by | Aug 14, 2013 | Schedules
By Lou Modestino
Kyle Busch was the big winner on the annual visit to the Watkins Glen, NY road course. Settling for less was Brad Keselowski, the runner-up, followed by Martin Truex, Jr., Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya who came in fifth. Then it was Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Jimmy Johnson who placed eighth. That road course win was Kyle Busch’s 27th career win and his third this year.
Kyle said, “It’s just great to win here before The Chase comes up. It wasn’t easy because I had some problems earlier with cold tires and I had to take it easy. Second place driver Brad Keselowski revealed, “I should have pushed harder on the last lap. I took Kyle right to the edge and he just wouldn’t cave.” Martin Truex, Jr. reflected, “Kyle was better than the rest of us.” Junior revealed, “The late caution didn’t help us at all. Overall I say it was not a good day.” Some of the problems included grass from the track getting into the air dams and into the brakes.
Road course expert Marcos Ambrose started on the pole and he’s also won races at The Glen. However, he had problems and went out of the race, and he was not all happy about it. Jeff Gordon was another one that ended up out of the race.
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | Beech Ridge, Maine
Welch, Stearns Heat Up Heading To Beech Ridge
Both Banking On Crazy Horse’s Flat-Track Success This Week
SOUTH PARIS, Maine – When Quinny Welch ran headlong into misfortune last weekend, it may have served to fuel an old adage: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”
Welch, who had reeled off two straight wins at White Mountain Motorsports Park, was collected when the leaders wrecked on the final lap while running in the Top-5 at the track last Saturday night. He never saw the checkered flag. But with the help of his own crew and some others, Welch pulled an all-nighter and made repairs to his No. 78 IBEW Local 104 Chevrolet – then hauled over to Canaan Fair Speedway to finish sixth in the Subway Fresh Fit 150 on Sunday.
Now, Welch will have Crazy Horse Racing give the car a good once-over this week before entering the ACT Late Model Tour Beech Ridge 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, this Saturday night.
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | New England Motorsports South
By Lou Modestino
Area Auto Racing News of New Jersey reports that construction on Thompson Speedway’s Motorsports Park has begun. It’s all about an addition of a new road course which according to Don Hoenig, patriarch of the Hoenig clan, will be 1.7 miles in length. it will be utilized by the sports car clubs. Don also told AARN that following the conclusion of the stockcar racing season in October that more construction will be taking place.
There’s also plans to sell memberships to drivers which will be limited to 200, according to the AARN piece. The members will get exclusive use of the track, VIP access to all racing events, the adjacent golf club membership, special Raceway Restaurant discount rates, locker rooms and lounge along with other incentives and amenities.
Back in the 50’s and 60’s we can remember the old road course where SCCA held both regional and national events on a 1.6 mile track that didn’t include the any part of the 5/8 mile oval. There was also a F-5000 Pro race held at that track that was promoted by the late Walt Faulkner and Jimmy Costello who leased the the facility from Don Hoenig and his late father John Hoeing who built the 5/8 mile oval track which opened on Memorial Day weekend in 1940. At the time it was the only purposely paved track oval in the nation.
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | New England, New England Motorsports North
By Lou Modestino
Eric Chase, the Milton, VT helicopter pilot, got a chance to beam in victory lane after 14 years of trying by wiring the Late Model field from the outside pole on WDEV/Calkins Night at Thunder Road on Thursday, August 8.
Chase was put to the test over the second half of the 50-lap feature by veteran Dave Whitcomb who spent many a lap alongside his Gary Clay Builders No. 40. Whitcomb tucked inside to play a few laps of defense when teenager Emily Packard arrived to contest the top positions. Whitcomb made a final bid on the outside in the final three laps and Packard nosed underneath him to finish 2nd on the final circuit.
Jason Corliss was a close 4th, followed by fast-closing Scott Payea. Positions 6-10 went to Jamie Fisher, Trampas Demers, Joey M Laquerre, Mike Bailey and Derrick O’Donnell.
“It’s been a long time coming, Chase said. “It looks easy to do, but it’s not – it’s pretty hard. It’s a big monkey off my back.” “I didn’t have quite enough to get him,” Whitcomb said. “I went back outside to give it one more try. I’m glad to see Eric do it.”
