by Jay | Sep 6, 2009 | Canada
Sept 5, 2009
Fredericton, NB – The 1st leg of Speedweekend 2009 started out with a bang and end with a bang on Saturday night. First off it was the 43 cars that tried to qualify for 28 starting positions. This created a hectic set of qualifying heats with several cautions having an impact on the flow of the night. Some might say it was the huge crowd and maybe a few nerves to go with it. Whatever it was, it ended quickly once feature time hit the Geary Woods. The racing action heated up as the temperature dropped.
During qualifying Derek Christie charged his way to a pole position with Brent Roy “the Camry Kid” on the outside pole. With the exception of an early caution because the 12 of Glyn Nott broke the first 75 lap segment treated the Speedway 660 faithful to some awesome racing. Derek Christie led until lap 35 when he got into the back of a lapped car which brought out the caution and sent him all the way to the back for the restart. With Chrisitie’s misfortune Brent Roy and Wade Harris would do battle.
The “Camry Kid” made an impressive pass on the outside just out of turn two on lap 37 to lead the charge and once Harris was passes it looked like he had used up his rubber as he moved back to 5th. On lap 65, Bradley Logan in his #37 was exactly where he wanted to be, on the outside of Brent Roy in 2nd place. Logan would make the outside pass just 1 lap after the green flag restart. He would hold this lead barely until lap 75 when the competition yellow was brought out. As the competition yellow was coming to an end, officials at Speedway 660 instructed the #80 of Dan McNeil to make his way to the pits due to a tire that had been badly damaged during competition. McNeil was able to return to the racing surface just prior to the event going back to green flag racing. In the end this would prove to be a crucial event in the race.
As the race resumed it was Bradley Logan leading the way with Wade Harris in the preferred spot, the upper groove. Once again it proved to be the place to be. Just two laps in Harris made a strong pass on the outside. As the leaders made their way around the Geary oval, McNeil back in last place started to make strong charge to the front with fresh right front tire to aid in his attack on the remaining field of 22. A caution late in lap 89 would see the front of the field bunch up once again allowing McNeil to gain some much needed track position. On lap 90, out of turn 2, Wade Harris slipped just so slightly and the no 9 of Derek Christie took it three wide down the backstretch making the pass on Harris and the “Camry Kid” Brent Roy on the inside. With the entire crowd of over 6,500 people on the edge of their seats, the 5 of Wade Harris made the right move and backed off to avoid what would most certainly have been a huge wreck. Meanwhile Logan took advantage of the side by side racing behind him to take a 3 car length lead over Christie and the 26 of Roy.
With just 35 laps left, Christie seemed to all but use up what he had left for rubber as he dropped back one by one in the field. Logan in his Dairy Queen ride seemed unbeatable at this point but the top 5 thought otherwise. Logan going nose to tail with the Harris knew he had to be perfect with only 15 laps to go or the veteran Harris would make him pay dearly. That slip looked like it might happen as the leaders crossed the line at 142 but Logan was able to gather it up and looked like he had it when Wade Harris got the caution he was looking for on lap 147. That put the 5 car of Harris in the preferred outside lane for what looked like a 3 lap shootout between the two front runners Harris and Logan….boy was I wrong, along with the other Geary faithful in attendance. ! On the restart Logan and Harris battled for the next 1.5 laps when Logan drifted up the racetrack on the backstretch seemingly to do what any driver might do in that situation; protect the lead. Harris had to back off and did everything he could to save the car. While this happened a complete shuffle took place with the #80 of Dan McNeil diving for the bottom of the racetrack and a 2nd place position. McNeil with his newly found rubber post the 75 lap competition yellow made the #80 stick like glue on the inside lane, something most had not been able to do all night. With just a half lap left, the stage was set for the most dramatic finish in the history of the O’Leary Pontiac Excitement 150. McNeil made the unthinkable pass on the inside coming out of turn 4 on the final lap to win the biggest race of his life not to mention a cool $ 2,000 for his heroics. McNeil vibrating from his win arrived on the Auto Pride Victory Lane stage and proceeded to the rooftop of his Chevy Monte Carlo Snooty Fox #80. As he jumped up in celebration, the fireworks display wowed the crowd and the 1st event of SPEEDWEEKEND 2009 was complete.
