by Jay | Aug 10, 2009 | Canada
Fredericton, NB – It was a beautiful day for racing at Speedway 600 as the first Enduro is finally in the books . This being the first event of the season for the Enduro drivers, everyone is starting out fresh. This was the first points week for the drivers and yet they still raced as if it was the final tell all race.
There were 15 cars that took the green flag as the first 75 laps got under way. The # 44 of Steve Seveck started on the pole. As the day went along and drivers got a feel for being back to the track, things really started to heat up. Pat Sharpe showed them how it was done as he drove his # 51 to victory lane. Sharpe was multiple laps ahead of #8 of Dale Hathaway and Benji Ruff who finished in second and finishing in third place the # 11 of Barney Jeffrey. Ruff and Hathaway are no strangers to Enduro driving as they have had a lot of previous success here at Speedway 660. This was the first race ever for Barney Jeffrey who used to work at the speedway.
One of the big stories of the day was Courtney and Kim Barton’s #21, which sparked a lot of excitement. The two sisters shared the driving. After each competition yellow, fans would wait to see who was in the white and black spotted cow car. Courtney Barton come out in the second 75 laps and made things very exciting as she showed how the race was supposed to go. Bumping and trading paint with drivers is exactly what she came to do. There was a huge bull’s-eye on the lead drivers and Courtney new exactly how to fix that. In the third and final 50 laps, Courtney’s sister, Kim came out until she was called in for a driver change late in the race. This really got everyone’s attention. Courtney made a last attempt to knock Pat Sharpe out of the top spot by giving him a bump but was unsuccessful is taking the win away. There were many lead changes and couple red flags but the first Enduro race was very exciting and fans will want to come back and see what happens in the next one.
Next week fans can see Enduro cars back at the speedway. They will be racing front wheel drive cars. This is something new that is in the transition stage, as it is harder to find rear wheel cars for the Enduros. The hope is that by racing the front wheel drive cars it will draw more cars for the Enduros. If anyone wants to register their Enduro car for next weekend they can do so by calling Angela at the speedway office @ 454-RACE (7223). The final race for the Enduro division will be SPEEDWEEKEND on September 7th.
So don’t miss it next weekend race fans. There is a lot more racing to come in another Double Header weekend.
by Jay | Aug 10, 2009 | Maine, Unity
Unity, Maine — Burnham racers Frank Moulton and Carl McAlpine took different routes to victory lane, but both were on top of the official order of finish after double-point, 50-lap features, topping the Champions Appreciation Day racing card Sunday afternoon at Unity Raceway.
Moulton extended his lead in the Late Model division championship standings with his victory. Though he started on the front row and led the vast majority of the 50 laps, Moulton did not go unchallenged, and in fact yielded the top spot briefly on a couple of occasions to Winterport’s Joey Doyon, who roared from the back of the field into contention until electrical woes eliminated him from contention with ten laps to go. Palmyra racers Ajay and Louie Picard also challenged Moulton briefly following restarts, but the point leader prevailed. Ajay Picard finished in second position, with David Folsom II of Skowhegan claiming third-place spoils. Louie Picard was fourth, followed by Dylan Turner of Freedom. Moulton also won the heat race.
Defending Wildcat division champion McAlpine actually crossed the line in second position after a racelong battle with Winslow’s Andy Turbovsky, who has been his chief obstacle when it has come to dominating victory lane in the class. Turbovsky got to the checkered flag first, but the win was negated in post-race technical inspection for a carburetor violation. Apparent third-place finisher Mike St.Germaine of Auburn also ran afoul of the inspectors. In the official order of finish it became a podium sweep for Burnham racers, with McAlpin e getting the victory ahead of Brent Chase and Chris King. Luke Rickards of Anson and Ed Sleeper of Vassalboro. King was the first legal car across the finish line in the heat race.
The touring NELCAR Legends were on hand, and Max Zachem of Preston, Connecticut drove from the rear of the grid into the lead at the halfway point of a 20-lap feature race, then went on to win convincingly. Windham teenager Bobby Timmons put on a strong performance en route to a second-place finish. Topsham’s Bobby Weymouth claimed the third-place trophy. Tyler Jordan of Scarborough, who led the first half of the maine event, ended up with a fourth-place finish, followed by Lincoln’s Alan Smith. Terry Kirk, Kendall Curit, Ed Getty, Foret Boucher and Evan Beaulieu rounded out the top ten, followed by Brandon Ingalls and Tyler Braunschweig.
Brian Janik drove from the rear to the front to win the Wicked Good Vintage Race Car Association feature race. Bob Hill finished second, with Keith Fuller, Jr in third position. 70-year-old former track champion Dick McPhail led the first half of the race before yielding to the top three, driving under the checkered flag in fourth place. Norris Willette finished in fifth position.
David Folsom I of Skowhegan outran Madsion’s Mike Moore and George Fernald III of Benton in the Enduro race.
