NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS SOUTH
By Lou Modestino
The Thompson Speedway announced that the 2013 NASCAR All-American Series awards banquet will be held on Friday, November 29th. All of Thompson’s five NWAAS divisions will be honored that night with awards going to competitors that finished in the top ten in each division’s final standings.
Topping the list will be the NASCAR Division 1 Sunoco Modified champion Keith Rocco. The 2013 championship is his fourth Thompson division title. He previously won the crown in 2007, 2009 and again in 2011. Multi-time Late Model champ Rick Gentes will receive his fifth Thompson championship award. Gentes is one of only three drivers to attain five track championships. He won titles in 1996, 1997, 2007, 2010 and again in 2013.
Keith “Cam” McDermott will be honored as a three time champion. McDermott won his first crown in the Thompson Modified division in 2011 and then went on to win back-to-back championships in the Lite Modified division in 2012 and 2013. Steve Kenneway, The Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman winner, claimed his first championship in 2013.
Kenneway bested a huge field of Limited Sportsman competitors to gain the top spot. He is he only first time winner of a division championship that will be honored at this year’s Thompson banquet. Eric Bourgeois will receive his second division championship in the Monster Mini Stock division. Bourgeois claimed his first title back in 2004 and returned to the top spot this year.
In addition to honoring the top ten race teams in each racing division, special awards will also be presented. A Most Improved driver award will be given to a driver in each division as will a Rookie of the Year award. Chief Starter Tim Bennett will make presentations to drivers that he feels best represent the sport in their on-track performances and the coveted John Hoenig Memorial Award will be presented to an employee who best shows devotion and dedication to the track that John Hoenig built and opened back in 1940.
The gala evening will include dinner, awards and dancing. Tickets for the annual Thompson Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banquet will be limited in number and will be available for purchase shortly after the completion of the World Series of Speedway Racing event.
The Last Party Weekend at the Lee USA Speedway is just around the corner. The 28th Annual Oktoberfest Weekend presented by Haffner’s will commence October 11, 12, &13. Whether it’s gasoline, propane, or home heating oil, “for more than 80 years, Haffner’s has been dedicated to customer satisfaction with quality service and quality products at competitive prices” and has been a fervent Lee USA Speedway supporter for many years.
Over 300 racing cars from all over the northeast are expected to compete in 14 exciting feature events. All four regular NASCAR Whelen Weekly Racing Series divisions will be in action along with four major racing series events, and cars and competitors from many other New England tracks. Oktoberfest Weekend is traditionally Lee USA’s premier autumn classic and a trophy from Oktoberfest is one that every driver wants.
One trophy that every American Used Auto Parts Ironman driver is going to want is the four- footer going to the winner of the 1st Annual Ironman Super Series Race, guaranteed to be the biggest of Oktoberfest Weekend. A nearly $4,000 purse has been posted for this event with $1,000 going to the winner.
The event will be in two 25 lap segments. The line-up for the first will be determined by heat races, the second will be inverted from the first. The winner will be determined by the lowest point score.
Recently crowned Lee USA Ironman Champ Travis Hollins has to be considered the favorite. In his rookie season, the Milford driver has won three features in addition to claiming the title, but he has faded in the last few weeks of the 2013 season while Tyler Mitchell and Evan Horvath have surged. Both drivers have two feature wins. Evan’s brother Shane Horvath, Wayne Osborne, Zach Washburn, and points chase runner-up Hannah Shaw are among the top Lee USA Ironman contenders.
Others are coming. Floyd Bennett of Stark has already ventured to Lee USA from the Riverside Speedway in Groveton and has won on his first attempt. He will lead a north country contingent searching for Lee USA treasure on Oktoberfest Weekend. Many others are rumored to be in the process of building rides specifically for the Ironman Super Series Race.
A large field of cars are expected for the event. Several cars have been made available for sale by the Lee USA Speedway. Those interested can call the track office or Lee USA NASCAR Tech Inspector Joe Bassett at 978-580-7962. The Ironman division has been devised as an affordable racing venue to attract new entries into the sport and to provide the fans with some rough and tumble racing action.