The Atlantic Open Wheel modifieds also put on great show in their 30 lap main event with Shelley Stewart of Emerald PEI taking home the checkers in a very popular win with the crowd. Mike Raeburn and Mark Price rounded out the top three respectively.
On a side note of interest, over 45 pro stocks practiced on Saturday in preparation for the Peterbilt 250 on Sunday.
by Jay | Sep 6, 2009 | Maine, Speedway 95
Hermon’s Scott Modery finally dug his Late Model racer out of the garage last week after spending the summer helping his son, Ryan, learn to race and win the points title in the Stars of Tomorrow, a division for 11-14 year olds. In only his second race at Speedway 95 this season, Scott picked up the win in the Late Model Division Saturday night. One caution flag interrupted the race when Joey Doyon of Winterport and Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs spun on the backstretch, sending Ryan Deane of Winterport off the track and into the turn three tire wall. All drivers recovered to return to the race. Modery took the lead on the restart, and while he was leading by a couple of car lengths, Fred Brown of Winterport and Dale Swoboda of Hermon were having a tight battle for the second and third spots over the last 15 laps of the event. The two veteran drivers raced side by side, with Brown on the outside and Swoboda on the inside. Brown came out ahead when the checkered flag fell, finishing the race in second, with Swoboda in third. Josh St. Clair of Liberty and John Phippen Jr, of Bar Harbor rounded out the top five. Seekins won the qualifier and started the race on the pole.
The Little Enduro Division put on the show of the night as 21 cars took the green flag for the first race in a two race series to finish out the Saturday night season. Travis Beale of Hampden led the first five laps until a tap from Jason Trundy sent Beale high on the track, allowing Trundy to get by on the inside. Beale did a masterful job of controlling his car and managed to hold on to the second spot. Trundy led until a red flag on lap 17, caused when David Ogden of Old Town and Dennis Burns of Carmel went off the track in turn 1, tightened the field up for the restart. Trundy got the jump on the restart, but another red halted the field on lap 18. This time it was for Mark Lane of Newport and Burns, again, colliding in turn 1. Beale got the lead on the restart and battled with Trundy until lap 22 when Beale got caught on the outside behind a slower car. Trundy retook the lead on the low side and went on the post the win. Beale finished in second, with Kyle Gallant picking up third. Darren Durrell of Newburgh was fourth with Donny Blanchard of Orrington finished fifth. Mike Ogden of Bucksport and Beale won the qualifiers.
Doug Day of Glenburn started the Strictly Street feature in the 5th spot, but by lap 4 had raced his way into the lead which he held to the finish in the caution free event. Not too far behind, Travis Poulin of Holden and points leader Bradley Norris of Ellsworth were holding their own side by side race for the second and third spots. On lap 20, Poulin used the slower car of Dover-Foxcroft’s Brad Finnemore for a pick and forced Norris to back off and slide in behind him in third. Not content there, Norris clawed his way back beside Poulin to take second place by a nose at the checkers. Poulin finished third with Shawn Hamel II of Bangor fourth and Shawn Hamel of Bangor in fifth. Day also won the 10 lap qualifier.
Steve Moulton and Kris Watson are in a close battle for the points title in the Super Streets and their one-two finish in the feature on Saturday night showed why. Moulton started the event in the 8th spot, and by lap three had worked his way into the lead. Meanwhile Watson, who broke his car at Unity on Friday night, borrowed a car from Dave St. Clair, with permission from Josh St. Clair, the driver scheduled to be in the car,
and chased Moulton for the entire event, finishing a close second. The newest driver in the St. Clair family, 15 year old Ryan St. Clair of Liberty, grandson of David and brother of Josh, drove a strong race to come from the rear to finish in third. Artie Maguire of Bucksport was fourth with Lindsey Young finishing fifth. The race was stopped by caution only once when Hermon’s Doug Sinclair and Franklin’s Mike Overlock tangled in the fourth turn and ended up in the tire wall. Both drivers recovered without assistance from the track crews and continued in the race. Moulton was the winner of the qualifier earlier in the evening.