“Fernald Frenzy” special events were a part of Champions Appreciation Day, which also featured an on-track pit party where champions like Hall of Famer Blackie Hilliard – one of Unity Raceway’s earliest champions – was honored, as was the youngest champion on hand, current Late Model Pro Four competitor Ben Nile, a recent champion of the track’s Teen Thunder division.
The ‘Frenzy’ special events were capped by a Minivan Demolition Derby won by Skowhegan’s David Folsom II. Benton’s George Fernald III was the best of the rest, with the third-place trophy going to Justin Moore of Madison.
The always-entertaining Ramp Race was won by David Folsom I, in front of Shadow Folsom and Mike Moore.
David Folsom I of Skowhegan bested Lance Chapman of Benton in a best of three final in the Race Your Neighbor event, featuring street-legal passenger cars squaring off, one-on-one. Folsom drove his wife’s Impala to victory lane, thanked her, and told her from victory lane that she could have the $160 prize.
Lance Chapman and Samantha Letourneau won the Jack & Jill race, which needs to be seen to be understood. Cody Sleeper and Mika Wilson teamed up to finish second, ahead of Ben Nile and his young partner.
Chapman and Letourneau went on to provide the biggest crowd thrill of the day when they crashed in spectacular fashion during the Bag Race. After a red flag period prompted by that incident, Justin Moore and David Folsom II teamed up to win the event in front of Shadow Folsom and George Fernald III.
And Fast Freddy Landry was best in the Longest Ramp Jump competition, beating out the event’s most recent champion, Mike Moore.
Weekly competition resumes with all nine regular classes in action beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. August 21 Unity Raceway hosts NWA on Fire Wrestling & Racing, with a full professional wrestling card and nin feature races scheduled. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info
by Jay | Aug 9, 2009 | New England, Thunder Road
Barre, VT – Bill Davis of Monson, MA earned $5,000 with his win in the 250 lap 25th Annual M&M Beverage Enduro. Davis along with over 150 other cars from all over the northeast attempted to snag the big pay check. Long time leader Adam Gray of Belchertown, MA dropped out with less than 30 laps remaining and handed the victory to Davis. The event saw lots of action including several pile-ups and even a roll over.
Williamstown’s Michael MacAskill took home his second career Allen Lumber Street Stock win and first of the season in a special 50 lap event. MacAskill took the lead from Dave Whitcomb with two laps to go and survived a green-white-checkered finish. Whitcomb finished second followed by Tommy “Thunder” Smith, Tucker Williams and Jason Corliss. Forty cars started the fifty lap feature.
Bunker Hodgdon of Hardwick made a return to the Power Shift Junkyard Warrior division and won the Monza style two segment event. Hodgdon finished third in the first segment and won the second segment, both from the rear of the fifteen car field. Lance Donald also finished with a third and a win but lost the tie breaker because Hodgdon beat him in the second segment. Donald finished second followed by Kevin Dodge who compiled six points with a second and a fourth.
The 50th Anniversary Season at Thunder Road will continue with a double header this Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14. Thursday will be the Vermont ACE Hardware dealers event featuring the third and final Tiger Sportsmen Tri-State Series 100 lap event. Thunder Road Late Models, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors will join the card. Friday the action will continue with the rescheduled Pepsi Night. It will be a regular event for all four divisions with a 50’s/60’s themed sock hop in the pit area immediately following the racing. There will be a live DJ, a hoola-hoop contest and a costume contest. Post time on Thursday will be 6:30pm and Friday’s post time is set for 6:00pm.
Allen Lumber Street Stocks Unofficial Top Five – 1. Michael MacAskill (3) Williamstown, VT, 2. Dave Whitcomb (77) Elmore, VT, 3. Tommy Smith (50) Williamstown, VT, 4. #Tucker Williams (99) Hyde Park, VT, 5. Jason Corliss (61) Danville, VT.
Power Shift Warriors Unofficial Results – 1. Bunker Hodgdon (20) Hardwick, VT, 2. Lance Donald (52) Williamstown, VT, 3. Kevin Dodge (8) Barre, VT, 4. Keith Fortier (35) Hinesburg, VT, 5. Ken Christman (4) Cabot, VT, 6. Kevin Streeter (61) Waitsfield, VT, 7. John Prentice (87) Northfield, VT, 8. Donny Yates (05) N. Montpelier, VT, 9. Mark LaFleche (63) Williamstown, VT, 10. Thomas Elwood (33) Morrisville, VT, 11. Cheryl Kingsbury (13) Waitsfield, VT, 12. Alex Whitcomb (78) Montpelier, VT, 13. Matt Monaghan (11) Colchester, VT, 14. Justin Town (53) E. Barre, VT, 15. Bryan Nykiel (80) Berlin, VT.
by Jay | Aug 9, 2009 | Canada
(Shediac, N.B.) — Shediac’s Daniel Gautreau (#20) and Petitcodiac’s Mike Weagle (#60) shared the spotlight on Sunday afternoon at the Centre for Speed (CFS) as they both captured first place in their respective divisions during the Guildfords ‘Little Guys 100’, the longest race
of the season in Atlantic Canada for four-cylinder racecars. The race was the feature event during the Covered Bridge Potato Chip Fan Appreciation Day at CFS.
