ALEXANDER CLAIMS $10,000 SEEKONK
MODIFIED MADNESS WIN

    Defending True Value Modified Racing Series champion Kirk Alexander of West Swanzey, NH captured the $10,000 first place paycheck in Seekonk Speedway’s second annual Viveiros Insurance Modified Madness 100 on Wednesday night, July 26, before the largest crowd of the 2006 racing season.  Forty-two competitors from nine states attempted to qualify for the 26-car event at the 1/3-mile Bay State oval, which carried a purse in excess of $31,000.
    Alexander started on the pole after winning his qualifying heat and led the first 30 laps while former NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national champion Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT gradually worked his way to second from his sixth place starting spot.  Christopher pulled alongside Alexander and the pair raced wheel to wheel for several laps before the second of six cautions waved for a minor incident involving Jack Bateman on lap 34.
    Christopher rocketed into the lead on the restart and proceeded to pace the next 49 circuits with Alexander never less than a car length away.  Andy Seuss passed Louie Mechalides for third three laps before the halfway signal, with Ed Brunnhoelzl III in fifth, ahead of Bobby Grigas, Rob Summers, Les Hinckley, and local favorites Vinnie Annarummo and Dick Houlihan.
    On lap 51, Hinckley got loose in turn three, resulting in an accordion effect multi-car pileup that saw John Blewett III hitting the outside concrete nose-first.  After a Brunnhoelzl spin triggered a lap 77 restart, Alexander hounded Christopher, looking for a way back around the leader.  As the duo entered turn three on lap 83, Kirk briefly made contact with Ted’s rear bumper, resulting in Christopher spinning into the infield grass to bring out the final caution.
    While Christopher was relegated to the tail end of the field, the True Value Modified Racing Series officials chose not to penalize Alexander for the contact.  Mechalides and Seuss ran a spirited battle for second during the final sprint to the checkers, but no one would catch Alexander, who claimed the win.  “I know,” the victor acknowledged, as many of the spectators voiced their displeasure at the outcome.  “We were racing very hard out there.  I got into him.  I didn’t mean to, and I backed off and tried to let him save it, but he went around.  I don’t like to win a race that way.”
    Mechalides earned $3,500 for his stellar runner-up effort while Seuss was equally pleased with his third place finish, worth $2,500.  Chuck Hossfeld came from 26^th to finish fourth, ahead of former Seekonk competitor Bobby Grigas, Cement Palace regular Vinnie Annarummo, and John McKennedy.  Chris Pasteryak, Ryan Preece, and Rob Goodenough rounded out the top ten.  Christopher ended up 13^th.  Defending race winner Donnie Lia was involved in a heat race crash and ended up among the 16 non-qualifiers.

    In the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association feature, Stroudsburg, PA veteran Nokie Fornoro held off a hard-charging Randy Cabral to claim the $2,000 first place check by 61 one-thousandths of a second.  Mike Keeler led the first six go-arounds before Fornoro, who had climbed from fourth to second, dove to the bottom of the race track to take over first.  Cabral took second from Keeler on lap 16, and pulled to the outside of Fornoro the next time around.  The pair touched, forcing Cabral to spend several laps regaining his momentum for a final shot at the win. The victory was Fornoro’s seventh Seekonk triumph dating back to 1991.  Cabral finished second, ahead of Keeler, defending NEMA champion Ben Seitz, Pete Pernesiglio, Greg Stoehr, Jeff Horn, Bobby Santos III, Keith Botelho, and Erica Santos.

    Rounding out the Open Wheel Wednesday program, 17-year old Jeff Abold of Pennellville, NY shot to the inside of early race leader Dana Messier on the 17^th circuit and held on to win the 25-lap USAC Ford Focus Midget Series main.  Dana Messier, Nick Wean, Ryan Smith, and Ryan Osborne comprised the remainder of the top five.

