by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Harrisburg, N.C. (September 12, 2009): After competing in both the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Iowa and the IMCA Super Nationals this weekend, Brett Moffitt is ready to shift his focus back to the series point lead in the NASCAR Camping World Series East. Moffitt is currently sixth in the point standings – 147 points behind current leader Ryan Truex – as Andy Santerre Motorsports heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Heluva Good Fall 125.
“There are only two races left so if we run strong here at New Hampshire we still have a shot. We’re 147 back from Ryan, but we’re only 97 points out of second. A good finish at NHMS can really shake things up a bit,” said Moffitt, who drives the No. 44 Andy Santerre Motorsports Chevrolet’s.
Moffitt will be looking for redemption of sorts when they return to New Hampshire. In June, Moffitt was running third when his tire blew and sent him into the wall in turn four. The team had to park the car for the day after running only 39 laps.
“We ran down the leaders and we were looking to pass them when he blew the tire,” said car owner Andy Santerre. “We were a little too aggressive on the setup. We were trying to run a radial tire setup on a bias ply tire, and at Loudon you have to be careful on how much camber you run or it’ll overheat the sidewall. When we went to that West race a week ago we learned a lot about the tires and what they will take and what they won’t. If we can get a happy medium where we get close on speed but not overdo it on the set up we’ll be good.”
With Dover following the week after, Santerre has decided to be conservative and bring their short track car to New Hampshire. They didn’t want to take the chance of wrecking their superspeedway car with the last race on the line.
But conservative doesn’t mean giving up being competitive.
Moffitt is confident heading into this week’s event and doesn’t feel threatened by the challenge he faces to finish the season off in the top-three. His one win, four top-five, and seven top-10 finishes speak for themselves.
“There’s a lot of pressure on people right now to go out there and perform because it’s the last two races, but we put that pressure on ourselves every week,” said Moffitt. “We’re going there to win just like we do in May and in July and in September. The pressure is really all on Ryan (Truex) because the point lead is his to lose.”
The NASCAR Camping World Series East arrives at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 17th for practice and qualifying and will take the green flag for the Heluva Good! Fall 125 on Friday, September 18th at 5 p.m. eastern time.
For more information on Brett Moffitt or Andy Santerre Motorsports, visit www.brettmoffitt.com or www.andysanterremotorsports.com.
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NHMS
LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 15, 2009) — If history is any indicator, then look for Ryan Newman to make an early statement in Sunday’s opening round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
As one of the 12 drivers who secured a spot in the Chase, Newman can’t think of a better place than the New England facility where he has enjoyed success since his 2002 rookie season.
The last time the U.S. Army/Haas Automation driver qualified for the Chase (2005), he kicked off the championship format with a victory at New Hampshire’s 1.058-mile oval.
Known as the Magic Mile, the New Hampshire track was also the site of Newman’s first career Cup win in September 2002.
In 15 New Hampshire starts, Newman has garnered two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s and four poles. He has an average finish of 14.2 and ranks fourth all-time for most laps led at 537.
“New Hampshire has always been a strong suit for me,” stated Newman, who drives the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing. “I don’t know exactly why. I don’t know if I just adapted to the track really soon. I’m not sure but it’s a place I look forward to going to. I really enjoy the area and the race track.”
While he would like to jump out to a fast start in New Hampshire’s Sylvania 300, Newman knows that consistency with strong performances throughout the 10 Chase races will be the key to determining who will hoist the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy following the season-ending race — Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Speaking of consistency Newman enters the New Hampshire race as the leader in laps completed during the first 26 races of the 2009 season. He has completed 7,323 laps out of 7,336 for a 99.82 percentage. Second is Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, with 7,322 laps completed (99.81 percent).
“It usually comes down to the team that’s been the most consistent — it’s as simple as that,” noted Newman, who begins the Chase as the 10th seed. “Our U.S. Army/Haas Automation team has had a pretty decent run lately, but we still need to step it up in order to be a contender in the next 10 races. Those 10 races are all about having fun — can’t really lose anything, but there’s a lot to gain.”
When asked by the media who he thinks is the Chase favorite, Newman said, “That’s a tough question to answer because I think there is more potential for any team to beat themselves than they are to beat who they think is a better competitor. If you’re sitting here thinking about who you have to beat then you’re not thinking about your own race car and what you have to do to be successful.”
Regarding making the Chase for the first time in three years, Newman responded with his thoughts after clinching the prestigious position with a 10th-place finish Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
“If feels awesome, especially after not making it (Chase) for so many years,” said Newman. “We just never let up all season in the Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS. When things wouldn’t go right we would just battle harder.
“This is our payback to our Soldiers who give us the mental strength and inspiration to keep on pounding away until the mission is completed. I’m so proud to represent the U.S. Army and knowing that I’m driving for over a million Soldiers fighting for our freedom. This is a win for them, too.”
