by Jay | Sep 18, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, Thompson
O’Sullivan, Gentes, Monahan, McDermott & Michalski Also Visit Victory Lane
Thompson, CT (September 17, 2009): The season is winding down at Thompson Speedway but the excitement is still ramping up. With tight point races in all divisions, Thursday night’s feature events had major championship implications. Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, scored his third Super Late Model victory of the season to bring the chase to the championship to single digits. Cam McDermott had a good point night as he scored his second win of the season in TIS Modified competition.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, hustled his way from the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH, after qualifying for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event to win his sixth Sunoco Modified feature event of the season at Thompson and his second in a row. Christopher edged out fellow Modified Tour competitors Rowan Pennink, Keith Rocco, and Woody Pitkat to take down the victory.
Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, returned to his winning ways in the Late Models while Sean Monahan of Waterford, CT, scored the victory in the Limited Sportsman division. Steve Michalski of Brooklyn, CT, earned his second Mini Stock victory of the season.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, ended a busy day with a trip to victory lane. Christopher drove by pole sitter Dave LaCroix in the first turn of the first lap. Rocco and Pitkat followed through. The cars of Christopher, Rocco and Pitkat ran a distance ahead of Rowan Pennink in fourth.
Pitkat began to apply heavy pressure to Rocco for the second spot as they completed the fifth lap. Christopher could not gain any breathing room on Rocco. Pennink had begun to run the lead trio down. A bit deeper in the pack, Tim Sullivan and Danny Cates were locked in a heated battle for the sixth spot. Despite their battle they were reeling in fifth-place runner Kerry Malone.
Up front, Rocco had caught the back bumper of Christopher. Pitkat dogged Rocco for second and Pennink had caught the battle for the top spot. At halfway, Cates had gotten by Sullivan for sixth. He immediately began to apply pressure to Malone for fifth. Cates dove low in turn three to grab the fifth position away. The top three remained nose to tail as Pennink faded back.
A slugfest between Andy Gaspar, Ricky Shawn, and Harry Rheaume ended with Gaspar limping down the backstretch. The leaders came up on the slow car rapidly but all were able to take the low groove around safely. Ultimately, Gaspar would end up stopped on the backstretch to bring out the caution. Malone headed to pit road under the caution.
Christopher picked the low groove for the restart on lap 19. The move paid off as Christopher, who edged ahead on the restart. Pitkat appeared to miss a shift faltering a bit on the restart.
Rocco made a bold move in turn one to take the lead from Teddy. Christopher duplicated the effort in turn two to regain the top spot. The battle allowed Pitkat to regain the ground he lost to the leaders on the restart. Cates was now part of the mix as well. On lap 22, Cates got into Pitkat sending him spinning to the infield. His teammate Malone was also collected. Cates was put to the rear for his involvement in the incident.
On the restart, Christopher resumed the lead but it was Pennink rocketing into the second spot ahead of Rocco. A spin by Rheaume brought out the caution to negate the pass for second. They would do it all again on the second restart attempt on lap 22.
It was a dogfight at the head of the pack between Christopher, Rocco and Pennink with the green flag flying once again. Bert Marvin had quietly made his way into the fourth position. Pitkat was back in the top five with five laps remaining; but a caution for a single-car incident involving Wayne Arute put Pitkat back to sixth.
An attempt at a single file restart was thwarted when a spin by Sullivan brought out the caution once again. Again, Christopher got a slight advantage over Rocco for the top spot. Pennink was once again looking racy for the second spot. With two laps to go, Pennink sent his #31 in the low groove in turn four to take over the second spot. Pitkat was able to get by Marvin for fourth.
At the checkers, Christopher took down the victory over Pennink. Rocco had to settle for third over Pitkat and Marvin. With the finish, Rocco gained two points over his nearest competition, Pitkat. Rocco has a four-point advantage over Pitkat going into the final point race next Thursday.
Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, edged ever-closer to another championship with his Super Late Model victory. Right from the drop of the green flag there was excitement in the Super Late Models. Pole sitter Larry Gelinas immediately had his hands full with Dennis Maxfield. The two went fender-to-fender for a number of laps. As the lead duo battled O’Sullivan and Norm Wrenn lurked behind.
On lap seven, Maxfield was finally able to gain the advantage. Gelinas immediately fell to the challenge of O’Sullivan. A great run by O’Sullivan on lap 11 gave him the advantage and the lead over Maxfield. Derek Ramstrom was making his way to the front taking spots from Rick Fuller and Norm Wrenn. He got by Gelinas on lap 17 to take over the third position.
Up front, O’Sullivan had run out to a six-car length advantage over Maxfield while Ramstrom was quickly closing the gap. Gelinas ran along in the fourth spot followed by a battle for the fifth position between Wrenn, Fuller, and George Bessette.
With five laps to go Ramstrom had caught Maxfield and the leader entered lapped traffic. Maxfield and Ramstrom were able to cut down the lead substantially when O’Sullivan was forced high on the track by a lapped car. The incident was hardly a glitch as O’Sullivan quickly gained his composure and once again stretched his advantage.
O’Sullivan had nearly a half straightaway lead as he streaked under the checkers for his third win of the season. Ramstrom could not muster up a serious challenge on Maxfield for second. Gelinas and Norm Wrenn completed the top five. With this victory on Thursday night in the Super Late Model division, Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, cut Derek Ramstrom’s point lead to a mere four points heading into the final point race.
Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, scored his fourth win of the season in impressive style. Gentes took the lead after halfway and ran uncontested to the checkers. Corey Hutchings came from the fifth position to set the pace early in the Late Model main event. While Hutchings had quickly run out to a sizable margin in the opening five laps, point leader John Materas was coming on strong; reeling in the leader. Gentes joined the fray before the completion of lap 10 to make it a three-car freight train at the head of the field. The most recent winner, Tommy O’Sullivan, was beginning to run down the leaders.
Gentes began to assert himself with less than 10 laps to go. He got alongside Materas and easily made the pass for second. Once by Materas, Gentes immediately went to work on Hutchings. The two went side-by-side lap after lap before Gentes muscled his way by on lap 19.