Gautreau powered his way to the front early on in the 100-lap main event and then had to fend off challenges from both of his cousins, Martin Landry (#00) and Pierre Gautreau (#99) to pick up his second Mini Stock division feature win of the season aboard his Roland’s On-the-Spot Welding Honda. Landry and Pierre Gautreau, who had earlier captured the win in the 10-lap heat, crossed the finish line second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, Weagle once again showed the way for the Four Fun division competitors as he crossed the finish line first to claim his fourth feature win of the season aboard his Dunnett Brothers Plumbing Civic ahead of Kyle MacMillan (#5x) of Hammond Plains, N.S. and Jonathan Doucette (#57) of Summerside, PEI. Doucette had earlier picked up the win in the 10-lap heat.
In Sportsman action, Luc Bourgeois (#88) of Memramcook went back to the old suspension set-up on his Gautreau’s Auto Salvage Ford Fusion and paid off in spades, as he captured his first wins of the season in both the 15-lap
semi-final and a very close win in the 35-lap feature. Bourgeois charged into the early lead and then had to fend off a strong late race challenge from fellow Ford competitor, Ken MacKenzie (#85) of Salisbury to pick up his first feature win of 2009. Veteran Dan Bourque (#15) of Grande-Digue had to settle for third place in the main event, semi-final and heat. MacKenzie had earlier picked up first place hardware in the 10-lap heat while sophomore Marcel Goguen (#56) celebrated his first career Sportsman win in the Dash. Meanwhile, 14-year old Matt Rodgers (#42) of Smithtown took his first laps in Sportsman competition by taking over the driving from his father Steve Rodgers aboard the Ed Floyd Excavating Grand Prix.
In Streetstock action, Doug MacEwen (#40) of
Charlottetown picked up his first feature win at CFS in over 13 years aboard his newly purchased Chevrolet racecar. MacEwen, who last won a feature race when the facility first opened in 1996, decided last week to purchase the Streetstock racecar owned by former track champion Rémi Gaudet. On Sunday, his investment paid big dividends with wins in both the 10-lap heat and 25-lap feature. Rookie Gerald Brun (#33) of Moncton was second in the feature while Victor Vienneau (#03) of Cocagne came home third to go along with his second place finish in the heat.
Next Saturday, August 15th at 7:00 p.m., the Centre for Speed will host top Sportsman drivers
from throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for a Maritime Super Series for Sportsman 75-lap feature race. The Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) Modifieds will also make their first stop of 2009 at CFS. The event will also include regular Southeast Challenge Series points racing for Streetstock, Mini Stock and Four Fun division racecars.
Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
TRAVEL
NOTE: Due to bridge construction on Route #133, all CFS traffic must use Exit #43 (Grand Barachois) off Highway #15 until further notice. From this exit, traffic must turn left onto Route #133, at Gaudet Supermarket, and travel 2 km to the CENTRE.
About CFS
The CENTRE for Speed,
built in 1996, is home to the Atlantic region’s largest and fastest paved 3/8 of a mile stock car oval as its centerpiece. The CENTRE overlooks the Northumberland Strait and is located 5 kilometers east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois .
by Jay | Aug 9, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New Hampshire
North Haverhill, N.H. (August 10, 2009): Fadden Racing will field two cars at this weekend’s NASCAR Camping World Series East 200-mile event as car owner Mike Olsen gets back behind the wheel of the championship-winning No. 61 to compete in only his second start this season. Jonathan Smith, driver of Fadden Racing’s No. 16 is especially optimistic about the return to road course racing whereas Lime Rock Park was where he started his go-kart career more than ten years ago.
The Smith family has a long and storied history at the Connecticut road course. Jonathan’s father, who will offer advice to his aspiring son, raced there as well. He considers it to be his home track since many of Smith’s early successes were produced there.
“I’m a big fan of road course racing so I consider that to be one of my strengths,” said Smith. “Loving a track is the first big hurdle to get over before you can be successful at it. I have a lot of good memories there and I love the challenge the course presents.”
Last season, Smith was forced to do a start and park in the event. He wrecked in practice and had no back-up car to lean on.
“I can’t wait to actually get to race Lime Rock again,” said Smith. “We didn’t get a lot of track time last year, but it’ll be different this year!”
Smith is also looking forward to having a teammate in his car owner Mike Olsen. Olsen, who won the 2001 and 2006 NASCAR Camping World Series East Championships, has had a tremendous record at the road course including ten top-10 and seven top-five finishes. His highest finish is second place and includes leading a career total of 43 laps at Lime Rock.
“I’ll be able to gain a lot of knowledge from Mike,” said Smith. “Mike is a strong road course racer and I’m definitely ready to learn from him.”
The weekend kicks off on Friday, August 14th with practice and qualifying followed by the green flag for the 82-lap event on Saturday, August 15th. For more information on Jonathan Smith, Mike Olsen, or Fadden Racing, visit www.faddenracing.net.
