Sorel and Taggart Capture Championships

Winchester, NH: This past Saturday, Monadnock Speedway held its Coca Cola Season Finale where Mini Stock Chris McTaggart and Super Stock Jeremy Sorel were crowned the 2009 champions. Dick Houle won the 4-cylinder Enduro Championship as did Dan Yagmin in the Full Size Enduros. Emerson Cayer won the Mini Stocks, John Lavoie took the Super Stock Checkers. Other winners include pro 4 Modifieds Norm Wrenn, All Star Race Trucks Brandon Warren and Allison Legacy North Tommy Barrett.

The Mini Stocks rolled onto the ¼ mile high banked speedway where Chris Davis was scored the early leader. Lap five, Davis continued to lead as Joey Kendall put the pressure on for the lead. Jamey King ran third as Chris McTaggart and Emerson cayer battled for fourth. Lap ten, the leaders began to work through heavy lap traffic as Emerson Cayer challenged Davis for the lead. The side by side battle ended on lap thirteen as Cayer took the lead and Kendall slipped into second. Lap twenty, Cayer gained a good lead as Kendall sat in second. Davis and Kimg battled for third. On lap twenty nine, the caution was displayed for James Hancock as he made hard contact with the backstretch wall. Hancock was not injured. On the restart, Cayer mad it to the line first as a three way battle for third developed between Davis, McTaggart and King. Tow laps to go, Kendall began to reel in the leader of Cayer as King moved into third. At the checkers, it was cater followed by Kendall, King, McTaggart and Davis.

Kevin Ouellette led the Super Stocks out for their final 2009 event. Ouellette brought the field to the green but had an early challenge from Ken Springer. Springer took over the lead by lap two until the field was shown a caution for Austin Brehio who spun on the front stretch. On the restart, Springer took the lead for one more lap until John Lavoie moved into the number one spot. Andy Brooks followed in third as Ed Brehio III and Scott McDonald battled for fourth. On lap seven, the caution was displayed as Ed Brehio III spun on the backstretch. On the restart, Lavoie led the field as Matt Mead joined the top five and placed pressure on McDonald for fourth. Lap ten, Mead made his move to the inside of Springer to take over third. Half way to go, Lavoie continued to lead as Mead made several attempt to pass Brooks staying on his back bumper. Geoff Rollins ran fourth as Springer and McDonald battled for fifth. Lap twenty nine, the forth place runner of Rollins suffered mechanical problems and retired to the pit area. As the laps winded down, Mead continued to make the pass on Brooks for second as Springer felt the challenges from Sorel for fourth. At the checkers, it was Lavoie followed by Brooks, Mead, Springer and Sorel.

The 2009 race season is official over at the high banked ¼ mile of Monadnock Speedway however one more event is on the schedule, the Mud Slinger Fall Classic Mud Bog. The Mud Slinger Fall Classic will be held on Saturday, October 17th with a rain date of Sunday, October 18th. The mud will start flying at 11am.

For more information regarding the Mud Slinger Fall Classic or the 2009 awards Banquet, please log onto www.monadnockspeedway.com or call the speedway’s office at 603-239-4067.

Mini Stock Results: Emerson Cayer, Joey Kendall, Jamey King, Chris McTaggart, Chris Davis, Tim Jackson, Derek Bergquist, Beth Adams, Kim Rivet, Rich Fournier, Dennis Wallace, Joe Rogers, Robert Carter, Jason Roberts, Louis Maher, Brad Curtis, Alicea Fohlin, Kevin McKnight, Shawna Wallace, Brennan Johnson, James Hancock, Bob Chapdelaine, Travis Grover, Ron Normandin

Super Stock Results: John lavoie, Andy Brooks, Matt Mead, Ken Springer, Jeremy Sorel, Ed Brehio III, Bill Johnston, Scott McDonald, Josh King, Dana Shepard, Kevin Ouellette, Nancy Muni, Brian Chapin, Craig Cashman, Buster Duncan, Dave Striebel, Geoff Rollins, Nick Gravel, Chris Wilk, Austin Brehio

Top Twenty 4-cylinder Enduro results: Matt Gauffin, Heath Renaud, Tyler Lescord, Tim LeBlanc, Julia Raymond, Scott Hatt, Adam Houle, John Walker, Pat Houle, Rob Thompson, Fred Rogers, Billy Chaffee, Kris Kristolaitis, Eric Pomasko, Tim Paquette, Justin Morse, Darren Jacobs, Eric Silvernale, Dick Houle, Gordon Farnum

Top Twenty Full Size Enduro results: Robert Morton, Dan Yagmin, Ryan Rivet, Dan Figueiredo, Duane Stonier, Bill Davis, Barry Schonborg, Jared Edson, John Yagmin, William Faford, Joe Ethier, Jon Wyman, Robert Thompson, Bucky Sheats, Trevor Dyer, Seth Petalas, Christopher Harris, Roger Lamoureaux, Blaze Stonier

Tardiff Closes Season With Top-Five Finish At Dover

Dover, DE (September 27, 2009): Alan Tardiff struggled with a flu bug at Dover International Speedway over the last couple of days, but was able to overcome it long enough to post a fifth place finish in the Sunoco 150 on Friday evening. Tardiff drove the No. 38 Bestway Disposal/Renton Coil Springs Chevrolet to the top-five from a 16th place starting position.

