|
Seekonk, MA – Pulling away from a mid-race
restart, Joe Payne Jr. won the 20-lap Northeastern Midget
Association Challenge of Champions at Seekonk Speedway’s Open Wheel
Wednesday.
Beating back a brief challenge from Chris Perley, Payne scored a
convincing win in the Mikitarian 9. Perley (LeClerc 12) held on for
second followed by Lou Cicconi (Seymour 29).
John Astle Jr. (Sherman 23) and Vin Annarummo (Scally 4) held up
Seekonk’s honor completing the top five. The battle was waged in
NEMA Lite cars.
Mike Stefanik (Bertrand 48), Ted Christopher (Mucciacciaro 45), Russ
Wood Sr. (Wood 51) and Rick Martin (Medeiros 50) followed.
“I really wanted this bad,” said Payne who took home the Coastal 181
trophy and dedicated the victory to the late Gene Angelillo.
Payne drew the pole and then traded starting spots with Annarummo,
“a move that worked in my favor.” Coming from ninth, he was
immediately in a four-way (sometimes four wide), lead-swapping
battle that also included Cicconi, Perley and Astle.
“We were not going to push it and put on a show for the fans,” said
Perley, who won the Rich Vogler Award. “At the drop of the hat that
went out the window.”
On the outside, Payne away from Astle on the restart with Perley
moving from fourth to second. They moved through one and two
nose-to-tail, Perley looking low.
“I saw him,” Payne said of long-time rival Perley. “He was going to
have to drive his tail off to get by.” Payne “kept the car down in
the groove. I didn’t want him [Perley] under me.”
Payne, who replaced Bentley Warren in the field, could put the car
“anywhere I wanted,” the result of much work with the Mikitarian
crew a week ago (before the rain) and again before the race. “We got
the car to be really good,” he added.
NOTES: “The first half of the race really showed a trust between
drivers,” said TV personality Jackie Arute, the event’s producer.
“It was like a throwback, something you don’t see a lot of these
days.” … Bobby Seymour, the originator of the event, was especially
pleased with the finishing involving three of the most accomplished
open cockpit drivers in the East. Cicconi went out a won the regular
NEMA feature for Seymour as well…”Any race involving the name Rich
Volger, the best driver I ever saw, is one you want to win,” said
Payne who welcomed the opportunity to honor Angelillo, “the best car
owner I ever had.”…The transponder on Payne’s car was not working.
Cicconi did turn an 11.881 lap. Perley’s best was 11.902. |
