NAPLES, ME (May 25) – After a thrilling debut last year, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Models are set to return to Vermont’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl this Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM. In addition to 150 laps for New England’s fastest racers, the 54th Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will feature 100 laps for Thunder Road’s ACT Late Models, plus the PASS Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Tigers.
Center Conway, NH’s DJ Shaw has had a solid start to the 2016 PASS North season, currently sitting second in points on the strength of a win in the Southern Maine Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. While Shaw is happy with his results so far, the 2014 PASS North champion believes he and his team can be even better.
WALPOLE, N.H. __ After a thrilling finish to the season-opening race at White Mt. Motorsports Park last weekend, won by Jacob Dore, the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) is ready for race two at Monadnock Speedway — this Saturday, May 28.
The running of the Rydemore.com 100 lap feature will be contested on the high-banks of “Maddog,” a track that has proven to have intense Super Late Model action for the series each time they make the trip.
Barry Gray, who finished second at the opener last weekend, is the defending winner of the Memorial Day weekend special and a four-time winner with the series on the high-banks.
CHARLOTTE, NC (May 23) – Following an extremely successful debut at Hickory’s Easter Bunny weekend in March, southeast race fans will get a treat this Friday night at Concord Speedway when the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Models and Southern Modified Racing Series (SMRS) compete together in a rare doubleheader. The Memorial Day weekend kickoff will see the two most powerful asphalt series in the South compete together for only the second time ever on Friday night at Concord Speedway, along with the Mid-Atlantic Limited Late Models and Mid-Atlantic Street Stocks.
The South’s top Super Late Model tour will be led to Friday night’s Old Glory 125 by Kannapolis, NC teenagers, Kodie Conner and Matt Craig. Conner leads the PASS South Super Late Model points in his rookie season, after claiming the PASS Pro Late Model championship in 2015. Conner began his racing career across the street from the Concord Speedway half-mile on the quarter-mile track, racing Quarter Midgets and Bandoleros. He took the checkered flag in the Pro Late Model division last year at Concord and hopes that will translate into his first PASS South victory on Friday night.
Woodstock, N.H. – A beautiful spring night in scenic northern New Hampshire, kicked off the season for the Granite State Pro Stock series, at White Mountain Motorsports Park. Mike O’Sullivan in the 08 car led the starting grid to green with a competitive field. Jacob Dore dominated the race and took the checkers for his first series win.
Dore of Sanford, ME. started on the outside pole and took the lead early on, passing Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, on lap 9 of the 100 lap event. Barry Gray of Belchertown, MA. used the few cautions in the race to his advantage to come from a starting position of tenth to take a second place finish.
The field having split into three packs saw Gray work his way up to fifth on lap 47 when Corey Casagrande of Stafford Springs, CT. brought out the first caution of the night, on lap 47 in turn four as he broke the upper third link bar. On lap 58 mechanical issues sent the 99 of James Miller into the turn three wall, bringing out the red flag due to half-a-dozen tires rolling onto the infield. This put Gray into position to move up to fourth on the restart.
Oxford, Maine — Defending Oxford Plains Speedway Super Late Model Champion Timmy Brackett of Buckfield vaulted back atop the Budweiser Championship Series rankings Saturday night, nailing down his first victory of the season in the 50-lap main event.
Brackett chased last year’s NASCAR Pro Series champion at Beech Ridge, Reid Lanpher of Manchester, through the early stages of the event, then got the lead back on a restart scrum that likely cost Lanpher any shot at victory.
Brackett’s closets rival under the checkered flag was Dennis Spencer, Jr., of Oxford. Spencer was comfortably ahead of a torrid, last-lap battle for third position, with Minot’s Scott Farrington just able to get by Shawn Knight from South Paris.
Credit Photos: Mary and Peter Taylor – petespicks.smugmug.com
By Lisa and Rich Maguire
Last Saturday Wiscasset Speedway saw packed grandstands and some exciting racing action. The bright lights lit up Maine’s fastest oval for the spotlighted race of the evening, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends National Qualifier. Also on the schedule were the group one division of racing, including the Thunder Four Mini’s, ServePro of Biddeford Saco Prostocks, New England Four Cylinder Prostocks, and the Super Streets.
