by Jay | Jan 26, 2010 | New
LePage, Morin split Pro finals in Belmont for Rock Maple Racing snocross series
BELMONT, N.H. (Jan. 24, 2010) – Ever since it was announced that Mathieu Morin and Bobby “The Rage” LePage were coming to New England to compete this winter, everyone who follows the sport of snocross figured they would steal the headlines on a regular basis.
Seeing these two well-trained athletes on top of the podium has become a familiar site, as they continue to dominate here in the East. Morin and LePage put on another exciting show Sunday afternoon in southern New Hampshire, splitting the Pro finals as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed Round 4 of its 2009-2010 schedule at The Lodge at Belmont.
LePage (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris), of Duluth, MN, grabbed the holeshot in Sunday’s Pro Stock final and led the first five laps. Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) powered his way into the lead on lap six and appeared to be headed for his fifth victory of the season. Yet as the two leaders entered turn 4 with just three of 24 laps remaining, Morin got caught behind Chris Chico on the outside, LePage blasted by on the inside and sprinted to the finish. Morin settled for second while multi-time champion Jason Boron claimed third.
In the Pro Open final, it was all Morin from start to finish. After the disappointment of losing in Pro Stock, he was determined to seal the deal on the mighty Mod sled. LePage slotted into second at the start, but came off his sled in turn 4 on lap six and had to fight his way back to fourth. Defending champion Danny Poirier was smooth all afternoon, piloting his Polaris to second while Boron once again filled out the podium in third.
Pro division rookie Brennan Berardo (DooTalk.com/Ski-doo) raced like a veteran on Sunday. The 17-year-old from Essex, VT, ran near the front for 18 laps in Pro Stock and came home with a solid top-five run. He got off to a strong start in Pro Open, as well and managed to secure another top five after completing 23 of 24 grueling laps on the tight and challenging track. Joseph Lemieux (Pro Vet) and Paige Calderwood (Pro Women) earned final round wins in their respective divisions Sunday. Lemieux, of St. Johnsbury, VT, held off Maine-based Jason Soucy and fellow Vermonter Rene Desrochers for top honors, while Calderwood, of Phoenix, NY, outgunned Melanie Acker and KC Anderson to notch her victory.
Corin Todd and Lucas Brunelle also thrilled the fans in Belmont with their victories in the Semi-Pro division. Todd (D&Z Racing/Ski-doo), of Otego, NY, powered by early leader Ash Woskob on lap eight and went on to record his fourth win of the season in the Open final. Lincoln Lemieux finished three seconds back in second, while Michael George came home third.
Brunelle (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo), of Boucherville, QC, capped a full day of racing as he held off Todd in Semi-Pro Stock. George made it an all-Ski-doo podium as he claimed third. All but nine of the 14 starters completed all 12 laps, while Brunelle’s margin of victory was just a tick over two seconds.
Jake Scott was the man to beat in Sport division action over the weekend. The young athlete from Port Jefferson, NY, claimed Saturday’s Sport Super Stock final over Chris Ingles and Mike Billow, then repeated the performance Sunday as Billow and Jesse James Bonaduce filled out the podium. Joe Bishop piloted his Ski-doo to victory in the Sport Stock 600 final, while Scott settled for second and Billow snagged another third.
In Junior division action over the weekend, Montana Jess registered a hat trick while Edward Bandel, Hunter Patenaude, Leo Patenaude, Wade McPherson, Jayme Lynch and Mason Pierce also earned final round wins. Jess, known in snocross circles as “The Flyin’ Onion,” piloted his Ski-doo to victories on both Saturday and Sunday.
Other final round winners over the weekend in Belmont include Rene Desrochers (Plus 35 Masters); Glynn Desilva (Plus 25 Stock); Steffanie Lemieux (Women Stock 600 Saturday and Sun.); and Jared White (Trail Stock 600 Sunday).