Ken Bamford made hard contact with the outside wall to bring out the caution on lap 20. On the single file restart, Hutchings appeared to miss a shift making it clear sailing for Gentes, who ran out to a 10-car length advantage. The hottest battle on the field was for the third position. The battle got too hot as Materas and O’Sullivan made contact. Materas got out of shape but was able to continue with some damage. O’Sullivan headed to pit road for service. He, too, was able to rejoin the tail end of the field.
An uneventful last dash to the checkers saw Gentes run away with the win. Hutching finished a distant second to Dave Trudeau. Damon Tinio had a career night to finish fourth. Wayne Coury, Sr. recovered from a heat race incident to complete the top five.
Cam McDermott of Scituate, RI, cut into the point lead of Brian Sullivan with his second TIS Modified victory of the season. McDermott now trails Sullivan by 14 points heading into the final race of the regular season. A heated battle for the lead between John Studley and McDermott was slowed when Jeff Barrows and Jay Sundeen made hard contact with the outside wall in turn one on the opening lap. McDermott grabbed the lead from Studley on the restart. Another incident followed involving Glenn Boss and Bart Ramos. Brian Sullivan was penalized for his involvement. Brian Tagg headed to pit road with a flat tire.
Before a lap could be completed, the #31 broke in a shower of sparks; coming to rest on the front stretch and bringing out the caution. Things settled down after the restart with McDermott in control. The young driver was able to extend his lead by nearly a half-straightaway advantage over Studley in second. A fully recovered Tagg was running down R.J. Marcotte for third.
A hard lick by Ramos in the turn four wall set up a green-white-checker restart that pitted McDermott against Studley once again. In the single-file restart, McDermott edged out to a single car-length advantage. Things remained unchanged over the final two laps as McDermott headed to victory lane. Studley had a great run to finish second. Marcotte, Tagg, and Sullivan completed the top five.
With a last lap pass, Sean Monahan of Waterford, CT, scored his second win of the season in Limited Sportsman competition. Joe Campbell jumped out from his front row starting spot to lead the opening laps of the event. After a restart on lap three, his car began to show smoke. He gave up the lead to Joe Arena. After losing the second position to Sean Monahan, Campbell headed down pit road.
Arena had run out to a comfortable lead over Monahan as Barnett had already worked his way into the third position. The leader encountered heavy lapped traffic as the field got the halfway marker. Arena had to weave in and out of the slower traffic allowing Monahan to cut the margin. Monahan was only a couple of car lengths away. Barnett was not able to make any headway toward the lead duo.
With rotors aglow, Monahan went in search of Arena. On the white flag lap, Monahan caught Arena. On the final lap, in a last ditch effort, Monahan was able to make the pass. Arena had to settle for second. Barnett padded his point lead finishing third. Chris “Moose” Douton and Paul Palen completed the top-five.
In the Mini Stock main event, Steve Michalski of Brooklyn, CT, earned his second win of the 2009 season. Ian Brew moved from the fourth position to the lead in the opening lap. Less than a lap later, Brad Caddick had taken over the point. Almost immediately, Caddick had company. It was a three car battle for the lead between Caddick, St. Michalski, and a charging Randy Churchill. After a heated battle, Michalski had taken over the lead on lap 12.
Once out front, Michalski was able to extend his lead. Meanwhile his brother Scott Michalski had joined the lead pack. In the closing laps with St. Michalski comfortably out front the battle continued for the second position. Steve Michalski went on to score his second win of the year. Scott came on strong on the final lap to finish second. Churchill continued his late season string of top finishes finishing in the third position. Caddick and Jeff Moffat rounded out the top five.
After the 1,500 plus votes were tallied, the “Most Popular Driver” awards were presented on Thursday night to drivers in each of the six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division. Taking the honors were Woody Pitkat of Stafford, CT, in the Sunoco Modifieds; Derek Ramstrom of Worcester, MA, in Super Late Models; Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, in Late Models; Joe Arena of Bristol, CT, in the Limited Sportsman division; Jay Sundeen of Douglas, MA, in the TIS Modifieds; and Scott Michalski S. Killingly, CT, in the Mini Stock divisions.
Sunoco Modified Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 2. Rowan Pennink, Huntington Station, PA; 3. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 4. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 5. Bert Marvin, Waterford, CT; 6. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 7. Ricky Shawn, Bradford, RI; 8. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 9. Dave LaCroix, Fitchburg, MA; 10. Harry Rheaume, Oakdale, CT.
Super Late Model (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 2. Dennis Maxfield, Fitchburg, MA; 3. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 4. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, MA; 5. Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH; 6. Rick Fuller, Auburn, MA; 7. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 8. Les Rose, Jr., Southbridge, MA; 9. Steve Desmarias, Westport, MA; 10. Jim Banfield, MA.
Late Model (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 2. Corey Hutchings, Salem, CT; 3. Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, CT; 4. Damon Tinio, Medfield, MA; 5. Wayne Coury, Sr., Milford, CT; 6. Jeremy Sadowski, Voluntown, CT; 7. Jeff Hartwell, E. Putnam, CT; 8. Phil Rondeau, Baltic, CT; 9. Tom Fox, Plainfield, CT; 10. Al Mandarino, Lake Grove, NY.
TIS Modifieds (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Cam McDermott, Scituate; 2. John Studley, Framingham, MA; 3. R.J. Marcotte, Millville, MA; 4. Brian Tagg, Oxford, CT; 5. Brian Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 6. Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 7. Denis Legere, N. Reading, MA; 8. Bart Ramos, Putnam, CT; 9. John Michael Shenette, Thompson, CT; 10. Glen Boss, Danielson, CT.
Limited Sportsman (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Shawn Monahan, Waterford, CT; 2. Joe Arena Bristol, CT; 3. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 4. Chris Douton, Waterford, CT; 5. Paul Palen, Pelham, CT; 6. Gerald Sevigny, Brooklyn, CT; 7. Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 8. Joe Coates, Eastford, CT; 9. Jesse Gleason, Lisbon, CT; 10. Al Stone III, New Haven, CT.
