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Benson to race ISMA at Seekonk

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Seekonk,MA.- Kraze Korlacki Speed Equipment, Inc. and Seekonk Speedway, jointly announce an early entry for” Racing Against Breast Cancer” on October 2nd, at the famous  1/3 mile Bay State oval. 2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, Johnny Benson Jr, will join the cars and stars of ISMA in a 100 lap Super Modified Race.

Johnny will be piloting the # 74 Brad Lichty of Ayr Ontario, Canada owned, Patco Transportation, sponsored Super Modified.

“I have never seen Seekonk Speedway, but I am aware of its rich racing history. Many of the ISMA teams tell me it is one of their favorite tracks. I am exited about competing at the famed “Cement Palace”, which should be a lot of fun while supporting a great cause in the fight against Breast Cancer”, said Benson from his race shop in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Labor Day weekend brings ISMA to the Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York to compete in the 17th Budlight ISMA Super National 50, as part of the 2010 International Classic Weekend. This event is the 3rd of three pre-qualifier races for the “Racing Against Breast Cancer” Race, with the winner receiving a guaranteed starting position. Chris Perley #11, and Joey Scanlon #88, are guaranteed starters as a result of the races at Lee USA Speedway, and the Waterford Speedbowl.
For additional information contact http://www.krazespeedequipment.com, www.seekonkspeedway.com or www.ISMAsupers.com

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Classic rolls on at Lee Sept. 11

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Jim Feeney Photo
By Russ Conway, with contributions by Carol D Haynes, ISMA PR

Lee, N.H. – New England’s longest running traditional oval-track racing event, the “Classic” for Supermodifieds, is now officially sanctioned and scheduled for the green flag on Saturday night, Sept. 11th, here at Lee USA Speedway.

The 45th annual “Classic” already has drawn a long entry list as the  grand-daddy event of New England motorsports returns to Lee for the first time since 1967, sanctioned by International Supermodified Association (ISMA).

This year’s championship program has a new site and a special new format making up the 100-lap “Classic” with two 50-lap segments  events.  At the end of the first 50 laps, the race will stop. A tire change and fueling will be allowed while the small block supers run their 40-lapper. During this time, the top 8 drivers in position from the first 50 will redraw from marked Pepsi cans to e for the second 50.  The first driver to finish the 100 lap total will be the ISMA Classic winner.

Then to add to the excitement, there will be an overall point champion. Points will be awarded in each 50-lap portion. The overall best finisher in the twin races for the 100-lap distance will win the 2010 “Classic” overall point championship which features bonus prize money for the first three point getters. In case of a tie in points, the tie-breaker will be determined by the best finish in 12-lap qualifying heats, giving each heat race extra incentive for drivers.

Fans will be treated to green-flag racing only, meaning caution-flag laps will not count in this special all-out “Classic” championship clash.

Six-time ISMA Champion Chris Perley, of Rowley, MA, is among the
top entries. Perley is a four-time Classic champion (1996, 2005, 2008, 2009) and is attempting to become only the third driver ever to win three consecutive Classics. Legendary Ollie Silva won three straight between 1969 and 1971 and Russ Wood scored a Classic hat trick (2002-2004).

Wood, of Pelham, N.H., is a five-time Classic champion and will be driving the sleek Brian Allegresso-prepared winged No. 29 equipped with a 900-horsepower motor.  

Bobby Santos III, the current 2010 NASCAR Modified Division National Championship point leader, will be making a rare supermodified start in this “Classic” race. Santos is a late entry driving Clyde Booth’s low-slung special design No. 61 from Mooresville, N.C.

Santos is no stranger to the Lee Oval, having the 2006 Ollie Silva Memorial Championship. In 2007, Santos finished second after starting 22nd in the Silva 75-lap Supermodified event at Lee.

The winner of numerous United States Auto Club (USAC) events from California to the Mid-west and Northeast, Santos is looking to add the “Classic” championship to his list of career achievements.  Justin Belfiore, the 2007 “Classic” champ from Ipswich, MA, has a beautiful winged supermod ready to roll which he has driven to top  finishes in California, Nevada and Vermont.

Canada also is represented with some top cars headed to the Classic from north of the border.

Mark Sammut, of London, Ontario, won this July’s 100-Lap “Hy-Miler  Championship” at Sandusky, Ohio. Sammut is no stranger to  the Lee 3/8-mile banked oval. Sammut won the 2009 Ollie Silva Memorial  75-lap supermod event with a spectacular late race charge.