Rock Maple Racing would like to thank event promoter Craig Harmon, Lodge at Belmont general manager Rick Newman, the Belmont Bogie Busters, Bobcat of New Hampshire and everybody who worked so hard to make last weekend’s event such a success. With perfect weather conditions on Saturday and sunshine for most of Sunday, fans turned out in big numbers to enjoy the high-flying excitement of snocross.
Teams and officials from RMR will now enjoy a weekend off before a trip to Farmington, NY, on Feb. 5-6, for the ISOC Eastern Nationals. For full results in all classes from Belmont or to learn more about RMR, visit them online at www.rockmaple.com.
by Jay | Jan 18, 2010 | New
Morin sweeps Pro finals at XTown for Rock Maple Racing snocross series
Brunelle, Todd split Semi-Pro classes
MIRABEL, Quebec (Jan. 18, 2010) — Any time you host a snowmobile race in the province of Quebec, the natives make a little extra effort to win in front of the home crowd.
And when it’s a points race in front of a huge audience just outside Montreal, that effort goes up a notch.
Although Mathieu Morin has gone on to achieve a great deal outside of his hometown of Val-D’Or, his desire to win at home has never been stronger. Morin swept the Pro finals over the weekend, as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed Round 3 (Pro and Semi-Pro teams) on the 2009-10 snocross schedule Sunday afternoon at XTown.
Last weekend’s race drew the top snocross riders in the eastern U.S. and Canada to the popular motocross venue. Sunday’s action was capped by a $2,250-to-win “Dash for Cash” for the Pro riders, won by Dave Allard of St. Felecien. With the top riders from SCM, CSRA and RMR, fans enjoyed plenty of aggressive, side-by-side racing both days.
The track at Mirabel was much larger than what RMR teams are used to, with lap times of over one minute. The big jumps and challenging downhill section required finesse and focus for racers to succeed.
For Rock Maple teams, points were awarded on Saturday for Stock classes while Open classes earned points on Sunday. Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) went wire-to-wire in Saturday’s Pro Stock final, with Bobby LePage (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) second and defending champion Danny Poirier third. While LePage worked his way forward after a slow start, Morin simply checked out. After Poirier’s domination last year, Morin is replacing frowns with smiles on the faces of Ski-doo racing directors.
Corin Todd (D&Z Racing/Ski-doo) continued his 2010 hot streak north of the border. Todd, of Otego, NY, held off a hard-charging Lucas Brunelle for top honors in Semi-Pro Stock. Ash Woskob finished a solid third, with Lincoln Lemieux and SCM regular Pierre Fillion completing the top five.
Sunday’s finals brought more of the same for Morin, as he completed the sweep in Pro Open. After nailing the holeshot, Morin blasted into another time zone as LePage tried to run him down. The Minnesota native ran out of time and settled for second, while Allard claimed third. With two native sons on the podium, the fans cheered so loud you could have heard them in Sherbrooke.
In the Semi-Pro Open final, Brunelle, who lives just 40 minutes from the track and had practiced there prior to the race, dominated with a flag-to-flag victory in front of the Quebec faithful. Lemieux put on a whale of show in pursuit but ran out of time, while RMR veteran Michael George came home third. The Semi-Pro riders from Rock Maple looked impressive against the SCM regulars, grabbing the hardware on their visit to Canada.
Several other RMR regulars made the trip to Mirabel last weekend to stay sharp and hone their skills. On Saturday, Leo and Hunter Patenaude both earned a win in Junior competition. And on Sunday, Leo Patenaude won the Sport Stock 600 final.
Other RMR regulars who raced in Mirabel include Chris Ingles, who put in a career-best performance in the Sport division; Brennan Berardo, Jason Stone, Renaud Alexandre, Garret Mees, Robert Graeber, Cody Flach, Joe Lemieux, Steffanie Lemieux, Montana Jess, Melanie Acker, Wade Acker, Paige Calderwood, Daryl Nutting, Danny Graves, Jarett Catlin, Andrew Collins and Tim Randall. While they weren’t racing for points, every rider in the support divisions gave it their all at Mirabel.
