by Jay | Feb 26, 2010 | New
JOEY DOIRON TACKLES NEW CHALLENGE IN 2010
BERWICK, Maine — Dale Shaw. Brad Leighton. Tom Curley. Some of New England’s most notable racing personalities have stood up and taken notice of young Joey Doiron’s abilities behind the wheel of a stock car.
Doiron, a soft-spoken high school senior, hopes that he’ll continue to open eyes in 2010. One year after winning the ACT Late Model Tour’s Rookie of the Year award, Doiron has his sights sent on the same mark in the PASS North Series this season.
“It will be a lot different,” said the 18-year-old Doiron. “ACT has some good caliber teams there, but going against guys like Richard Moody Racing, Scott Mulkern’s team and Johnny Clark on all those different tracks with PASS this year — it’s going to be a big step for me.”
It’s a step that many believe Doiron will make seamlessly.
Last year, car builder Dale Shaw noted that Doiron’s go-kart racing background built him into a smooth driver that “doesn’t make waves.” Doiron said he and Brad Leighton — a multi-time champion in what is now the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East — have developed a good working relationship. And Tom Curley, a Hall of Famer in New England racing circles, saw fit to include Doiron in the first-ever Late Model race contested at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last September.
“My goal is to win Rookie of the Year with PASS and just run competitively,” Doiron said. “I think we can do that.”
Last season was Doiron’s first full-time season in a stock-car touring series of any kind. He ran a limited schedule in 2008 in a Late Model at Oxford Plains Speedway and Wiscasset Raceway in his home state of Maine, after a few seasons of competition in a weekly support division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
Prior to that, Doiron spent the better part of five years racing go-karts — where he found his racing addiction.
“I used to be into baseball as a kid,” said Doiron, who works with his father and crew chief, John Doiron. “Then I went and watched a go-kart race — and after that, I didn’t want to do anything else.”
In the highly-competitive ACT Late Model ranks, Doiron finished 12th in the 2009 standings after posting one top-5 finish and a pair of top-10s in 10 starts. His best career finish came in early September when he ran fourth at Twin State Speedway in Claremont, N.H., just days before he was one of 36 drivers invited to compete in the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway — New England’s largest track and host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events each year.
All Doiron did at New Hampshire was start from the outside pole and lead the first 20 laps in the 50-lap event on the 1.058-mile oval, before blistered tires on his family-owned No. 73 took him out of contention.
Those days are gone, though, for Doiron — who will tackle the challenge of PASS. He has two career PASS North starts, at Beech Ridge last season. In one of those races, he was in position to win before running out of gas late.
That particular disappointment has worn off for Doiron now. In fact, he’s encouraged by his ability to compete against seasoned race teams as he enters a year where he will encounter bigger teams, bigger tracks and bigger speeds than he saw as a Late Model competitor.
“The races for the most part in PASS are going to be a little longer, so that will be a challenge,” Doiron said. ‘But we get to go back to Beech Ridge, which is a plus, because we know that track well.
“I’m a fairly patient driver and I like to wait for the end to make our moves. With longer races, I think that helps me — it’s more finesse than just running to the front as soon as you can, which I think is good for me.
“If I could make a living at racing, that would be great, but I’m not going to hold my breath that someday I’ll end up in NASCAR — but I’m going to enjoy doing this every day that I can.”
Doiron’s racing season begins with the April 18th PASS North Series opener at Speedway 95 in Hermon, Maine.
by Jay | Feb 22, 2010 | New
Boron, Eggen split Pro finals in Loudon for Rock Maple Racing snocross series
LOUDON, N.H. (Feb. 22, 2010) – Multi-time snowmobile racing champion Jason Boron and Norwegian veteran Stale Eggen (pronounced Sto-lay Egan) claimed final round wins in the Pro division as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed a non-points event Sunday in the inaugural Sno Bowl at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Boron (D&Z Racing/Ski-doo), of Leverett, Mass., jumped out to an early lead in Pro Stock and was never challenged. Swedish athlete Ulf Lif (Team Southside/Polaris) rode a smart race and came home second, while Tim Randall was third. In Pro Open, Boron got the holeshot and checked out on the field once again. Yet with just two laps remaining, Eggen slipped by and held off the famed “Iron Man” to take the win. Boron settled for second, while Randall capped a stellar weekend with another third-place run.