“I don’t know if I have a flu bug or something,” said Tardiff. “I got up today and I still had a headache, but I had to put everything together and just work it out. We had a fast racecar today. We raced in second place for a long while, but the 44 car was stellar and no one was touching him. We came in took fuel and tires, and the car got really loose. Our goal was to come here and get a top-five and we accomplished that so I’m really happy.”

The Sunoco 150 marked Tardiff’s track debut at Dover so patience was the name of the game until the first caution came out. Tardiff was running 14th for the restart at lap 16 and made it up to 10th before caution slowed his pace once again. He remained in the top-10 until lap 48 when a majority of the leaders headed for pit road. Tardiff elected to stay out and gain track position.

“We wanted to put ourselves off sequence,” explained Tardiff. “To be off sequence later in the run would give us fresher tires and more fuel in the car later in the run. It turned out to be beneficial for us. My guys did a really, really good job this weekend just as they have been all year.”

Tardiff restarted the race on the outside second row and moved up to third at the drop of the green. On lap 60, Tardiff went to the bottom of early leader Matt DiBenedetto and passed him for second. Moffit, however, had already stretched out a 2.2 second lead over the Bestway Disposal/Renton Coil Springs Chevrolet. Tardiff worked on closing up the distance when caution appeared at lap 80.

The yellow flag conditions gave Tardiff the opportunity he needed to come down pit road for fuel and tires. He returned to the track in eighth for the restart at lap 86. Tardiff gained two spots on the initial drop, but experienced a loose condition in the Bestway Disposal Chevrolet that hadn’t existed before.

Caution tightened the field up once again at lap 97 with Tardiff maintaining his position over the next 15 laps. He was able to move up to fifth by passing Ryan Truex on lap 116.

The race went green for the remainder of the distance and Tardiff was able to close out the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East with a fifth place finish. It was his third top-five and eighth top-10 of the season. Tardiff earned a seventh place position in the final point standings.

“I didn’t have high expectations coming to this racetrack since I had never been here before. A top-five is a win. I was running second and I was smiling ear to ear,” Tardiff said.

Jim Hart Wins 1st Ever 6 cylinder Enduro at “Fall Brawl”

Wiscasset, ME- The first day of the 2nd Annual Ray Haskell Ford Fall Brawl could not have been set for a better date. Temperatures were in the 60’s with the sun shining all day long. The national qualifying races were run and the front row for the national event in the Aable Auto Parts Mini Stock race will be Thomas True and Ryan Ripley. In the New England Transmissions Strictly Streets the pole and outside pole sitters are Mike Short and Skip Tripp and the first and second starting positions for the Verizon Wireless Super Street national events went to Adam Chadbourne and Allan Moeller Sr. The ladies had the first feature event on the track on Saturday. Chelsea Young would get the feature victory by half a track over Christina Spaulding and Tori Burgess. Fourth and fifth went to Tricia Thomas and Missy Morgan. The U.S. Cellular Mini Trucks hit the track for their national event and it would be Chad Binette picking up the win and that was his fourth of the season here at Wiscasset Raceway. Kevin Oliver held off a hard charging Opie Allard over the last 15 laps of the race to get second. Allard would finish third with Mark Lucus fourth and Ryan Farrar fifth. The Outlaw 350’s also had their national feature which saw Zach Emerson picking up the win with Mike Short and Josh Childs second and third. Chris Burgess would come home fourth and Jon Brill fifth. The Wicked Good Vintage racers were also on tap Saturday. Feature number one went to Wally Henderson with Dick McPhail second and Rosey Gerry third. Feature number two winner was Paul Pierce. Second place would go to Greg Vewtte and third to Terry Husten. The crown jewel of the day was the first ever 6 cylinder enduro which took place after a celebrity

race between Ray Haskell and Adam Friend where Haskell was victorious. The 100 lap enduro paid $1,000 to win and through complete luck as he confessed Jim Hart was able to hold off David Folsom for the win. Folsom would get second with Larry Emerson finding his way through the wreck fest to get third. Fourth went to Justin White and fifth to Mike St. Germain.

Day two of the Ray Haskell Ford Fall Brawl has been rescheduled for Oct. 18th

Moffitt Convincingly Tackles Dover’s Monster Mile Scores Season Ending Victory For ASM Motorsports

Dover, DE (September 26, 2009): Brett Moffitt used lapped traffic to take the lead for the fourth and final time in the Sunoco 150 at Dover International Speedway Friday evening and convincingly score his second win of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East season. Moffitt, behind the wheel of the No. 44 Red Line Oil Chevrolet, took the checkers two-and-a-half seconds over Ryan Gifford. The finish catapulted Moffitt and Andy Santerre Motorsports into third in the final point standings.

