by Jay | Nov 1, 2009 | PASS
NAPLES ME (October 28 2009) Pro All Stars Series (PASS) President Tom Mayberry announced today that the touring short track sanctioning body will not promote a non-points Thanksgiving weekend event at Southern National in Kenly, North Carolina.
“It was a difficult decision for us,” according to Mayberry, “As a series, we don’t like to cancel previously announced events. But we felt that the current economic climate and the impending auction of the property shortly before the scheduled race date would make it difficult for us to promote a successful Thanksgiving Classic at this time. I want to thank Kirk Leone, Mike Bushee, Becky Boone and the Wake County Speedway staff for working with us this season, and I hope that we may bring the Pro All Stars back to Southern National in the future.”
The Pro All Stars Series will announce its 2010 PASS North and South schedules in the very near future. Please visit PASS on the web at www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com . for the latest news and schedule updates.
by Jay | Oct 28, 2009 | New England, Thompson
Thompson, CT – October 25, 2009 – In their final race of the 2009 season, the Pro Four Modifieds of New England (PFMNE) put on a spectacular show at the Thompson Int’l Speedway Sunday evening. Qualifying for the weekend long event was completed on Friday with Norm Wrenn and Dan Meservey, Jr. picking up heat race wins. Due to extensive rain on Saturday, the Harry Kourafas, Jr. Memorial race was postponed to Sunday. Rob Richardi, Jr. held off the advances of Norm Wrenn to pick up his first win of the season, snapping Wrenn’s World Series win streak.
Richardi, Jr. and Dan Meservey led the 21-car field to post. The #00 of Dave Richardi stole the second and third positions away from Meservey Jr. and Sr. in hot pursuit of his brother. By the time the cars were coming off of turn two, Wrenn had already passed the #16 of Stan Mertz, the #86 of Mark Charette, and #4 of Cory Cleary to claim tenth. Within the next two laps, the #83 of Franky Perry began to catch the #10 of Brian Vincent, and by lap four, he had completed the pass for a top five position. Vincent would also be passed by Wrenn on lap five, but the pass was nullified when the first caution flag of the event was displayed for the #60 of Andy Majors and the #11a of Dan Meservey, who both made contact with the wall in turn three. Both drivers were unable to continue.
On the restart, the top five included the two Richardi brothers followed by Meservey, Jr., Vincent and the #07 of Phil Lausier, who inherited a position in the top five after Sagar retired from the race during the caution period. At the drop of the green, Meservey, Jr. fell off the pace, while Wrenn began his charge to the front. By lap seven he passed Vincent and Perry, and was stalking the Richardis for the first two positions. They would continue to run this way until Lausier went spinning in turn two, necessitating a lap-fourteen caution.
On the restart, the Richardis continued to show the way with Wrenn right on their heels in the third position. Perry and Vincent rounded out the top five. On lap seventeen, Wrenn was able to complete the pass of Dave Richardi with Vincent in tow. While Richardi was battling for the fourth position with Tyler Anderson, who had come all the way from the back, contact was made and the result was a lap nineteen caution flag. Richardi would be able to continue, but Anderson had terminal damage to his #25 mount.
On the restart, Richardi caught Wrenn sleeping and jumped out to a four car length advantage. Eventually, Wrenn would get back to Richardis back bumper, and would hound the race leader all the way to checkers. All of his efforts, however, were not enough as Richardi ended up leading every lap of the 25-lap main. Wrenn finished second, with Perry, Vincent, and George Sherman rounding out the top five. Positions six through ten went to Dave Richardi, Robin Berghman, Lausier, Dick Dubois, and Tim D’Amico. Mark Giordano, Cory Cleary, Jim Darlington, Mark Charette, and Anderson took positions eleven through fifteen. And rounding out the field was Meservey, Jr., Joe Lemay, 2009 Limited Pro Four Modifieds of New England Champion Stan Mertz, Meservey, Sr., Sagar, and Majors.
