NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS SOUTH For Feb 20, 2015
By Lou Modestino
After a stellar rookie season in Stafford Speedway’s SK Light division, Taunton, MA native Branden Dion is ready to challenge for SPAFCO Rookie of the Year honors in the track’s premier SK Modified® division in 2015 behind the wheel of the #04 Triple D Racing / Doug King Builders Chevrolet.
“I’m very excited to be moving up this year,” said Dion. “We worked on the car a lot during the season to get our setup dialed in and I think we’ll ready to go. The plan is for us to start off slow and work our way towards getting the car faster each week. Last year we studied our stuff each week, took our time, and towards the end of the year we really seemed to have everything together. It’s definitely going to be a learning experience for us but we have the same crew and the same chassis, so we should have a good starting point with the car setup.”
Dion’s results during his rookie year of SK Light racing were impressive. Dion scored top-9 finishes in 9 of his first 10 races and he reached NAPA Victory Lane in only his 13th start behind the wheel of an open wheeled modified. Dion’s 15 top-10 finishes for the season was second to only champion Jeremy Sorel’s 16 top-10 finishes and it is this level of consistency that Dion will be striving to achieve as he has his sights set squarely on winning the SPAFCO Rookie of the Year award and the $1,100 bonus that goes along with it.
“Our main goal for this year is to win Rookie of the Year,” said Dion. “That’s a pretty awesome thing that SPAFCO is doing for the rookie program and it would be a big help for us to get ready for 2016 if we can win that bonus. I’m looking for consistent finishes and having fun over the course of the year. It would mean a lot to the entire crew and it would be a huge accomplishment for all of our hard work to pay off.”
Dion joins the likes of Rich Hammann, Mike Christopher, Jr., and Tyler Hines as SK Light drivers making the move into the SK Modified® division for the 2015 season and he is one of 12 rookie drivers who have registered a car number. With such a robust rookie class, it will be a challenge to compete for that $1,100 SPAFCO bonus, but Dion is ready to tackle that challenge.
“It should be some pretty stiff competition among the rookie drivers this year and it should be exciting,” said Dion. I ran the Open Wheel Wednesday show at Seekonk and the World Series at Thompson with the SK, so I have a little experience with the new car and engine package. Our main focus will be to improve the car each week we come to the track. I think we’re looking to be able to get a top-5 finish this season. A win would be fantastic but I don’t think that will be coming this year.”
Dion and the rest of the SPAFCO SK Modified® rookie class will get their first opportunity of the 2015 season at the 44th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler on April 24-26.
“Outlaw” Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA led flag-to-flag in the caution free American Canadian Tour 100 at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, FL on Sunday, February 15. MacDonald earned the pole position after racing from 9th to 2nd in his heat race to give him a +7 in ACT’s unique plus/minus handicap system.
MacDonald led the 26 car field to the green and held off defending Série ACT Champion Alex Labbe through the early stages of the event. He set a blistering pace, but couldn’t shake Labbe, Travis Stearns and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. during the first half of the race.
Another Quebecer in Patrick Laperle challenged MacDonald through the second half of the race. Laperle marched from his 14th starting postion to take over the second spot just past the halfway mark. He made it to MacDonald’s back bumper, but couldn’t make a move for the lead. He chased MacDonald through heavy lapped traffic and appeared to be in position to make a challenge on several occasions, but couldn’t get it done.
MacDonald and Laperle took the checkered flag in the top two spots, while Helliwell made a last lap pass to claim third. Stearns ran up front throughout the event and claimed fourth, while defending ACT Champion Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. worked his way from the 16th starting position to complete the top five. Labbe fell back to sixth followed by Aaron Fellows, Ray Parent, Luke Hinkley and Brad Babb rounding out the top ten.
The 100 lap event was completed caution free in 33 minutes and 42 seconds. A total of 23 of the 26 starters were on the track for the checkered flag. Only the top ten remained on the lead lap.
All 26 cars survived the first of three nights of American Canadian Tour racing at New Smyrna Speedway. Emily Packard will join the field tomorrow to bring the count up to 27. The first of two American Racer Challenge Cup 100 lap events will be run on Monday, February 16. Heat races will roll out at 7:30pm. The second and final American Racer Challenge Cup 100 will be run on Tuesday, February 17. Drivers will combine their two finishes in the American Racer Challenge Cup events on Monday and Tuesday to decide the overall Challenge Cup winner.