Tommy Tombarello Jr edged Mike Netishen by a mere 7 points to take the Bensons Lumber & Hardware Small Block Supermodified Championship at Lee USA in 2013. Both will square off in their Oktoberfest feature event. The division has seen seven other drivers in victory lane this season including Ricky Wolf, Jake Stergious, Mike Spurling, and Sparky Maciver, who won his first feature event in the last regular season event of the season. All will be after that prestigious Oktoberfest victory.
Grant Aither overwhelmed the Prime Storage Late Model Sportsman field this season with 6 feature wins. JR Baril, Alby Ovitt, and Geoff Rollins are out to get even. Michelle Fushpanski built a new car this season that hasn’t delivered much more than a heaping helping of bad luck until the final Friday night of the season when she won for the first time this year.
Jim Piasecny won three features in the Davd’s Race Cars & Components Hobby Stock Divion, but lost the title to a more consistent Patrick Tanguay. Piasecny is out for revenge in Oktoberfest action. Wade Worcester, Paul Palen, and Billy Clement will be there too. Both these divisions can expect a large field of outside challengers from tracks all over the region.
Returning former Lee USA champion and ACT star Wayne Helliwell Jr. will head up a healthy field of Pro Stocks and Late Models, Granite State Pro Stock Series regulars Bobby Bailrageon and Eric and Jay Sands are coming as well. The winner of the Oktoberfest Late Model feature will be a guaranteed starter in the $10,000 Fall Brawl at the Riverside Speedway in Groveton on October 19. There will also be a wide array of four cylinder racers form all over New England.
The E-Keys for Cars N E Classic Lites return for their fourth and final time at Lee USA this year. George Helliwell has come from the back to win in spectacular fashion twice and plans to do it again. Other local Classic Lites standouts include Chris Sullivan, Eddie Gilman, and Shawn Waite Jr. DJB Trucking will be awarding a $1,000 point fund to the top finishers of their four race Lee USA series. The Classic Lites will run their season-ending feature event on Saturday afternoon with an awards ceremony in conjunction with the spaghetti supper that evening.
The NEMA midgets will also be making their final appearance of the season. Upstart driver John Zych Jr. has won four times on the NEMA Series this seasons and sits on top of the points ahead of midget veterans Randy Cabral and Todd Bertrand. Carl Mederious, Anthony Nocella, and the brother and sister team of Megan and Danny Gugini are among the stars of the junior NEMA Lites Series.
Lee USA Speedway Small Block Supermodified regular Jake Stergious also runs with the Lites and this summer won in both divisions on the same night, a career highlight. However the last time the NEMA Lites ventured to Lee USA, he got caught up in a three car wreck that sent two cars tumbling down the front-stretch. NEMA midget racing is usually a thrill at Lee USA.
The biggest event of Oktoberfest Weekend is clearly the Valenti Modified Series 100 lap event presented by Laticrete, distibutors of a wide variety of flooring, masonary, and waterproofing products. Coastal 181 calls MRS the Best Racing Series in the Northeast and it usually lives up to its billing. Every event guarantees 100 green flag laps of thundering racing action. So far, 11 drivers have gone to victory lane in 14 races.
Rowan Pennick of Huntington Valley, PA is poised to claim his first MRS crown, but the spectacular Tommy Barrett Jr. is second. Both drivers have two wins, however Barrett has developed a knack for laying back in the early stages of any event, saving his stuff for the end. With the laps winding down, Barrett comes charging through the pack.
He tried that tact in the first MRS show at Lee USA last season, but collided with the leader Jon McKennedy with 10 to go triggering a massive pile-up. The altercation got him a suspension, but Barrett came back and did it again on Oktoberfest Weekend. This time instead of crashing, Barrett’s black #9 careened past 10 cars in the later stages and on to his first victory at Lee USA. Look for Barrett to be either a hero or a zero again this year. Chris Pasteryak, Louie Mechalides, Rich Savary, Norm Wrenn, and NEMA ace Anthony Nocella are among the other Modified stars headed for Lee USA on Oktoberfest Weekend.