Mini Stock (Top Ten) Feature Finish: 1. Steve Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 2. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 3. Randy Churchill, Niantic, CT; 4. Brad Caddick, New London, CT; 5. Jeff Moffat, Warwick, RI; 6. Scott Jassaume, Danielson, CT; 7. Ian Brew, Wood River Jct, RI; 8. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 9. Billy Pomposelli, Chepachet, RI; 10. Chuck Rogers, Quaker Hill, CT.
by Jay | Sep 18, 2009 | ACT, NASCAR, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Waterbury, VT – This weekend’s American Canadian Tour (ACT) Invitational at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) will seem like a homecoming of sorts to several of the drivers who race with the ACT. Former NASCAR driver Brian Hoar from Williston, VT is a past NHMS Track Champion. Hoar is currently leading the 2009 ACT Championship point battle and looking for his 6th overall ACT title. Brad Leighton is the most prolific winner in NHMS history, with eight (8) wins to his credit. Part-time ACT racer Eddie MacDonald from Rowley, MA won both Camping World East events held at the Speedway in 2008. MacDonald is in a point race with Ryan Truex for the NASCAR Camping World East title and will be entering both races at New Hampshire this weekend.
When asked how he felt about heading to the Invitational, former King of the Road title holder and recent winner of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road, Dave Pembroke, of Montpelier, VT said, “I am a little concerned that those guys will try and pay me back!”
Pembroke won the 200-lap event a couple of weeks ago. He not only won the event, but he led all 200 laps and nearly put the entire field of 30 starters down a lap in the process. The race went 181 green flag laps before the one and only caution on lap 182. This was accomplished on what is regarded as one of the toughest quarter mile racetracks in America. “Seriously, I am really excited about going back to New Hampshire. I don’t have any great expectations, I am just happy to get the invitation to compete at that beautiful place. I kind of wish I was in Phil’s car instead of my own. (Pembroke took part in a two-day Goodyear tire test in April in the car of Montpelier, Vt’s Senator Phil Scott. On the second day of testing Scott was called back to the Senate for a critical vote and asked Pembroke to substitute for him). It certainly performed better at Loudon than mine did when we were testing in August, but we have worked since Labor Day to get it ready, so we will hope for the best”, concluded Pembroke.
The home track advantage might be somewhat neutralized when the draw for starting spots is concluded around 12:30 on Saturday, September 19th following the drivers meeting. “We have been working on a handicap system that reflects what is good about short track racing. We won’t have an opportunity to qualify by heats or time trials, due to some time constraints, so we have created a fair system to try and give our teams a good racing experience, and also to give our fans the best show possible”, said Nick Bigelow, the ACT Chief Handicapper. The system that has been created for the first ACT Invitational will have all thirty-six teams draw for positions, but the draw has been broken into three parts, and the final line-up will reflect what officials believe will be both competitive and safe for the race teams.
The inaugural ACT Invitational will be comprised of teams from all 6 New England states and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Vermont will send the largest contingent of teams with 12, followed by Maine with 7 entrants, and then Quebec and New Hampshire with 4 each.
The $65,000 ACT Invitational will be part of the biggest one day of racing in New England. The ACT race will follow the popular NASCAR Whelen Modified Series 100 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 200. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling NHMS or by visiting their site at www.nhms.com. Post time at NHMS on Saturday, September 19th is 1:00pm. The ACT Invitational is scheduled to post at 5:30pm.
by Jay | Sep 18, 2009 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – The 50th anniversary of Thunder Road has been a year to remember for both race teams and fans. The best is yet to come as the ‘Nation’s Site of Excitement’ readies for the toughest short track race in America, the 47th annual Chittenden Milk Bowl.
Known as the grand-daddy race of them all for Late Model cars, the unique format of time trials, triple 50-lap qualifying dashes, and then the Milk Bowl format of three segements with inversions, sets the stage for two days of intense drama for race fans and teams.
ACT veteran racer Brent Dragon said, “The last two ACT races have been about as strange as I have ever been a part of. We go to Thunder Road for the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 and run for 182 laps before we catch a yellow. There is only one leader, and that is not to take anything away from David Pembroke because he was super that day, he had a great car and lots of traffic to contend with, but come on, 182 laps of green! We finish with all 30 starters. I can’t ever remember a race like that. We are done 200 laps in under an hour. Then we go to my favorite track, Airborne, and we end up with 5 or 6 different leaders, nearly 20 lead changes, and a 300-lap race with few cautions and the 300-lap race was over in under 2 hours!”.
There will be no pressure on Dragon and over 40 of the other ACT Late Model teams when they arrive for the $70,000 in posted awards at Thunder Road. This year the Milk Bowl is a non-points race. The pressure to be conservative to protect point leads or gain points is off. This will be a “no holds barred” kind of shoot-out for the ACT Late Model teams.
The format of the Chittenden Milk Bowl fits the style of local race teams. Thunder Road runs all 50-lap feature events for its Late Model division throughout the season. Rich Lowery, Dave Whitcomb, Phil Scott, all veterans of the Thunder Road weekly battles will get a decided advantage with the short distance sprints that the three-segment Milk Bowl uses.
“This race is unlike any other in the country”, said newly crowned ‘King of the Road’, Milton, VT’s Jean-Paul Cyr. “This is just an old-fashioned hard-nosed battle to get in, and then the strategy takes over. First, you have to decide when you will need your tires to be good enough to win. Next, you have to put yourself into a position to win with a low score going into the final segment, then you have to know who you have to be beat, nearly lap by lap and position by position during that final segment. Finally, if you over-think all of this, you will forget to just drive the damn car and none of it will matter. It’s a tough race and I love it!”
The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl will mark the end of the 50th anniversary season celebration of Thunder Road. Throughout the 2009 season special events have become the norm in celebration of the Nation’s Site of Excitement’s 50 years of short track racing. Post time each day for the Chittenden Milk Bowl is 1:00pm. Gates open at 10:00 am and tickets are $25 for both days of racing.
by Jay | Sep 18, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
In the face of bitter disappointment, one might be able to take comfort in the old saying, “For every problem there is an opportunity.”
