2021 PASS RACE

SAT., OCTOBER 23rd, 2021

seekonkspeedway.com











*Photos by Norm Marx*


		*Photos by Sharon Perry*


		*Photos by Michael Rothwell*

SUPER LATE MODELS at SEEKONK
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS - 10-23-21

1) 54 - Johnny Clark - 100 Laps
2) 8 - Angelo Bellsito - 100
3) 60 - DJ Shaw - 100
4) 46 - Dylan Estrella - 100
5) 72 - Ryan Kuhn - 100
6) 29 - Trevor Sanborn - 100
7) 88 - Brandon Barker - 100
8) 52d - Dave Darling - 100
9) 97 - Joey Polewarczyk Jr. - 100
10) 1 - Kyle DeSouza - 100
11) 27nh - Wayne Helliwell Jr. - 100
12) 73 - Joey Doiron - 100
13) 20 - Rowland Robinson Jr. - 100
14) 14 - Scott McDaniel - 100

15) 52 - Jake Matheson - 100
16) 81 - Dan Winter - 100
17) 11ri - Ryan Vanesse - 100
18) 12g - Derek Griffith - 100
19) 10 - Kate Re - 99
20) 27 - Mike Brightman - 99
21) 7g - Curtis Gerry - 99
22) 02 - Brian Whalley - 99
23) 4 - Ben Rowe - 99
24) 14me - Anthony Constantino - 98
25) 36 - Ryan Robbins - 43
26) 0 - Kenny Spencer - 31
27) 2s - Tom Scully Jr. - 10

SLM ENTRY LIST - SEEK - 10/23

A Decade Later: Johnny Clark
Still Crushing the Competition

Seekonk, MA - The Pro All Stars Series held their last race of the 2021 season at the last remaining race track in the state of Massachusetts. Three of the last four years PASS has closed out the season in the Commonwealth to crown its series champion and cap off its 8-month long season. This year the tour made two prior trips to Seekonk and Johnny Clark #54 picked up his first win at Seekonk in 10 years this July. DJ Shaw #60 scored the victory in September. Those two were among the favorites going in. However, with 34 of the best Super Late Models in New England in the pits, it would be anyone's race.

The day started with three heat races won by Johnny Clark, 4-time Seekonk Track Champion Dylan Estrella #46 and Derek Griffith #12g. With the heat win Johnny Clark officially clinched the 2021 PASS North Championship while Derek Griffith clinched the 2021 PASS National Championship.

There was still a PASS New England South Championship up for grabs although DJ Shaw had a 30-point lead over Clark after the heats concluded. Meaning Clark would have to win and Shaw would have to finish outside of the top 16 for Clark to overcome the gap.

Former Legend car champion at Seekonk Jake Matheson #52 and Hot Rod Kate Re #10 of Harrison, Maine picked up the two consolation race victories earning spots in the 27-car feature event.

Dylan Estrella #46 and Wayne Helliwell #27nh lead the field to green for The Haunted Hundred main event. Estrella, a Seekonk regular, took off with the lead and that would be the story for much of the early going. Two early cautions slowed the event one for Ryan Robins #36 on lap 4 and one for Tom Scully Jr. #2s on lap number 10.

The Rocket Ryan Vanesse #11 had at that point worked his way past Helliwell for the second spot and restarted outside Estrella. On the lap 11 restart Vanesse put on an impressive charge to the outside and took the lead on lap 12. That proved to be short lived as Estrella battled back on the inside and retook the lead a lap later.

While Estrella led the way and opened up a sizeable gap on the field, the cream was slowly starting to rise to the top. By lap 25 Johnny Clark had already improved from his 11th place starting position to the top 5, while DJ Shaw and Hudson, New Hampshire's heroes Griffith and Joey Polewazczyk Jr. #97 were making their way forward as well.

The Seekonk Regulars of Estrella and Ryan Kuhn #72 led the way at Lap 50 while 2019 Haunted Hundred winner Anthony Bellsito #8 started turning up the wick in the third spot on the hunt for second. Clark joined the battle just in time for Bellsito to open the hole underneath the Everett Auto Parts Machine of Kuhn and Belsito and Clark took the second and third spot while Kuhn fell to fourth.

Belsito would continue his march taking the lead away from Estrella on lap 70. Clark made his way underneath Estrella with 25 laps to go moving himself to the the second spot just before the fifth-place car of Derek Griffith took a spin on the backstretch with 24 to go. On the restart Bellsito took the early advantage. Soon the top five got into single file formation with DJ Shaw running them down in the sixth spot.

DJ made quick work of Trevor Sanborn #29 and Kuhn, then setting his sights on Estrella with 20 laps to go. DJ finally caught Estrella and made the PASS with 5 to go setting himself up for a late race restart. Unfortunately, for Shaw that wouldn't come.

Clark was the fastest car on the track in the closing laps and coming out of four with two to go Clark made a daring move inside of Belsito. No contact was made, but Belsito got sideways going into turn one. Clark made quick work of him and sailed off with the win to go with the highly coveted PASS North Championship.

An exuberant Johnny Clark had a lot of insight into the last few laps in Everett Auto Parts Victory Lane. "I didn't think I had anything for the 8 on that restart. He was doing everything just right at Seekonk to use the track. (This place) brings it out in you. If you are on the outside you've got to pinch them down. If you're on the inside you've got to get single file. That's the only fast way around here. I was watching what he was willing to do the whole race. If I get the opportunity, I'm going to do whatever it takes. (I was) fortunate that he messed up getting in, and I drove it in real deep coming to the white flag and it stuck. I got side by side with him and didn't really have to use him up. It's been 10 years since I won a championship and it took me 10 years to get back to Victory Lane at Seekonk. Really awesome that we were able to pull this off."

Clark's ten years between Championships is the biggest gap in the history of the PASS tour. While those years had not been completely unsuccessful (last year, he pulled off the biggest win in his career at the 2020 Oxford 250), prior to last season he had only amassed three wins in the previous six seasons. People may have started to wonder if Johnny had lost a step, but after the past two years Clark has proved that his hall of fame career is far from over.

The #8 car of Belsito finished second, satisfied with a strong run to end his otherwise lackluster season with that particular car. DJ Shaw ended up in the third spot and secured the first PASS New England South Championship by 26 points over Clark. Fourth went to Dylan Estrella, Fifth was Ryan Kuhn. Derek Griffith in the 12g finished in the 18th position as the last car on the lead lap after his late race spin. His prior efforts were still good enough to earn himself his second PASS National Championship, adding to his NASCAR worthy resume.

That concludes the 2021 Pro All Stars Series Season with first time winners, the birth of new stars, and familiar faces continuing their reign of dominance into the next decade. The offseason is here but luckily PASS will be back before you know it.

Keep an eye out for the full 2022 Pro All Stars Series schedule to be released in the coming weeks. We hope to see you all at the 17th Annual Easter Bunny at Hickory Motor Speedway in the spring to kick off the 2022 Season!