23 ON TAP - SEEKONK SPEEDWAY

On July 31^st “The Action Track of the East” better known as Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, Ma was the next stop for the Senior Tour Auto Racers.  Star filled the pits with 23 cars on tap. Star was out for an action pack night!  For most of the Star members this is their home track and once again they were going to hit the asphalt of Seekonk.  Star started their day with warm ups and the evening show would bring the Star group 2 heats and 2 features.  It was great to see so many drivers, car owners and fans from the past and present stop by and say hello and talk with the members.  The first to go out were the sportsmen division for their 10-lap heat. What a heat this was!  The Sportsmen gave it all they had, switching spots from lap to lap, until on the last few laps Skip Stearns from NH in his #0 Chevy Nova lead the pack.  Little did he know from the back of the pack Gary Moore from NH in the #84 Ford Pinto, which is also owned by Skip Stearns, shot out to the outer groove and in 3 laps was on Stearns’ tail.  Just who was going to cross the line first?  Side by side for the last two laps it was a photo finish as Stearns took the heat by inches.  Oh this would have been a long ride home to NH for Moore if he had taken this win.  Moore finished off with a second and Rick MacDowell from Ma in his #76 Pinto topped of the heat with a third. The modifieds were in the pits ready to come out for their 10-laps heat.  Watching from the press tower I knew as soon as they came out of the tunnel it was going to quite a race.  One by one they entered the track and the headers gave that sound you no longer hear.  Something about these open wheel vintage cars they have a sound of their own.  Remember this is their home track so anything was going to happen.  Tight to the pack and inches apart these Star modified drivers drove just like the modifieds use to back in the days.  Finally Kenneth Bamford from RI in his #66 Chevy coupe broke out of the pack and took the lead but right behind him was Darryl Dutch from RI in his #6 Chevy coupe with Bob Bateman from RI in his #17 Ford Pinto along side of Dutch.  Yes just look at the top three cars, all from Rhode Island so you know it was going to be a fight to the end.  Just waiting for one of these RI drives to make a wrong move and it was the Grassie brothers from Ma, Dave and Chip side by side ready to take over with the #61 Pinto and #99 Pinto.  When the checkered flag came down it was Bamford to take the win.  Dutch finished off second and Bateman closed the heat with a third.  Later in the evening Star was on tap for two 15-lap features.  First the Sportsmen rolled out onto the track.  Maureen Dion from Ma in her #59 Ford Pinto headed for the front and held position with Dave Posikitt from Ma in his #77 Chevy coupe along side of her to lock in the pack. Dion and Posikett kept position from lap to lap. Just behind them were Richard Tervo from Ma in his #74 Ford Coupe and Gary Moore from NH in his #84 Pinto just waiting for the right move?  Then the checkered came down and it was Dion to take her first win with the Star Tour.  Congratulations go out to Maureen.  Poskitt in the #77 took second and to finish off the pack with a third was Tervo in the #74. Now it was time for the modified to come out for their 15-lap feature.  Most of these drivers were all Seekonk past drivers so what was going to happen?  When the green flag flew it was Darryl Dutch from RI in the #6 coupe to shoot out and take first position only to be followed closely by Charlie Lima from Ma in his #10 Pinto and Kenneth Bamford from RI in his #66 coupe. It was a tight race as Dutch and Lima drove 1^st and 2^nd but only inches behind was Bamford and Dave Grassie from Ma in his #61 Ford Pinto.  Lap after lap these modifieds drove bumper to bumper until Lima from the out side groove took over first place. Now it was a battle to the finish.  When the checkered came down it was Charlie Lima in the #10 to take the victory for the modifieds. Darryl Dutch in the #6 topped the field off with a second and Kenneth Bamford in the #66 finished off third. 

Star would like to thank Seekonk Speedway and their entire staff for a great night of racing!