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), is certainly disappointed since he now faces the next 10-race stretch of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule without being part of the 12-driver Chase for the Championship. Even tougher to take was that he and the M&M’s team missed the Chase by a mere eight points, despite a flawless night on-track and on pit road that led to a solid fifth-place run in last Saturday night’s 26th race of the season at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
But, for his part, Busch has decided that despite facing the problem of not making the Chase, even with four wins to his credit, there are three key opportunities that lie ahead before the checkered flag waves at the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It all starts with Sunday’s Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup event at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
With the pressure of the Chase now off, Busch and crew chief Steve Addington will first focus on something former teammate Tony Stewart and current No. 20 team crew chief Greg Zipadelli accomplished after they just missed the Chase in 2006. Stewart and the No. 20 team brought home three wins to go along with five top-five finishes over the final 10 races.
Secondly, Busch and Company will do their part to provide as much information as possible to help teammate Denny Hamlin, crew chief Mike Ford, and the entire No. 11 team in their bid for the championship. That’s what good teammates do.
Finally, the Las Vegas native will hope to not only glean as much information as possible for his compatriots on the No. 11 squad, but also learn more about NASCAR’s current-generation car in order to refocus on their bid for a championship in 2010.
While his chance for a championship has ended for 2009, it doesn’t mean Busch won’t be focused on something he loves to do more than anything else: winning, and keeping the colors primary backer M&M’s in victory lane, where he feels they belong.
So it’s quite clear to everyone on the No. 18 team, this problem has certainly brought along opportunities that lie ahead, starting with this weekend in New Hampshire.
KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:
What is your plan for the final 10 races?
“To go out and win some more races. M&M’s and all the guys on this team deserve that kind of effort no matter what. We just need to work on the consistency. We picked up at some tracks that we needed to, and we faltered at some tracks that we thought we were good at. It just wasn’t our year and it wasn’t meant to be, for some reason. I was put in this predicament for a reason, and one of these days I’ll figure out why. You’ve just got to focus on learning from everything that happens and try to turn it into a positive.”
Do you think your teammate Denny Hamlin could be a threat to win the Chase, and what will you do to help?
“I hope so. Along with us hopefully winning some races, all of the focus is going on the 11, and I’ll do my best to help Denny out and bring Joe Gibbs Racing a championship. Hopefully, I can do my part on the racetrack, as well as on just giving the best advice from my car and helping those guys. So you know, I think Denny has got a lot going forward. He’s going to have a big momentum boost this week, where he goes and runs so well at Loudon, and next week at Dover, he does well, too. They have got it going on if they can keep the parts together but, unfortunately, we didn’t last year. But if they do, they will be fine.”
How frustrating is it to come just eight points from making the Chase?
“It’s very, very frustrating. I’m heartbroken, but we’ll take this and go the rest of the year and try to win some more races and get M&M’s and Interstate Batteries to victory lane. There were a lot of situations this year that I screwed up, that we got put into bad spots, had a couple days that we were bad on pit road, others where we just couldn’t hit the setup right. It’s just a conglomeration of things that put us in this predicament. It’s not just one thing. It’s not those last two weeks. It’s the previous 26 altogether. Unfortunately, some of those weeks were worse than others.”
How comfortable are you now on flat tracks?
“It’s the Cup side that I’ve had some issues with on the flat tracks. The Nationwide side of it, we are fine. In the past, with Hendrick, I was fine on the flat stuff, too. But, for some reason, it’s just with these Gibbs cars, I don’t have the feel for it. I’m not sure why or what it is. We kind of went to New Hampshire in June with my own setup and it seemed to pay off a little bit for us, rather than trying a Denny (Hamlin) setup. Denny always runs well on the flat tracks, but his driving style is so much different than mine. I can’t run the same. Denny ran really well there in the past, so I’m hoping we have a car that is as good as his. We tried something different at Phoenix earlier this year and again in New Hampshire during the summer and that seemed to fit my driving style better. I’m looking forward to New Hampshire because we ran well there in the spring – I think we finished in seventh. I’m looking forward to trying to change last year’s results there for both races and be better this year in both races.”
What’s different about New Hampshire that you enjoy, as opposed to other flat tracks like Phoenix?
“New Hampshire is a fun track for me, as a driver, even though it was a tough year there last year. It’s flat like Phoenix and Milwaukee, but it’s a little bit tricky. In order to do well there, you need a car that works on all the different kinds of asphalt the tracks seem to be putting down. You need a car that has a lot of side bite in the rear and front grip to turn easier. At New Hampshire, it seems like I’ve always been loose into the corner and tight in the center, which is hard to fix sometimes. I think the team that can fix that the best will have the best car.”
by Jay | Sep 17, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
KURT BUSCH: “INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT” FOR GOOD CHASE START
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Knows From Experience As He Has Experienced “The Good And The Bad”-
LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 15, 2009) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch enters Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway hoping to get off to a good start in the 2009 “Chase” for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Busch could certainly be looked at as an “authority” when it comes to first-hand experience on that subject.
“I’ve definitely seen it from both ends and I know from experience how incredibly important it is to get off to a good start in the Chase,” said Busch, who finished second in the race at Richmond last Saturday night and earned his fourth Chase bid in the last six seasons. “You get out there the first week after the long haul – the 26 races just to make the cut for the Chase – and you come into Loudon (New Hampshire Motor Speedway) with the most adrenalin flowing and momentum going as you’ve had going for you during the entire year.
“So you feel like you’ve got the barrels loaded and the trigger cocked – you’re one of 12 teams that made the finals and it’s playoff time – and you can feel almost invincible,” Busch explained. “It’s like that kind of ‘hey we made it (the Chase) and we’re here to kick (rear end) and take names’ attitude just runs rampant within your team.
“But once that green flag falls at Loudon on Sunday to officially begin the Chase, the race really is on,” said Busch, who won the 2004 title in the inaugural year of the Chase format. “I’m here to tell you that it’s pretty hard to measure the importance of getting off to a good start.
“All I can say is that I know from experience that if you can get it going in the right direction at Loudon, you can keep the momentum growing and sort of build some insurance for something bad happening later on during the 10-race stretch. But, on the other end of the equation, with so much hype and such great expectations you have going into the first race of the Chase, I’ve definitely seen just how much of a blow it can be to get started on a bad note.
“When you look at my career, winning the first Chase in 2004 – and especially what happened in the years since then – mine is probably as good of example as any when it comes to
considering the importance of getting a good finish in that first race,” said Busch. “I guess it’d be really accurate to say that I’ve definitely seen the good and the bad.
