by Jay | Nov 13, 2009 | Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson NH – The Hudson Speedway annual awards banquet was held this past Sunday at the Kings Court in Hudson N.H.
For the first time in speedway history a father and son were both crowned champions in the same year as Dean Wendell won the Rookie Stock title and his father Mitch Wendell won the Outlaw Sportsman title. Keith Caruso, third generation driver and grandson of Mario “Fats” Caruso, won the V-6 Modified crown. Thirteen year old Dylan Bilodeau won the Thunder Lite title. Louie Maher won the Roadrunner title and Eric Bacon went home with the Classic Lites championship hardware.
Most improved driver awards went to Dan Murphy Jr. in the Rookie Stocks, Eric Miller in the Roadrunners, Ron Lord Jr. in the Outlaw Sportsman and Jen Lord in the Thunder Lights.
Sportsmanship awards went to Sammy Gilman in the Thunder Lights, Jef James in the Roadrunners, Jerry Lepage in the Rookie Stocks and Bobby Allen in the Outlaw Sportsman.
Rookie of the year awards went to Derek Griffith in the Thunder Lights, John Morin the Rookie Stocks and Don Soucy in the Roadrunners.
Dedication to racing awards went to Dennis O’Brien and Jim Ryder Sr. and multi car owners Jim Daley and Lewis Fortin.
The 2010 season opener is April 25th. Please visit www.hudsonspeedway.info for more information.
by Jay | Oct 27, 2009 | Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson NH – It was a fabulous fall afternoon for Pumpkinfest ’09 at Hudson Speedway this past Sunday. With five championships to be decided, the stands and pits were at capacity.
Eric Bacon and Billy Ryder were the top pointmen in the Classic Lights. Bacon held a slim nineteen point advantage over Ryder at the start of their feature so Ryder would have to finish in front of Bacon with at least one car between them to notch his second title in as many years. With both men starting in the last row of the twenty-two car main, all eyes were on those two. Bacon and Ryder both sliced through the field after the drop of the green, never more than a position or two apart. At the halfway point Ryder was running in front of Bacon but got crossed up trying to pass Ralph Cook and got all four wheels off the ground while driving over Cooks hood. Although Ryder drove off after the incident he made numerous pit stops and ended his day early giving the championship to Bacon.
After Ryders incident, Bacon battled side by side for a few laps with Jimmy Ryder Jr. for the lead before pulling away to victory. Finishing second through tenth were Jimmy Ryder Jr., Eddie Gilman, Dennis O’Brien, Matt Seavy, Jon Provost, Jeff Gilman, Paul Colson, Shane Reinhold and Danny Shields.
Dean Wendell held a fifty seven point lead over John Morin heading into the Rookie Stock main and needed almost all of them as he couldn’t get his car hooked up on the outside lane and struggled to finish eighth. Morin finished second in the feature but fell just three points shy of a championship behind Wendell. It was the second championship for the Wendell family at Hudson this year as Dean’s father Mitch won the Outlaw Sportsman championship a few weeks ago.
With his hood acting as rudder, Keith “Slika” Ennis kept his car going straight the entire race and led every lap of the Rookie main except the all important last lap. John Cianciulli passed Ennis in turn one of the last lap to get his third win of the year. Morin also slipped passed Ennis to finish second while Ennis had to settle for third. Fourth through tenth were Corrie Merritt, Larry Fortin, Brian Harron, John Swain, Wendell, Dan Murphy and Scotty Duval.
Dylan Bilodeau started the Thunder Lite feature needing to finish fourth or better to clinch the title and did so finishing second. Derek Griffith was second in points going into the race and did all he could by winning the feature but it wasn’t enough and finished second in points. Third through fifth in the race were Sammy Gilman, Jen Lord and Dan Fortin.
Louie Maher needed to finish fourth or better to clinch the Roadrunner championship and after second place pointsman Jef James slammed the front stretch wall while passing Erik Miller for the race lead and couldn’t race on, the championship was all Maher’s. With Miller sent to the pits for rough driving, Maher took over the race lead and cruised to the win. Second through fifth in the race were Patrick D’Alba, Don Soucy, Johnny Walker and Dean Santzer Jr.
