter Dance not only won the first 750cc Mini Sprint race of his life, he won his heat as well. In the 20 lap feature, Dance capitalized on his P1 starting spot, stretched out his lead to a straightaway length and led every lap in a 20 lap race that was slowed by only a single caution flag. “The car was a little loose, but I dealt with it,” said Dance, a 14 year old student at Wamogo Regional High School in Litchfield, CT.
Matt Seymour’s victory in the 600cc Mini Sprints represented his third podium of the year, and comes on the heels of last week’s runner-up finish. A former competitor in the 250 Youth Sprints, Seymour, age 17, graduated last month from Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, MA and will be attending Quinsigamond Community College in the fall.
After a seven car wreck at the start, in which 5 cars were eliminated from competition, the 270cc Mini Sprint feature was slowed by only one additional caution flag. Fifteen year old Seth Carlson took the lead on the third lap and set sail for the winners circle. “The car was great, but I was lucky because there were so few caution flags; I like long green flag runs. Be sure to put in the paper that I want to thank my Mom,” said Carlson, a student at Tantasqua Regional High School in Fiskdale, MA.
A couple weeks ago, Bethany Viets finished second to her father, Scott Viets, in a Quad 4 Midget feature. In this week’s feature, the positions were reversed as the 16 year old student at East Granby High School picked up her first win in a Midget and her father finished second. In the Quad 4 make-up feature, Tony Montesi picked up the win in a photo finish with Kelly Ferrell
Modified Lite drivers Ryan Nicewicz and Brian Peterson entered the weekend tied for the lead in the points race. When the night was over, each had won an additional feature: Nicewicz claimed the make-up race and Peterson took the honors in this week’s event by passing 5 cars on the first lap.
Mark Dupuis picked up his third victory of the season by winning the 1200cc Mini Sprint make-up feature. Marc Guerard’s win in this week’s caution free 1200cc Mini Sprint feature also brings his 2008 Whip City total to three.
Points leader Kristen Phillips picked up her second win this year in the 750 Sportsman Mini Sprints. She took the lead at the halfway point and went on to dominate the caution free event.
R.J. Tufano was a model of consistency during the evening program. He competed in 4 features, 2 in a 1200cc Mini Sprint and 2 in a Quad 4 Midget. He finished second in both Mini Sprint races and third in both Midget races.
270cc: SETH CARLSON, Kevin Tefft, Brayton Round III, Kendall Segar, Frank Russo, Bryan Russo, Dylan Menditto, Tim Bertrand, Ryan Bigelow, Shayne Prucker, Brian Hurd, Zachary Aszklar, Scott Franqueza, Kurt Conklin, Brian Boudreau, Glen Clark, Kelly McCarthy.
600cc: MATT SEYMOUR. Luke Greenwood, Sam Christie, Ricci Hirth, Greg Smith, Ryan Bigelow, Anthony Nocella, Richard Crooker, Lowbed Johnson, Jim DeCambra, Chris Lennox, Paul Bigelow, Arthur Marrero, Susan Lescynski.
750cc: PETER DANCE, Rob Walendy, Josh Woollam, Joe Platt, Kyle Spencer, Marc Guerard, Jay Haviland, Rick Stone, Mark Dupuis, John Virgilio, Dan Schaubert, Kyle Spencer, Paul Rose, Michael Parolo.
Makeup 750cc Sportsman: KRISTEN PHILLIPS, Jack Fogarty, Rob Spino, Matt Brown, Charlie Pease
750cc Sportsman: ROB SPINO, Matt Brown, Jack Fogarty, Kristen Phillips, Derek Nappi, Jim Close.
Makeup Quad 4: TONY MONTESI, Kelly Ferrell, R. J. Tufano, Glenn Cabral, Vince Jacobs, Scott Viets, David Rose, Bethany Viets, Tim Bertrand.
Quad 4: BETHANY VIETS, Scott Viets, R. J. Tufano, Tony Montesi, Kelly Ferrell, Dave Rose, Vince Jacobs, Glenn Cabral, Tim Bertrand.
Makeup Modified Lite: RYAN NICEWICZ, Joseph Anselmo, Brian Peterson, John Durst, Bob Poloski, William Carter, Rich Ashlaw, Wayne Abair, Eric Bourgeois, Brett Crowther.
Modified Lite: BRIAN PETERSON, Bob Poloski, Ryan Charland, Tony Montesi, John Durst, Rich Ashlaw, Joseph Anselmo, Brett Crowther, William Carter, Wayne Abair, Ryan Nicewicz, Bob Charland, Dan Schaubert.
Makeup 1200cc: MARK DUPUIS, R. J. Tufano, Rich Wood, Jr., Jamie Beaudry, Bob Dance, Jon Walts, Jon Moore, Josh Walts, Dirt Williamson.
1200cc: MARC GUERARD, R. J. Tufano, Matt Norrie, Janie Beaudry, Justin Phillips, Mark Dupuis, Jon Walts, Jon Moore, Rich Wood Jr. Bob Dance, Josh Walts.
250cc Youth: WAYNE IBITZ Jr., Hunter Jones, Tyler Chartrand, Alex Curley, Tyler Jackson, Matthew Bergstrom.
Novice Karts: COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, E. J. Adametz, Jake Higginson, Ryan Fujimoto.
Turquoise ,KATE LAFRENIERE, Ryan Irish, Kyle Smith, Alex Blanco, Jeffrey Champagne, Alex Adamsky, Cullen Pike, Michael Langevin, Mike Hauser, Kaitlyn Brice, Kevin Ridz.
Junior, KARA FRANQUEZA, Justin Walts, Josh Wood, Dylan Dexter, Anna Coons, Makayla Lucia, Dylan Campbell, Elliot Daly.
Lite: CHRIS TACK, Steve Rockwood, Will Coons.
Heavy: JAKE SAPOWSKY, Rit Dulac, Ron Fenner Gary Sokoloski, Justin Dube, Tim Gallant, Eric Jorgensen, Scott Kalber, Rich Dulac, Christ Tack, Shaun Fenner, Bill Tack.
2 Stroke: ERNIE WHIDDEN, Dan Card, Rich Dulac, Roger Angers Jr.