Newman added, “We just did what we wanted to do and that’s why it feels so good. It’s a dream come true. To think back to Daytona going through basically three race cars and make it to Richmond here and be in this position, it says a lot about the hard work that (crew chief) Tony Gibson, (owner) Tony Stewart and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing have put into this effort.”
by Jay | Sep 14, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Matt Kobyluck leaves no room for wondering what he and his Mohegan Sun Racing team want for the NASCAR Camping World Series East event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18th. The 2008 defending series Champion is going with the distinct goal of winning the race.
“We want to win,” said Kobyluck. “We have everything to gain in the points, while the leaders right now have everything to lose. We want to get back in victory lane this year and New Hampshire would be a great place to do that.”
Kobyluck is currently tied with Steve Park for fourth place in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East point standings. Kobyluck has posted two top-five and six top-10 finishes in nine starts this season. Only two races remain to attempt to end a winless streak that started after his victory in the Toyota All-Star Showdown back in January.
The Mohegan Sun Race team will face some stiff competition, however. Ryan Truex, Eddie MacDonald, and several others will try and make Kobyluck’s goal hard to obtain, but the Uncasville, Conn. native feels they can rise to the challenge.
“We’ve had a pretty decent car there in the last couple of years so we just have to stay out of trouble and be there at the end,” said Kobyluck. “Ryan has been good everywhere he’s gone this year and Eddie has been consistently good at New Hampshire so they will definitely be contenders at this race. A lot of it will come down to qualifying. It’s so important there to start up front, and we’ll have a strong focus on our qualifying effort.”
Tackling New Hampshire Motor Speedway would be one of the biggest accomplishments of Kobyluck’s career. It is one of a select few tracks that the 39-year-old driver has yet to win on.
“We’ve won at a lot of places, but winning at New Hampshire would just be incredible. All my wins have meant a lot to me, but we’ve worked really hard at New Hampshire and we’ve struggled there in the past. I think pulling off a victory would be a memorable moment for both me and the crew.”
The Heluva Good Fall 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway takes the green flag at 5 p.m. eastern time on Friday, September 18th. For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or the Mohegan Sun Race team, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.
by Jay | Sep 13, 2009 | ACT, New England
Plattsburgh, NY – Montreal’s Patrick Laperle used smart tire strategy and a strong car to win the American Canadian Tour Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Fall Foliage 300 after leading the majority of the way. Laperle battled early with another Quebecer Donald Theetge as they both started on the front row. Theetge spun on lap 14 and opened the door for another Serie ACT Castrol regular Karl Allard. Allard and Laperle then went at it until about the halfway point when Allard bowed out with rearend issues.
The majority of the drivers chose to pit between about laps 120 and 160, while Laperle lasted until lap 248 until he pitted for fresh tires and fuel. It didn’t take Laperle long to move back to the front of the field and get by Brent Dragon and Brian Hoar, who were leading the way. Laperle took the lead again on lap 258 and led the rest of the way.
Brian Hoar and Brent Dragon held on for second and third. John Donahue, Scott Payea and Chip Grenier were the final 3 cars on the lead lap. Donald Theetge, Sylvain Lacombe, Craig Bushey and Glen Luce rounded out the top ten.
The 300 lap event took 1 hour, 57 minutes and 59 seconds to complete with 10 cautions. Nineteen of the thirty-six cars that started the event took the checkers. A total of 39 cars attempted to qualify.
The American Canadian Tour, Serie ACT Castrol and other top Late Model competitors from around the Northeast and Canada, will compete next weekend on Saturday, September 19 in the Inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Post time for the most talked about Late Model event of 2009 is set for 5:30 pm.
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Fall Foliage 300 Unofficial Results
Airborne Speedway – Sunday, September 19
Pos Car # Driver
1 91 Patrick Laperle
2 37 Brian Hoar
3 55VT Brent Dragon
4 26VT John Donahue
5 89 Scott Payea
6 9VT Chip Grenier
7 80 Donald Theetge
8 3 Sylvain Lacombe
9 05 Craig Bushey
10 7ME Glen Luce
11 85 Trampas Demers
12 73ME Joey Doiron
13 16 Mark Lamberton
14 10QC Stéphane Descoste
15 41 Pete Potvin, III
16 51ME Ricky Rolfe
17 25 David Whitcomb
18 24 Steve Fisher
19 40QC David Michaud
20 97NH Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.