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | Maine
Southern Super Series: Austin Theriault
World Crown 300 Race Report
JEFFERSON, Ga. – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, finished fifth in the Southern Super Series World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., on Saturday, August 10. It was Theriault’s second straight Top-5 in one of Super Late Model racing’s most prestigious events. Theriault qualified sixth in the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Ford Fusion and tried to play the tire strategy game in the second half of the event, but a long green-flag run to close out the race thwarted that plan and left Theriault running fifth at the checkered flag.
WHO: Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Maine
TEAM: Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Ford Fusion
CREW CHIEF: Gary Crooks, Mooresville, N.C.
WHAT: World Crown 300
WHERE: Gresham Motorsports Park, Jefferson, Ga. (.500-mile banked oval)
STARTED: 6th
FINISHED: 5th
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AUSTIN, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS WERE GOOD BUT NOT GREAT IN THE WORLD CROWN 300.
Yeah, you kind of hit it right there. It’s a little bit of a disappointment. At the level we’re racing, a Top-5 isn’t bad, but I think we’re plenty capable of more.
We pitted on Lap 100 for tires, and when the caution came out again on Lap 180, we just made some adjustments while everyone else took tires, hoping we’d have another caution later on – but it went green right to the end. We had almost 200 laps on our tires. That’s quite a lot of laps on them. It wasn’t a horrible finish taking all that into account, but it could have been better.
WHAT WERE YOU FIGHTING?
It rained before qualifying, and I don’t know if that had something to do with it. The way we ended practice, we were actually a little free. But when we went out to qualify, the whole balance of the car went the complete opposite direction. I think some of the guys that were too free, it probably benefited them.
I felt like we had a car that was capable of running in the Top-5, but if most everything fell in our favor, that would have helped us out. The car wasn’t perfect in practice, but those weekends are hard to get where you just put it on jackstands and wait for qualifying. You don’t really find those weekends. We were still trying to make the car better, and I think we made some gains. I really appreciate Clay Rogers taking some time on Friday when I was in New Hampshire to work with Gary (Crooks) and get the car tuned in. They found something that helped when I showed up on Saturday.
HOW DID THE IMPOUND AFTER QUALIFYING EFFECT YOUR RACE?
We kind of chased the track for a little while. It was really slick, and a little free (in practice). We tightened it up a little and worked on trying to get some grip in the car. Maybe we went a little too far in qualifying, because we were a little snug then.
With the impound, we couldn’t make any adjustments after qualifying. The track cooled down and gained a little more grip than we expected. We struggled a little bit throughout the race trying to get the car to turn a little better in the center of the corner. I’d say we made it a little bit better, and we were faster at the end of the race, but we didn’t have the tires we needed to run up front. We were one of two or three cars that had tires left in the pits, because we had that long green flag run at the end.
by | Aug 14, 2013 | New England, Schedules
Monday, 8/12/13
Cardi’s Furniture(Rt. 2, W. Warwick, RI)-Cruise Night, DJ, 5 p.m.
Haywagon Restaurant(Uxbridge, MA)-Cruise Night, DJ, 5 p.m.
Mark’s Auto Parts(Granby, CT)-Cruise Night, 5 p.m.
Oak Harbor Village(567 So. County Trail, Rt. 2, Exeter, RI)-Cruise Night, 5 p.m.
Susi Q’s Place(208 Plainfield Pike, N. Scituate, RI)-Cruise Night, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, 8/13/13
A&W Restaurant(RT. 44, Greenville, RI)-Cruise Night, 5 p.m.
Cornerstone Pub(273 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Rt. 3, Exeter, RI)-Cruise Night, 5 p.m.
Cozy Grille((473 Tiogue Ave., Rt. 3, Coventry, RI)-Cruise Night, 4 p.m.
Rite Aid Plaza(Cobb’s Corner, Canton, MA)-Cruise Night, DJ, 50/50 Raffle, Food, Restrooms, 5 p.m.-Dusk.
Slater Memorial Park(Armistice Park, Pawtucket, RI)-Cruise Night, 5 pm.
Susi Q’s Place(208 Plainfield Pike, N. Scituate, RI)-All Bike Night, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, 8/14/13
Capeway Rovers(Middleborough, MA)-MX Practice, 9 a.m.