“During our championship season back in 2004, we were strong from the drop of the green flag and it only got better from there,” said Busch. “We won the New Hampshire race and went on down the road on a big roll. We finished top-five at Dover and did the same at Talladega the next week.
“We went on a roll of nothing but top-fives and top-10s through the first six races and built up such a points lead that we were able to hang on and pull it out by eight points over Jimmie (Johnson) to win the battle for the title, even with the big setback with the blown engine at Atlanta.”
After six races had been completed during the 2004 Chase, Busch enjoyed a 96-point advantage over second-place Jeff Gordon. Johnson, who would turn out to be Busch’s chief nemesis was 207 points behind.
Busch blew an engine in the Atlanta race and finished 42nd, dropping his lead to only 41 points. He entered the Homestead finale with an 18-point advantage and in a “miracle run,” he finished fifth to claim an eight-point advantage over Johnson to take the first points title under the current Chase format.
“That was definitely the good end of thing that we enjoyed and the other years definitely didn’t turn out that way,” said Busch. “We made the Chase the next year in 2005 and had such high hopes of defending the title. In the opening Chase race at New Hampshire, we hadn’t even finished three laps before a guy who normally shouldn’t have been up there was just too loose, got out of shape and just wiped us out.
“We went on and struggled really bad the next week at Dover and just couldn’t get things straightened out,” said Busch. “We struggled and didn’t finish in the top-10 but three or four times during the rest of the season. Then we had the big parting of the ways with the previous car owner and that was the end of that season.
“We were lucky enough to make the Chase again in 2007, but we never had anything really going for us once the Chase started,” said Busch. “It was the transitional year for the new breed of car and we just didn’t have our program where it needed to be. We finished outside the top 20 in the New Hampshire race and it just seemed to get worse from there on. I think we only had one top-five finish the rest of the year.”
With all his experience behind him, Busch certainly knows which direction he hopes his Pat Tryson-led team is headed.
“Hey, give me a replay of that ’04 start to the Chase,” said Busch. “That’d be really cool and exactly what we need to get rolling again here this year.”
This weekend’s action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway gets under way with Sprint Cup practice on Friday from 12:00 noon till 1:30 p.m. Sunday’s 43-car starting field will be determined in Friday’s 3:10 p.m. single round of Cup qualifying. Saturday’s action includes practice sessions from 9:00 a.m. till 9:50 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. Sunday’s SYLVANIA 300 (300 Laps, 317.4 Miles) has a 2:00 p.m. EDT starting time. Live coverage of the race will be provided by ABC-TV and MRN Radio.
by Jay | Sep 17, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, PASS
Martin and Mcdaniel both winners on PASS 300 Sunday
The PASS Sportsman and Mod series each play a big role in PASS 400 weekend, and Sundays’ extra distance features showed why both divisions have grown to be fan favorites.
First up was 100 laps for the PASS Sportsman Series and with $2,000.00 to the winner it was guaranteed to be a wild one. Dan Mckeage and Richie Morse led the car field to the green. The pair ran side by side for the first five stanzas with Morse taking the advantage at the start/finish line and Mckeage filling the hole on the bottom. Carey Martin held the third spot but he was under siege from Nate Leavitt. Martin took second away from Mckeage shortly after and left Mckeage and Leavitt to battle for third. The caution first flew on lap 16 for a minor incursion, just as Martin powered around Morse for the lead. The caution flew one lap later, turning the tables on Martin, but when the field went green Martin managed to hold the lead on the bottom; Morse dropped into second and Lyman Mckeage came up to challenge Morse. Lyman had the better car at lap 25, taking second from Morse who was now feeling the heat from both Scott Dorr and Nate Leavitt. Dorr took over the third spot on lap 29 and went looking for McKeage and Martin.
Kyle Hart spun on lap 33 to bring the field back together once again. Martin was a match for Mckeage on the outside but Mckeage battled back to a dead heat on lap 36 and the lead when the pair crossed the stripe on lap 37. The race continued clean and green at the half-way mark with Mckeage by less than a car length over Martin, Dorr, Dan Mckeage, Mike Landry and Morse. The caution finally flew once again on lap fifty eight, and it was Mckeage’s turn to try from the bottom. Martin led lap 58 on the outside but the lead was far from decided. Mckeage retook the top spot one lap later but Martin continued to challenge with Scott Dorr waiting patiently in third. Martin made the outside move stick on lap 65 and Door took second away from Mckeage with Landry fourth and Dan Mckeage fifth. The front four had a healthy margin over the field. But Nate Leavitt and Bobby Nadeau went for a spinner on lap 75, setting up another restart. Martin powered up the inside to keep Dorr in second, but Mike Landry took the second spot away from Dorr five laps later. Dan Mckeage and Frank Ware came together on the back stretch, and the pair got into the back stretch wall.
Now it was Landry’s turn to take on Martin, and despite Martin’s efforts to move the 40 up the race track, Landry battled back on the outside to lead lap 87. Landry cleared Martin but he was never far away, and Donnie Morse had worked his way past Dorr for third. The final caution flew on lap 93, giving Martin another shot at the top spot. He took advantage and took back the point on the races’ final restart. Landry never had an opportunity to try the top and Martin crossed the line first, scoring his first Beech Ridge victory in many years. Donnie Morse came home third with Scott Dorr fourth and Nate Leavitt fifth.
PASS Mods were up next and Sumner Sessions jumped out front early but Scott McDaniel took over the top spot on lap 3. Greg Ellis chased the front pair in third and Steve Bennett Jr. was a ways back in fourth. McDaniel was in another zip code by lap 11, leaving Sessions and Ellis almost a straightaway behind. Point leader Andy Shaw was up to fourth by lap 14, Then third on lap 15 and setting his sights on the front two. Shaw was by Sessions on lap 20 but he had a long way to go to chase down the leader. The race stayed caution free from Green to checker and McDaniel never looked back, beating Shaw to the flag by over a straightaway with Scott Grant third, John Brill fourth and Sumner Sessions fifth.