RMR would like to extend a since thanks to Marcel Fontaine of SCM and the staff at XTown for hosting such a world-class event. Next up for teams here in the states is the debut of snocross at The Lodge at Belmont, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 23-24. Located on the site of a former dog racing facility, The Lodge at Belmont will offer amenities for fans not seen at most winter motorsports events.
For full results in all classes from Mirabel, please go to www.scmracing.com. For more information about Rock Maple Racing, go to www.rockmaple.com.
by Jay | Jan 11, 2010 | New
Morin, LePage split Pro finals in Malone for Rock Maple Racing snocross series
MALONE, N.Y. (Jan. 11, 2010) — In almost every form of motorsports, when a talented rider, driver or team gets on a roll, they can be difficult to stop.
Just ask anybody in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series garage, as they try to figure out how to stop four-time champion Jimmie Johnson from dominating their sport. Momentum plays a huge role in week-to-week results, and snocross racing is no different.
Veteran riders Mathieu Morin and Bobby ‘The Rage’ LePage carried the momentum from last month’s season opener into Malone, splitting the Pro finals as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed Round 2 of its 2009-10 season Sunday at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo), of Val-D’ Or, Quebec, chased down early leader Danny Poirier and checked out to win Pro Stock. Poirier crossed the line four seconds later as the runner-up, while LePage settled for third. LePage (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) used lapped traffic to his advantage in Pro Open to take top honors. Morin settled for second in this one, giving Ski-doo and Polaris a true split in the manufacturers battle for supremacy. Only three riders completed all 20 laps in the Open final, while seven completed all 20 laps in Pro Stock.
Perhaps the best show all weekend in the Pro division was the inspiring performance Poirier gave in the Open final. The defending champion got upside down in a major off-sled venture early on, then steadily powered all the way up to third at the finish. Poirier redefines determination when it comes to battling back from adversity.
Defending Pro Am champion Joe Lemieux continued his hot streak in Malone, winning the final over fellow Vermonter Rene Desrochers and Jason Soucy of Sabattus, Maine. Jennifer Pare prevailed in a hotly-contested Pro Women final, with RMR veterans Melanie Acker and Steffanie Lemieux filling out the podium.
In Semi-Pro action Sunday, Garrett Mees and Corin Todd were the guys to beat. Mees, of Setauket, NY, piloted his All-Island Plumbing Ski-doo to victory in the Open final in dominant style. Lincoln Lemieux grabbed the holeshot, but he and Todd got together in the moguls and crashed. Mees carefully snuck through the snow dust and proceeded to check out on the field. Cody Flach made an outstanding return to RMR, coming from dead last to finish second. Ash Woskob stepped up big-time Sunday, as the motocross veteran from Pennsylvania claimed third ahead of Lucas Brunelle.
Todd powered his way around Mees with two laps remaining in Semi-Pro Stock and hung on for top honors. The young athlete from Otego, NY, was the pre-season favorite to win the Semi-Pro title in 2010, and he’s proving why every time the green flag is waved.
In Junior division action at Malone, Montana Jess and Edward Bandel each won multiple finals. Jess, of Westminster, Mass., rode his Ski-doo to victory in Jr. 10-13 380 and 600c action each day, while Bandel won Saturday’s 600 liquid final and two more races on Sunday. Max Burrier and Mason Pierce also earned wins in Jr. 8-10 action at Malone.
Other final round winners over the weekend in Malone include Daryl Nutting (Plus 25 Stock); Rene Desrochers (Plus 35 Masters); Joe Bishop (Sport 500); and rising star Jake Scott (Sport Super Stock Sat.& Sun., and Sport 600).
Rock Maple Racing would like to thank Steve Bailey and everyone at the Malone Chamber of Commerce for hosting last weekend’s event. Thanks to extra effort in providing snow, the track was one of the best seen in many seasons.
Next up is a trip north of the border for RMR’s Pro and Semi-Pro teams, as they travel to Mirabel, Quebec, for a joint race with Marcel Fontaine’s SCM group. This will be a points race for these teams while Sport, Junior and Women riders have the weekend off.
