Story by Chris Roy
The NELCAR Legends returned to NHMS to run the road course for the 1st time this season. Shaun Buffington, seems to be unstoppable this season, with 2 wins on the oval course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, one win at Seekonk Speedbowl, and his most recent win this past weekend, on the road course at NHMS as he took the checkered flag for the fourth time this season.
“The race track was awesome, the rain held off just long enough. The car would push on the 1st lap then the push would go away, then the car was awesome. We just built this car 2 months ago, come out shake it down! Its defiantly better then the car we brought here last year.”
Shaun’s teammate Tom Gray, had a great start in the beginning of the race, driving past Shaun, taking the lead on the first lap. “He (Tom) got into that 1st corner better than I did. I went easy on the brakes, everything was still new in my car. I didn’t want to send it in to the turn like I did last year and end up going through the grass, so I’m going to go easy. He got ahead of me, and once the push went away that’s when I was able to get back by him and that’s when the caution came out.”
NHMS has two courses for the legends to race on the road and the oval, and when it comes to picking a favorite for the 23 car that’s easy, “I grew up racing this track, I love the road course, it’s a driver’s track. I would race here every weekend if they had us.”
Though the biggest surprise of the race had to be the 38 car, of Matt Bourgoine. He ran the entire race inside the top 5 and with only a few laps remaining edged into 3rd place for his 1st Legends podium finish. “I saw him in the mirror. I was impressed. I don’t know if he was here last year or not. These guys are doing better than I thought, because it is a big transition from the oval to the road course. A lot of guys are just leaving them set up to just turn left. We changed everything to go right and left which is legal. Some people chose not to, but it defiantly makes a difference.”
The hardest part of running the road course “Waiting for the next one”, replied Shaun.
The NELCAR Legends are heading to Unity Raceway this weekend, and they will return to NHMS, on June 19th to turn left and right on the road course once again.
