by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, New England, PASS
Scarborough ME – (9/14/09) Mike Rowe took advantage of leader Trevor Sanborn’s misfortune just 10 laps from the checker to assume the top spot and hold off DJ Shaw for his third PASS 300 victory at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. It was a triumphant return to the series for the Maine racing legend who earned the immaculate Scarborough Maine Speed Plant’s Pro Series Championship title one week earlier.
After a meet and greet for the fans and driver introductions, Scott Chubbuck and home track hero Aaron Ricker led the thirty-two car field down to Chief Starter Rick Shepherd’s green flag and a mid pack melee involving TJ Brackett, Bub Bilodeau , Richie Dearborn and a host of others brought out an immediate yellow.A multi-time Beech Ridge champion, Bilodeau’s day was done just a half lap after it began. Chubbuck took over from the outside on the restart with Jay Fogleman in tow and Ricker and Kelly Moore battling for third. Ricker raced back under Fogleman for second and DJ Shaw was on the move.. He passed Moore on lap six, Fogleman on seven and set sail after the front two. Ricker was racey on the outside and took the lead back from Chubbuck on lap 14, while Kelly Moore worked his way by Shaw for third and went after Chubbuck for second. Second was his on lap 18, and the veteran was ready to challenge the kid for the top spot. The lead was Moore’s on lap 23, with Ricker, Chubbuck, DJ Shaw and Mike Rowe the top five on lap twenty five.
Adam Bates and Derek Ramstrom brought out caution number two; Ramstrom ‘s day ended on the turn one rumble strips and Adam Bates retired after a run in the front stretch wall. Ryan Blaney, Cassius Clark, Johnny Clark and a host of others pitted; Cassius Clark was the only one in the bunch to take on tires. Ricker jumped out in front from the outside while Moore battled back on the bottom and DJ Shaw took over third from Chubbuck. The caution flew for a stray wheel from Ryan Blaney’s racer, bringing an early end to the North Carolina high school sophomores’ day. Meanwhile Moore was on the point for the restart and he kept Ricker behind him as the field began to string out. At the fifty lap mark it was Moore, Ricker, Shaw, Chubbuck, Mike Rowe, Trevor Sanborn, Ben Rowe, Fogleman, Steve Knowlton and David Oliver the top ten. Scott Alexander spun in turn four, bringing out a fourth caution. Cassius Clark, Johnny Clark, Seekonk Speedway regular Tom Scully Jr. and Travis Benjamin were among the cars on pit road at lap 55. Cassius Clark remounted his original set of rubber during the stop.
Moore remained in control until lap seventy when Ricker shot by on the bottom for the lead. But Moore came back to dog Ricker, taking back the spot on lap 87. Lap 100 came and went with no changes in the front five other than Shaw and Chubbuck swapping spots, and the fast guys working lap traffic. In fact the front group was less than a straight away from putting Johnny Clark back a lap at this point in the race. The caution at lap 111 took care of that issue; Mike Rowe, Cassius Clark and Alan Tardiff were some of the notables in the pits. Chubbuck took the top spot away from Moore on a lap 129 restart and DJ Shaw took third from Ricker with Trevor Sanborn riding in fifth. When the crossed flags were shown at lap 150 it was Chubbuck, Moore, Shaw, Ricker, Sanborn, Oliver, Johnny Clark, Donnie Whitten, Travis Benjamin and Mike Rowe in the top ten spots Seventeen cars remained on the lead lap at the half way mark.
As the field approached lap 200 Chubbuck was in front of Moore by half the front stretch, with the same distance back to Ricker in third. The Tamworth NH youngster reeled in Moore for second shortly thereafter. Mike Rowe had worked his way back into the front pack and Travis Benjamin sat fifth. With the top three still on track without a pit stop, Mike Rowe was looking like yet another PASS 300 was in his reach. Dave Oliver spun on top of turn three at lap 201, and the seventh caution provided the front runners the opportunity to pit that they all so desperately needed. Wholesale changes at the front resulted; Jay Fogleman assumed the lead with Steve Legendre second and Travis Benjamin third. Benjamin wasted no time getting by Legendre, and Mike Rowe wasted even less taking over second from Benjamin. DJ Shaw ran fourth with Trevor Sanborn fifth. Mike Rowe took over the lead on lap 210, and he and Fogleman pulled away from the rest of the field. Sanborn decided it was time to drop the hammer and the two-time PASS South winner gave chase. At lap 225 he had plenty of time to run down the front two; but did he have the car to do it? He was under Fogleman for second at lap 230, and only a lapped car and half the front stretch stood between him and Rowe. In five laps Sanborn was under Rowe looking for the lead; the veteran wasn’t pressing too hard, and Sanborn rode in second and waited for his opportunity. With fifty to go it was Rowe, Sanborn, Fogleman, Shaw and Johnny Clark with Ben Rowe right behind and Travis Benjamin seventh.