21 7VT Eric Williams
22 48QC Karl Allard
23 22VT Sam Caron
24 34 Dylan Smith
25 38VT Tyler Cahoon
26 72VT Dave Paya
27 02NH Randy Potter
28 03 Martin Lacombe
29 73NH Joe Tetreault
30 18 Jamie Fisher
31 55NH Brad Leighton
32 15VT Joey Laquerre
33 15ON Derek Lynch
34 2 Daniel Descoste
35 61 Dave Wilcox
36 40VT Eric Chase
by Jay | Sep 13, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, New England, PASS
Unofficial Finish – Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model PASS 300 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway –Scarborough Maine 9/13/09 – (with position, Car #, Driver and Home Town)
1) 24 Mike Rowe Turner ME 2) 60 DJ Shaw Ctr. Conway NH 3) 4N Ben Rowe, Turner ME 4) 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell ME 5)4S Jay Fogleman, Durham NC 6) 47 Kelly Moore, Scarborough ME 7) 85 Nick Ribbe , MA 8) 14 Matt Frahm, Salem NH 9) 17 Travis Benjamin, Morrill ME 10) 62 Mark Gibson, Winston-Salem NC 11) 33 Richie Dearborn, Hollis NH 12) 22 Aaron Ricker Tamworth NH 13) 21 David Oliver, Standish 14) 4X Rich Eaton, Seabrook NH 15) 10 Steve Knowlton, Dover NH 16) 20 Steve Legendre, St. Johnsbury VT 17) 8 Cassius Clark, Farmington ME 18) 53 Alan Wilson Hebron ME 19) 0 Bill Whorff Jr., Bath ME 20) 77 Scott Chubbuck, Brunswick ME 21) 2X Tom Scully Jr., Westport MA 22) 12 John Dabrowski , W. Bridgewater MA 23) 29 Trevor Sanborn, Parsonsfield ME 24) 7 Donnie Whitten, Biddeford ME 25) 28 Dave Davis, VT 26) 88 Alan Tradiff Lyman ME 27) 17A Scott Alexander, Orrington ME 28) 51 TJ Brackett Buckfield ME 29) 10S Ryan Blaney, High Point NC 30) 98 Adam Bates, Warner NH 31) Derek Ramstrom, Worcester MA 32 9 Bub Bilodeau, Standish NH
by Jay | Sep 13, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, New England, PASS
Unofficial Feature Results – PASS 400 Weekend – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – 9/12/2009
Wildcat/Strictly 75 laps Feature – PASS 400 Weekend – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – 9/12/09
1) 84 David Vaughn Freeport ME 2) 09 Gary Babineau Windham ME 3) 35 Nathan Leavitt Buxton ME 4) 70 Dan Bean Alfred ME 5) 83 6) 73 Matt Hodgdon Scarborough ME 7) 777 Mike St Germain Auburn ME 8) 47 Brian Caswell Buxton ME 9) 40 Lyman McKeage Gorham ME 10) 7 Travis Dyer Gray ME 11) 81 Lewis Anderson Hollis ME 12) 93 Randy Snow Buxton ME 13) 92 Jimmy Burnham Windham ME 14) 61 Matt Gain Westbrook ME 15) 27 Nate Yeaton Lisbon Falls ME 16) 5w Chris Warming Hollis ME 17) 30 Linwood Varney Gorham ME 18) 3 Jesse Tolman Old Orchard Beach ME 19) 11 20) 62 Andy Ayers Shapleigh ME 21) 41 Steve Benicasa Buxton ME 22) 2 Adam Lovejoy Sanford ME 23) 69 Steve Coffin Buxton ME 24) 56
NELCAR Legends 50 lap Feature – PASS 400 Weekend – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – 9/12/09
1) 20 Max Zechem Preston CT 2) 38 Bobby Timmons III Windham ME 3) 399 Bob Weymouth Topsham ME 4) 647 Jacob Dorr Sanford ME 5) 56 Evan Beaulieu Durham ME 6) 10 Ed Getty Gray ME 7) 33 Alan Smith Lincoln ME 8) 48 Kendall Curit Windham ME 9) 72 Kevin Hutchens E Waterboro ME 10) 17 Terry Kirk Durham ME 11) 87 Anthony Pagliarulo Groveland 12) 19 Jim Manchester Gorham ME 13) 21 Chris Sargent Buxton ME 14) 5 Randy Brunelle Malone NY 15) 64 Chris Dgiluey Winchester MA 16) 22 Forest Boucher Buxton ME 17) 39 Doug Coombs Livermore ME 18) 70 Tylar Braunschweig Newfield ME 19) 15 Jim Maynard Jr S Deerfield MA 20) 83 Brandon Ingalls Windham ME
Roadrunner 30 lap Feature – PASS 400 Weekend – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – 9/12/09
1) 64 Brian Graffam Limerick ME 2) 84 Matt Dow Buxton ME 3) 21 David Turner Buxton ME 4) 21 David Turner Buxton ME 5) 29 Donnie Dinsmore Limington ME 6) 31 Shawn Brackett 7) 42 Nicole Timmons Buxton ME 8) 2 David Cameron Alfred ME 9) 32 Kyle Lewis 10) 35 Marc Hill Biddeford ME 11) 34 Spencer Morse Waterford ME 12) 24 Ray Letellier Buxton ME 13) 1 Ed Conley 14) x2 Adam Bates Westbrook ME 15) 00 Trevor Graffam Sanford ME
