By Gary Dutton
WINCHESTER, NH – Ed Lofland became the first two-time winner of the young season Saturday, May 4, at Monadnock Speedway, topping the 30-lap Thunder Stock feature.
Defending division champ Kimmy Rivet led an all-female top three under the checkers in the Mini Stock main event, while Adam Norton won his first of the year in the Sportsman Modified main and John Lavoie parlayed his first victory of the summer to jump into the points lead in the Super Stock division.
Other winners on Eve of Cinca De Mayo Night included Cameron Sontag in the Young Guns, Eddie Gilman in the Classic Lites, and Duane Noll, who continued his dominance at the high banked speedplant in the visiting NE Truck Series feature race.
Adam Norton wired the 30 lap Super Modified feature, starting on the outside front row and never giving up the point en route to his first win of the year. The battle close behind him was fierce throughout the race, as Joey Kendall and Tyler Jarvenpaa ran glued together for the final 27 laps, with Kendall scoring the runner-up finish just ahead of Jarvenpaa.
Brian Chapin charged through the field to come home fourth, with Bill Kimball fifth, with both blasting their way back forward after a lap-11 tangle. Russ Hersey, in the top four for most of the race, faded in the final laps, while week two winner Danny Stebbins finished behind the wall after suffering mechanical woes on lap 22.
Tyler Lescord paced the field for the first 12 laps of the Super Stock main, giving way to Kenny Springer on a restart, as John Lavoie rocketed into second. The next restart was all Lavoie needed to complete his charge from row four to the point, as the two-time defending champ outpowered Springer and then pulled away.
Once in front, Lavoie was in full control, taking the checkers 15 lengths ahead of Springer to become the division’s third different winner in as many weeks. With Springer in the deuce spot, week two winner Bill Johnston came home third, with Tom Carey III and Craig Smith completing the top five.
Beth Adams led most of the way in the Mini Stock feature, lapping slower traffic by lap ten, with Julia Raymond and JT Cloutier in hot pursuit. Kimmy Rivet – from row four – reeled in Cloutier on lap 16, completing the pass for third the next time around.
Cloutier got loose in turn four on lap 18, losing positions while pulling his ride back under him. A caution on the same lap brought Rivet knocking on Adams’ door, with Rivet then taking the lead from the bottom of the track on lap 23.
With Rivet scoring her first win of the season, Adams and Raymond completed the lady’s-night-out top three. Mike Stebbins finished inches behind Raymond to claim fourth, and Chris McTaggart came home fifth.
Michelle Leh led the first six laps of the Young Guns event, giving way to Cameron Sontag lap seven. With Sontag scoring his first win of the year, Leh stayed strong to score the deuce finish, with Joe Collins coming home third. Chris Lawrence and Mike McGoldrick rounded out the top five.
Barry Schonborg and Jon Goddard battled wheel-to-wheel for the top spot in the Thunder Stock feature for the first five laps, with Schonborg then inching ahead. Jason Barden was in the hunt, and took charge on lap 13, with his mirror now filled by week one winner Ed Lofland, who, coming from deep in the field, was wheel-to-wheel with Barden before taking control on lap 19 and pulling away.
Joe Ethier would claim second from Barden on lap 23, but had nothing for Lofland on this night. With Lofland scoring his second win in as many events, Ethier, Barden, Goddard, and Scott Thompson rounded out the top five.
Duane Noll led all the way, taking the checkers a full half-lap ahead of runner-up Tony Lafo in the NE Race Trucks feature. The winner’s younger brother, Glen Noll, came home third.
In the Classic Lites feature, Eddie Gilman grabbed the lead on lap five and never looked back. Dan Poliguin was second, and Duane Skofield third.
This Saturday, May 11, New England’s fastest quarter-mile oval will host the NASCAR Whelen Modified 175 presented by Town Fair Tire. The Sportsman Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Lightning Stocks, and Young Guns will also be in action. Whelen Modified time trials will begin at 4 p.m., with qualifying races starting at 5 p.m.