by Jay | May 28, 2012 | Maine, New England, Unity
Brian Whitney of Burnham completed a weekend sweep of Late Model competition Sunday at Unity Raceway, leading all 34 laps in the Butch Burgess Memorial Race, honoring the late racer and race car fabricator from Oakland.
Whitney won the first heat race, earning the pole starting position alongside second heat race winner Jeff Burgess, son of the race’s namesake. Unfortunately for Burgess, the Unity Raceway reigning champion and point leader, he was in a borrowed mount seeing action for just the second time, his regular ride sidelined by engine woes. Whitney jumped into the lead, built a healthy margin, and led the entire distance in a caution free feature event.
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by Jay | May 28, 2012 | New England, New Hampshire, White Mountain Motorsports Park
With highexpectations, a lot of excitement and a pit full of cars, White Mountain Motorsports Park threw open the gates Saturday night for its first night ofcompetition in its 20th season of competition. With the Pro All Star Series Super LateModels in town for their first visit in 2012 and a huge crowd on hand for alate afternoon start, temperatures in the high 70’s the conditions were rightfor some fantastic action on the racetrack.
Qualifyinggot under way with the Lil’ Caesar’s Kids Truck Division, with the win going toIrasburg, VT’s Brandon Croteau in the #4 truck. The wins in the two Beacon Resort Strictly Stock qualifiers went to the#3 of Ray Eames out of Berlin, NH and to the #4 of Shane Sicard hailing from Barton,VT. In the Shuttle Connection Late Modelsit was Bernie Lantagne in the #3 from McIndoe Falls, VT and track championQuinny Welch in the #78 out of Lancaster. NH starting the year off withwins. In the Woodsville Guaranty SavingsBank Mini Stock division it was Whitefield, NH’s Ben Bellanger in the #99topping the field. The Avery’s SweepingTiger Sportsman division saw the return of former champion Thumper Griswoldfrom Bath, NH in the #77 taking the qualifying win.
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by Jay | May 28, 2012 | Massachusetts, New England, Seekonk Speedway
Six time Pro Stock champion Fred Astle Jr jumped out front early, and held of challenges from Kevin Casper and Dave Darling to pick up a thrilling win. Ken Spencer took off from his outside pole position start, and set the pace for the first several laps. Astle moved his way through the pack using the inside lane, making some daring moves, and quickly closed in on the K. Spencer Electric machine. Astle moved past Kyle Casper and pole sitter Phil Meany by lap 8, and quickly found his way past Spencer on lap 10.
While Astle was able to open up a 6 car length lead, Kevin Casper moved into second, and started to close in the distance to the leader. As the laps reached the ¾ mark, Casper was hounding the Wood Frame Structures Chevy, and tried everything he could to put his Phil’s Propane Ford out front. While the pair raced hard, Rehoboth’s Dave Darling was breaking free from the pack, and hunting down the lead duo. As they crossed the line with just 5 laps to go, Darling moved his Bristol Toyota Scion Camry to the outside, and went to work. At the white flag mark, Darling was even with Casper, and as they raced into turn three on the final lap, he tried one last move, but came up .163 short for his second win of the season. Casper held on for third, just .164 behind Astle. Ryan Vanasse and Mike Brightman rounded out the top five.
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by Jay | May 28, 2012 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road, Touring Series News, Vermont
In a race that had eluded his prestigious racing career, Barre, VT’s Nick Sweet methodically worked his way to the victory in the 50th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road in Barre, VT on Sunday, May 27, 2012. The Memorial Day Classic was the first of four events in the Vermont State Late Model Championship series. Sweet held off Lt. Governor Phil Scott and Brent Dragon, who flew through the field from the 12th and 16th starting positions to finish second and third.
The race began with pole sitter and former Oxford Plains Speedway Champion Ricky Rolfe showing the way early, only to engage with a heated back and forth struggle with Milton’s Scott Payea. Rolfe and Payea traded the lead back and forth, side by side for more than half of the race. Scott and Sweet trailed the pair for the majority of the exchange as the top four ran in a tight battle for the point. Scott took over on the outside lane for 12 laps only to see Nick Sweet steal it away for good on a lap 68 restart.
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by Jay | May 27, 2012 | Maine, New England, Speedway 95
John Kalel II of Orrington led the Dysart’s Late Model feature from the green to the checkers Saturday night at Speedway 95, but never led by more than a car length in the caution free 35 lap event. Kalel started from the pole by winning a qualifier earlier in the program and had Winterport’s Ryan Deane behind or beside him for the entire distance. Deane tried running the inside several times attempting to take the lead from Kalel, but Kalel kept his cool and fought off each challenge. Deane finished second with Hermon’s Mike Hopkins finishing third after coming from his 12th place starting position in the 14 car field. Once Hopkins got to the leaders, he couldn’t advance past them as they were running side by side for the final 5 laps, with Kalel winning by less than a car length. Phil Richardson of Hermon finished in fourth with Bangor’s Donny Blanchard picking up his first top five of the season. Andy Saunders of Ellsworth won the first qualifier, but had to start near the rear of the field because of his top three finish the week before.
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by Jay | May 27, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Dirt Track, New England, Vermont
Sunn dominates Modifieds, McGinley wins Coupes
Will Hull returned to his home track at Bear Ridge Speedway to post the first victory of his career in the WYKR Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) series on Saturday. Hull, of East Montpelier, VT and a former Limited Late Model track champion, made a dramatic late-race pass in heavy lapped traffic to steal the lead from Tyler Rich and earn the win on Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Night.
Polesitter Lacey Hanson of Orwell, VT led the first seven laps of the 25-lap race, but Lyme, NH sophomore Rich sailed through the field from his tenth starting position to pass Hanson up front on lap 8. Rich held a comfortable lead but slowed in lapped traffic, allowing Hull and Chris Donnelly to close quickly. Hull squeezed by coming to the final lap, bringing Donnelly with him, and held on for his first victory in the open-wheel, winged touring division. Donnelly finished second with Rich third, followed by Clay Dow and defending SCoNE champion Dan Douville. Matt Robie, rookie Chris Downs, Tunk Berry, Andy Seuss, and Hanson completed the unofficial top ten.
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