"Sud'n Sam"
Sessions took advantage of a wild late race restart to power past Ben Rowe and Scott
Chubbuck and claim the victory in the Pine Tree 150 at Speedway 95 in Hermon Maine on
Saturday night. Sessions and his Typar Housewrap/AMF Custom Metal Fabrication Monte Carlo
team recorded their fourth Pro All Stars win of 2002.
Early race headliners included Northern Race Tires Rookie Challenge candidates Wayne
Helliwell and Randy Turner. Turner put his Watson Racing Heads/Yankee Communications
Chevrolet on the pole by virtue of his win over Helliwell in the pole dash. The all-rookie
front row raced away from the field at the green with Helliwell out front and Turner
second. Helliwell's night ended when he made contact with Gary Bellefleur while trying to
put him a lap down, sustaining damage to the cooling system.Prince Edward Islander Dave
Gorveatt assumed the point after Helliwell's demise and held the top spot briefly until
mechanical problems sent him into the front stretch wall.
Points leader Rowe was next to assume the "unlucky lead" with Kenny Wright, the
nights' Sunoco Race Fuel fast timer, now up to second and Gary Smith third in his Uncle
Henry's ride. Wright got the jump on the outside and put the Newmarket Sand and Gravel
Chevy out front with Rowe racing second and Andy Shaw charging up from his eleventh
starting spot to take third away from Smith. The field stabilized for a green flag run
until a spin by Bellefleur brought out the caution once again.
Rowe had the preferred outside groove for the restart and made his move on Wright, quickly
followed by contact between Ralph Nason and Shaw which left Shaw sitting in the infield.
Shaw spun his Matco Tools Monte Carlo around and continued on the lead lap but was soon in
the clutches of leader Rowe. Rowe put Shaw down a lap but Shaw and Wright came together
when Wright made his passing attempt, sending him up and over Shaw's left front and Nason
spun to avoid the melee. Wright and Nason both pitted but returned to action but Shaw was
done for the night.
Yet another restart collision spoiled fine runs for Chuck LaChance and Randy Turner as the
pair came together while running fourth and fifth respectively.
Sam Sessions and Johnny Clark were now up to challenge Rowe; Sessions had worked his way
back to second after an early race stop, while Clark lurked in the top ten all race long
and managed to avoid some of the earlier wrecks. Clark took second away from Sessions
briefly but Sud'n Sam came right back to reclaim the spot. Clarks' hopes ended with a trip
off of turn three. At lap 120 Rowe was still out front with Sessions second, Chubbuck
third and Scott Mulkern now racing fourth in the Community Pharmacies Dodge.
Chubbuck slipped by Sessions for second on the restart, just as Mulkern fell victim to
turn three himself and ended a fine run in the tire barrier. It was on this restart that
Rowe and Chubbuck got together, giving Sessions the opportunity he needed to slip past the
top two and take over the lead.
Sessions held the field at bay for the remaining twenty-eight laps with Rowe coming home
second, Chubbuck third and Gary Smith fourth. Doug Averill earned the Northern Race Tire
Rookie Challenge award with a solid fifth in the V.I.P/Dead River Monte Carlo. Wright came
back through the field for sixth with Nason, Russ Hersey, Clark and Speedway 95 regular
Andy Saunders rounding out the top ten in the Snap-On Tools Pontiac.
True Value heat race wins were claimed by Andy Shaw and Larry Gelinas. |