Mike Lichty, of Innerkip, Ontario, finished fourth after leading some of the 2009 Classic and will return for another try. Craig Rayvals, of Brockville, Ontario, took a nasty flip at Lee in 2009, but will return for a bid at the 2010 Classic title.  Ray Graham, of Ankeny, Iowa, won this year’s “Mr. Supermodified” Championship at Oswego, N.Y., and is entered for the Classic at Lee.

So is the four-time Northeast Midget Racing Association Champion Ben Seitz, driving a new highly sophisticated winged supermodified.

Also scheduled on the Classic night program is a special 40-lap small block supermod feature event plus a full card of stock car racing.

The pit area on Classic Saturday will open at noon with the grandstand  box office opening at 4:00, for practice warm-up sessions. Stock car heats start at 6:00.  Supermodified Classic qualifying heats begin  at 6:30, the 100-lap “Classic” starts at 7:30, with the first 50-lap main event.

Back in 1966, the old Lee Raceway tri-oval hosted the first Classic  which was the only other time the championship was decided by points earned in race segments. Racing Hall-of-Famers, Eddie West, Don MacLaren and Bob Cloutier shared the inaugural Classic title. Bud Crotty won the 1967 Classic at Lee before the race venue shifted  to Star Speedway, in Epping, N.H.

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Perley goes to victory lane at Lee USA

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Wood/Perley at Lee
Lee, NH – Four-time ISMA champion Chris Perley had decided to take some time off this year due to a growing business and family. But, at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night in front of a packed house, he showed he hadn’t lost his edge at all.

Starting tenth on the field he stealthfully moved through the pack to third on lap 25 of the Ollie Silva Memorial 75. He tracked down second place finisher Dave Shullick Jr. and then headed for second-year ISMA driver Jeff Locke who held the lead after a lap 6 pass of Dan Lane.

On lap 32 Chris put the Vic Miller11 by Locke and was not challenged after that. It was his third win at the three-eighth mile oval, since 2004. And his 61st overall in ISMA competition.

Perley described his race. “The car was great. The crew made a bunch of changes like changing the shocks after the heat. I didn’t know if it was the right move. But Vic knows a lot more than I do and that’s why I like to race for him. It really worked out good. I thought I was too loose – even during the race. But it stayed that way. I made sure I didn’t spin the tires. Toward the end the car came right out from under me - that’s what the tires do at Lee so I went ‘ah I blew it. I have ten laps left and I’m not going to make it!’  That’s when I moved up on that caution immediately after that. I scuffed my tires up top and it was good so I said OK let’s stay up there. I kind of hung around up there for the rest of the race. I just prayed that I didn’t screw up, and that we didn’t have any more cautions.

“The crew does a good job. We have good motors. The fans came out. It was a good night – not too hot. The weather was perfect. Unfortunately for Mike he had got in the heat tangle and that kind of bit. I don’t think we’ll have that car done for tomorrow.”

Perley, who had not raced since the July 6th Stafford race commented, “I don’t think I lost a lot the past couple of weeks not racing. I missed not going to Sandusky. It’s tough but I’m staying busy at work and at home. It’s nice to be back though.”

Russ Wood, whose three career ISMA Lee wins goes back to 1988, was able to pick off Dave Shullick Jr. late in the race for second.  He said afterward, “Not a bad night for the Holbrook team – a second and a fifth. We saved our tires the first 30 laps because last year we wore them out and it killed us. It’s just Chris was really hooked up and he took off and Shullick took off and we had to start picking the pace up. Halfway through it started getting really slick. Luckily at the end there Locke kind of slipped up, as did the 61. I was able to get them for second. It’s a decent finish. We’ll move on to tomorrow.

Dave Shullick Jr., who had won the Silva Memorial in 2008, came in a tight third.

“It was a good race. It seemed like we had a good car early. We came from out sixth starting position and got to second pretty quickly. The car was a little tight early which was what we wanted. Then it started going to a push-loose situation and I started to lose the back end. The push finally did go away and then it was wicked loose. I was just hanging on at the end. It was a good run. Chris had a good car at the end. He and everybody else looked a little loose toward the end.”

The Ollie Silva Memorial 75 got off to a shaky start with a yellow flying before a lap was in when a jingle sent cars flying around and Dave Duggan out of the race. Also removed from the fray was Eric Lewis and Jon Gambuti.