It’s the Last Party Weekend. Breakfast Buffet will be served on Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. There will be a Pub Party on Friday night and the Traditional Spaghetti Dinner and Dancing on Saturday night. Haunted Hay Rides on both nights. On Sunday morning a Walk for Cancer Research will commence at 7:30 a.m. We will have a table setup at the admission windows for all to sign up and pledge for donations for this great cause.
A Church Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Start / Finish line in the grandstands.
Lee USA will be open Friday at Noon. Practice for all divisions will run between 3 and 7p.m. The track opens on both Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. Heat races, features for the Classic Lites and the first Ironman Super Series Race segment will run on Saturday.
The Driver’s Meeting will be held Saturday morning promptly at 11 a.m. with one round of practice per division to follow. Heat races will begin at 2PM. Sunday’s pre-race activities will begin at 11 a.m. with the first of 12 feature events going off at noon.
We look forward to seeing all of our friends for one last great racing weekend of 2013.
Over 200 race cars turned out forWaterford Speedbowl’s Finale Weekend, the annual close to the racing season. Thirteen divisions took the track for practice and qualifying
with seven racing their final events of the year. Taking feature wins Saturday evening included Glenn Griswold of Vernon ,CT in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Light Modified, Kenney Johnson of Bethany, CT in the NEMA Lites and Duane Noll of Monroe,CT in the New England Truck Series.
Joining them were Waterford’s DanButler in the Super X-Cars, Dave Gargaro Jr. of Cranston, RI in the X-Cars and Derek Debbis of Oakdale, CT in the INEX Bandoleros. Salem, CT’s’s Corey Hutchings came out on top of a wild finish in the Outlaw Stocks.
NEMA Lites (25-laps): 1. Kenney Johnson, Bethany; 2. Jake Stergios,
Candia, NH; 3. Ryan Bigelow, East Hampton, CT, 4. Christian Briggs,
Mattapoisset, MA; 5. Avery Stoehr, Lakeville, MA; 6. Carl Mederios,
Westport, MA; 7. Danny Cugini, Marshfield, MA; 8. Brandon Igo,
Bondsville, MA; 9. Logan Rayvals, Brockville, ONT., Ca; 10. Ryan
Krachun, hometown not available; 11. Andy Barrows, New Ipswich, NH; 12.
Alison Cumens, Lydell, PA; 13. Jamie Falconi, Southborough, MA; 14. D.J.
Moniz, New Bedford, MA; 15. Anthony Payne, Fairlawn, NJ; 16. Randy
Cabral, Plymouth, MA; 17. Meg Cugini, Marshfield, MA; 18. Kevin Park,
Foxboro, MA; 19. Richie Morrocco, Plainville, MA; 20. R.J. Tufano, West
Haven, CT.
At Seekonk Speedway the crash filled Valenti Modified Racing Series 100 was won by Anthony Nocella of Woburn. Bellingham’s Steve Massey took the runner-up spot followed by Les Hinkley and Rowan Pinnink. In the early going Todd Annarummo got cross-up on the frontstretch and tried to make a correction. The result was a disasterous crash that took him into the was just before the finish line. The race car had to be taken to the pits suspended between two tow trucks.
In the other events Mike Cavallaro of Freetown won the Sport Truck feature. In victory lane he said, ” We set the truck up for a lot of cautions. It ran well on both the long and short runs. Gary DeGasspare, Sr. ended up the winner for the second time in the DAV Late Model feature. ‘The last time we won a championship was in 2008. This win today is awesome.
Seekonk Speedway managed to get in the DAV Fast Friday events in spite of threatening weather. In a legendary 2013 season, Abington’s Nick Lascoula had won just about everything there was at Seekonk. The 2013 Nick’s Pit Stop Legends championship, the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Championship and Seekonk’s INEX Pro division Championship, to go along with eight feature wins. On Friday night, he picked up his third DAV Fall Classic title.
Lascoula started on the pole in the 25 lap finale, and was clearly the driver to beat. Stephen Kopcik hung with Lascoula all he could, keeping within a couple of car lengths but had his hands full with Chris Robbins and TJ Thompson, who swapped the third position back and forth. Over the final laps, Robbins fell back to fourth and battled with Jesse Melberg, hosing off the former Pure Stock Champion.