Racing action was superb again in the Sport-Fours as Gary Richards of Stetson picked up his second win of the season. Behind him, Kyle Gallant of Veazie and Rick Grant of LaGrange had a fierce battle going for the second and third spots with Gallant coming out ahead when the checkered flag fell. Grant finished third, but was unable to make the post race interview as his radiator exploded just past the finish line, causing him to spin off the track in turn one in his own water. Fortunately for the rest of the field, he was on the outside and they were able to avoid the mess by staying low on the track. Points leader David Green of Hampden finished in fourth with James Johnson II of Bucksport in fifth.
Green won the 10 lap qualifier.
The final event of the 2009 racing season at Speedway 95 will be held on Saturday, September 12 at 6:30. Highlighting the card, which includes the Super Streets, Strictly Streets, Sport-Fours and Little Enduros, will be race 2 of the Linnehan’s Credit Now Auto Company Triple Crown series for Late Models. This race will be 54 laps and pay $1754 to the winner. The friends and Family of Bob Coburn, a former driver of the #54 Pro Stock at the speedway who passed away in June, have raised $1054 to add to the normal $700 first prize and asked that the race be run for 54 laps in his memory. In addition, Linnehan’s Credit Now Auto Company will be holding a drawing during the night that will award three prizes to lucky fans in attendance in the grandstand. First prize will be $1000.00 cash, second is a Dale Earnhardt collectible die cast, and third prize will be 2 tickets to the Sprint Cup race in Louden N.H. on Sept 20. The final leg of the Linnehan’s Triple Crown Series will be held at Unity Raceway on Sunday. October 11.
by Jay | Sep 6, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine
Scarborough, Maine- Mike Rowe won his fourth straight Pro Series feature race and was crowned champion in the process. Travis Buzzell scored his first Sports Series feature win and Russ Morse secured his first division championship. Randy Snow won the Wildcat feature race and Lyman McKeage held on to win the division title. In the Road Runner division Brian Graffam won the 20 lap feature and Shawn Brackett repeated as champion.
Steven Jones led a strong field of 21 Pro Series cars to the green flag jumping into the early lead. Bill Whorff was having a very strong race and pulled even with Jones in a battle for the lead on lap 6. Whorff took over the top spot at lap 9 but Jones and Whorff made contact sending both cars spinning and handing the lead to Dan McKeage.
McKeage would hold the lead through lap 13 but Mike Rowe had moved to second place and had McKeage in his cross hairs looking for that fourth consecutive win. Rowe pulled to the outside of McKeage on lap 14 and took the lead with Trevor Sanborn moving to second place. Rowe would go on to take the win with Sanborn second and McKeage third. Bill Rodgers and Aaron Ricker were fourth and fifth.
Travis Buzzell won his first career Sport Series feature race cruising to the victory. Buzzell led from the pole position and despite a lap 6 caution flag was never challenged for the lead. When the checkered flag waved Buzzell had a full straight lead over second place finisher Nate Leavitt with the race for third place coming to the finish line looking like a pace lap. Third was awarded to Dalton Gagnon with Ben Tinker fourth. Robert Emery took fifth place honors. Russ Morse clinched his first division championship.
Randy Snow was looking like a feature winner several weeks ago when a mechanical problem forced him out of the race with just a few laps remaining while leading. On Saturday night Snow took down an hard fought victory after a 26 alp side by side duel with Brian Caswell. David Wildes was the third place finisher with Steve Benincasa fourth. Dan Bean took fifth place. Lyman McKeage struggled home with a 16th place finish but that was enough to win the Wildcat championship.
