by Jay | May 30, 2016 | Lee USA, New, New Hampshire
photo by Rich Hayes
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway opened up the 2016 weekly NASCAR Whelen All American Series season on Friday night, with 2014 Rookie of the Year Lance Barthelemy of Fremont taking down top honors in the 30-lap EKeys4cars Supermodified feature event.
Leslie Keyser of Northwood brought the field to green, and he quickly moved out to the lead as the field sorted out behind. 2014 champ Jake Stergios of Candia brought the race under caution after just two laps when he was sent into the backstretch wall, sliding to a stop in a shower of sparks in turn three.
While the Witkum Brothers team got Stergios back on track after a quick trip to the pits, Keyser once again took command when racing resumed, moving out to set to the pace with Barthelemy hot on his heels and 2015 Oktoberfest winner Mike Murphy of Groveland, MA right behind.
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by Jay | Apr 27, 2016 | Lee USA, NEMST, New, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
The 2016 season opener may have been postponed by two weeks however the competition garnered the extended off season bringing 27 tour style mini stocks to the Lee USA annual Governors Cup race. Veterans of the NEMST lead the way throughout
Saturday practice with lap times approaching mini stock record speeds.
On Sunday the cars were unloaded and prepared for a single practice session before lining up for the 3 heat races. In practice the 19 driven by Zach Audet of Skowhegan hounded the 42, former Toby Wells car, that was purchased in the offseason by Jarrod Soucy an NEMST rookie. Other notable front runners were two-time champion Emerson Cayer, 2015 Rookie of the Year Haywood Herriott, Nick Maniatis, Matt Sonnhalter, and Mike Parker.
The heat races ran caution free with the teams of Nick Maniatis, Matt Sonnhalter, and Haywood Herriott. Nick Maniatis drew the invert chip of 3 rows following NEMST procedures and setting up a thrilling feature line up. 2 of the fastest cars in the field Jarrod Soucy and Mike Parker would make up the front row for the largest starting field in NEMST history.
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by Jay | Apr 27, 2016 | Lee USA, New, New Hampshire
Lee USA American Racer Three Stars Announced. (Alan Ward)
Waterbury, VT – The American Racer Three Star program will continue in 2016. The program is designed to recognize three teams in no particular order of performance that had outstanding races at ACT US tour events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer Tire (value $125.00), but a special effort by a team, exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or other accepted reason to give the award is used to decide the recipients.
The three stars are chosen by officials and winners will receive certificates for the use of a free American Racer tire at a future Tour race of their choosing during 2016.
The awarding of the stars does not allow for anybody in the top three to receive the recognition. Again this week it would be difficult not to recognize the outstanding effort, strategies, and excitement that Scott Payea brought with his RPM team victory. Payea joined Wayne Helliwell Jr., Ray Parent, Alex Labbe, Quinny Welch, and Todd Davis who made the 30th opening day at Lee one of the most exciting races during the long history of ACT at Lee USA.
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by Jay | Apr 27, 2016 | ACT, Lee USA, New, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
photo by RPM 360
After posting the fastest time in practice on Saturday, Eddie MacDonald hoped to repeat his 2014 win in this year’s American Canadian Tour Exit Realty Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday. When the checkered flag waved Eddie Mac crossed the stripe for a frustrating eighth place finish.
“We made an adjustment late Saturday that really helped us in the short run but killed us in the long run,” said the driver of the Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy. “The car was pretty fast on Saturday and we thought the change would help the car in the late stages of the race but it didn’t turn out that way. It was pretty frustrating knowing I didn’t have the car to win it. With all our family and friends here, it would have been great to win it on our home track.”
Eddie Mac posted a plus one in his qualifying heat to start 13th in the 32 car field scheduled to go 150 laps around the 3/8ths of a mile oval owned and operated by Eddie’s parents Judy and Red MacDonald who are celebrating their thirtieth year operating the track. The American Canadian Tour’s Governor’s Cup had to be rescheduled from an earlier date due to weather concerns. When the green flag finally dropped to open the Lee USA season, Eddie Mac was comfortable riding the Freddie Peterson owned #17 near the middle of the pack to conserve tires. ACT rules do not allow teams to change tires unless damaged.
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by Jay | Apr 27, 2016 | ACT, Lee USA, New, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
photo by Rich Hayes
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway swung open the gates Sunday afternoon to drop the green flag on the 2016 season with the annual running of the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event. The traditional season-opener also featured the NEMST Mini Stocks and Northeast Classic Lites doing battle at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“.
Many special guests were on hand for the season-opening activities, including New Hampshire’s Governor Maggie Hassan, and legendary local rocker Charlie Farren, who sang the national anthem before the afternoon’s main event.
The Northeast Mini Stock Tour got the honor of being the first feature that took to the fast 3/8th’s mile for the new season, with Zach Audet claiming a convincing victory in the 50-lap feature event. 2014 Lee USA Late Model Sportsman champ Niko Maniatis came up just short for the second straight year scoring runner-up ahead of Haywood Herriot.
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by Jay | Apr 21, 2016 | ACT, Lee USA, New, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
Therrien Leads Charge into Lee USA Speedway. (Heather Aube photo)
Waterbury, VT – After a convincing victory at Oxford Plains Speedway last Sunday, Bobby Therrien is looking to continue his hot start as American-Canadian Tour (ACT) takes the green flag this Sunday, April 24 at Lee USA Speedway with the annual New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150. The NH Governor’s Cup, which was postponed due to weather in early April to start 2016 racing season, has been the traditional ACT opener since 2008, and with 12 different winners in the previous 13 ACT Late Model Tour events at the 1/3-mile speedway, the stage is set for another unpredictable and exciting event.
Four of the last six NH Governor’s Cup winners – Miles Chipman (2010), Jimmy Hebert (2013), Eddie MacDonald (2014), and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (2015) – have entered the event. Each hopes to become just the second repeat ACT Late Model winner at Lee.
The four will have plenty of challengers trying to add their names to the Lee USA record books. Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea now pilots the RPM Motorsports car that Brian Hoar drove to back-to-back NH Governor’s Cup wins in 2011 and 2012. Windham, ME’s Brad Babb was the runner-up in the 2015 Governor’s Cup and hopes to do one spot better in 2016. Kyle Welch and Rich Dubeau also turned in impressive performances at Lee in 2015 and could challenge for the win.
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