Lee, NH – The season-opening American Canadian Tour (ACT) New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 got the 2014 Lee USA Speedway campaign underway on Sunday afternoon, despite Mother Nature’s best efforts to stop the action.
Lee USA’s track crew and ACT tour officials stuck to their guns and beat the morning-long rain to put on a tremendous show for the hardy fans who waited it out, and they certainly got their money‘s worth during the course of the afternoon.
The supporting show featured the scaled-down racers of the NELCAR legends and the Northeast Classic Lites, and both clubs turned out in full force for the season opener. Multi-time Lee USA winner Shawn Buffington bested the NELCAR contingent, with teammate Tom Gray and 2013 series champion Mathew Burgione rounding out the podium.
In the Northeast Classic Lites main, it was veteran campaigner Duane Skofield taking down the win over 2013 champ Adam “A.J.” Giacomozzi and Jim Wentworth. John Fultz had a scary moment in that one, as he slammed the frontstretch wall and destroyed his racer. Fultz walked away from the incident unhurt.
After four qualifying heats, two consis, and a last chance qualifier set the starting field for the ACT New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150, local favorite Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald found himself on the pole for the main event by virtue of his plus-five handicap heat race win.
When the 30-car starting field took the green however, MacDonald led just a single lap before he dropped back several positions, while Ben Lynch (laps 2-3), Ray Parent (laps 4-33), and Stephane Descoste (laps 34-63) all spent time up front in the fast-paced early stages of the event, which ran caution-free for the first 63 laps.
Two-time race winner Brian Hoar brought out the race‘s first yellow flag with a spin in turn two on that 63rd circuit, ending his chances for a third Governor‘s Cup victory. When the action picked up again, Parent once again moved past Descoste out to the lead, and he remained in command for the next 82 trips around the fast 3/8th‘s mile Lee oval.
But MacDonald had been saving the best for last, and as the laps wound down, he began reeling in the leader, and with some heavy lapped traffic ahead, caught Parent with less than ten laps left in the race. MacDonald looked low at first, but eventually moved to the high side and made his way
past Parent with four laps left, as Parent lost control and spun out of contention with the checkers nearly in sight, finishing 13th in the final tally.
MacDonald easily led the way over the remaining laps to score his first-ever Governor‘s Cup win by nearly a full second, making the long-awaited first trip to ACT Governor’s Cup victory lane at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“, the facility owned and operated by his parents, Red and Judy MacDonald.
Two more former Lee USA regulars followed MacDonald across the stripe, with former race winner Joey Pole and two-time and defending ACT champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. rounding out the post-race podium. A pair of Quebec-based drivers were next in the final rundown, with Alex Labbe taking down fourth, and Descoste coming home fifth.
2013 Governor’s Cup winner Jimmy Hebert managed an impressive sixth-place finish after starting scratch on the field in the 30th spot, with Ben Ashline, Ben Lynch, Bobby Therrien, and Rowland Robinson, Jr. rounding out the top ten.
Lee will have their next Test & Tune on Saturday, May 10th. Gates will open up at 9am and practice will start atnoon. All cars and all other track cars are welcome.
The next event at Lee USA Speedway will be held on Sunday, May 11th with the Modified Bull Ring Bash 100along with the Super Modified and the Hobby Stock Divisions. We will be celebrating Mothers Day here at Lee USA Speedway.