The 2017 Boston Louie
ZYCH OUTRUNS THE FIELD
FOR BOSTON LOUIE MEMORIAL WIN
John Zych, starting fifth, piled past Avery Stoehr and Alan Chambers, then Polesitter Jim SantaMaria and outside Pole Doug Cleveland and was running at the front by lap two. It was quite a flight around the front of the field for jet pilot Zych . . . and from there, he ran the rest of the 29 laps to haul down honors in the hallowed Boston Louie Memorial. Avery Stoehr preferred not to play victim and put her foot into it, well enough that she could claim second behind the rapidly disappearing Zych. Doug Coby, driving a Randy Cabral-owned midget, powered in for third, while Anthony Nocella, who joined Coby in the Tri-Track 100 for modifieds (which followed the NEMA feature) was able to grab fourth. Rounding out the top five was Cabral.
For the leaders, it was a matter of holding position, as Zych and Stoehr went the distance without being passed. SantaMaria had grabbed third during the second circuit, went halfway and then was rousted from third by Todd Bertrand. Bertrand seemed a lock on third, as he went the rest of the way – almost. Mechanical problems forced him to withdraw with one lap remaining and the position went to Coby, who had held fourth for most of the race. It also elevated Nocella to fourth.
It was a stretched-out field by lap five in a race which ran green to checkers without caution. Zych was enjoying a half-straightaway lead by this time and Stoehr was about the same distance ahead of Bertrand. By lap eight, they were encountering lapped vehicles. SantaMaria had moved into third, ahead of Bertrand. Cabral got by Chambers into sixth.
Zych was charging so hard that his right rear was showing smoke through the corners, especially turn four and it continued, raising concerns that he might lose the shoe or at least lose the speed he had been showing. But Zych continued to press down on the pedal and keep the space open between him and Stoehr. Perhaps it showed as he tried to put Bethany Stoehr a lap down. Stoehr worked mightily to stay on the same lap forcing Zych to apply more power and the threatening right rear tire smoked more. Lap 24 saw his back start to come around coming out of turn four. Five laps remained.
Zych conquered Bethany as well as rushing on to the win. Avery was able to close a bit on the fleeing leader, but the temporary combat with Bethany was not enough. The margin at the checkers was two-and-a-half seconds. Coby roared up to finish a half-second behind Avery, in third., with Nocella an additional half-second back.