The first three Limiteds across the line were Mark Giordano, Mark Charette, and Joe Lemay.
Thompson was the final scheduled event of the 2009 season. Next up on the docket is the Four-Cylinder Flea Market at Dennis’ Auto in Spencer, MA. For all of the details on this event and all other off-season events, please stay tuned to www.pro4mods.com.
by Jay | Oct 27, 2009 | Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson NH – It was a fabulous fall afternoon for Pumpkinfest ’09 at Hudson Speedway this past Sunday. With five championships to be decided, the stands and pits were at capacity.
Eric Bacon and Billy Ryder were the top pointmen in the Classic Lights. Bacon held a slim nineteen point advantage over Ryder at the start of their feature so Ryder would have to finish in front of Bacon with at least one car between them to notch his second title in as many years. With both men starting in the last row of the twenty-two car main, all eyes were on those two. Bacon and Ryder both sliced through the field after the drop of the green, never more than a position or two apart. At the halfway point Ryder was running in front of Bacon but got crossed up trying to pass Ralph Cook and got all four wheels off the ground while driving over Cooks hood. Although Ryder drove off after the incident he made numerous pit stops and ended his day early giving the championship to Bacon.
After Ryders incident, Bacon battled side by side for a few laps with Jimmy Ryder Jr. for the lead before pulling away to victory. Finishing second through tenth were Jimmy Ryder Jr., Eddie Gilman, Dennis O’Brien, Matt Seavy, Jon Provost, Jeff Gilman, Paul Colson, Shane Reinhold and Danny Shields.
Dean Wendell held a fifty seven point lead over John Morin heading into the Rookie Stock main and needed almost all of them as he couldn’t get his car hooked up on the outside lane and struggled to finish eighth. Morin finished second in the feature but fell just three points shy of a championship behind Wendell. It was the second championship for the Wendell family at Hudson this year as Dean’s father Mitch won the Outlaw Sportsman championship a few weeks ago.
With his hood acting as rudder, Keith “Slika” Ennis kept his car going straight the entire race and led every lap of the Rookie main except the all important last lap. John Cianciulli passed Ennis in turn one of the last lap to get his third win of the year. Morin also slipped passed Ennis to finish second while Ennis had to settle for third. Fourth through tenth were Corrie Merritt, Larry Fortin, Brian Harron, John Swain, Wendell, Dan Murphy and Scotty Duval.
Dylan Bilodeau started the Thunder Lite feature needing to finish fourth or better to clinch the title and did so finishing second. Derek Griffith was second in points going into the race and did all he could by winning the feature but it wasn’t enough and finished second in points. Third through fifth in the race were Sammy Gilman, Jen Lord and Dan Fortin.
Louie Maher needed to finish fourth or better to clinch the Roadrunner championship and after second place pointsman Jef James slammed the front stretch wall while passing Erik Miller for the race lead and couldn’t race on, the championship was all Maher’s. With Miller sent to the pits for rough driving, Maher took over the race lead and cruised to the win. Second through fifth in the race were Patrick D’Alba, Don Soucy, Johnny Walker and Dean Santzer Jr.
Allan Reiser led the V-6 Modifieds from green to checker for his second win of the year. Keith Caruso finished second in the race and won the V-6 title. Third through fifth in the race were Dick Dubois, Chris Kuebler and Eric Vilandre.
Derek Beaudry won the Spectator Drags and Scotty Duval won both the Flagpole race and the Figure 8 race. Patrick D’Alba won the 4 Cyl. Enduro and Dave McCarthy won the Grand Enduro.
