by Jay | Jul 22, 2012 | Massachusetts, New England, Seekonk Speedway
Dylan Estrella gains 1st LM Checkered. Rick Martin wins Truck main. Scott Serydynski nabs Street Stock win.
After taking a week off, a rejuvenated 6 time Pro Stock Champion in Fred Astle picked up his third win of the season. In a race that treated the fans to a throwback type of race, he held off Rick Martin and Dave Darling for the checkered.
Dick Houlihan jumped out to the early lead over Kyle Casper, and set the pace for the nine laps, before Astle used a restart to out power Houly to the corners. Once out front, Astle had to hold off the challenges of points leader Darling and Martin, who was competing in his second race of the season in the Pro Stocks.
For the final 20 laps, Martin used the outside lane to move past Darling and make a run at Astle, but the defending champ was up to the challenge, as he held Martin off at the stripe. Darling finished third, as the three crossed the finish line under a proverbial blanket. Houlihan was fourth across the line with Mike Brightman fifth. After post-race tech, Martin failed, moving Houlihan and Brightman to third and fourth, with Craig Weinstein rounding out the top five.
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by Jay | Jul 21, 2012 | Devils Bowl, New England, Vermont
Bates Wins C.J. Richards Memorial in Storybook Fashion at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Teen drives car purchased by late speedway founder for biggest win of career
Seventeen year-old NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modified stock car driver Hunter Bates authored a Hollywood-style script at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday night, earning the biggest victory of his young career in the C.J. Richards Memorial 67 presented by Carrara Masonry & Concrete. The Middlebury, VT racer piloted a car purchased for him by Devil’s Bowl Speedway founder Richards shortly before Richards’ passing in February, winning in dominant fashion.
Bates started seventh on the 16-car field and quickly rocketed to the front, taking the lead from Jamie Proctor after a restart on lap 8. Bates led the balance of the race, stretching out to as much as a half-lap advantage at times. Another 17 year-old, Jessey Mueller of Olmstedville, NY, finished second after an exciting late-race duel with former track champion Todd Stone of Middlebury, VT.
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by Jay | Jul 20, 2012 | ACT, New England, Touring Series News
Sweet Defends Points Lead, Shines at Midseason Championships
Former Champs Fleury, Mullen Take Feature Victories
Hometown sensation Nick Sweet sent a dagger into his competitor’s championship hopes, claiming the victory and extending his point lead at The Times Argus Midseason Championships on Thursday, July 19. Sweet was followed to the line by Jeffersonville’s Joey Becker and Essex Junction’s Dave Whitcomb. Former K&N Pro Series Champion Jamie Aube took home fourth, and 3-time Thunder Road Champion Phil Scott rounded out the top five.
Becker dominated the early part of the 75 lap event, stretching his lead while top three point drivers David Pembroke and Cody Blake were caught in early trouble. After a lap 23 caution, Whitcomb and Becker broke into a tireless duel side by side for the lead, with point leader Nick Sweet waiting in the whims. When Whitcomb finally inched by Becker using the high lane, Sweet took full advantage soaring to the lead with over 30 laps to go in the event, and never looked back. Mad River Valley’s Brooks Clark brought home sixth place and South Burlington’s Trampas Demers was seventh. Pembroke recovered from early damage to salvage eighth place, and Eric Chase and Scott Payea rounded out the top ten.
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by Jay | Jul 20, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Dirt Track, New England, Vermont
Second-Half Push Begins at Bear Ridge Speedway on Saturday
Title fights heating up after last week’s Mid-Season Championships
Dirt track stock car drivers at Bradford, VT’s Bear Ridge Speedway are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, now that the 21-week season has passed the halfway point. Several drivers from the 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series are beginning to make serious rallies toward the front of their divisions in hopes to play the roles of championship spoilers.
Entering Saturday’s Dennis Preston Builders-sponsored event, the best average finish in the headline Bond Auto Parts DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division belongs to former three-time champion Gary Siemons of Orford, NH. With a 5.0 average, Siemons is the only full-time driver to have posted a top-ten finish in all of his starts in 2012. He dug a hole for himself on opening night in May by not making the call for the event’s feature race, and trails leaders Adam Pierson, Kevin Chaffee, and Derek Graham as a result, but Siemons won on Jiffy Mart of Bradford Night in June, has three additional podium finishes, and remains the most consistent driver in the Modified division.
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by Jay | Jul 19, 2012 | New England, Thunder Road, Vermont
Barre, VT – Former Thunder Road Champion Jamie Fisher, and two-time Serie ACT Castrol Champion Donald Theetge were the first to file entries for the 50th Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 30 at Barre’s Thunder Road.
Fisher filed within 30 minutes of receiving his entry form last Thursday. “This may be the biggest Milk Bowl we ever run for, so I didn’t want to waste any time,” said Fisher. “We’ve finally got the car going great again this year, I think we’ve got a real shot,” he finished.
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by Jay | Jul 19, 2012 | Devils Bowl, New England, Vermont
Jelley, LaDuc, Ryan among showdown entries; RRMC Marrow Donor Program auction on tap
Some of Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s most accomplished stock car racing champions will climb behind the wheel again at Friday’s C.J. Richards Memorial event presented by Carrara Masonry & Concrete. All-star drivers from the West Haven, VT half-mile will strap into cars from the track’s Daredevil class for a special showdown as part of the event that features a 67-lap race for the headline NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modified division.
Among the entrants in the Daredevil event is Butch Jelley of Andover, VT. Jelley raced at Devil’s Bowl Speedway when Richards opened the track in 1967. Jelley’s highlights include six consecutive Modified wins in 1969 and the 1975 track championship. He’ll be joined by past Modified and Late Model standouts Tim LaDuc, Jimmy Ryan, Ray Hoard, Lee Nutting, Fred Little, Charlie Brown, Ralph Bruno, and Don Mattison. Together, the group accounts for over 150 feature victories and 10 track championships. The drivers will compete in track-owned Daredevil cars – virtually street-legal race cars with only safety modifications – which offer fans, sponsors, and members of the community the opportunity to race.
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