SEEKONK SPEEDWAY

Senior Tour Auto Racers was out in full color on July 6^th at Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, Ma.  Mother Nature finally gave the racing community a break from the rain.  One by one STAR rolled into the pits of Seekonk with 26 of the most beautiful vintage race cars from all over New England to give the fans a taste of real vintage racing.   The night of racing would bring the STAR cars 2 heats and 2 features. 

The sportsmen were up first for their heat race.   Who would take down the first checkered that night?   It was anyone win!  Joe Keefner from Ma in his 99 Gremlin and Joe Gause from NH in the 0 Nova lead the pack for a few laps until making her way through the pack was Tammy Barboza in her #10 Pinto, followed by Robert Harless from NY in his #8 sedan.  Barboza made her move to second spot and now battled side by side, lap after lap with Keefner for the win.  Joe Gause and Robert Harless fought for 3 rd place.  When the checked came down it was a photo finish with Keefner taking Barboza by inches, leaving  Barboza to take second.  Harless made his move under Gause to pick up a third.

Then the modifieds hit the track for their heat race.  Charlie Lima from Ma in his 2X coupe and Bobby Turner from Me in his #7 Pinto ruled the pack lap after lap.  Charlie Wilcox from Ct in his #19 Pinto and Darryl Dutch from RI in his #6 coupe diced it up for third place.   The pack was tight as these modifieds ran bumper to bumper.  Lima and Turner still ruled 1^st and 2^nd place.   Then on the last lap Danny Ferland from NH in the #21 moved up to fight for third spot but when the checked came down it was on Charlie Lima to take the second victory for the tour that evening.  Bobby Turner closed in with a very close 2^nd with Darryl Dutch topping off the pack with a third. 

Tonight the modifieds hit the track first for their feature race.  Danny Ferland from NH in the #21 and Bobby Turner from Me in the #7 lead down the pack.  James Allen from Ma in the #46 and Darryl Dutch from RI in his #6 coupe drove close to the leaders.  Then the pack opened up and Dutch on the outside drove to second.  Now it was a wheel to wheel race with Turner and Dutch dicing it up close and right behind them was Danny Ferland from NH in his #21 and now coming through the pack Charlie Lima from Ma in the 2X slotting into 4^th.  But up front it was a side by side with Dutch and Turner and when the checkered came down it was another photo finish with Dutch pulling off the third win for the evening.  Turner was right there with a very close second and to top of the pack was Ferland with a third.

The sportsmen feature was up next on the tour’s schedule.  Rick MacDowell from Ma in the #76 Camero and Alan Zemla from Me in the #43 coupe lead the pack lap after lap.  But making his way on the outside was Joe Gause from NH in the #0 Nova.  Gause was coming and coming fast.  Zelma and now Gause were side by side and you could see it coming already “another” photo finish.  MacDowell in the #76 and Eastman in the 0 now battling for third spot, but not for long as Ric Marical from RI in the #110 coupe pulled into fourth spot.  When the checkered came down it was on the #43 of Zemla to take the fourth victory for the tour that evening.  Gause in the #0 Nova pulled in with a very close second and to top off the pack with a third was Eastman in the #0 Gremlin.

After the races STAR was visited by some children that we donate toys to from our STAR Toy Drive.  It was nice to see they took the time to come and see us run at Seekonk Speedway. They got a kick out of looking at the cars and sitting in them.  THEY REMEMBER US LETS REMEMBER THEM…….Bring a toy to our next meet.  Support our Toy Drive.

It was a great night of racing, hats off to the STAR members. “THIS IS WHY STAR SHINES”   This is the first time that I have seen a photo finish in all races, heats and features.  I have to say these guys and gals drove their hearts out. 

STAR would like to thank Seekonk Speedway and its complete staff for a night to remember!!!!!