Adam Ricker and Dave Oliver brought out caution number eight with a little dust up off turn one, setting up a side by side restart for Rowe and Sanborn. Shaw was now third with Jay Fogleman fourth and Johnny Clark fifth. Sanborn had the opportunity he waited so long for and he took advantage, taking over the lead from Rowe on lap 272. Ben Rowe was now by Johnny Clark for third.
With 20 to go Sanborn was opening up a slight advantage on Rowe. The pair worked lap traffic and the tables were turned with Rowe now looking for his shot at Sanborn. It wasn’t necessary, as the 29 slowed with 10 to go, coasting into the pits with an expired motor. For the second straight year Sanborn’s bid for the PASS 300 victory fell short. Rowe was back out front and Shaw had the bit in his teeth, hoping to catch the 24. He made it right to Rowes’ bumper with three to go, and had a fender under the leader when the furled white and checker were shown. The pair split around a lapped car as the checkers flew and Rowe beat Shaw across the line by .142 seconds.
Ben Rowe gained a few points on PASS North point leader Johnny Clark as the series heads for its’ 2009 series finale at North Woodstock New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Friday September 18th. Racing goes green at 6:00 PM. Rowe also strengthened his lead in the PASS National Championship standings, where he has one win and Sunday’s third place run at the half-way point in the four race series.
For all the latest Pro All Stars Series news visit www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com .
Unofficial Finish – Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model PASS 300 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway –Scarborough Maine 9/13/09 – (with position, car #, driver, home town)
1) 24 Mike Rowe Turner ME 2) 60 DJ Shaw Ctr. Conway NH 3) 4N Ben Rowe, Turner ME 4) 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell ME 5)4S Jay Fogleman, Durham NC 6) 47 Kelly Moore, Scarborough ME 7) 85 Nick Ribbe , MA 8) 14 Matt Frahm, Salem NH 9) 17 Travis Benjamin, Morrill ME 10) 62 Mark Gibson, Winston-Salem NC 11) 33 Richie Dearborn, Hollis NH 12) 22 Aaron Ricker Tamworth NH 13) 21 David Oliver, Standish 14) 4X Rich Eaton, Seabrook NH 15) 10 Steve Knowlton, Dover NH 16) 20 Steve Legendre, St. Johnsbury VT 17) 8 Cassius Clark, Farmington ME 18) 53 Alan Wilson Hebron ME 19) 0 Bill Whorff Jr., Bath ME 20) 77 Scott Chubbuck, Brunswick ME 21) 2X Tom Scully Jr., Westport MA 22) 12 John Dabrowski , W. Bridgewater MA 23) 29 Trevor Sanborn, Parsonsfield ME 24) 7 Donnie Whitten, Biddeford ME 25) 28 Dave Davis, VT 26) 88 Alan Tradiff Lyman ME 27) 17A Scott Alexander, Orrington ME 28) 51 TJ Brackett Buckfield ME 29) 10S Ryan Blaney, High Point NC 30) 98 Adam Bates, Warner NH 31) Derek Ramstrom, Worcester MA 32 9 Bub Bilodeau, Standish NH
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Harrisburg, N.C. (September 12, 2009): After competing in both the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Iowa and the IMCA Super Nationals this weekend, Brett Moffitt is ready to shift his focus back to the series point lead in the NASCAR Camping World Series East. Moffitt is currently sixth in the point standings – 147 points behind current leader Ryan Truex – as Andy Santerre Motorsports heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Heluva Good Fall 125.
“There are only two races left so if we run strong here at New Hampshire we still have a shot. We’re 147 back from Ryan, but we’re only 97 points out of second. A good finish at NHMS can really shake things up a bit,” said Moffitt, who drives the No. 44 Andy Santerre Motorsports Chevrolet’s.