Brian Graffam creamed the Road Runner division winning by a quarter of a lap. The race for second place between Shawn Brackett and Ray Letellier was also the race for the championship. Letellier would finish second with Brackett third. Dave Cameron and Matt Dow rounded out the top 5 finishers and the third place finish for Brackett won him his second consecutive division crown.
by Jay | Sep 6, 2009 | NASCAR, New England
Needing a win to stay in the hunt for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national title hunt, Keith Rocco did just that Saturday night. After a fourth-place finish in the first 25-lap SK Modified feature at the Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl, Rocco capped the evening with a win in the second feature.
The Wallingford, Conn., driver entered the weekend 34 points behind Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Va. Rocco was tied with Omaha, Neb. driver Bill Leighton Jr. with 801 points.
Morris and Leighton were both in action Saturday night, as well. Morris wrecked while battling for the lead at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and did not finish the race, while Leighton finished sixth at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.
Rocco failed to improve his points total with a third at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway Thursday and a 15th at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway Friday. Saturday’s performance, however, came with a full field of 23 cars at Waterford, allowing Rocco to unofficially jump to 816. Morris remains at 835 and Leighton at 801.
All points totals are unofficial until released by NASCAR Points & Membership Department on Tuesday.
The deadline for races to count toward NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state and national points is Sunday, Sept. 13. A driver’s best 18 results are counted toward their state and national points totals.
Rocco started 12th in the first feature at Waterford Saturday and got up as high as third before settling for a fourth-place run behind race winner Justin Gaydosh.
“We were good enough to win the first one, we just ran out of time,” Rocco said. “It was hard to get to the front.”
Rocco started eighth in the second feature and took the lead just past the halfway point. It was Rocco’s sixth win of the year at Waterford and his 13th overall.
He is scheduled to finish next weekend with asphalt Modified division races at Thompson (Thursday), Stafford (Friday) and Waterford (Saturday). Unofficially, he needs at least one win, and a minimum second and third in the other two features – contigent on each of the races having a full field of 23 cars – to tie Morris.
[b]Rocco Closes Ground On Morris Nets a win and a fourth at Waterford, while national points leader wrecks at South Boston[/b] Needing a win to stay in the hunt for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national title hunt, Keith Rocco did just that Saturday night. After a fourth-place finish in the first 25-lap SK Modified feature at the Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl, Rocco capped the evening with a win in the second feature. The Wallingford, Conn., driver entered the weekend 34 points behind Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Va. Rocco was tied with Omaha, Neb. driver Bill Leighton Jr. with 801 points. Morris and Leighton were both in action Saturday night, as well. Morris wrecked while battling for the lead at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and did not finish the race, while Leighton finished sixth at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb. Rocco failed to improve his points total with a third at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway Thursday and a 15th at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway Friday. Saturday’s performance, however, came with a full field of 23 cars at Waterford, allowing Rocco to unofficially jump to 816. Morris remains at 835 and Leighton at 801. All points totals are unofficial until released by NASCAR Points & Membership Department on Tuesday. The deadline for races to count toward NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state and national points is Sunday, Sept. 13. A driver’s best 18 results are counted toward their state and national points totals. Rocco started 12th in the first feature at Waterford Saturday and got up as high as third before settling for a fourth-place run behind race winner Justin Gaydosh. “We were good enough to win the first one, we just ran out of time,” Rocco said. “It was hard to get to the front.” Rocco started eighth in the second feature and took the lead just past the halfway point. It was Rocco’s sixth win of the year at Waterford and his 13th overall. He is scheduled to finish next weekend with asphalt Modified division races at Thompson (Thursday), Stafford (Friday) and Waterford (Saturday). Unofficially, he needs at least one win, and a minimum second and third in the other two features – contigent on each of the races having a full field of 23 cars – to tie Morris.