Cardi’s Furniture(Rt. 1A, Attleboro, MA)-Cruise Night, 5 p.m.
Denny’s Restaurant(W. Greenwich, RI)-Cruise Night, 6 pm.
Elk’s Club(Weymouth, MA)-Hot Rods, Food, Fun, Music, 5:30 p.m.
New England Dragway(Epping, NH)-Street Night, 5 p.m.
Speedway 95(Hermon, ME)-Wacky Stockcar Racing, 7 p.m.
Star Speedway(Epping, NH)-Family Fun Night, Strictly’s, 6 Shooters, Spec Drags, Enduros, 7 p.m.
Waterford Speedbowl(CT)-Wild And Wacky Stockcar Racing, 7 p.m.
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | Whelen All American Series
Dirty Dozen Cup: Reid Lanpher
Motor Mile Speedway Race Report
RADFORD, Va. – Reid Lanpher of Manchester, Maine, finished 10th in the second half of the Dirty Dozen Cup Pine Ridge Nursery Twin 125s at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., on Saturday, August 10. Lanpher finished 11th in the first 125-lap Late Model Stock event, forced to battle for track position after qualifying 12th out of 21 cars in a light mist in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The 15-year-old JR Motorsports development driver fought through a loose-handling car caused by an oil leak in the rear end in the first event, and in the second event he battled a number of top NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship contenders to post the Top-10 finish.
WHO: Reid Lanpher, Manchester, Maine
TEAM: No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Seth Kooika, Mooresville, N.C.
WHAT: Dirty Dozen Cup Pine Ridge Nursery Twin 125s
WHERE: Motor Mile Speedway, Radford, Va. (.416-mile oval)
STARTED: 12th/11th
FINISHED: 11th/10th
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | Thunder Road, Vermont
Emily Packard Scores Best Career Finish
16-Year-Old Driver Finishes On Podium At Thunder Road
BARRE, Vt. – Emily Packard of East Montpelier, Vt., finished second in the 50-lap Late Model feature at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., on Thursday, August, 8, for her best career Late Model finish at the track.
Packard chased eventual winner Eric Chase to the checkered flag, falling short of victory by just a fraction of a second.
“That felt really, really good,” Packard said. “Everybody’s cars were worn out at the end, but we were still going for it. It was just a great night for us.”
Packard started sixth in the No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Chevrolet, and she wasted little time moving into the third position. From there, she patiently rode through the middle stages of the race and waited for an opportunity to present itself.
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | Monadnock Speedway, New Hampshire
WINCHESTER, NH – Five new faces graced victory lane Saturday, August 10, at Monadnock Speedway. Michelle Leh and Sonja Carey each took checkered flag laps after their Young Guns feature wins, as did Julia Raymond, who was victorious in the Mini Stock feature.
Kyle Boniface was a first-time winner in the Lighting Stocks, and Shawn Waites scored his first-ever Monadnock victory, topping the visiting Classic Lites feature race.
Making return stops in victory lane Saturday at the high-banked speedplant were Bill Kimball and Tom Carey III, each scoring their second win of the season, Kimball in the Sportsman Modifieds, and Carey in the Super Stocks, and Rob Richardi, victorious for the third time this season in the visiting Pro-4 Modifieds.
The wins were career firsts on the high banks for Carey, Boniface, and Waites, while Leh and Raymond each rung up their second.
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by | Aug 14, 2013 | Legion Speedway, New Hampshire
The Legion Speedway welcomed its biggest crowd and largest car count of the 2013 Sunday Twilight season on August 11. They were visited by the Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) and the Granite State Mini Sprint Club, as well as their regular four divisions. They also got to have some fun with the youngest fans on their annual Kid’s Night. The title sponsor for the evening was New England Motor Racing Supply of Hollis, NH.
The management of the Legion Speedway would like to thank the incredible staff at the Speedway for doing a fantastic job of getting things done and keeping things moving throughout a very busy evening. Thanks also to all the drivers for a high level of professionalism and sportsmanship. And finally, to Lynn Comeau for coordinating the wonderful Kids Night events, which included rides in the race cars and the very exciting bicycle races. Everybody worked together to make a very busy evening into a lot of fun for everyone. It was a beautiful thing.
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