Moffitt will be looking for redemption of sorts when they return to New Hampshire. In June, Moffitt was running third when his tire blew and sent him into the wall in turn four. The team had to park the car for the day after running only 39 laps.
“We ran down the leaders and we were looking to pass them when he blew the tire,” said car owner Andy Santerre. “We were a little too aggressive on the setup. We were trying to run a radial tire setup on a bias ply tire, and at Loudon you have to be careful on how much camber you run or it’ll overheat the sidewall. When we went to that West race a week ago we learned a lot about the tires and what they will take and what they won’t. If we can get a happy medium where we get close on speed but not overdo it on the set up we’ll be good.”
With Dover following the week after, Santerre has decided to be conservative and bring their short track car to New Hampshire. They didn’t want to take the chance of wrecking their superspeedway car with the last race on the line.
But conservative doesn’t mean giving up being competitive.
Moffitt is confident heading into this week’s event and doesn’t feel threatened by the challenge he faces to finish the season off in the top-three. His one win, four top-five, and seven top-10 finishes speak for themselves.
“There’s a lot of pressure on people right now to go out there and perform because it’s the last two races, but we put that pressure on ourselves every week,” said Moffitt. “We’re going there to win just like we do in May and in July and in September. The pressure is really all on Ryan (Truex) because the point lead is his to lose.”
The NASCAR Camping World Series East arrives at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 17th for practice and qualifying and will take the green flag for the Heluva Good! Fall 125 on Friday, September 18th at 5 p.m. eastern time.
For more information on Brett Moffitt or Andy Santerre Motorsports, visit www.brettmoffitt.com or www.andysanterremotorsports.com.
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NHMS
LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 15, 2009) — If history is any indicator, then look for Ryan Newman to make an early statement in Sunday’s opening round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
As one of the 12 drivers who secured a spot in the Chase, Newman can’t think of a better place than the New England facility where he has enjoyed success since his 2002 rookie season.
The last time the U.S. Army/Haas Automation driver qualified for the Chase (2005), he kicked off the championship format with a victory at New Hampshire’s 1.058-mile oval.
Known as the Magic Mile, the New Hampshire track was also the site of Newman’s first career Cup win in September 2002.
In 15 New Hampshire starts, Newman has garnered two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s and four poles. He has an average finish of 14.2 and ranks fourth all-time for most laps led at 537.
“New Hampshire has always been a strong suit for me,” stated Newman, who drives the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing. “I don’t know exactly why. I don’t know if I just adapted to the track really soon. I’m not sure but it’s a place I look forward to going to. I really enjoy the area and the race track.”
While he would like to jump out to a fast start in New Hampshire’s Sylvania 300, Newman knows that consistency with strong performances throughout the 10 Chase races will be the key to determining who will hoist the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy following the season-ending race — Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Speaking of consistency Newman enters the New Hampshire race as the leader in laps completed during the first 26 races of the 2009 season. He has completed 7,323 laps out of 7,336 for a 99.82 percentage. Second is Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, with 7,322 laps completed (99.81 percent).
“It usually comes down to the team that’s been the most consistent — it’s as simple as that,” noted Newman, who begins the Chase as the 10th seed. “Our U.S. Army/Haas Automation team has had a pretty decent run lately, but we still need to step it up in order to be a contender in the next 10 races. Those 10 races are all about having fun — can’t really lose anything, but there’s a lot to gain.”
When asked by the media who he thinks is the Chase favorite, Newman said, “That’s a tough question to answer because I think there is more potential for any team to beat themselves than they are to beat who they think is a better competitor. If you’re sitting here thinking about who you have to beat then you’re not thinking about your own race car and what you have to do to be successful.”
Regarding making the Chase for the first time in three years, Newman responded with his thoughts after clinching the prestigious position with a 10th-place finish Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
“If feels awesome, especially after not making it (Chase) for so many years,” said Newman. “We just never let up all season in the Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS. When things wouldn’t go right we would just battle harder.
“This is our payback to our Soldiers who give us the mental strength and inspiration to keep on pounding away until the mission is completed. I’m so proud to represent the U.S. Army and knowing that I’m driving for over a million Soldiers fighting for our freedom. This is a win for them, too.”