Unofficial Finish – PASS Sportsman 100 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – 9/13/09
1) 18 Carey Martin Brownfield ME 2) 40 Mike Landry Oakland ME 3) 10 Donnie Morse Portland ME 4) 160 Scott Dorr Portland ME 5) 36L Nate Leavitt 6) 34 Richie Morse Waterford ME 7) 63 Ross Morse Buxton ME 8) 11 Marcel Chauvette Waterboro ME 9) 09 Frankie Eldridge Stratham NH 10) 61 R.J. Austin Norridgewock ME 11) 60 Kyle Hart Ctr. Conway NH 12) 2 Robert Emery Limington ME 13) 4 Allan Moeller Dresden ME 14) 22 Steve Bennett Sr. Buckfield ME 15) 8 Clyde Hennessey Windham ME 16) 3 Dalton Gagnon Lyman ME 17) 38 Dan Mckeage Gorham ME 18) 58 Lyman Mckeage Gorham ME 19) 80 Dana Reed Shapleigh ME 20) 02F David Fowler Jr. 21) 20 Frank Wear Scarborough ME 22) 7 Shane Tatro Levant ME 23) 35 Bobby Nadeau Hollis ME 24) 5 David Vaughn Naples ME 25) 7 Dave Chares t Westbrook ME 26) 78 J.T. Thurlow Scarborough ME 27) 19S Duane Seekins Stockton Springs ME 28) 55 Chris Smith Scarborough ME
Unofficial Finish – PASS Mod 50 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – 9/13/09
1) 14 Scott McDaniel Livermore ME 2) 66 Andy Shaw Ctr Conway NH 3) 27 Scott Grant Waterboro ME 4) 77 Jon Brill Bridgton ME 5) 50 Sumner Sessions Norway ME 6) 33 Bill Dixon N Waterboro ME 7) 56 Dan Somes Belgrade ME 8) 4 Wayne Whitten JR Arundel ME 9) 12 Steve Bennett Jr. Buckfield ME 10) 53 Leo Oliviera Raynham MA 11) 56x Rich Ferreira Raynham MA 12) 29 Greg Ellis Hermon ME 13) 03 Gary Norris W Gardiner ME 14) 85 Glen Bradbury Hollis Ctr ME 15) 2 Bub Bilodeau Standish ME
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | ACT, Canada, NASCAR, New England, New Hampshire, NHMS
Waterbury, VT – The field is set for the inaugural American Canadian Tour (ACT) Invitational to be held this weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) in Loudon, NH. The 36-car field for the historic first-ever Late Model stock car race is filled with the best short track drivers in the Northeastern US and provinces of Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The $65,000 event is slated to take green at 5:30 Saturday afternoon, following the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ‘Heluva Good! 200’.
ACT teams from throughout the Northeast have spent the past six months battling each other for a coveted spot in what will be the most unique racing opportunity most have had in their careers.
Veteran racer from Barre, VT, Joey Laquerre said, “This has to be the highpoint of my 50-plus years of racing. I had so much fun at the ‘test and tune’ (over 50 ACT teams were invited to a test session at NHMS in August) and I really wanted to get an invitation to this race. I hope this will be good for the future of Late Model racing. I think it is just great for the young kids like Joey ‘Pole’ (Polewarczyk), those two 16- and 17-year olds, (Brandon Watson from Stayner, ON and Joey Doiron from Berwick, ME). They are the future, but I wish I could be starting all over again with them. They are going to have a lot of fun racing in the next ten years or so”. Laquerre was a former Thunder Road Track Champion and has raced at just about every track in New England for over 5 decades, in just about every kind of stock car.
The starting grid for the ACT Invitational will have twenty-four former and present Track Champions and Series Champions. Three of the hottest drivers in ACT racing represent each of the Touring Series which the sanctioning body manages.
Montreal’s Patrick Laperle has the most wins entering the Invitational, with four (4). Laperle is contending to win his second Série ACT Castrol Championship on Sunday, following the NHMS event. He is chasing two-time Castrol Série Champion Donald Theetge from Quebec City, who leads the Series by 33 points going into the 300 lap finale at Autodrome Ste. Eustache outside of Montreal. Laperle will receive a $2,000 bonus for his 4 Invitational wins.
Veteran driver Brent Dragon from Milton, VT enters the Invitational with three qualifier wins and is coming off an impressive third place finish after starting twelfth at the Fall Foliage 300 at the Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh last Sunday afternoon. Dragon battled eventual winner Laperle for over 100 laps in the final half of the event, swapping the official lead a half dozen times. Laperle won the 300-lap event, but only after running out of fuel while pitting during the final caution, on lap 255.
Former NHMS Track Champion, and now full-time ACT competitor, Brian Hoar of Williston, VT took over the ACT Tour point lead following the Fall Foliage 300. Hoar leads Scott Payea, of Milton, VT by 28 points going into the final event of the campaign at Oxford Plains Speedway on October 11th. “I really am not thinking about the ACT title with the Invitational in front of us. When I was racing on the old NASCAR Busch East Series, this was a place I just loved to come to. Being named as the NHMS Track Champion ranks right up there with my five ACT titles. I can’t wait until 5:30 on Saturday, and I think fans are going to have some fun also. During the testing we found out that these cars can draft, carry big speed through the corners, and that the outside lane is the place to be. That should provide a good combination for putting on a great show. MY RPM team is pumped up and ready”, said Hoar.
Nine tracks from throughout the Northeast and Canada will be sending their 2009 champions to the ACT Invitational, along with 6 other past track champions from throughout the region. There are 5 ACT TOUR Champions entered, 3 Serie Castrol Champions and a multi-time PASS Super Late Model Champion.
“The starting field for this event will be the very best 36-car field in the 25-year history of ACT racing. These teams all deserve to be here based on what they have accomplished either in the Qualifiers or in their racing careers, and we are proud to have them represent ACT and Late Model racing. We are grateful to Jerry (Gappens, Vice President and Executive Manager of NHMS), Bob Bahre (founder and former owner of NHMS and lifelong supporter of short track racing) and the entire NHMS staff for their support and confidence in short track racing in our region”, said Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour. “I am especially happy to have such a great mix of veteran teams and new young stars who will get the chance to have this experience. I guess it is now time to ‘start the engines’ and let them get after each other”, concluded Curley.