Maine-based rider Jason Soucy had a strong outing in Loudon, holding off Gene Robinson for top honors in the Plus 35 Masters final. Steffanie Lemieux carried the momentum she built the previous weekend into another Pro Women victory, with weekly rivals KC Anderson and Martha Wells filling out the podium.
In Sport division action at Loudon, Aaron Adams and Whitney Covill were on top of their game. Adams, of Avon, Maine, out-gunned Covill and Jared Catlin to claim Saturday’s Super Stock final. Covill, of Pittsburg, NH, bounced back to claim Sunday’s final while Catlin and Adams settled for second and third respectively.
Along with the usual classes for riders of all ages and ability levels, RMR also hosted New England’s first-ever Adaptive Snocross races in Loudon. On Saturday, the four previously profiled drivers (Ryan Begin, Jim Crumb, Dave Dillabough and Richard Curtis) were joined by two RMR regulars who are coming off major spinal injuries.
Robert Graeber, of Willow, AK, sustained severe injuries two years ago while making his debut in the Pro division. Michaela Lemieux, of Bennington, VT, had a bad accident the same season but is attempting to fight her way back into contention.
While Graeber isn’t nearly as fast as he was prior to his crash, his skills carried him to victory in Saturday’s Adaptive final. Lemieux stayed on the throttle and came home second, while Dillabough wound up third. On Sunday, Graeber prevailed once again with Lemieux and Curtis filling out the podium. RMR is proud to have provided a safe place to race for these highly-determined individuals. Their drive to compete and succeed should be inspiring to us all.
Other final round winners over the weekend in Loudon include Cameron Drouin (Sport Stock 600 Saturday, Sport 500 Sunday); Jarett Catlin (Sport Stock 600 Sunday); Martha Wells (Women Stock 600 Sunday); David Camara (Jr. 8-10 300 Freestyle Sunday); Glynn Desilva (Plus 25 Stock Sat.); Lyle Turtlott (Plus 25 Stock Sun.); Jeff Whiton (Trail 600 Sat.); and Jared White (Trail 600 Sunday).
Rock Maple Racing would like to thank Jerry Gappens and the entire staff at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for hosting the inaugural Sno Bowl. As New England’s largest sporting facility and home to NASCAR stars twice each year, it was an honor to race there.
For full results in all classes from the Sno Bowl or to learn more about RMR, go to www.rockmaple.com.
by Jay | Feb 22, 2010 | PASS
CHARLOTTE, NC (February 18) – The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) is pleased to announce that “Live To PASS” will be returning to the airwaves for its third season in 2010. “Live To PASS” can be heard every Monday night at 7 PM EST at its new home on PitRowRadio.com. PASS South announcer Alan Dietz and Victory Lane Productions’ Doc Love will provide race fans with news and reviews from every PASS division and will have interviews with drivers and personalities from across the country. “Live To PASS” will be presented live on location throughout the racing season from Victory Lane Indoor Karting Center in Charlotte, NC. Guests for the season’s first show will include Florida Winterfest winner Brad Leighton, 2003 Big Dawg Challenge winner of $100,000 Sam Sessions, and PASS President Tom Mayberry. PitRowRadio.com will also be the exclusive home of live race broadcasts for PASS throughout the racing season.
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by Jay | Feb 17, 2010 | Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel has announced that their Hot Shoe Award program for Thunder Road competitors will continue for the 2010 season. Lenny’s awards a cash bonus to drivers in Thunder Road’s top three divisions that earn their first or second feature win of the season.
The Late Models earn $150 for their first win, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen receive $100 and the Allen Lumber Street Stocks make $50. For a driver’s second win they receive half the amount of their first win. These checks along with an embroidered hat are given to the “Hot Shoe” drivers during the pre-race ceremonies of the next event.
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by Jay | Feb 16, 2010 | Maine, New England, PASS
PASS teams out in full force for Racin’ Preview 2010
Naples ME – Florida racing has come and gone and that means it’s time to kick off the 2010 northern New England racing season in earnest at Racin’ Preview 2010, scheduled for Friday and Saturday February 19-20 at the Portland (ME) Expo. The popular show always fills every square inch of the floor with every sort of race car imaginable, and the Pro All Stars Series will once again be well represented.