Danny Lane took up the lead when the race restarted trailed by Ben Seitz and Jeff Locke. Locke charged up to Lane and took the point away by lap 7.

The 37 of Locke looked strong out front and by lap 19 he was putting a lap car between him and the 61 of Shullick. But moving in on the front duo was Chris Perley who characteristically making smooth progress through the pack.

On lap 25, Locke had just gotten by a lap car Jamie Timmons when Timmons spun bringing out the yellow. Timmons restarted only to have another altercation on the next attempt at the lap. This time the 27 brushed with the 88 of Scanlon, and Timmons exited the race.

Back underway, Locke had three powerhouses, Shullick Jr., Perley, and Wood right on his tail. The Raymond, NH driver was able to hold back the tide, but Shullick wasn’t able to hold back Perley who moved into second on lap 30. Locke was the next victim of the 11 two laps later.

The Rowley Rocket lived up to the name as he shot out front, in and out of traffic and on his way to what looked to be a certain victory. At the lap 50 mark he had two lap cars sandwiched between the 11 and the 37 of Locke. Shoe II and Russ Wood were still trying to get by the 37 as the laps wore on.

Things slowed on lap 53 when Rich Reid spun and collected the recent Delaware winner Robbie Summers. Both restarted at the rear.

Perley was off again on the restart only to have things slow his progress on lap 56 when Justin Belfiore spun in 3 and 4. Belfiore was done, as was Ben Seitz.

That was the last stop for Perley and he easily went across the line well ahead of Dave Shullick Jr., Wood, Locke and Summers, who had worked his way back up to fifth.

Locke was in awe of finishing fourth behind such an illustrious trio. It was a good run, coming in fourth was a dream come true for me coming in back behind Chris Perley, Russ Wood, and Dave Shullick. Just to be behind them is unbelievable. One of these days we might be able to pass them and stay in front of them but all in all I have to thank Rich Witkum, my dad and mom for letting me do this and my wife and kids who are home because my little boy is sick. I wish they were here. All in all we’ll take it. The car was really good at the beginning. It just got looser and looser. Somebody laid some oil down and it just exaggerated the problem. Some people who have a lot more experience than me handled it better than me. We learned a lot today and I’m looking forward to Waterford.”

Summers was a little disappointed with fifth, having thought his car was capable of more until the mishap. “I had a plan and just tried to stick with it. I tried to pace myself for the first 50 laps and not push it. That’s what I did. Unfortunate on lap 52 the 92 just lost it and kind of got me into the wall and made a mess of the car. We have some damage but we’ll try and get it fixed for tomorrow. We had an awesome car again today. I really can’t thank the guys enough. I think we really had a shot at winning the thing but we’ll never know.”

Bob Bond, Dan Lane, Lou Cicconi, Mike Lichty and Joey Scanlon finished up the top ten.

Notes: Mike Ordway Sr. was involved in a damaging accident in heat two which put the Vic Miller 1 out of the action… Lee USA management announced the addition of a Sept. 11 ISMA date to replace the All-Star Classic for this season. The event will have Twin 50s for the big blocks with two separate payouts. An overall Classic winner will be determined by points garnered from the two 50 lappers. A tiebreak of best heat race finish is in place in case of a tie in the points… The 350 supers and three other divisions will join the event.

SUMMARY

Heat 1: Dave Duggan, Lou Cicconi, Dave Shullick Jr., Justin Belfiore, Joey Scanlon, Jamie Timmons, Bobby Haynes Jr

Heat 2: Jeff Locke, Rob Summers, Dan Lane, Jon Gambuti, Rich Reid, Vern Romanoski, Mike Ordway Sr

Heat 3: Russ Wood, Ben Seitz, Chris Perley, Bob Bond, Mike Lichty, Eric Lewis, Mike Murphy

Ollie Silva Memorial 75: 1. Chris Perley (11), 2. Russ Wood (29), 3. Dave Shullick Jr. (61), 4. Jeff Locke (37), 5, Robbie Summers (35), 6. Bob Bond (25), 7, Dan Lane (97), 8. Lou Cicconi Jr. (10), 9. Mike Lichty (84), 10. Joey Scanlon (88), 11. Bobby Haynes Jr. (44), 12. Justin Belfiore (98), 13. Ben Seitz (17), 14. Rich Reid (55), 15. Vern Romanoski (5), 16. Jamie Timmons (27), 17. Dave Duggan (51), 18. Jon Gambuti (14), 19. Eric Lewis (28), 20. Mike Murphy (01)