Starting of the evening was the thirty-five lap Amsoil Nelcar Legends Spotlighted feature. Prior to race beginning, the drivers had first competed in time trials to determine heat position. The heats finalized race start position, with the fastest at the front. At race time start the cream had risen to the top, and the three front runners battled for a win.
From the start, the #19 of Kevin Girard Jr set a grueling pace with an average speed of about 78 mph. Behind Girard was the #399 of Bob Weymouth. Weymouth and third place starter, Matt Grant of the #84, gave Girard a challenge. Girard was able to hold them off despite three cautions. On the restarts, Weymouth and Grant fought for position. Whoever started at the bottom of the track on the restart was able to advance to second using the inside advantage. However, when the trio flew under the checkered, it was Girard in first, Weymouth in second, and Grant rounding out the top three.
CTWaterford, CT – Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. returned to American Canadian Tour action and victory lane at New London-Waterford Speedbowl with his win in the first event of the Southern New England Tripleheader on Saturday, May 21. Polewarczyk claimed his third straight New London-Waterford Speedbowl ACT win dating back to the last two times the tour visited the track in 2010.
The 2014 ACT Tour Champion started from the third position and, after a brief battle with Scott Payea, took over the lead for good on lap 18. Polewarczyk distanced himself from the remainder of the field on a couple of long green flag runs, but Eddie MacDonald worked his way free from traffic and managed to close the gap to a car length with just two laps remaining in the 100 lap event.
MacDonald couldn’t get to Polewarczyk’s back bumper but still managed to create a wild finish as his axle broke coming off of turn four, sending him hard into the front stretch wall and sending the remainder of the field scrambling. His momentum allowed him to limp across the start finish line just ahead of third place finisher Payea.
Keith Rocco Ready to Challenge for Victory in VMRS 80 at Stafford Speedway
(Stafford Springs, CT)—The Valenti Modified Racing Series returns to Stafford Speedway Friday, June 20th, and Keith Rocco and the #68 Wheelers Auto team have shown that they will be among the contenders for the win. In 12 career VMRS starts at Stafford, Rocco has 2 wins, 6 top-5 and 8 top-10 finishes. Rocco will be looking for his third Stafford checkered flag in this Friday night’s VMRS 80, which would tie him with Tommy Barrett, Jr. (more…)
Wood Leads Night of Repeat Winners With Limited Sportsman Long Distance Victory
(THOMPSON, CT) – The Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman Series took center stage at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Wednesday, May 18th for their marathon event, the Limited Sportsman Long Distance, presented by Circuit One Events, and the first Wednesday night of racing for the 2016 season at the Big-T. The forty-lap feature doubled the traditional distance of the Thompson division and has been a highlighted event on the calendar for many of the series regulars, but it was a familiar name that came out on top with Josh Wood taking the checkered flag on his 22nd birthday.
It was the second time Wood has won on his birthday, but the first time he has done it in the Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman Series. Wood took the lead fifteen laps into the forty-lap feature and never looked back but had to survive a series of cautions late in the race and a hard charging crew of experienced series veterans to claim his second straight win of the 2016 season. (more…)
NAPLES, ME (May 25) – After a thrilling debut last year, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Models are set to return to Vermont’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl this Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM. In addition to 150 laps for New England’s fastest racers, the 54th Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will feature 100 laps for Thunder Road’s ACT Late Models, plus the PASS Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Tigers.
WALPOLE, N.H. __ After a thrilling finish to the season-opening race at White Mt. Motorsports Park last weekend, won by Jacob Dore, the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) is ready for race two at Monadnock Speedway — this Saturday, May 28.
Oxford, Maine — Defending Oxford Plains Speedway Super Late Model Champion Timmy Brackett of Buckfield vaulted back atop the Budweiser Championship Series rankings 
CTWaterford, CT – Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. returned to American Canadian Tour action and victory lane at New London-Waterford Speedbowl with his win in the first event of the Southern New England Tripleheader on Saturday, May 21. Polewarczyk claimed his third straight New London-Waterford Speedbowl ACT win dating back to the last two times the tour visited the track in 2010.
Keith Rocco Ready to Challenge for Victory in VMRS 80 at Stafford Speedway
Wood Leads Night of Repeat Winners With Limited Sportsman Long Distance Victory