Mulkern Racing: PASS North Series
Lonnie Sommerville Seekonk Speedway Report
SEEKONK, Mass. – Lonnie Sommerville of Saint John, New Brunswick, finished fifth in the PASS North Series 150 at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, August 4. Sommerville ran as high as second before a late-race caution flag jumbled the field. The Mulkern Racing No. 48 A.E. McKay Builders/Southern Maine Motors Chevrolet posted its third Top-5 finish of the season with the effort. Sommerville has now finished in the Top-5 in each of his two career starts at Seekonk Speedway.
WHO: Lonnie Sommerville, Saint John, New Brunswick
TEAM: Mulkern Racing No. 48 A.E. McKay Builders/Southern Maine Motors Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Gary Crooks, Mooresville, N.C.
WHAT: PASS North Series 150
WHERE: Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, Mass. (.333-mile oval)
STARTED: 18th
FINISHED: 5th
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LONNIE, HOW NICE WAS IT TO GET A TOP-5 FINISH?
For us, it’s just one of those years. It was nice to drive by guys and battle for lead. I don’t really feel like our cars have been bad. We just haven’t had the results. Wrong lines, flat tires, that kind of stuff. That’s racing.
The first part of the year, we led laps in every race. The first four or five races, we led laps and didn’t close the deal. After that, I just decided I wasn’t going to worry about leading the most laps or any of that stuff. There’s no bragging rights for leading laps. At this stage, I only want to go lead the last one.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR TEAM TURNED A CORNER AT SEEKONK?
We’ve had good race cars all year, except for maybe only a couple of races where we didn’t. At Thompson, We had a great race car all day, but our strategies aren’t playing out how they should be. It’s not the doings of our own – it’s cautions falling at the wrong time or cars wrecking in front of us that we have to slow up to avoid, so we lose a few spots.
This race was another good example. We got up to second on the outside of (eventual winner D.J. Shaw), and then the caution came out. We get put in line on the outside, right next to (Travis Benjamin). His line went when the green fell, and then the caution came out three laps later. Suddenly, he’s third and I’ve lost a few spots. It’s just how our year has been.
WITH YOUR TEAMMATE, AUSTIN THERIAULT, FINISHING 6th, IT WAS A GOOD NIGHT FOR MULKERN RACING.
It was definitely a good day for both cars and for the whole race team, for sure. They had a little bit of an issue with power steering, but they had a good race car, too. For (Theriault), it’s one thing to get up on the wheel and be good without power steering, but it’s just harder to race people side-by-side.
Still, in the end, it was good for the team to have a couple of good finishes.