To see full results in all classes from Malone or for more information, please go to www.rockmaple.com.
by Jay | Nov 12, 2009 | New
Lee NH – After a bit of speculation and a season that was below the expectations of the track and the fans, the small block supers have an answer to the question that they all had on their minds. “Would the supers be back at Lee in 2010?”
The answer was a resounding “ABSOLUTELY!” After a meeting where 14 cars and teams were represented a contract was offered to the winged warriors by the #1 rated area short track, locking the division in for the entire 2010 season.
The season schedule, which has not yet been released, will feature some 18 regular race nights and several non conventional events as well.
“We need to look towards the future at Lee while still honoring the past. The Small Block Supers are a big part of what we do here at Lee USA Speedway. The action is incredible, and we want to see the division back in 2010 and for years to come. They are a perfect fit at this facility. Lee is the proud home of the Small Block Supers.” Said Bob Watson, long time promoter at the track.
“This is fantastic news!” Said Deryl Morley, one of two track announcers along with veteran announcer John Spence Sr. “The action that the Small Block Supers bring to Lee is a huge asset to the track. It’s one of the reasons that Lee is New Hampshire’s Center Of Speed!”
The Small Block Supers will be led into 2010 by defending 2009 champion Dan Bowes, multi-time champion Eddie Witkum Jr., up and coming open wheeler P.J. Stergios, Billy Osbourne, and several others. Osbourne got his first small block win at All Star Speedway at the end of the season, he’ll be looking for his first Lee win in a Small Block Super, as will Tommy Tombarello who was getting closer and closer to that elusive first win in 2009.
The track and the drivers are looking forward to what may be the most competitive season ever for the Small Block Super at Lee USA Speedway.
Lee USA Speedway is located on Route 125 in Lee NH, racing every Friday Night during the racing season. More information is available at the track’s website, www.leeusaspeedway.com
by Jay | Sep 13, 2009 | New
North Haverhill, N.H. (September 12, 2009): Fadden Racing’s Jonathan Smith is pretty confident heading into the Heluva Good Fall 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Despite a 21st place finish there back in June, Smith is certain the Fadden Racing-owned No. 16 Chevrolet can be a contender among the top-five when the series returns there on September 18th.
“My strong points at NHMS are my team: they are the ones who make the best car and do the great pit stops to get me up to the front. All I have to do is drive,” Smith said. “We had a strong car the last time we were there, and I know they’ll give me another one when we go back.”
In June, Smith worked his way through the field to get up to third before late-race contact sent him into the wall and ended his day prematurely. It was a disappointing end to a promising day for the 23-year-old Drive for Diversity driver.
With the series in the final stretch of the season, Smith is hoping that a top-10 finish will catapult him into the top-10 in points.
“I believe every race is just as important as the last, or next, but these last two races are very important for me, and the team,” Smith said. “We are just outside the top ten in points, and two solid finishes will put us where we need to be to wrap up the season in the top ten. Patience and saving the equipment on the car is what you need to be there in the end, so that will be a key part of our strategy.”
Smith, who’s goals include competing at NASCAR’s highest levels, also feels that the Camping World East Series race at New Hampshire allows for a special opportunity to showcase yourself as a driver to the Sprint Cup Series car owners.
“I love racing at NHMS. It brings a whole new element when you are racing on the same weekend as the Cup guys, not really more pressure, but a different atmosphere,” he said. “We want to showcase this team to sponsors and the Cup teams and we can do that when you’re racing on the same weekend as these guys. Everyone just seems to take a little more notice.”