    Saturday night racing action continues at the 1/3-mile Bay State oval on July 29, with the extra distance-extra excitement-extra cash Francis Farm-sponsored Mid-Season Championship events, including a 50-lap $2,000 to win Pro Stock feature.  A 30-lap $1,000 to win Late Model main, and 25-lap features for the Sport Trucks and Street Stocks are on tap, with $500 going to the Sport Truck victor and $400 to the Street Stock winner.  The ARC Pure Stocks and the annual children’s on-track trike race are also on the program.  Grandstand admission tickets are priced at $12 for adults, $4 for children 13 to 15, and free to those 12 and under.  Pit admission is $30.  Grandstand admission tickets are priced at $12 for adults, $4 for children 13 to 15, and free to those 12 and under.  Pit admission is $30.  The American-Canadian Tour rolls into town for their rescheduled Bay State 100 on Saturday, August 5.

    For more information on Seekonk’s 2006 racing season, please visit online at www.seekonkspeedway.com or contact the track office directly Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM at (508)-336-9959.

Viveiros Insurance Modified Madness 100 (100 laps)

1.     #43-Kirk Alexander, West Swanzey, NH, $10,000
2.     #40-Louie Mechalides, Tyngsboro, MA, $3,500
3.     #70-Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH, $2,500
4.     #79-Chuck Hossfeld, Ransomville, NY, $2,000
5.     #09-Bobby Grigas III, Marshfield, MA, $1,500
6.     #12-Vinnie Annarummo, Swansea, MA, $1,000
7.     #73-John McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA, $850
8.     #5-Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT, $700\
9.     #4-Ryan Preece, Kensington, CT, $650
10.  #01-Rob Goodenough, Swanzey, NH, $625
11.  #72-Jimmy Kuhn, Bridgewater, MA
12.  #34-Rusty Smith, Oxford, NY
13.  #00-Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT
14.  #9NH-Peter Jarvis, Ascutney, VT
15.  #21-Richard Savary, Canton, MA
16.  #10-Dave Berghman, Seekonk, MA
17.  #06-Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT
18.  #03-Dennis Charette, Southington, CT
19.  #8x-Eddie Brunnhoelzl III, Levittown, NY
20.  #46-Dick Houlihan, Bridgewater, MA
21.  #35-Dale Evonsion, East Hartland, CT
22.  #11-Rob Summers, Vernon, CT
23.  #31-Tommy Cravenho, Raynham, MA
24.  #3x-Eric Beers, Northampton, PA
25.  #66-John Blewett, Howell, NJ
26.  #17-Jack Bateman, Canaan, NH

Lap Leaders: #43-Alexander (1-30, 32-33, 83-100) #00-Christopher (31, 34-82)
Cautions: 6 (on laps 25, 34, 51, 62, 77, 83)


Northeastern Midget Association Feature (25 laps)

1.     #4-Nokie Fornoro, Stroudsburg, PA ($2,000)
2.     #47-Randy Cabral, Plymouth, MA
3.     #55-Mike Keeler, Danbury, CT
4.     #17-Ben Seitz, Monument Beach, MA
5.     #80-Pete Pernesiglio, Lake Grove, NY
6.     #26-Greg Stoehr, Bridgewater, MA
7.     #47A-Jeff Horn, Ashland, MA
8.     #98-Bobby Santos III, Marlboro, MA
9.     #54-Keith Botelho, South Attleboro, MA
10.   #44-Erica Santos, Marlboro, MA

USAC Ford Focus Series Feature (25 laps)

1.     #05-Jeff Abold, Pennellville, NY
2.     #4-Dana Messier, Pomfret Center, CT
3.     #78-Nick Wean, Milford, NJ
4.     #55-Ryan Smith, Kunkletown, PA
5.     #38-Ryan Osborne, Milford, NJ
6.     #8-Aaron Wall, Shrewsbury, MA
7.     #26-Shaun Gosselin, Oswego, NY
8.     #18-Jesse State, New Hyde Park, NY
9.     #22-Kyle Bonsignore, Bayshore, NY
10.   #20-Stephanie Stevens, Phillipsburg, NJ