Allan Reiser led the V-6 Modifieds from green to checker for his second win of the year. Keith Caruso finished second in the race and won the V-6 title. Third through fifth in the race were Dick Dubois, Chris Kuebler and Eric Vilandre.
Derek Beaudry won the Spectator Drags and Scotty Duval won both the Flagpole race and the Figure 8 race. Patrick D’Alba won the 4 Cyl. Enduro and Dave McCarthy won the Grand Enduro.
Hudson Speedway’s 62nd annual banquet is Sunday November 8th at King’s Court Banquet Hall in Hudson N.H. Tickets are available until Oct.31st. Please visit www.hudsonspeedway.info for more information.
by Jay | Oct 27, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS
Wayne Whitten nabs Lee USA PASS Mod finale
Scott Grant is the 2009 PASS Mod champion
Wayne Whitten Jr. took off from his front row starting position in Sunday’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Mod feature and led all the way to capture his first PASS Mod victory. Jon Brill drove up to challenge Whitten Jr. for the win but it was too little too late and Brill settled for second. Scott McDaniel wrapped up his season with yet another strong run, coming home third.
The victory was Whitten’s first under the Pro All Stars Series banner. He joins Andy Shaw (3 wins), Scott McDaniel (2 wins), Dan Somes, Steve Bennett Jr., Gary Norris Jr. and Sulo Burbank in the PASS Mod win column.
While Whitten was driving off into the sunset, Bill Dixon and Scott Grant were battling it out for the PASS Mod Championship. Grant enjoyed a ten point advantage heading into the finale and those few extra points came in handy Sunday as Dixon finished the day two spots ahead of Grant in fourth. Neither driver had a great set-up for Lee USA Sunday, but they both survived the battle and Scott Grant came away as the titlist, just a handful of points ahead of Dixon.
Grant is the first PASS Mod Champion since the series inaugural 2004 season to capture the crown without a trip to victory lane. (Mark Lucas earned the 2004 title) Grant’s five top five runs were enough to propel the Waterboro Maine racer to his first Championship.
Scott Grant, Carey Martin, Johnny Clark and Ben Rowe will be joined by their fellow racers, family fans and friends at Verillo’s Conference Center in South Portland ME on Friday November 7th to celebrate their respective series championship.
For complete banquet information and final point standings for all six 2009 series visit www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com .
Unofficial Finish PASS Mod 30 lap feature – Lee USA Speedway – 10/25/09
1) 4 Wayne Whitten Jr. Arundel ME 2) 77 Jon Brill Bridgeton ME 3) 14 Scott McDaniel Livermore ME 4) 33 Billy Dixon, North Waterboro ME 5) 50 Sumner Sessions Norway ME 6) 27 Scott Grant Waterboro ME 7) 53 Richard Ferriera Raynham MA 8) 56x Wanderson Oliviera Raynham MA 9) 75 Glenn Boss 10) 36 Wayne Maranda 11) 56 Dan Somes, Belgrade ME
by Jay | Oct 23, 2009 | New Hampshire, PASS
Naples ME (October 22, 2009) There’s two title battles on tap for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) this weekend, and the tightest is in the PASS Mods where Scott Grant leads Andy Shaw by a scant eight points heading into the season finale at Lee (NH) USA Speedway’s Oktoberfest .
The top three are only separated by ten markers with Bill Dixon holding down the third spot. It would take some doing for Steve Bennett Jr. or Scott McDaniel to capture the cro0wn; the pair is nineteen and twenty seven points back respectively. Certainly they both have a shot at advancing in the standings, if not capturing the championship outright.
There are fourteen divisions of racing on tap at Lee USA this weekend. The weekend kicks off on Friday October 23rd with practice from 3:00 to 7:00 PM, with a Pizza/Karaoke party to follow. On Saturday October 24th the action gets underway in earnest with practice from noon until 2:00 PM and qualifying races right after practice. Sunday October 25th it’s feature racing only and the first feature of the day will roll off at noon.
For all the details on Oktoberfest, point your browser to www.leeusaspeedway.com . The Pro All Stars Series is on line at www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com
by Jay | Oct 18, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS, Riverside Speedway
Naples ME (10/18/09 Championships aren’t easy to come by in sports, and auto racing is no exception. To win the deciding race to claim a championship is the dream of many a racer. Carey Martin lived out that dream Saturday when he won the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Sportsman finale at Groveton New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway. Martin claimed the feature over his nearest championship rival Mike Landry, securing the 2009 PASS Sportsman title by a two point margin. Clyde Hennessey finish third, Lyman McKeage fourth and Grant Arthur came home fifth.