The Heluva Good Fall 125 takes the green flag at 5 p.m. eastern time on Friday, September 18th. For more information on Jonathan Smith or Fadden Racing, visit www.faddenracing.net.
by Jay | Jul 12, 2009 | New
Hermon’s Mike Hopkins returned to Dysart’s Late Model racing at Speedway 95 in fine fashion Saturday night as he won the feature event. Hopkins started off the season with a win in his first ever Dysart’s Late Model event, but wrecked the next week, and has been out of competition until returning two weeks ago. This week he picked up where he left off by beating one of the best in the business to the checkered flag. The race started with Hopkins and Greg Morse of St. Albans in the second row, and the pair took off, passing the front row quickly, with Morse leading the first 12 laps. On the 13th circuit, Morse suddenly checked up going into turn three, and Hopkins was so close to his bumper he couldn’t react fast enough, and wound up hitting Morse and spinning him out. On the restart Morse retained his position, as the incident was obviously not his fault, and held the lead the rest of the way to the checkers. Finishing in second, but not far behind, was the old veteran from Bar Harbor, John Phippin Jr. with Hermon’s Dale Swoboda in third. Shane Clark of Winterport was fourth with Morse hanging on for a fifth place finish. Swoboda was the winner of the 10 lap qualifier earlier in the program.
The Allenfarm Fence Company Sport-Fours were the featured division of the night as they raced for 35 laps in the second of their three race series for the season. Hermon’s Ralph Allen held the lead for the first 23 laps until his car started losing grip on the track and he spun out of the lead in turn four, giving the lead up to Hudson’s Rick Grant. Grant held off a serious challenge for the lead from points leader David Green of Hampden, who had been battling with Grant for second until Allen’s misfortune placed the pair at the front. The battle continued to the end, with Grant taking the win and Green settling for second. Old Town’s Brent Fletcher finished a strong third, with Kyle Gallant of Veazie and Gary Richards of Stetson rounding out the top five. During the post race interview, Green was presented with the Mainly Mororsports TV show’s Speedway 95 Driver of the Month award for the month of May. Green currently sits atop the Sport-Four point standings and will represent the Speedway at the 4 cylinder Nationals at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough on August 2. Roy Hathorne won the qualifier and started the feature ion the pole, but finished back in the pack following a lap 33 trip into the turn 4 tire wall.
In Strictly Street action, Doug Day of Bangor, a veteran driver who came up through the ranks as far as the Pro Stock Division, returned to victory lane in the Strictly Streets as he made his second appearance of the season in this division. Day is preparing a Late Model for competition at the Speedway, and has been driving the Dave McCullough prepared Camaro in the Strictly Streets since their driver Jordan Pearson was suspended from competition for infractions occurring while he was competing in the Wednesday night Truck Division. Day finished third in his first appearance in the division a week ago, and took his first win in several years in his second night in the car. The win didn’t come easy as Day had to fend off points leader Bradley Norris of Ellsworth, who challenged Day from the lap 14 restart where Day took the lead. Norris challenged hard, pulling up alongside Day in the final laps, but his car got increasingly loose and he was unable to complete the pass for the lead. Norris finished second with Shawn Hamel II of Bangor in third. Shawn Racilla of Dover-Foxcroft placed fourth with Shawn Hamel of Bangor in fifth. Norris won the night’s qualifier, putting him on the pole for the feature.
Kris Watson of Hermon returned to victory lane in the Super Streets again this week after taking the lead from Holden’s Steve Moulton on a lap 9 restart caused when Lindsey Young spun her Camaro on turn 4. Coming off a win and a second place finish at Unity Raceway the past two Friday nights, Watson made it two wins in a row at Speedway 95. Moulton finished in second, followed by pole sitter Nick Kinney of Danforth in third. Mike Overlock of Franklin held a steady pace and stayed out of trouble to post his second top five in as many races. Lindsey Young recovered from her lap 9 spin to finish in the fifth spot. Hermon’s Doug Sinclair and Milton Ketch of Greenbush both ended up in the pit area early after hammering on each other long enough to cause both cars enough damage to eliminate them from the event.
Saturday night racing continues at Speedway 95 on July 18 at 6:30 with a 75 lap Little Enduro race filling in for the Late Models, who have the night off. The Strictly Streets, Super Streets and Allenfarm Fence Inc. Sport-Fours will also be racing that night