“The Red Line Oil car was just really good,” said Moffitt. “This is amazing with all these Cup guys here. This track is always talked about as that crazy place so it’s really cool to win here.”

Moffitt started the race from the fourth position after posting a qualifying lap of 23.569 seconds (152.743 mph) earlier in the day. At the drop of the green, Moffitt was on a tear. He dropped to the bottom groove and easily drove into third before challenging Eddie MacDonald for second. After passing him on lap three, Moffitt set his sights on then-leader Matt DiBenedetto, who had already pulled away by nearly half a straightaway. Moffitt closed in to five carlengths on the leader when the caution flew at lap 13.

When racing resumed at lap 16, Moffitt blew by DiBenedetto to take the lead. Caution flew immediately for a blown engine further back in the field, but Moffitt was able to repeat his earlier performance on the restart at lap 18. Moffitt continued to lead until a restart at lap 18 saw DiBenedetto take the lead.

Moffitt stayed glued to DiBenedetto’s bumper over the next several laps, and made a challenge on lap 39 for the position. Lapped traffic forced Moffitt to back out of it, but on lap 40, Moffitt repeated the challenge and took the lead for the second time.

A caution at lap 47 saw some cars opt to pit, but Moffitt elected to keep the No. 44 Red Line Oil Chevrolet out on track. They went back to green flag racing at lap 51 with Moffitt and DiBenedetto side by side heading into turn one. Coming out of turn two, Moffitt comfortably took the lead and remained there for the next 30 laps. Moffitt gave up the lead on lap 82 to come in for fuel and tires.

Moffitt took the green at lap 86 in sixth place. A caution period slowed his progress, but Moffitt was up to fourth for the restart at lap 97. The 17-year-old driver showed a lot of maturity as he patiently waited for things to settle up front before really making the push back to the front. By lap 110 Moffitt was in second place and chasing then-leader Ryan Gifford down. Lapped traffic worked to Moffitt’s advantage and he was able to take the lead for the final time on lap 116.

“I was catching him and the car was a little bit too tight. We caught those lapped cars and I used them. Ryan was able to hang with me for a little while, but as soon as we got into clean air I was able to go. My car was awesome,” he said.

Only six cars remained on the lead lap when Moffitt took the checkers.

The Sunoco 150 at Dover International Speedway marked the final race for Andy Santerre Motorsports, who sold off the team to the 909 Group last week. The race also marked the last time car owner Andy Santerre and driver Brett Moffitt would work together.

“This is our last race together unless we go to the Showdown. I really wanted Brett to win here. The kid has a bright future and I’m glad we could be a part of it,” said car owner Andy Santerre. “I wish him the best of luck. He and his Dad are great people and we’ve had a good relationship this year. I’m moving on to different things and I wish them the best. To end the ASM era here at Dover with a win is pretty awesome.”

St. Clair wins at Unity Raceway, Moulton wraps up track championship

Watson, McAlpine, Rackliff and Wilson score feature and championship victories at regular season finale

Unity, Maine – Josh St. Clair of Liberty took the bait this time and came from shotgun position on the starting grid to win the 30-lap Late Model feature at Unity Raceway Friday night. A fourth-place finish in the event was more than enough for Frank Moulton of Burnham to claim the 2009 track championship, the 61st at the historic oval. St. Clair was slated to start his main event from pole position, but took promoter George Fernald’s $150 offer to start in the rear of the lineup.

Kris Watson of Hermon, (Super Street), Carl McAlpine of Burnham (Wildcat), Steve Rackliff of Starks (Late Model Pro Four) and Mike Wilson of Chelsea (Monsta Mini) capped off championship seasons in their respective divisions by driving to victory lane in the Friday night points finale. Tasha Dyer of Arrowsic won the Flyin’ 4 division feature, with Mike Mason of Skowhegan finishing off his season the division’s champion and a third-place finisher. Molly Feeney of Hope won the Ladies division main event, with Shelby Kimball of Cornville finishing a close second and earning the Queen’s crown for 2009. Henry Boudreau of Winterport was declared the winner in a wild enduro race. Boudreau had already clinched the championship for his class. Bradley Bosworth of Cornville added to his division-leading total of feature wins in the Teen Thunder class. The championship race in that class ended at the start of the school year a few weeks ago, with Brooke Getchell of Pittsfield outpointing her rivals.

Late Model winner St. Clair, a third-generation racer whose grandfather – Dave ‘Boss Hogg’ St. Clair – was a multi-time champion in the top class at Unity Raceway a quarter-century ago, had been offered the bait on previous occasions when he’d earned a pole starting spot in a season where he has multiple Late Model wins at more than one Maine track. Always choosing to decline the offers earlier in the season, this time he grabbed it. For quite awhile it didn’t look like he was going to make it, with perhaps the season’s best 30-lapper unfolding in front of him on the third-mile oval.