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by Jay | Feb 16, 2010 | New England
LePage sweeps Pro finals in Salem for Rock Maple Racing snocross series
SALEM, N.H. (Feb. 15, 2010) – Veteran snowmobile racer Bobby LePage used a handy little broom on his trip to southern New Hampshire last weekend, neatly sweeping the Pro finals as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed another round of snocross competition Sunday afternoon at historic Rockingham Park.
Sunday’s card completed day three of the inaugural HK Powersports New England Nationals, which brought the excitement of Amsoil Championship Snocross Series (ACSS) racing to northeastern fans on Friday and Saturday.
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by Jay | Feb 14, 2010 | NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With a last-lap pass of superspeedway ace Todd Bodine, Timothy Peters won Saturday night’s NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
With a push from polesitter Jason White, Peters passed Bodine on the backstretch and won the race to the finish line. Bodine, who had won the previous two season openers at Daytona, crossed the stripe in second place but spun into the infield grass after taking the checkered flag.
“I can’t believe it — this thing drove like a Lexus tonight,” Peters said of his No. 17 Toyota Tundra. “We just won Daytona! I was just content where I was at, but the 23 (White) came up and gave me a great run.
“I can’t believe it — I’m going to Disney World!”
Peters’ only previous win in the series came at .526-mile Martinsville Speedway.
Dennis Setzer, White and Matt Crafton rounded out the top five, as Bodine took solace from his second-place run — magnified by wrecks that ruined the nights of defending series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. and Mike Skinner, perennial contenders for the truck series title.
“You’re a sitting duck leading,” Bodine said ruefully. “I saw the replay when I was sitting down there in the mud (after spinning). Timmy did what he had to do.
“We’re disappointed. There’s no doubt about it. But second’s nothing to sneeze at.”
Two separate crashes on the pace laps — before the race had started — promised an action-filled evening, and, indeed, before the race was a lap old, Aric Almirola took the field three-wide in Turn 3. Austin Dillon, making his first superspeedway start, broke loose between trucks and ignited a nine-truck collision that damaged the trucks of Kyle Busch and Landon Cassill, among others.
“I really don’t know what was happening,” Dillon said after exiting the infield care center. “I was sucking up to Jason White, and someone got under me. Just looked like they weren’t being very patient there to start. Just caught in the middle and got banged around there a few times and tried to save it — just nothing I could do there.”
Hornaday was the victim of a 10-truck wreck after a bump from Ricky Carmichael turned him into the outside wall at the end of the backstretch on Lap 32. The same wreck ruined the winning chances of front-row starter Elliott Sadler. Skinner’s race ended early after a tap from Peters launched him into the Turn 3 wall on Lap 62.
by Jay | Feb 13, 2010 | NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Tony Stewart held off a snarling pack of cars on his bumper to win the DRIVE4COPD NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.
Stewart, who had won four of these races prior to this sunny Saturday, dodged a multitude of sensational wrecks to win his fifth of the last six Nationwide races here.
Carl Edwards roared back to a second-place finish after triggering Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s upside-down exit from the 120-lap race at the 92nd-lap mark.
Stewart teammate Kevin Harvick was third and Justin Allgaier fourth as the cars zigged and zagged their way to a wild finish.
Rounding out the top 10 were Brian Vickers, Paul Menard, who started the race in last place, Joey Logano, James Buescher, Kasey Kahne and Steve Wallace.
Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, who raced up front most of the afternoon, wrecked back in the pack on the last lap.
A 10-car wreck shortly past the halfway point ended Danica Patrick’s day, much to her dismay. It was one of those “I didn’t have any place to go to miss the wreck” deals.
It all unfolded ahead of her out of turn four when Josh Wise was tapped from behind by Colin Braun, which created a domino effect that eliminated a total of 10 cars, including Patrick, who had been the center of a media blitz for the past 10 days.
Others eliminated in the crash included Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Scott Lagasse, Braun, Brian Scott, Johnny Sauter, Menard, Robert Richardson, Jr., and Jason Leffler.
Another spectacular accident stopped the race with just 28 laps remaining. This time, it involved most popular driver Earnhardt, who was racing hard in third place when he was clipped from behind by Edwards, after Keselowski nudged him. The contact flipped Earnhardt upside down, and he rolled a couple of times before coming to rest rightside-up.
