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Seekonk, MA – It was all Seth Carlson in the
25-lap Northeastern Midget Association feature at Seekonk Speedway’s
Open Wheel Wednesday. Starting on the outside pole, the rookie led
every lap en route to his first-ever NEMA checkered in the Gene
Feigel 71.
Carlson, who spent the 2011 season with the NEMA Lites, survived
four restarts in the first five laps and then had a trouble-free
ride despite the final eight laps in heavy traffic. The 19-year old
posted a feature-best 11.152 seconds lap.
The move of the race belonged to Adam Cantor who came from eight to
third on the last restart. Two laps later he took second from Joey
Payne with an inside move out of four. Cantor, however, had nothing
for Carlson. “Nobody did,” he said.
Cantor claimed second only after holding off a late challenge from
Greg Stoehr in what was clearly the battle of the race. Anthony
Nocella grabbed fourth on lap 10 and stayed there the rest of way.
Russ Stoehr moved into fifth with nine laps remaining.
Carlson, a former Whip City champion, is the sixth winner is as many
NEMA features this season. “I really like Seekonk,” said Carlson,
who won twice there in Lites competition last year. He “felt good”
after the first practice and then dominated his heat, turning laps
in the low eleven ones.
He was “tested” on the third restart when Joey Payne took the lead.
Officials, however, ruled Payne had jumped the start. “He tried to
get the best of me,” said Carlson who appeared to immediately back
out of it. “I just kept my composure.”
Carlson got away from fellow rookie James SantaMaria on the initial
restart. He got away again on the first yellow with four gone but
Payne grabbed second. He bested Payne on the final restart and was
gone.
The car, said Carlson, in his 14th year of racing, has been plagued
by “little motor problems” all season. “We just had to work out the
bugs,” he said.
NEMAs’ busy August continues with Waterford Speedbowl’s Wings and
Wheels on Saturday, Aug. 11 and the return to Oswego Speedway on
Aug. 25.
NEMA NUGGETS – Carlson, who was impressive in traffic,
praised starter Steve Grant for “staying in control.” He said he was
never close to a problem...Carlson joins a group of Lites graduates
on NEMA’s win list which includes Nocella who was very impressive in
his heat...John Zych, the point leader heading into Seekonk, was
unable to make Seekonk because of business commitments.
RESULTS: 1. Seth Carlson, 2. Adam Cantor, 3. Greg Stoehr, 4.
Anthony Nocella, 5. Russ Stoehr, 6. Jeff Horn, 7. Randy Cabral, 8.
Todd Bertrand, 9. Paul Scally, 10. Doug Cleveland, 11. Bethany
Stoehr, 12. Jim Miller, 13. James Santa Maria, 14. Anthony Marvuglio,
15. Andy Barrows, 16. Joey Payne, 17. Carl Medeiros Jr., 18. Mike
Horn. |