ACT 100 Unofficial Results
New Smyrna Speedway – New Smyrna Beach, FL
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed
(1) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA, 100 Laps
(14) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC, 100 Laps
(5) Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, NH, 100 Laps
(3) Travis Stearns, Auburn, ME, 100 Laps
(16) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH, 100 Laps
(2) Alex Labbe, St-Albert, QC, 100 Laps
(7) Aaron Fellows, Croydon, NH, 100 Laps
(6) Ray Parent, Tiverton, RI, 100 Laps
(10) Luke Hinkley, Claremont, NH, 100 Laps
(11) Brad Babb, Windham, ME, 100 Laps
(26) Nick Sweet, Barre, VT, 99 Laps
(8) Tom Carey, Jr., New Salem, MA, 99 Laps
(12) Rowland Robinson, Jr., Steuben, ME, 99 Laps
(9) Brandon Atkins, Au Sable Forks, NY, 99 Laps
(13) Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT, 99 Laps
(21) Josh Demers, Montpelier, VT, 99 Laps
(25) Pete Yetman, Peru, MA, 99 Laps
(4) Jeff Rocco, Wallingford, CT, 99 Laps
(18) Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT, 99 Laps
(23) Daniel Descoste, St-Joseph, QC, 99 Laps
(15) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC, 99 Laps
(19) Dylan Smith, Concord, NC, 98 Laps
(24) Brandon White, Kahnawake, QC, 66 Laps
(17) Kyle Welch, Newport, NH, 35 Laps
(22) Edward Leclerc, Jr., Taunton, MA, 7 Laps
(20) Jean-Pierre Ouimet, Terrebonne, QC, 1 Laps
Lap Leaders: Eddie MacDonald, 1-100.
Time of Race: 33:42
Margin of Victory: .987 seconds
Cautions: 0
Heat Winners: Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Alex Labbe, Brandon Atkins
For many years, a NEMA race has not been run without a Stoehr family name on the starting grid – from grandfather Paul, to brothers Russ, from Bridgewater and Greg of Lakeville, to the new generation of Stoehrs – Avery of Lakeville and Bethany of Bridgewater. This year will be no different.
The 2015 runner-up in the NEMA Midgets division, Avery Stoehr, will again campaign a full-time ride on the NEMA schedule, and also will sport a new NEMA LITES ride at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Icebreaker on April 11th and 12th. Avery will be bringing along his familiar sponsors: Motorcars International, Skaters Edge, Maaco, and Jon Andruk’s Circle Performance. In addition, Stoehr will run select TQ races – as evidenced by his appearances in Trenton NJ and Atlantic City – and is working on other possible rides, including Stafford Speedway on Friday nights.
“2014 was a good year. I think we accomplished everything we set out to and then some. I think we’ve got a very good season to build off of for 2015,” said
Avery.
A welder by trade, the young Stoehr says that Oswego and Thompson, two of NEMA’s fastest tracks, are his favorite places, not unlike many of the young drivers. “NEMA is a place where any given car can win on any given night at any track these days,” he says.
Avery’s #15A race cars are crewed by the familiar father & son combination of Carl and Curt Kibbe. The Kibbes have been a mainstay in NEMA for the last four decades with Carl having won multiple championships as a car owner, and Curt having been a key crew member for his father and the late Gene Angelillo.
And it does not end there. Avery’s cousin, Bethany, also a regular front runner in NEMA, is looking forward to the full NEMA schedule as well.
“Our plans for the 2015 season for the #5B team include building a new car over the winter and attending every scheduled event. Our goal is podium finishes
or a top 5 at every race,” she says.
When asked about her favorite track, Bethany says “I like Oswego and Twin State the most, but it is awfully hard to narrow down a favorite. I like any track that involves going fast and turning left!”
A race fan since she can remember, NEMA’s top division only current female competitor has had the sport in her blood since a very young age. Bethany also has a passion for music, singing the National Anthem at a number of NEMA races. She enjoys singing & writing music as a hobby, when she is not busy either
working on the race car, racing, or at her full time job at Motorcars International.
Longtime NEMA board member, tech inspector and chassis expert, Shawn Torrey of Marshfield will join Bethany’s father Greg and mother Tara as the crew on her #5B in 2015.
There is one thing for sure, when the green flag drops at NEMA’s season opener, the chances of a Stoehr on the podium, or in the winner’s circle are very strong for 2015.
Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA claimed his second win in two nights of ACT competition at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, FL on Monday, August 16. MacDonald followed up his Sunday night win with another trip to victory lane in the first leg of the American Racer Challenge Cup. His second win, however, didn’t come so easy.