St. Clair needed about ten laps to get into the top five, while for more than half the event Chris Thorne of Sidney raced side-by-side with rookie Kevin Douglass, with Sidney’s Douglass leading most of the laps by a foot or so running in the outside groove. Another side-by-side battle behind the frontrunners saw St.Clair fifth, with no running room.

Following a short series of late-race cautions, one which saw Douglass vault Burnham’s Brian Whitney as Whitney checked up to avoid a spinning competitor, St. Clair found the space he needed, outgunning Thorne on a late-race restart and collecting the bonus in addition to first-place money. Thorne held on to finish in second spot, with Fred ‘Pee Wee’ Brown of Winterport picking up third-place spoils.

New champion Moulton crossed the line in fourth position under the checkered flag, with rookie Dylan Turner of Freedom rounding out the top five. Turner, the first third-generation driver from the well-known Freedom racing family to compete in the top class at Unity Raceway, was runner-up to Moulton in the championship standings as a freshman in the class.

Kris Watson, crowned Speedway 95 Super Street champion a couple of weeks ago, took his time working his way into contention and by early race leader Steve Rackliff of Starks. Rackliff held on to second position after Watson went by, but his apparent second-place finish was negated in post-race inspection because of a tire violation. Steve Moulton of Holden ended up as the official second-place finisher, with Vassalboro’s Ed ‘Fubby’ Drake claiming third-place hardware. Hermon’s Jeff ‘Bo’ Overlock, Jr. and ‘Hurricane’ Hal Stratton of Belgrade rounded out the top five.

Burnham’s Carl McAlpine came from deep on the starting grid to win the Wildcat feature going away. McAlpine only needed to start the race in order to reclaim his former division title from 2008 champion Dustin Hubbard of Unity. But he went out in championship style, slicing through a competitive field that saw multiple side-by-side battles ongoing throughout the event. Hubbard was runner-up in both the main event and the championship contest, with third-place at the checkered flag going to Andy Turbovsky of Winslow. Burnham racers completed the top five, with Chris King finishing fourth, in front of Brent Chase.

While Starks racer Steve Rackliff found pain in the tech line in the Super Street division, he found great joy in the Late Model Pro Four class, dominating the main event and claiming the division championship. Rackliff won the race, but not without a serious challenge from Clinton teenager Ben Clark, who finished in second position. Augusta’s Corey Walker ran with the leaders throughout the 20-lapper and finished third. Justin Trombley of Winter Harbor started near the rear of the field and drove to a fourth-place finish, with Skowhegan’s Bryan Lancaster ending up in fifth spot.

Chelsea’s Mike Wilson successfully defended his Monsta Mini division class crown with a feature race win, fighting off all challenges throughout the event, mostly from eventual runner-up finisher Justin Moore of Madison. Lewis Batchelder of Dixmont rounded out the podium finishers, with the top five filled out by Kyle Gallant of Veazie and Rick Grant of LaGrange.

Natasha Dyer had the for sale sign on her race car, and the Arrowsic teen may have added value to the Flyin’ 4 division racecar. ‘Tasha’ outdueled 2009 championship runner-up Cody Sleeper of Augusta in the 20-lap main event. Dyer and Sleeper swapped the top spot following a couple of restarts, with Dyer winning the final showdown to earn her trip atop the podium. Sleeper finished in second position, with Skowhegan’s Mike Mason finishing third. Mason had already wrapped up the division championship. Derek Cook of Wilton and Justin Moore of Skowhegan rounded out the top five.

Molly Feeney of Hope prevailed in a thrilling, paint-swapping finish with Shelby Kimball in the Ladies feature. Kimball’s runner-up finish insured her track championship in the class. Alica Goodwin of Clinton was third across the stripe, followed by Mika Wilson of Chelsea and Bucksport’s Kayla Allen. Feeney, the top winner in the class this season, missed several races and was not in contention for the title.

Cornville’s Bradley Bosworth won the Teen Thunder race in dominant fashion. Younder brother Jayson Bosworth backed up a heat race victory with a runner-up finish in the main event. Eddie Gilblair of Skowhegan finished third, followed by Daymon Dodge of Troy and Matt Kimball of Cornville.

Two more events remain on the Unity Raceway calendar this season. On Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 p.m. the track hosts Fernald Frenzy, with special fun races joining all regular divisions except for the Late Models. The Annual Longjohn Weekend has been set for Saturday and Sunday, with a 75-lap Super Late Model race, a 75-lap Late Model race and a 69-lpa $1000-to-win Wildcat/Strictly Stock race highlighting the weekend program. For more information visit unityraceway.info or call (207) 453-2021.

Late Model: 1. Josh St. Clair, Liberty; 2. Chris Thorne, Sidney; 3. Fred Brown, Winterport; 4. Frank Moulton, Burnham; 5. Dylan Turner, Freedom; 6. Nick Hinckley, Wiscasset; 7. Tyler Robbins, Montville; 8. Mark Dodge, Anson; 9. Rowland ‘Rockin JR’ Robinson, Jr., Steuben; 10. Brian Whitney, Burnham; 11. Kevin Douglass, Sidney; 12. Joey Doyon, Winterport.