Hudson Speedway’s 62nd annual banquet is Sunday November 8th at King’s Court Banquet Hall in Hudson N.H. Tickets are available until Oct.31st. Please visit www.hudsonspeedway.info for more information.
by Jay | Oct 27, 2009 | Maine, Wiscasset Raceway
Mike Landry Tops Super Street National Event
Wiscasset, ME- One year ago at the Ray Haskell Ford fall brawl in the Verizon Wireless Super Street division Mike Landry did it all. He lead 78 laps, he set super fast times and had the field covered. Well that was until lap 98 when after a caution Landry’s car developed a mechanical problem and he was forced to call it a day just 2 laps shy of a $10,000 pay check. This year Landry and his crew double checked everything and then went back and checked it again. Mike Landry held off Jeremy Glasier and Adam Chadbourne over the last three cautions to pick up a win in a race that owed the Oakland, ME. driver one. Glasier would hold off Chadbourne for second with Adam finishing third. Fourth went to Dan MaKeage and fifth to Scott Dorr.
In the Aable Auto Parts Mini Stock National event Thomas True from Wiscasset lead all 50 laps to pick up his fifth win of the season at the track. True held off Ryan Ripley over the closing laps to get the win. Ripley would finish second with Tasha Dyer third. Fourth would go to Jeff Hebert and fifth to Mike Dulany.
The New England Transmission’s Strictly Streets saw Mike Short go wire to wire to get his first National win. Larry Emerson held off Wiscasset Champion Mike Moody for second. Moody would have to fight to get third. Fourth went to Ceaser Morgan and fifth went to Steve Pierpont.
The Outlaw 350’s were also on tap for the finale. Josh Childs led a good part of that race and held off David Childs for the win. David would get second with Chris Burgess third. Fourth place was Zach Emerson and fifth went to Addison Bowie. In the lady Outlaws Tasha Dyer was the victor with Chelsea Young in second and Torrie Burgess.
by Jay | Oct 27, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS
Wayne Whitten nabs Lee USA PASS Mod finale
Scott Grant is the 2009 PASS Mod champion
Wayne Whitten Jr. took off from his front row starting position in Sunday’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Mod feature and led all the way to capture his first PASS Mod victory. Jon Brill drove up to challenge Whitten Jr. for the win but it was too little too late and Brill settled for second. Scott McDaniel wrapped up his season with yet another strong run, coming home third.
The victory was Whitten’s first under the Pro All Stars Series banner. He joins Andy Shaw (3 wins), Scott McDaniel (2 wins), Dan Somes, Steve Bennett Jr., Gary Norris Jr. and Sulo Burbank in the PASS Mod win column.
While Whitten was driving off into the sunset, Bill Dixon and Scott Grant were battling it out for the PASS Mod Championship. Grant enjoyed a ten point advantage heading into the finale and those few extra points came in handy Sunday as Dixon finished the day two spots ahead of Grant in fourth. Neither driver had a great set-up for Lee USA Sunday, but they both survived the battle and Scott Grant came away as the titlist, just a handful of points ahead of Dixon.
Grant is the first PASS Mod Champion since the series inaugural 2004 season to capture the crown without a trip to victory lane. (Mark Lucas earned the 2004 title) Grant’s five top five runs were enough to propel the Waterboro Maine racer to his first Championship.
Scott Grant, Carey Martin, Johnny Clark and Ben Rowe will be joined by their fellow racers, family fans and friends at Verillo’s Conference Center in South Portland ME on Friday November 7th to celebrate their respective series championship.
For complete banquet information and final point standings for all six 2009 series visit www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com .
Unofficial Finish PASS Mod 30 lap feature – Lee USA Speedway – 10/25/09
1) 4 Wayne Whitten Jr. Arundel ME 2) 77 Jon Brill Bridgeton ME 3) 14 Scott McDaniel Livermore ME 4) 33 Billy Dixon, North Waterboro ME 5) 50 Sumner Sessions Norway ME 6) 27 Scott Grant Waterboro ME 7) 53 Richard Ferriera Raynham MA 8) 56x Wanderson Oliviera Raynham MA 9) 75 Glenn Boss 10) 36 Wayne Maranda 11) 56 Dan Somes, Belgrade ME