Newman added, “We just did what we wanted to do and that’s why it feels so good. It’s a dream come true. To think back to Daytona going through basically three race cars and make it to Richmond here and be in this position, it says a lot about the hard work that (crew chief) Tony Gibson, (owner) Tony Stewart and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing have put into this effort.”
by Jay | Sep 14, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Matt Kobyluck leaves no room for wondering what he and his Mohegan Sun Racing team want for the NASCAR Camping World Series East event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18th. The 2008 defending series Champion is going with the distinct goal of winning the race.
“We want to win,” said Kobyluck. “We have everything to gain in the points, while the leaders right now have everything to lose. We want to get back in victory lane this year and New Hampshire would be a great place to do that.”
Kobyluck is currently tied with Steve Park for fourth place in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East point standings. Kobyluck has posted two top-five and six top-10 finishes in nine starts this season. Only two races remain to attempt to end a winless streak that started after his victory in the Toyota All-Star Showdown back in January.
The Mohegan Sun Race team will face some stiff competition, however. Ryan Truex, Eddie MacDonald, and several others will try and make Kobyluck’s goal hard to obtain, but the Uncasville, Conn. native feels they can rise to the challenge.
“We’ve had a pretty decent car there in the last couple of years so we just have to stay out of trouble and be there at the end,” said Kobyluck. “Ryan has been good everywhere he’s gone this year and Eddie has been consistently good at New Hampshire so they will definitely be contenders at this race. A lot of it will come down to qualifying. It’s so important there to start up front, and we’ll have a strong focus on our qualifying effort.”
Tackling New Hampshire Motor Speedway would be one of the biggest accomplishments of Kobyluck’s career. It is one of a select few tracks that the 39-year-old driver has yet to win on.
“We’ve won at a lot of places, but winning at New Hampshire would just be incredible. All my wins have meant a lot to me, but we’ve worked really hard at New Hampshire and we’ve struggled there in the past. I think pulling off a victory would be a memorable moment for both me and the crew.”
The Heluva Good Fall 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway takes the green flag at 5 p.m. eastern time on Friday, September 18th. For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or the Mohegan Sun Race team, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.
by Jay | Sep 14, 2009 | Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson NH – Louis Maher’s seven race winning streak in the Roadrunners was snapped this past Sunday afternoon by Shawn Ordway at Hudson Speedway.
Eric Miller led the opening laps of the Roadrunner main until getting into trouble getting around lap traffic allowing Ordway to take the lead. Second place pointsman Jef James was running in second place all race and in position to gain a bit on Points leader Maher but with two laps to go, Maher slipped past James into second and James had to settle for third. Maher crossed the finish just a car length behind Orday. Fourth and fifth were Miller and Patrick D’Alba.
Polesitter Josh Provost took the twenty car Classic Lite field to the green flag. Eddie Gilman took the top spot from Josh Provost a few laps later and held on to the lead until two laps to go when Jon Provost got to the inside of Gilman and passing him in turn two bringing Billy Ryder and Eric Bacon along with him past Gilman. Jon Provost crossed the finish line first followed by Ryder, Bacon, Gilman, Ralph Cook, Josh Provost, Paul Colson, Jeff Gilman, Danny Shields and Tom McGowen.
Larry Fortin led the first sixteen laps of the Rookie Stock feature until losing the top spot to Dean Wendell on a restart with four laps to go. Wendell drove on to victory. Scott Duval came home second while Jerry Lepage ran a good race and notched his first podium finish in the Rookie Stocks by finishing third. Fourth through tenth were Dan Murphy, Brian Harron, Fortin, Corrie Merritt, Mark Nevers, Brian Destefano and John Morin.
Dylan Bilodeau won the Thunder Lite feature. Second though fifth were Derek Griffith, Jen Lord, Nick Fisette and Tyler Hatch.
Eric Vilandre and Chris Kuebler both took turns at the lead of the V-6 Modified feature before eventual winner Keith Caruso passed Kuebler. Kuebler ran second most of the race until two laps to go when Dick Dubois and Allan Reiser Jr. both snuck by Kuebler. At the stripe it was Caruso, Dubois, Reiser Jr., Kuebler and Rod Lyons finishing in the top five.
Dave Heliwell won the Mini-cup cars and Fred Ducharme won the Spectator Drags.
After a week off, racing resumes at Hudson Speedway on Sept. 27 with the Outlaw Sportman and the Classic Lites plus Rookie Stocks, Roadrunners, Thunder Lites, Spectator Race, Spectator Drags and Flagpole Race. Gates open at 11am and the first race at 1pm. For more info please visit www.hudsonspeedway.info.
