by Jay | May 14, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Modified, New England, Vermont
Pierson takes Coupes; Reynolds and King have memorable night
Jason Gray led a parade of stock car winners through victory lane at Bear Ridge Speedway on Wells River Chevrolet Night on Saturday. Gray was joined in the winner’s circle by Gene Pierson, Jordan Fornwalt, Rob Gioia, Don Reynolds, and Julie Stender.
Gray, of East Thetford, VT, dominated the 35-lap Bond Auto Parts DIRTcar Sportsman Modified feature for his fourth career win. He took the lead from former track champion Gary Siemons on lap 12 and cruised to the win. Dan Eastman of Thetford Center, VT flew up the outside lane from his ninth starting position to finish second, with Orford, NH driver Siemons third at the finish. Bryan King finished fourth. Josh Sunn crossed the finish line fifth but was disqualified in post-race inspection when his car failed to meet minimum weight; Jeff Elliott inherited the position.
Pierson ran to his first win of the year in the 30-lap Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupe race. The East Corinth, VT driver held on despite constant pressure from sophomore driver Jason Colbeth of Newbury, VT. Colbeth matched his best career finish with Jason Horniak third. Tim Hodge and Mike McGinley completed the unofficial top five.
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by Jay | May 14, 2012 | Massachusetts, New England, Seekonk Speedway
Bobby Pelland III, Mike Cavallaro and Paul Lallier also win
Warwick RI’s Ryan Vanasse has been one of the hottest drivers at Seekonk Speedway over the past three plus seasons. In that time, he has won two Late Model Championships, as well as over 15 feature wins, including a division record of 11 in 2011. This year, Ryan made the full time move back to the Pro Stocks, and has continued his momentum.
Ryan moved into the lead early on, after a hard fought battle with Tom Scully Jr, and held on to win the Pro Stock main event. His win was not without concern, however. While leading, he made contact with the lapped car of Danny Cabral. Many thought that he may have bent something in the front suspension. No damage was done, and he was able to hold on through a couple of late race restarts. Tom Scully Jr of Cranston RI held on for second, with Rehoboth’s Dave Darling, Westport’s Fred Astle Jr and Kevin Casper of Somerset rounding out the top five.
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by Jay | May 13, 2012 | NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Touring Series News
More Sprint Cup Photos from Darlington Raceway
After months of frustration, Jimmie Johnson gave Rick Hendrick his 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, running away from the rest of the field on a green-white-checkered-flag restart that took the Bojangles’ Southern 500 one lap past its scheduled distance. (more…)
by Jay | May 12, 2012 | NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Touring Series News
More Nationwide Photos from Darlington Raceway
For Joey Logano, Friday night’s victory in the VFW Sport Clips 200 Nationwide Series event at Darlington Raceway was tinged with regret.
Yes, Logano drove away from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin after a green-white-checkered-flag restart to win his second straight race in the series and third of the season.
But Logano got the opportunity for his 12th career victory only after a well-intentioned bump went awry and wrecked championship contender Elliott Sadler on a restart with five laps left in regulation distance.
“Obviously, this win was a little bittersweet — you don’t want to win ’em that way,” said Logano, who called Sadler after the race to apologize and left a voice mail. “Your heart drops. You know he’s running for points.
Full Race Story – Joey Logano pulls away at Darlington Raceway for second straight Nationwide Win
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by Jay | May 11, 2012 | ACT, Canaan, New England, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
RPM Motorsports: Subway Fresh Fit 150
Canaan Fair Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
GEORGIA, Vt. – Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., and RPM Motorsports take a break from ACT Late Model Tour racing this week to compete in the $5,000-to-win Subway Fresh Fit 150 at Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, N.H., on Saturday, May 12. Hoar finished second last year in the open competition for ACT-legal Late Models, and he’s looking to use the event to get the RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger back on track following a disappointing 11th-place finish last weekend in the ACT Spring Green 112 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
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by Jay | May 11, 2012 | All-Star Speedway, New England, New Hampshire, PASS, Star Speedway, Touring Series News
Mulkern Racing: PASS North Series
Star Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
FALMOUTH, Maine – Lonnie Sommerville of Saint John, New Brunswick, will try and keep momentum rolling when the PASS North Series heads to the Star 150 at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H., on Saturday, May 12. Sommerville is locked in a tie for the PASS North Series points lead after one event, and he finished fourth in this event last season in the Mulkern Racing No. 48 A.E. McKay Builders Chevrolet. Sommerville heads into the race after finishing second in the season opener at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway last weekend.
