By Gary Dutton
WINCHESTER, NH – The NEMA Midgets blistered the high banked oval at triple digit speeds Saturday, June 22, night at Monadnock Speedway, but no one scored a more convincing win than Super Stock rookie Tom Carey III, who earned his first career victory at the fast quarter-mile.
Louis Maher was also a first-time winner Saturday, topping the hotly contested Mini Stock feature, while veteran Lightning Stock wheelsman Josh Houle made his first outing of the season a memorable one, starting scratch on the field and then rocketing past all challengers to score a landslide victory.
Sportsman Modified sophomore hot shoe Danny Stebbins earned his second win of the summer, and Cameron Sontag won his third event of the season in convincing style.
In NEMA action, veteran pilot Joey Payne capitalized on a late-race break to win the 30-lap main event. PJ Stergois outran a deep and potent field to earn the NEMA Lites feature win.
Payne was at or near the point all night in the NEMA main, leading the first nine laps, until John Zych Jr. blasted past him and immediately checked out on the field. Zych’s bid for victory, though, would end abruptly when he was caught up by a slower car with only three laps remaining.
While Zych was able to refire after the incident, he would finish well out of the money, as Payne led fellow veteran Russ Stoehr under the checkers.
It took Stergois 24 laps and four restarts to get to the point in the Lites event but once there, he cruised to an easy victory. Getting the jump on Andy Barrows on a lap 23 restart, Stergois then drove away from the field to win by 14 lengths. Barrows came home second, with Kenny Johnson third.
Alyssa Rivera led the first five laps of the Sportsman Modified main, then giving way to Danny Stebbins. Three laps later, Rivera’s strong run ended abruptly when she was tapped in turn two from behind collecting four other cars, including the ride of two-time winner Adam Norton.
With Rivera, Norton, and Eric LeClair all done for the night, Stebbins quickly grabbed command of the event again, with Keith Carzello and newcomer Glen Ree left to battle for second a half dozen lengths behind him, and Bill Kimball glued to their bumpers.
Kimball seized the deuce position with four to go and then two laps later, Ree dove under Carzello in turn four, drifting just far enough up the track for points leader Tyler Jarvenpaa to blast through the low line and snatch third.
With Stebbins earning his second win of the summer, Kimball came home second, Jarvenpaa claimed third, and Joey Kendall and Ree completed the top five.
Tyler Lescord and Jeff Morse hit the stripe dead even on lap one of the Super Stock feature, with Lescord taking the lead a lap later. Lescord’s run at the front would be short though, as Tom Carey III was on a mission.
Once in front, Carey never looked back, leading former track champ Bill Johnston under the checkers by ten lengths to score his career-first victory. With Johnston coming home second, Dave Striebel, Lescord, and Dennis Stange rounded out the top five.
Joe Rogers led the first five laps of the Mini Stock main, then giving way to Louis Maher, who wasted no time stretching the lead once in front. Rogers held strong in second until watching Mike Stebbins and Chris McTaggart soar past him on a lap 13 restart.
With Maher scoring the victory, McTaggart was strong in second, and Beth Adams came home third, after trading paint with Stebbins as they exited turn four and charged to the awaiting checkers. Stebbins held on for fourth, with Kimmy Rivet coming home fifth.
Cameron Sontag led all the way to top the Young Guns event, his third win of the season. Joe Collins came home second, with Sonja Carey adding to her trophy collection in third. Cole Littlewood and Chris Lawrence rounded out the top five, with Sontag’s third victory of the summer tying him with Lawrence atop the win list.
Eric Silvernale was the early leader in the Lighting Stock feature, but the fastest car in the field on this night was driven by Josh Houle. Starting scratch on the 18-car field, Houle grabbed the point on lap ten and then drove away from the field to post the win in his first outing of the summer.
Points leader Chris Davis came home second, with Ian Stevens completing his hard night’s work in third. Davis’ runner-up finish, along with Craig Chaffee’s absence from the lineup, allowed Davis to open up a huge points lead.
This Saturday, June 29, Monadnock Speedway will host its annual fan-favorite Heroes of Yesteryear Open Track Party event in Memory of Carl Merrill, with the track party held from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a full card of racing, including the Sportsman Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Lightning Stocks, Thunder Stocks, and Young Guns, as well as the visiting New England Race Truck series.
Sportsman Modified (Top Ten): Dan Stebbins, Bill Kimball, Tyler Jarvenpaa, Joe Kendall, Glen Ree, Brian Chapin, Keith Carzello, Glen Grisowld, Alyssa Rivera, Adam Norton
Super Stock (Top Ten): Tom Carey III, Bill Johnston, Dave Striebel, Tyler Lescord, Dennis Stange, Leo Martin, Kevin Russell, Ed Brehio III, Nancy Muni, James Thompson
Mini Stock (Top Ten): Louis Maher, Chris McTaggart, Beth Adams, Mie Stebbins, Kim Rivet, Joe Rogers, Eric Pomasko, JT Cloutier, Julia Raymond, Bill Lambert
Lightning Stocks (Top Ten): Josh Houle, Chris davis, Ian Stevens, Tim O’Shea, Tim Paquette, Dick Houle, Kyle Boniface, Fred Rogers, Matt Somerville, Peter Hyrne
Young Guns (Top Ten): Cameron Sontag, Joe Collins, Sonja Carey, Cole Littlewood, Chris Lawrence, Joel Monahan, mike McGoldrick, Samantha macomber, Justin Faford, Corey Wheeler