Harvick received some minor damage in the accident, as did Edwards and Keselowski. Earnhardt, Nemechek and Brendan Gaughan’s cars were damaged beyond repair.
Chrissy Wallace spun before the field completed a lap and hit the inside retaining wall, ending her day almost before it began. A little tap in the rear bumper from Menard started her spin which prompted the first caution of the day. It was not to be the last caution.
Just a few after a restart, the caution waved again. Mike Bliss accidentally bumped Trevor Bayne, triggering a multi-car spin. Patrick was almost involved but entered the smoke and came out the other side unscathed. Tony Raines and Braun were not so fortunate. They sustained some damage in the accident. On the restart at lap 11, it was Harvick, Earnhardt, Jr., Edwards and Logano up front.
At lap 25, Harvick was leading with Earnhardt second. Edwards was third, followed by Logano, Busch, Townley, Stewart, Biffle, Leffler and Kahne. Stewart and Biffle had raced their way into the top 10 after starting the race in the back of the field.
After a round of green flag pit stops at lap 44, Nemechek and Raines led a few laps when everyone but them pitted. Another caution on lap 50 bunched the cars up again. Mike Wallace spun between turns three and four to bring out the yellow flags.
When the race resumed at lap 56, Biffle was the leader with Busch second and Keselowski third.
Trailing the leaders were Edwards, Earnhardt, Nemechek, Stewart, Logano and Kahne.
Patrick had made her way back to 24th spot after handling problems forced her to the rear of the field.
by Jay | Feb 10, 2010 | Maine, New England
Portland, Maine – While the pavement went down some 25 years ago at nearby Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and the era of serious dirt track racing seemingly ended in Maine, the regional dirt track scene in Northern New England is on the rebound. The regional dirt track scene will have a healthy presence on Friday and Saturday, February 19-20 as the Portland Expo hosts Racin’ Preview 2010.
Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) is a touring series for the fastest dirt track racecars competing in New England, and they race at all three of Northern New England’s remaining dirt tracks. The winged warriors are seeing increased interest in the club and expect a banner 2010 season, which they’ll kick off at Racin’ Preview 2010. At least a couple of the powerful, fuel-injected, winged racecars will be on display at Northern New England’s annual stock car racing showcase.
Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vermont tops the list of current New England dirt tracks in longevity. Track owner and promoter C.V. Elms IV will oversee the 44th consecutive season of dirt track action at the ¼-mile oval. The weekly racing program is headlined by Sportsman Modified cars. Bear Ridge races every Saturday night.
New Hampshire’s Canaan Fair Speedway also features Sportsman Modified racecars atop its’ weekly racing program. Dick Therrien takes the reigns as general manager of the facility this year. The 1/4-mile Canaan Dirt Speedway, adjacent to a 1/3-mile asphalt oval that uses the same pit area, presents stock car competition on Friday evenings.
Newly-renamed Big Daddy’s Speedbowl operated last season as Rattlesnake Motordrome, and has been known as Legion Speedway, Pines Speedway and Nor-Way Pines Speedway in the past. New promoter Mike Rivers has put a lot of time, effort and money into a near-complete rebuild of the racing facility and has moved the traditional Saturday night racing card to Sunday evenings.
All three tracks will host special events both with the SCoNE Sprint Cars and the Granite State Mini Sprint racing club, and all three tracks will be on hand at Racin’ Preview 2010.
Joining the dirt trackers at Racin’ Preview 2010 will be several paved racetracks, including Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Lee USA Speedway, Unity Raceway, Wiscasset Raceway, along with touring classes with the Pro All Stars Series, Modified Racing Series and other sanctioning bodies.
Current associate sponsors of Racin’ Preview 2010 include Racin’ Paper, Pave Tek Motorsports of Kennebunk, Redneck Raceway of Acton, Saco Pathfinders, R & D Racing and Fabrication of Limerick, Chad Dow’s Innovative Specialties of Unity and Wayne Elston’s Speed Shop of Carmel.
Racin’ Preview 2010 at the Portland Expo is open from 4:00-10:00 p.m. on Friday, February 19. The show will go on between 9:00 a.m and 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 20. For more information call (603) 447-4251.
by Jay | Feb 9, 2010 | Video
Celebrating 20 Years of Motorsports Magic!