The ACT Invitational will take place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway as part of the weekend-long NASCAR ‘Chase for the Sprint Cup’ activities. The Invitational will post at 5:30 on Saturday, September 19, 2009 and will be run over a distance of 50 miles. Information for tickets can be obtained by contacting the ticket office at NHMS or their web site at www.nhms.com
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | Maine, Wiscasset Raceway
Hermon, ME- Speedway 95 was the home for the second round of the Linnehans Credit Now late model triple crown series this past Saturday night. 29 of the best late model drivers in New England took the green flag in the 54 lap feature which paid $1,754.00 to win. Right from the start which saw Liberty’s Josh St. Clair over take pole sitter Mike Hopkins there was an abundance of cautions. However restart after restart St. Clair would choose the outside groove to restart the race and eventually take the checkered flag. Mike Hopkins who is a Speedway 95 regular would take home second and Wiscasset Raceway late model champion Chris Thorne in his first ever visit to the 1/3 mile oval would get third. Fourth went to Chris Pangburn and fifth to Ryan Deane. The point leader of the triple crown series going into the race was T.J. Watson who due to prior commitments was not able to contend which handed the point lead over to Josh St. Clair who finished second in the first triple crown race at Wiscasset Raceway back on May 30th. St. Clair still has one more race to go before he can officially be called the champion and that will be at Unity Raceway on Oct. 12th which is Unity’s Long John weekend.
Upcoming Events: September 26th & 27th The Ray Haskell Ford Fall Brawl at Wiscasset Raceway!!!
For more information check out www.wiscassetraceway.info
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | ACT, Canada, NASCAR, New England, NHMS
Waterbury, VT – Noted racing columnist ‘Big’ Bigelow from the Caledonia Record, a daily paper from St. Johnsbury, VT, has won the first round of the ACT Invitational Media Contest. Ironically, Bigelow picked Canadian Patrick Laperle in the final bonus race this past weekend, the Fall Foliage 300, to beat out Toronto, Ontario’s Evan Towle from the CanadianRacingOnLine.com. The five bonus points were the margin of victory for the winner. “People pretty much know me as a ‘stats freak’. I guess this time my fun with facts and figures paid off for me. It has been fun to watch each week to see if I could climb the ladder to the top, and now, I guess my next job will be to pick the winner of the Invitational”, said Bigelow.
Bigelow competed against nearly three dozen members of the media who entered the ACT Invitational last April, just prior to the start of the season. Media members had to pick 36 teams from across all of New England and the Quebec and Ontario provinces of Canada. In addition, they were required to pick from 12 ‘bonus’ point events held on the ACT Tour, the Série ACT Castrol, and special events including the Oxford Plains’ TD Bank 250, the Governor’s Cup 150 at Thunder Road, and the Wiscasset Speedway Center of Speed 300. By picking Laperle in the Fall Foliage 300, he broke the tie to sit on top of a crowded score sheet among over two dozen Northeast racing media members.
Bigelow has won a week’s family vacation to the Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton, NH during the next 12 months. Part two of the Invitational becomes a little more difficult. Pick the Winner of the Invitational and win a fully paid trip for two to the Sprint Cup Chase event at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway being held this October. Bigelow and other media members who finished in the top 12 standings now have to pick this Saturday’s inaugural winner of the ACT Invitational. Bigelow will have an ace up his sleeve as any tie breaker will be broken by ‘first round’ standings.
The final field of twelve has been expanded as there was a tie in the standings from 12th through 16th. Entry forms will be sent to eligible media members on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. The winner of the Grand Prize trip to Charlotte, NC will be announced immediately following the ACT Invitational Saturday evening at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
ACT INVITATIONAL MEDIA STANDINGS (Round I)
(eligible to ‘Pick the Winner’ for Grand Prize)
1. Big Bigelow Caledonia Record 240
2. Evan Towle CanadianRacingOnLine 235
3. Norm Cote Late Model Digest 230
4. Gene Gagne Outside Groove 230
5. Kevin Provencher NH Union Leader 230
6. Jim Carson Late Model Digest 225
7. Lee Elder Goodyear Public Relations 225
8. Steve Poulin Newport Daily Express 225
9. Mickey Smith Morrisville New & Citizen 225
10. Mark Thomas Racin’ Paper 225
11. Alan Ward News & Citizen/Racin’ Paper 225
12. Melissa, Betty St Albans Messenger 220
13. Grearson, Anna Times Argus 220
14. Kaufman, Josh St Albans Messenger 220
15. Michaels, TJ WORK – FM 220
16. Lou Modestino The Enterprise 220
The ACT Invitational invited roster:
Car# State Name Hometown Track/Series
6 VT Cris Michaud Williamstown, VT ACT/TR
7 ME Glen Luce Turner, ME ACT
8 NH Guy Caron Goshen, NH Twin State
9 ON Brandon Watson Stayner, ON Kawartha Downs
10 NH Ben Rowe Turner, ME ACT
11 VT Jean Paul Cyr Milton, VT Thunder Road
11 RI Ryan Vanasse Warwick, RI Seekonk
14 VT Phil Scott Middlesex, VT Thunder Road
14 ON Sean Kennedy Dunrobin, On Capital City
15 VT Joey Laquerre Barre, VT ACT/TR
17 MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA ACT
18 VT Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT ACT/TR
21 QC Jean Francois Déry Quebec City, QC ACT Castrol
26 VT John Donahue Graniteville, VT ACT/TR
27 MA Wayne Helliwell, Jr Dracut, MA Lee USA
35 CT Bruce Thomas Groton, CT Waterford
37 VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT ACT
40 VT Eric Chase Milton, VT ACT/TR
44 VT Dave Pembroke Montpelier, VT Thunder Road
47 CT Tim Jordan Plainfield, CT Waterford
48 QC Karl Allard Ste Felicien, QC ACT Castrol
51 ME Ricky Rolfe Albany Twnshp, ME ACT
55 VT Brent Dragon Milton, VT ACT
55 NH Brad Leighton Center Harbor, NH ACT
71 ON Dan McHattie Cavan, On Kawartha Downs
73 ME Joey Doiron Berwick, ME ACT
80 QC Donald Theetge Quebec, City, QC ACT Castrol
88 VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT ACT/TR
89 VT Scott Payea Milton, VT ACT
91 QC Patrick Laperle Montreal, QC ACT Castrol
94 ME Shawn Martin Turner, ME Oxford Plains
97 NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH ACT
03 ME Travis Adams Canton, ME Oxford Plains
02 NH Randy Potter Groveton, NH ACT
04 ME TJ Watson Cundy’s Harbor, ME Wiscasset
The ACT Invitational will take place at 5:30 on Saturday, September 19, 2009. Tickets for NASCAR ‘Chase’ weekend, including the ACT Invitational, can be obtained by logging on to www.nhms.com. For additional information on the ACT Invitational check the American Canadian Tour website at www.acttour.com
by Jay | Sep 15, 2009 | Canada
(Shediac, N.B.) — Dan Bourque, Victor Vienneau, Bob Prosser and Mike Weagle were crowned as 2009 Points Champions in their respective divisions during intense stock car racing action on Sunday afternoon at the Centre for Speed, Atlantic Canada’s Super Speedway and “Metro Moncton’s Playground of Power”.