Super Street: 1. Kris Watson, Hermon; 2. Steve Moulton, Holden; 3. Ed Drake, Vassalboro; 4. Jeff Overlock, Jr., Hermon; 5. Hal Stratton, Belgrade; 6. Donnie York, Thorndike; 7. John Kalel II, Orrington; 8. Sonny Robinson, Clinton; DQ Steve Rackliff, Starks.

Wildcat: 1. Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 2. Dustin Hubbard, Unity; 3. Andy Turbovsky, Winslow; 4. Chris King, Burnham; 5. Brent Chase, Burnham; 6. Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 7. Roger Smith, Jr., Clifton.

Late Model Pro Four: 1. Steve Rackliff, Starks; 2. Ben Clark, Clinton; 3. Corey Walker, Augusta; 4. Justin Trombley, Winter Harbor; 5. Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 6. Greg Cummings, South China; 7. Shane Smith, Augusta; 8.. Seth Webber, New Vineyard; 9. Jamie Foster, Benton’ 10. Reggie Bickford, Oakland; 11. Norm Cummings, Jr., Augusta.

Monsta Mini: 1. Mike Wilson, Chelsea; 2. Justin Moore, Madison; 3. Lewis Batchelder, Dixmont; 4. Kyle Gallant, Veazie; 5. Rick Grant, LaGrange; 6. Derek Cook, Wilton; 7. Alica Goodwin, Clinton; 8. Nick Lizotte, Sidney; 9. Scott Theriault, China; 10. Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 11. Richard Jackson, Augusta.

Flyin’ 4: 1. Natasha Dyer, Arrowsic; 2.. Cody Sleeper, Augusta; 3. Mike Mason, Skowhegan; 4. Derek Cook, Wilton; 5. Justin Moore, Skowhegan; 6. Chris Williams, Oakland; 7. Jordan Hawes, Skowhegan; 8. Matt Shaw, Burnham; 9. Nick Lizotte, Sidney; 10. John Fortin, Vassalboro; 11. Rodney Blaisdell, Jr., Pittsfield; 12. Rick Pullen, Winslow; 13. Richard Jackson, Augusta; 14. Ricky Palmer, Winterport.

Ladies: 1. Molly Feeney, Hope; 2. Shelby Kimball, Cornville; 3. Alica Goodwin, Clinton; 4. Mika Wilson, Chelsea; 5. Kayla Allen, Bucksport.

Teen Thunder: 1. Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 2. Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 3. Eddie Gilblair, Skowhegan; 4. Daymon Dodge, Troy; 5. Matt Kimball, Cornville; 6. Brooke Getchell, Pittsfield; 7. Kayla Chesley, Skowhegan; 8. Natasha Palmer, Winterport.

Truex Wins First NASCAR Title Claims Camping World East crown at Dover as fellow rookie Moffitt wins season finale

DOVER, Del. — A pair of rookies took center stage Friday at Dover International Speedway: Brett Moffitt came away with the Sunoco 150 checkered flag and Ryan Truex earned the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East championship.

Truex, a 17-year-old development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, finished eighth on Friday but it was the performance throughout the 11-race season that put him in the championship Winner’s Circle following the Sunoco 150. Truex finished his first season in NASCAR’s top development series with three wins and eight top 10s.

The main championship contender for Truex – Eddie MacDonald – finished one position behind Truex in the race and wound up 34 points out of the championship (1,719 – 1,685).

Jody Lavender was the third driver to enter the day with a mathematical chance at the championship, 102 points back of Truex. His race ended with a 17th-place finish, seven laps down.

Friday’s season finale was dominated on the track by Moffitt, also 17. The Grimes, Iowa, native led four different times for 85 laps and crossed the line two and a half seconds ahead of Ryan Gifford for the Sunoco 150 victory. The second win of the year placed him third in the season standings.

Following Richard Childress Racing development driver Gifford across the line at Dover was Corey LaJoie, David Mayhew, and Alan Tardiff. Steve Park, Ryan Duff, Truex, MacDonald and Jarit Johnson rounded out the top 10.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto set the track qualifying record earlier in the day and led three different times for 31 laps, but a mid-race accident left him two laps down in 11th.

With the 2009 season complete, the next racing event on the schedule for NASCAR Camping World Series teams will be the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown on Jan. 29-30 in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).

Truex and the rest of the NASCAR touring series champions will be honored at the Touring Series Gala in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 14.

Third Straight Sunoco Modified Win for Christopher

Third Straight Sunoco Modified Win for Christopher

Banfield Scores Career First Super Late Model Checkers

Gentes, Monahan, Tagg & Churchill Also Visit Victory Lane

Rocco, Ramstrom, Materas, Barnett, Sullivan & Michalski Thompson Champs

Thompson, CT: It was a night to crown champions at Thompson International Speedway as the 2009 season came to an end on a beautiful Thursday night. In Sunoco Modified action, Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, took his third straight victory but it was Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, taking the crown. Jim Banfield of S. Glastonbury, CT, had a career night winning his career first Super Late Model feature event. Teenager Derek Ramstrom of Worcester, MA, earned his first Thompson championship.

Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, made it two in a row in Late Model competition. John Materas of Voluntown, CT, had a joy ride on Thursday night as he clinched the championship the week before. Tom Tagg of Oxford, MA, scored his fifth win of the season in the TIS Modifieds. Tim Sullivan of S. Windsor, CT, earned the title in the division by a scant eight points.

Shawn Monahan of Waterford, CT, scored his second straight Limited Sportsman feature victory. After an eventful night, Larry Barnett recovered from an early race incident to become a multi-time Limited Sportsman champion. Randy Churchill of Niantic, CT, scored his third win of the season in the Mini Stocks. Scott Michalski of S. Killingly, CT, had a banner year to win the division’s title.

Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, made a move in the late stages of the Sunoco Modified main event to cleanly take his seventh victory of the season at Thompson. Tim Sullivan jumped out to the early lead with Ronnie Silk in tow. Rocco and Pitkat ran side by side in the sixth and seventh positions respectively. Christopher ran behind in eighth.

Rheaume got out of shape allowing Rocco, in the outside groove, to gain a position on Pitkat. Rocco ran comfortably in the fifth spot. Pitkat ran a distant sixth followed by Christopher. Rowan Pennink ran in the eighth spot.

Rocco made a dive bomb move to get by Danny Cates to run in fourth. Pitkat followed through. There was contact between Rocco and Malone; sending Malone sliding and opening the door for Rocco to take over third.

Up front, Silk dogged Sullivan for the lead. The battle allowed Rocco to catch the lead pack. On lap 12, Silk was finally able to get by Sullivan taking Rocco along for the ride. Christopher caught Sullivan as well.

On lap 15, Rocco continued to tail Silk. Christopher had gotten by Sullivan to take over the third spot. Rocco dove low exiting turn three to take the top spot from Silk on lap 18. Christopher was able to get by Silk and immediately tracked down Rocco. A spin by Wayne Arute brought out the event’s first caution on lap 19.

On the restart, Silk was followed by Sullivan, Rocco, Christopher and Pennink inside the top five. Pitkat ran in the sixth spot. On the lap 19 restart, Sullivan failed to come up to speed. Pitkat was collected in the incident sustaining heavy damage to the right front. The race restarted with Pitkat on pit road. Rocco was able to retain his lead on the restart but he had plenty of company in Christopher and Pennink.

Christopher was able to maneuver by Rocco for the lead in turn one. Pennink began to apply pressure to Rocco for the second spot. Over the final laps, Rocco was glued to the back bumper of Christopher. They raced to the checker nose to tail with Christopher taking the win over Rocco and Pennink. Cates quietly came home in the fourth spot followed by Silk. Rocco’s strong run combined with Pitkat’s misfortune proved to be the winning combination for Rocco, who scored his second championship in three seasons.

Over the final stages of the 2009 season, Jim Banfield of S. Glastonbury, CT, had been able to turn his luck around. Runner-up finishes had paved the way to his first career Super Late Model feature on Thursday night. Larry Gelinas jumped out to an early lead over Jim Banfield. Derek Ramstrom, who led Mike O’Sullivan by eight points, ran in the sixth position while O’Sullivan was mired a bit deeper back in the pack in eighth.

Ramstrom was all over the back bumper of George Bessette while O’Sullivan was struggling in his efforts to get around Rick Fuller. On lap 11, Ramstrom was able to get alongside Bessette. The two went fender to fender lap after lap.

Up front, Gelinas continued to enjoy a ten car length advantage over Banfield. The battle for the third position was heating up between Dennis Maxfield and Norm Wrenn. On lap 14, Ramstrom was able to get by Bessette. O’Sullivan had not advanced his position.

With Maxfield and Wrenn battling, Ramstrom was able to catch the duo. In a flash of flame, the motor of Maxfield expired. The oil laid down on the speedway, sent cars sliding. During the incident O’Sullivan climbed over the #15 of Bessette.

Gelinas suffered mechanical failure on the ensuing restart; handing the lead over to Banfield. Ramstrom lined up in second while O’Sullivan was able to climb into the third spot on the restart. Ramstrom chased the back bumper of Banfield.

Ramstrom was looking racy for the lead with three laps to go. Sullivan had caught the leaders. With two to go, O’Sullivan was able to get to the rear tire of Ramstrom. The battle for the second spot allowed Banfield to head to his first win of the season. Ramstrom finished second ahead of O’Sullivan to earn the local favorite his first Thompson Speedway championship. Wrenn and Fuller completed the top five.

Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, survived a caution-marred Late Model main event to score his second straight victory. Jeff Hartwell capitalized on his front row starting spot to lead the opening lap but there was trouble right off the bat as Mark Oliveira spun in turn four. On the first attempt at a restart, the champ, John Materas, came to rest on the back stretch.