[b]Rocco Closes Ground On Morris Nets a win and a fourth at Waterford, while national points leader wrecks at South Boston[/b] Needing a win to stay in the hunt for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national title hunt, Keith Rocco did just that Saturday night. After a fourth-place finish in the first 25-lap SK Modified feature at the Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl, Rocco capped the evening with a win in the second feature. The Wallingford, Conn., driver entered the weekend 34 points behind Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Va. Rocco was tied with Omaha, Neb. driver Bill Leighton Jr. with 801 points. Morris and Leighton were both in action Saturday night, as well. Morris wrecked while battling for the lead at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and did not finish the race, while Leighton finished sixth at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb. Rocco failed to improve his points total with a third at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway Thursday and a 15th at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway Friday. Saturday’s performance, however, came with a full field of 23 cars at Waterford, allowing Rocco to unofficially jump to 816. Morris remains at 835 and Leighton at 801. All points totals are unofficial until released by NASCAR Points & Membership Department on Tuesday. The deadline for races to count toward NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state and national points is Sunday, Sept. 13. A driver’s best 18 results are counted toward their state and national points totals. Rocco started 12th in the first feature at Waterford Saturday and got up as high as third before settling for a fourth-place run behind race winner Justin Gaydosh. “We were good enough to win the first one, we just ran out of time,” Rocco said. “It was hard to get to the front.” Rocco started eighth in the second feature and took the lead just past the halfway point. It was Rocco’s sixth win of the year at Waterford and his 13th overall. He is scheduled to finish next weekend with asphalt Modified division races at Thompson (Thursday), Stafford (Friday) and Waterford (Saturday). Unofficially, he needs at least one win, and a minimum second and third in the other two features – contigent on each of the races having a full field of 23 cars – to tie Morris.
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by Jay | Sep 6, 2009 | NASCAR
HAMPTON, Ga. (Sept. 5, 2009) — Kevin Harvick passed polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the next-to-last lap and pulled away to win Saturday night’s Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch, who also passed Earnhardt on Lap 194 of 195, ran second and padded his NASCAR Nationwide Series points lead from 192 to 221 over second-place Carl Edwards, who completed the race despite fracturing two bones in his right foot playing Frisbee on Wednesday. Edwards finished seventh, one lap down.
After pitting for the last time on Lap 125, Earnhardt saved enough fuel to make it to the end of the race but couldn’t stay ahead of Busch and Harvick, who came to the pits for four tires and gas on Lap 181 and 182, respectively.
Brad Keselowski came home fourth, followed by Jeff Burton and Joey Logano.
“Kyle was a little better on the short runs there, but after about eight or 10 laps, this thing was just flat-out awesome,” Harvick said of his No. 33 Chevrolet. “We cut it a little bit closer than I would have liked to there at the end. …
“It was nice to race the 18 (Busch) head-to-head like that and have fun with him. I really thought everybody had to pit. Just a great night for the fans who came out to watch the race — Dale Jr. on strategy, Kyle good on short runs and us good after about 10 laps — so you had all kinds of that good Atlanta racing tonight.”
Earnhardt credited his crew, which included former crew chief Tony Eury Jr. in a consulting role, with a good call in the pits.
“We saved enough gas, and we finished closer to them two guys than we were on the racetrack,” Earnhardt said. “So I guess it was the right call. We just didn’t have enough at the end to hold them off. I tried to get going when they were coming. … Hopefully we put on a good show for the fans out there.”
Harvick held a lead of more than six seconds when NASCAR called the third caution of the race on Lap 124 because of debris in Turn 2, ending a green-flag run of 79 laps. At that point, there were five cars on the lead lap.
Busch, however, won the race off pit road after the lead-lap cars pitted for tires and fuel under yellow. After a restart on Lap 129, he and Harvick battled side-by-side for five laps, before Busch edged ahead and stayed out front until Lap 147.
Harvick’s car, however, was stronger on long runs, and the driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet passed Busch for the lead with 48 laps left and began to pull away. His lead had reached more than seven seconds when he pulled into the pits on Lap 182.