After the qualifying heats were completed the two were deadlocked in the standings, with Dan McKeage just two points behind. Clyde Hennessey captured heat one to sit on the pole, with heat two winner McKeage to his outside.
Hennessey took the lead from the first green but Martin quickly moved up to second with Landry right on his bumper in third. The pair chased Hennessey until lap twenty nine when Martin took command. Dan McKeage was charging, up to second from fourth ahead of Hennessey and Landry, Arthur and Lyman McKeage.
When the crossed flags were displayed it was Martin, Dan McKeage, Landry up to third and Hennessey fourth. The front three were evenly matched ran nose to tail for thirty laps until Dan McKeages’ challenge for a second PASS Sportsman title went up in smoke with driveline problems. McKeage was done for the day at lap 59.
The final caution set up a sixteen lap showdown between the top two title contenders, with Martin on the inside and Landry outside. Martin got the jump on Landry at the green and try as he might, Landry could not find his way past the veteran Sportsman racer. Landry ran Martin clean, putting on a great battle for the win but Martin wasn’t to be denied, taking the victory and the title of 2009 PASS Sportsman Championship in the process. It was Martins’ third win of 2009 and firth top five in seven starts.
Just three cautions slowed the seventy five lap feature event. Seven cars completed all the laps; heat race wins went to Hennessey and Dan McKeage.
Carey Martin and his fellow PASS competitors will gather November 7th at Verillo’s Convention Center in Westbrook Maine for the 2009 Pro All Stars Series Banquet of Champions.
The Pro All Stars Series is on line at www.racewithpass.com and www.proallstarsseries.com .
Unofficial Results- PASS Sportsman 75 lap feature–Riverside Speedway, Groveton NH -10/17/09
1) 18 Carey Martin, Denmark ME 2) 40 Mike Landry, Oakland ME 3) 8 Clyde Hennessey, Windham ME 4) 58 Lyman McKeage, Gorham ME 5) 7oz Grant Arthur, Exeter NH 6) 34 Richie Morse, Waterford ME 7) 51 Dan Sidney, St. Johnsbury VT 8) 1 Kerry Marten, Littleton NH 9) 02F David Fowler, Barnstead NH 10) 67 Jourdain Davis, Whitefield NH 11) 7x Shawna Randall, Stark NH 12) Dan McKeage, Gorham ME 13) 35 Bobby Nadeau, Hollis ME 14) 73 David Ofswyk, Newport Center VT
by Jay | Oct 15, 2009 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS, Riverside Speedway
NAPLES ME (October 14 2009) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Sportsman racers started their 2009 season at Speedway 95 in April, when the season was new and every competitor was tied for the points lead. October has arrived and after six races and six months there’s still a tie at the top of the heap and one driver that trails the top two by just three markers.
That’s as tight as it gets, and the top three will do battle this Saturday afternoon at the PASS sanctioned Riverside Speedway in Groveton New Hampshire for the title. Carey Martin and Mike Landry are deadlocked with 284 points apiece and Dan Mckeage trails the pair by three at 281. Any one of the three could wind up with the 2009 Champion’s trophy. Lyman Mckeage sits in fourth with 213 and just one point separates him from fifth place points man Shane Tatro.
So there’ll be plenty of races within the race to keep an eye on as the PASS Sportsman take on an expected full field of Sportsman/Limited racers from throughout the region. It’s guaranteed to be some of the best racing you’ll see this season, and the tough Riverside oval only makes the show even better.
The PASS Sportsman title race is just a portion of the huge Russ’s NAPA presents the 4th annual Frostbite 400, highlighted by a 250 lap, $5,000.00 to win four and six cylinder Enduro, the speedway’s own Cyclone division championship, Dwarf Cars and Daredevils. It’s grass roots racing at its very best, and a great way to wrap the PASS Sportsman season.
Pit gates open October 17 at 8:00 AM, tech gets underway at 9:00 AM, and post time for the first race is 1:30 PM. For more details please visit www.riversidespeedway.org .