A three car battle for the lead erupted on the restart as O’Sullivan used the outside groove to get along side Hartwell. Dave Trudeau moved within striking distance. The leaders went side-by-side for the duration of lap eight before O’Sullivan could take over the top spot. Gentes was able to get around Hartwell and into the second position.

A spin by Al Mandarino brought out the caution on lap 10. Hutchings headed down pit road for service. On the restart, O’Sullivan was able to edge ahead of Gentes. On lap 14, Gentes began his bid. He got alongside O’Sullivan on lap 13. With the leaders side by side, Trudeau was once again able to join the fray. On lap 15, Gentes was the new leader. O’Sullivan immediately fell into the grasp of Trudeau. Materas had recovered to run in the fourth position.

A spin by Jeremy Sadowski set up a restart that would change the complexion of the battle for the lead. Contact between Materas and Trudeau sent Trudeau spinning to the infield. Damon Tinio and Corey Hutchings were also involved.

On the restart, O’Sullivan appeared to miss a shift leaving Gentes to battle with Materas for the top spot. The lead duo broke away from a heated multi-car battle for the third position between Phil Rondeau, O’Sullivan, Wayne Coury, Sr., and Tom Fox.

Contact between Hartwell and O’Sullivan sent the pack scattering on lap 18. The chain reaction resulted in cars deeper in the pack sustaining heavy damage. Back under green, it was much of the same as Gentes and Materas bolted out to a sizeable advantage over a great battle for third, this time between Coury and Fox. In the end, Gentes cruised to victory on the newly crowned Late Model champion Materas. Coury came out on the battle with Fox. Oliveira rebounded to finish fifth.

Shawn Monahan of Waterford, CT, muscled his way to his second straight Limited Sportsman feature victory. Kevin Bowe set the pace early but the action was a little further back in the pack. The first caution of the event flew for a spin by point leader Larry Barnett. Barnett joined the rear of the field in search of his second Limited Sportsman championship. His nearest competition in the championship chase ran in the third spot when back under green behind Bowe and Joe Campbell.

Back under green, things got strung out at the head of the pack. The best battle was for the seventh position between Paul Coutu, Jr. and Joe Coates. The race leader went up in smoke on lap seven with an apparent blown engine to bring out the second caution. New leader Campbell had some breathing room as J. Sundeen had his hands full with a charging Joe Arena. Barnett was methodically picking his way through the pack. At lap 10, Barnett was in the twelfth position.

Arena continued to pressure J. Sundeen as Monahan was locked in a battle with Coates for the fifth position. Chris Douton, who had trouble in the early going, had fought his way back to join the battle for fifth. There was another scary moment for Barnett as Jesse Gleason spun in his path on lap 14 in turn four to bring out the caution.

A failed attempt at a restart saw J. Sundeen lose the handle making contact with leader Campbell. Sundeen sustained heavy damage as he spun in front of the field. Campbell was able to continue. A handful of laps later, Campbell was not so lucky. He lost the handle collecting Coates.

Arena had inherited the lead as Monahan and Douton resumed their battle; this time for the second spot. Monahan was able to free himself of Douton, who immediately fell into the clutches of Scott Sundeen. Monahan quickly ran down leader Arena. Over the final laps, the battle for the lead heated up. Monahan got up alongside Monahan exiting turn two with two laps remaining. The two made contact at the start finish line. Monahan was able to move by Arena in turn two.

Monahan went on to claim the victory. Arena had to settle for the second spot. Chris Douton, Al Stone III, and Scott Sundeen rounded out the top five. Barnett rebounded to finish sixth and to claim his championship.

In the TIS Modifieds, Brian Tagg scored a popular victory. Outside pole sitter John Studley got out of shape to ride the wall on the opening lap. Tagg capitalized on the confusion to take the lead. Championship contender Cam McDermott ran a distant second. During the green flag run, McDermott was able to cut into Tagg’s lead while point leader Sullivan and Shane Michalski took chase.

With two laps to go, McDermott dove to the low groove in a last ditch effort at the lead. Tagg was up to the challenge and headed to victory lane for his fifth win of the season. McDermott settled for second in the race and in the chase for the championship. Michalski, Sullivan, and Jay Sundeen completed the top five. The top-five finish was enough to secure Tim Sullivan the 2009 TIS Modified championship.

Randy Churchill of Niantic, CT, turned a last lap pass into his third feature win of the season in the Mini Stock division. Early leader Mike Gorgievski had run out to a sizeable advantage in the early going of the main event. Rick Blanchard was making great strides in the opening laps. Both were able to continue where they left off when racing resumed after a caution on lap three. Gorgievski resumed his place on the point while Blanchard had moved into the second spot. Churchill; too, was also making tracks to the front.

Blanchard watched his great run come to an end as he dropped off the pace on lap nine. His misfortune opened the door for Churchill; now running in second. In the waning laps Churchill, began to cut into the lead that Gorgievski had built up. Point leader Scott Michalski ran comfortably in the third position.