1) Nick Lascoula 2) Stephen Kopcik 3) TJ Thompson 4) Chris Robbins 5) Jesse Melberg 6) Jesse Jakubajtys 7) Curt Snow 8) Joe Wisialko 9) Nick Wisialko 10) Joey Parker 11) Branden Packard
Jay Fortin added his name to the DAV Fall Classic winners, picking up the 25 lap Pure Stock feature. Fortin and Ed Flanagan Jr brought the field down and spent the first 19 lap battling for the lead.
Flanagan pressured the J Fortin Concrete Forms Chevy through a lap five restart, and threw everything he could at the leader. Several times, Flanagan was able to get a nose under Fortin, but each time, Fortin continued to hold off the challenges. On lap 19, Flanagan made a move underneath, but as the door closed, Flanagan tried to avoid making contact with the leader and spun out.
With Amy Arsenault now challenging, Fortin was able to keep the young lady behind as he picked up the lap money for each lap. Arsenault settled for second, with Bill Doyle, Jay Heroux and Mark Murphy third through fifth.
1) Jay Fortin 2) Amy Arsenault 3) Bill Doyle 4) Jay Heroux 5) Mark Murphy 6) Dan Johnson 7) Jamie Salley 8) Ed Flanagan Jr 9) Dan Massa Jr 10) Mark Murphy 11) 12) Keri Lyn Manfredo 13) Tim Demarderosian 14) John Robidoux
In the Sport 4 class Tyler Boudreau drove to third in the championship standing in his rookie season, but was able to do something his uncle and father have tried to do since 1993, win the DAV Fall Classic. Boudreau added his name to the winners list of the race that honors the founder of the speedway, holding off Shaun DeMello and Eric Pelletier over the 20 lap main event.
Boudreau and DeMello started on the front row after winning their qualifiers, and battled for the entire event. 2013 Sport4 Champion Devin Miranda ran second and third in the opening laps before falling out early.
Through a couple of restarts, the pair of rookies battles side by side, with Tyler holding him off each lap. Over the final half of the 20 lap main, Pelletier made it a 3 car battle, pressuring the top two, but had to settle for third. Dave Gargara and Henry Lavallee rounded out the top five.
1) Tyler Boudreau 2) Shawn DeMello 3) Eric Pelletier 4) Dave Gargaro Jr 5) Henry Lavallee 6) Chuck McDonald 7) Michael Glad 8) Robert Henry 9) Chris Testa 10) Chris Bissell 11) Lenny Sousa 12) Gil Bradstreet 13) Matt Weinartz 14) Nick Mattera 15) Christine Cavallaro 16) Devin Miranda 17) Jason Enos
While the competition was small, the action was hot in the 15 lap SYRA 750 20 lap main event. Dave Lougee picked up his third win of the season, holding off the hard charges of Ashley Kuhn.
Taylor Bowser started on the pole, and jumped out front with Kuhn and Lougee pushing hard. The trio raced under a blanket until lap 9, when Bowser’s car broke while leading.
Over the final six laps, Kuhn and Lougee raced side by side, with Lougee winning in the end.
1) David Lougee 2) Ashley Kuhn 3) Taylor Bowser
In only his rookie season, Joey Lembo picked up the biggest trophy available in the 600 SYRA class, the DAV Fall Classic. Matt Barboza and Lembo started on the front row, and raced wheel to wheel for the first several laps, with the rookie edging ahead of Barboza on the fifth lap, and never looked back.
Through a few mid race cautions, Matt held on outside of Lembo as the pair continued to race hard for the lead. Over the final few laps, Lembo was able to put a little breathing room between him and the field, when Barboza started getting pressure from Shea Kulpa, but was able to hold her off.
1) Joey Lembo 2) Matt Barboza 3) Shea Kulpa 4) Brandon Lillie 5) Tom Morsehead Jr 6) Doug Meservey 7) Kendra Levesque 8) Madison Birchall 9) Jessica O’Leary 10) Scott Serydynski 11) Brittany Nichols 12) Mikey Toner 13) Eric Lebrun 14) Cassie Meservey 15) Matt Norton