Unlike Sunday night, MacDonald didn’t earn the pole, lead every lap or even appear to have the fastest car of the race. He started in the third position and challenged pole sitter Patrick Laperle and outside pole Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. early in the event. Laperle led the way through the first 26 caution free laps, while Polewarczyk struggled and faded back with a tire going flat. Polewarczyk finally spun on lap 26 bringing out the first caution of the event.
That caution setup a six lap battle between Laperle and MacDonald in which they would swap the lead five times with MacDonald settling into the lead on lap 32. Aaron Fellows followed MacDonald by Laperle to take the second spot and quickly set his sights on MacDonald’s rear bumper. Fellows worked the inside lane until finally making the move he needed to take over the point.
Fellows broke out to a comfortable lead with MacDonald hanging at a distance. Meanwhile, sophomore ACT Late Model competitor Josh Demers had an amazing battle with Laperle for over 30 laps. Demers eventually got the advantage and took over third.
It appeared to be smooth sailing for Fellows who arguably had the fastest car of the race until the fifth caution of the event flew on lap 86. That caution came for Laperle who wrecked hard in the turn one wall after being stuck in the outside of a three-wide. Fellows hung on to the lead through the next two restarts for two more cautions. MacDonald got the advantage on the lap 87 restart and Fellows fell back to second. Just two laps later the eighth and final caution flag flew when Fellows spun in turn two, while battling for second.
MacDonald held off Wayne Helliwell, Jr. on the final restart to claim his second win in two nights. Helliwell came from eighth to claim second and his second podium finish in two nights. Quebec’s Alex Labbe had to change a motor between the last practice and the heat races and managed to still take third in the feature. Nick Sweet and Demers rounded out the top five. Pete Yetman, Donald Theetge, Travis Stearns, Fellows and Brandon White completed the top ten.
The 100 lap event saw eight cautions and was completed in one hour, six minutes and 18 seconds. There were seven lead changes among three drivers.
The American Canadian Tour wraps up its trip south with the 100 lap second leg of the American Racer Challenge Cup at New Smyrna Speedway on Tuesday, February 17. The top twenty finishers from Monday’s event will be inverted for the start of Tuesday’s race. The overall Challenge Cup winner will be decided based on the best two combined finishes from the Monday and Tuesday events.
American Racer Challenge Cup Segment #1
ACT Unofficial Results
New Smyrna Speedway – New Smyrna Beach, FL
Monday, February 16, 2015
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed
(3) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA, 100 Laps
(8) Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, NH, 100 Laps
(9) Alex Labbe, St-Albert, QC, 100 Laps
(7) Nick Sweet, Barre, VT, 100 Laps
(6) Josh Demers, Montpelier, VT, 100 Laps
(13) Pete Yetman, Peru, MA, 100 Laps
(12) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC, 100 Laps
(20) Travis Stearns, Auburn, ME, 100 Laps
(5) Aaron Fellows, Croydon, NH, 100 Laps
(15) Brandon White, Kahnawake, QC, 100 Laps
(11) Ray Parent, Tiverton, RI, 100 Laps
(17) Emily Packard, East Montpelier, VT, 100 Laps
(10) Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT, 100 Laps
(19) Brandon Atkins, Au Sable Forks, NY, 99 Laps
(16) Tom Carey, Jr., New Salem, MA, 99 Laps
(23) Edward Leclerc, Jr., Taunton, MA, 99 Laps
(1) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC, 86 Laps
(18) Brad Babb, Windham, ME, 86 Laps
(26) Jean-Pierre Ouimet, Terrebonne, QC, 85 Laps
(14) Jeff Rocco, Wallingford, CT, 28 Laps
(2) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH, 28 Laps
(4) Rowland Robinson, Jr., Steuben, ME, 26 Laps
(21) Dylan Smith, Concord, NC, 25 Laps
(22) Daniel Descoste, St-Joseph, QC, 8 Laps
(24) Kyle Welch, Newport, NH, 0 Laps
Lap Leaders: Patrick Laperle, 1-26; Eddie MacDonald, 27-28; Laperle, 29; MacDonald, 30; Laperle, 31; MacDonald, 32-47; Aaron Fellows, 48-87; MacDonald, 88-100. (7 lead changes among 3 drivers)
Time of Race: 1:06:18
Margin of Victory: .512 seconds
Cautions: 8 (laps 26, 26, 28, 36, 86, 86, 87, 89)
Heat Winners: Alex Labbe, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Ray Parent.