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by Jay | May 10, 2012 | New England, New Hampshire, PASS, Star Speedway, Touring Series News
Saturday May 12 is opening day at New Hampshire’s Star Speedway and the tough quarter mile will do it in style with Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North super late models and PASS Mods headlining the show.
The action at the Webber family’s Epping bull ring is always fast and furious. The 150 green flag laps go by in a hear beat, and a good run in the qualifying races goes a long way toward a strong feature finish.
Joey Doiron won’t start better than eleventh on Saturday. That’s because the Berwick Maine racer captured his first PASS North feature last Saturday at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, and PASS feature winners never start in the top ten. He’ll have to battle his way to the front, but Doiron knows his way around Star Speedway and there’s little doubt he will challenge for the win. Doiron and Lonnie Sommerville sit tied at the top of the points after the season opener.
Read Full Story – PASS gets STAR Speedway season started Saturday
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by Jay | May 10, 2012 | ACT, New England, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes Have Second-Year Driver Rolling
At the end of a long day of practice at Thunder Road International Speedbowl two weeks ago, Luke Hinkley was noticeably frustrated.
The Claremont, N.H., driver had thrown everything he could think of at his No. 31 R.E. Hinkley Oil Dodge Charger to no avail. Nothing was making the car circle the peculiar quarter-mile any more efficiently. If Hinkley had a kitchen sink at his disposal, he probably would have thrown that at the ill-tempered car, too.
So, Hinkley made a phone call across the Green Mountains to Mitch Green, and in the middle of the night, Green offered up some advice. That advice turned Hinkley’s team around 180 degrees – turning the No. 31 from a car that simply wouldn’t go to one that most of the other ACT Late Model Tour teams couldn’t keep up with when practice resumed the next morning.
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by Jay | May 10, 2012 | Airborne, Canada, New England, New York
It’s more laps, more money and more competition for Airborne’s J&S Steel Limited Late Models this Saturday night, May 12 when TD Bank presents the opening round of the six-race USA/Canada Master Series.
Defending track champion Robin Wood, last week’s feature winner Jamy Begor, Shawn Duquette and Bucko Branham are among the Airborne frontrunners who will test the best from Autodrome St-Eustache in a 50-lap, $1,000-to-win event.
Branham, the winningest Airborne driver of the last decade, came out on top when the Canadian teams made their first-ever appearance on the Plattsburgh half-mile last fall.
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by Jay | May 10, 2012 | Connecticut, Modified, New England, Thompson, Touring Series News, VALENTI MODIFIED SERIES
The Valenti Modified Racing Series will top the bill at the Thompson International Speedway on Sunday, May 20th. The popular VMRS will compete in a 75-lap main event as the highlight of the day’s racing activity.
Defending VMRS champion, Chris Pasteryak, will lead an impressive field of Modified racers for this special Sunday afternoon race event. He will be joined by drivers like Rowan Pennink, Less Hinkley, Doug Coby, Norm Wrenn and Jon McKennedy. The 2012 season has been very good to McKennedy after having logged victories in both of the VMRS races run to date. The Chelmsford, MA driver won the season opener at the Waterford Speedbowl and then went on to repeat his winning ways at the Monadnock Speedway. All bets are off, however, when the VMRS arrives at Thompson which is the largest and fastest track on their race schedule.
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