A spin by J.T. Suprenant set up a green-white-checker restart that pitted Gorgievski against Churchill. Gorgievski was able to gain the advantage on the restart but Churchill got a great run on the outside. Churchill took the lead entering turn two on the final lap putting Gorgievski. That is the way they would head to the stripe. A third place run gave Scott Michalski his first Mini Stock championship. Eric Bourgeois and Steve Michalski completed the top five.

Sunoco Modified (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 2. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 3. Rowan Pennink, Huntington Station, PA; 4. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 5. Ronnie Silk, Norwalk, CT; 6. Harry Rheaume, Oakdale, CT; 7. Ricky Shawn, Bradford, RI; 8. Dave LaCroix, Fitchburg, MA; 9. Carl Oberg, Sutton, MA; 10. Andy Gaspar, Andover, CT.

Super Late Model (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 2. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 3. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 4. Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH; 5. Rick Fuller, Auburn, MA; 6. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 7. Marc Curtis, Worcester, MA; 8. Les Rose, Jr., Southbridge, MA; 9. Chris Magee, Edgartown, MA; 10. Bobby Tripp, Westport, MA.

Late Model (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Rick Gentes, Woonstocket, RI; 2. John Materas Voluntown, CT; 3. Wayne Coury, Sr., Milford, CT; 4. Tom Fox, Plainfield, CT; 5. Mark Oliveira, Blackstone, MA; 6. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA; 7. Tommy O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 8. John Falconi, N. Grafton, MA; 9. Phil Rondeau, Baltic, CT; 10. Robert O’Connell, Franklin, MA.

Limited Sportsman (Top Ten) Feature Finish: Shawn Monahan, Waterford, CT; 2. Joe Arena, Bristol, CT; 3. Chris Douton, Waterford, CT; 4. Al Stone, III, New Haven, CT; 5. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 6. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 7. Paul Coutu, Jr., Thompson, CT; 8. Phil Evans, Uncasville, CT; 9. Tom Shea, New London, CT; 10. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA.

TIS Modifieds (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Brian Tagg, Oxford, CT; 2. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 3. Shane Michalski, Woodstock, CT; 4. Brian Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 5. Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 6. John Michael Shenette, Thompson, CT; 7. John Studley, Framingham, CT; 8. Jeff Barrows, Worcester, MA; 9. Denis Legere, N. Reading, MA; 10. Glen Boss, Danielson, CT.

Mini Stock (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Randy Churchhill, Niantic, CT; 2. Mike Gorgievski, Auburn, MA; 3. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 4. Eric Bourgeois, E. Haddam, CT; 5. Steven Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 6. Jeff Moffat, Warwick, RI; 7. Scott Jassaume, Danielson, CT; 8. Brad Caddick, New London, CT; 9. Billy Pomposelli, Chepachet, RI; 10. Mike Viens, Seekono, MA.

New Faces Take on Chittenden Milk Bowl

Barre, VT – Lots of new names will be at Barre’s Thunder Road this weekend for their first Chittenden Milk Bowl experience. These “outsiders” will invade the Barre highbanks to take on the Thunder Road and American Canadian Tour regulars in the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 27.

Newcomers Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (2009 Lee USA Champion), Quebec’s Daniel Bergeron, stock car builder Jeff Taylor, White Mountain’s Bernie Lantagne and Travis Fadden will take on local favorites Dave Pembroke, 2009 King of the Road Jean-Paul Cyr, Nick Sweet, Phil Scott, Jamie Fisher and Eric Williams among others.

“Its fun competing against new faces and we proved at Loudon last weekend that you don’t have to know one another to race each other with respect,” said Barre’s Nick Sweet. Sweet turned heads when he finished second at the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH last Saturday, September 19.

With no points on the line and over $75,000 in purse up for grabs, the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl is an intriguing event for many Late Model competitors from around the Northeast. With track champions already decided at most tracks in the area the Milk Bowl could turn out to be one of the best showcases of ACT Late Model competition in 2009.

Milk Bowl weekend will kick off with Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day on Saturday, September 26 at 1 pm. Times Trials as well as Triple 50 qualifiers will be run on Saturday to decide the first 24 starting positions of segment one. The final six positions will be filled after the Last Chance race at 1 pm on Sunday, September 27th, with the first segment of the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl soon to follow. Visit www. thunderroadspeedbowl.com for more information.

Larolupine Crowned Miss Milk Bowl 2009

Berlin, VT – Harvest Hills Larolupine, a genuine Vermont beauty, has been crowned the 2009 Miss Milk Bowl. The three year-old registered Ayershire will deliver the victory smooch at the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl this Sunday afternoon (Septemeber 27th).

Larolupine comes from a Scottish background and has been winning pageants since she was a heifer. She has earned the honors of “Miss Milk Bowl” after recently being named the Grand Champion at the World’s Fair in Tunbridge. Owner Anne Burke claims she is “very kissable.”

Over forty of the finest Late Model competitors from the Northeast are expected to be on hand to battle for the honor of locking lips with Larolupine this weekend. Saturday, September 26 is Booth Bros./H.P. Hood qualifying day with the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 27. Post time for both days is 1 p.m.