For ‘Buzzsaw’ Dan Bourque (#15) of Grande-Digue, who claimed his first career Sportsman championship in 17 seasons of racing, Sunday was the crowning moment of a ‘wreckers to championship’ season. In fact, Bourque had planned on retiring after the 2008 season but a last race wreck, where he completely demolished his racecar, left him with a sour taste in his mouth and a renewed determination to continue racing.
“I owe it all to my terrific pit crew and their drive to come back even
stronger in 2009”, beamed Bourque as he celebrated his first Championship after Sunday’s Eastern Well Drillers 50-lap feature. However, the championship win for Bourque was not without its last-day dramatics. In fact, his racecar developed mechanical problems during the semifinal after a third place finish in the 10-lap heat. His crew battled through the semifinal and the 50-lap feature to keep him in the hunt for the Championship ahead of a hard-charging Marc Gautreau (#99) of Grand Barachois.
Heading into Sunday afternoon’s final points event of the 2009 season, Bourque held a
12-point lead on Gautreau. However, that lead threatened to completely slip through Bourque’s hands as Gautreau reeled off wins in the dash, second heat as well as the hotly-contested 15-lap semifinal to set up the showdown in the 19-car, 50-lap feature.
Veteran Dan Duke (#94) of Lakeville had the car to beat in the 50-lap main event as he took the early lead and held off challenges over the first 38 laps. However, Calvin Rankin (#45) of Quispamsis would prove to be a factor over the later part of the event. Having started the feature in 12th position, after his earlier win in the first Sportsman heat, Rankin worked
the outside line to charge his way through the field. By lap 35, Rankin had made his way into second and was knocking on Duke’s back bumper. Sticking to the outside groove, Rankin was finally able to overtake Duke on lap 41, and held on for the win crossing the finish line ahead of Gautreau and Duke.
Both Gautreau and Bourque, they took advantage of some early race openings to make their way through the field. By lap 19, Bourque had moved into third position with Gautreau in fourth. Gautreau continued his climb to the top as he passed Duke over the final few laps to cross the stripe in second. As for Bourque, his recurring
mechanical problems forced him and out of the pits over the final portion of the race, finally finishing in 12th position. That, however, was just enough for him to claim his first Sportsman championship, finishing a mere three points ahead of Gautreau in the final points standings.
It was a similar scenario in the chase for the 2009 Streetstock championship for Victor Vienneau (#03) of Cocagne, who started the
day first in the standings with a 29-point lead over division rookie Gerald Brun (#33) of Moncton. While the day belonged to Doug MacEwen (#40) of Charlottetown, who celebrated in 42nd birthday by recording a grand slam with wins in the heat, semifinal and 50-lap feature, both Vienneau and Brun were dogged by frustrating mechanical problems which for the most part left them looking on from the pit area.
Despite a blown piston, Vienneau got a little help from other pit crews and was able to complete one lap in the 50-lap feature thereby collecting enough points to hang on for his first career Streetstock championship.
For MacEwen, his three wins, including his third feature win of the season ahead of Jamie Vassello (#38) of Sydney, N.S. and Kelly Bassett (#18) of Saint John, vaulted him into second overall in the final points standings, just a few points ahead of Brun.
In Mini Stock action, Bob Prosser (#5) of Turtle Creek captured the 2009 Mini Stock division Championship thanks to a fifth place showing in the 25-lap feature, a second place finish in the heat and a fourth place finish in the semifinal. Martin Landry (#00) of Grand Barachois made things very interesting with second place finishes in
both the semifinal and feature, ending the day just four points behind Prosser for the championship. Meanwhile, Landry’s cousin, Daniel Gautreau (#20) of Shediac had the car to beat on Sunday in this division, collecting wins in both the heat and feature to go along with a third place showing in the semifinal. Veteran Brad Daley (#33) of Moncton was first across the finish line in the semifinal for his second win of the 2009 season.
In the Four Fun division, despite a damaged rear wheel, Mike Weagle (#60) of Petitcodiac capped off a dominating season with his 12th win of the
season in the semi-final to go along with second place showings in the heat and 25-lap feature, to capture the 2009 Four Fun division championship. While Eldon Campbell (#17) of Moncton had to settle for second overall in the points standings, he did end the season on high note beating Weagle in both the feature and heat as well as a third place showing in the semifinal.
Three BIG weekends of Atlantic Championships motorsports action are scheduled for the Atlantic Canada’s Super Speedway, the Centre for Speed (CFS) in October.
This includes the 10th Annual Atlantic Stock Car Championships on October 9, 10 & 11 with a total purse of over $50,000. This traditional ‘Year End Racing Celebration’, which has attracted the largest field of stockcars from throughout Atlantic Canada, Maine and Québec over the past 9 years, will feature several series and Atlantic track champions for the Pro Stock 150, Sportsman 100, Streetstock 50, as well as Mini Stock, Four Fun, Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) and Legends events. CFS management is promising that this year’s Atlantic Championships will include a number of new features to further enhance the event for both fans and drivers from throughout our region. Detailed announcements will be made over the coming weeks.
Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
About CFS
The CENTRE for Speed, built in 1996, is home to the Atlantic region’s largest and fastest paved 3/8 of a mile stock car oval as its centerpiece. The CENTRE overlooks the Northumberland Strait and is located 5 kilometers east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois.
