Lee, NH – Former champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. became the second repeat
winner of the season in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models at
Lee USA Speedway last Friday night, scoring a convincing win in the 50-lap
main event.
Helliwell made a determined run to catch early-race leader Katrina Canney,
making his move to the front just past halfway, and he easily outran the
field to collect the checkered flag in the E Keys 4 Cars sponsored feature
event.
Canney put in her best performance of the season to finish in the runner-up
slot, with Dean Weber, A.J. Begin, J.R. Baril, Tom Fuller, Jeremy
Harclerode, Bryan Kruczek, Geoff Rollins, and Joe Amour rounding out the top
ten.
Jesse Bousquet broke through in a big way in the Prime Storage Late Model
Sportsman feature event, holding off all the big guns to grab his first
feature event victory of the season in convincing style.
The battles were fierce behind him, but Bousquet ran virtually unchallenged
out front on the way to the winner's circle. Bill Ahern put in another
solid run, and was next across the stripe to collect runner-up honors.
Sparky MacIver finished in the third spot, with Grant Aither getting the
best of Bobby Melvin in the late laps to score fourth. "Piranha Pete"
Evans, Jimmy Renfrew, Michele Fushpanski, and rookie Ryan Green were next
across the stripe.
Defending two-time PB Chopper Shop and Rods Small Block Super champion Eddie
Witkum, Jr. returned to his winning ways on Friday night, bringing the Dave
Callahan-owned machine to victory lane for the third time this season.
Dan Bowes came up a few car lengths short of Witkum in the second spot, with
rookie contender P.J. Stergios continuing to impress with a strong third
place finish ahead of heat winner Mike Spurling and Billy Osborne.
Another first time winner came through in the Planet Aid Hobby Stock main,
as rookie competitor Chris Kingsley held the lead from flag to flag to score
his first-career win in the Hobbies.
Todd Bregy pressured Kingsley right to the checkers, but time ran out before
he could make his way past. Kingsley held on to pick up the win by a
half-car length over Bregy, with A.J. Panessiti, Jimmy Russell, Alby Ovitt,
Jimmy Renfrew, Patrick Tanguay, Eric Hoffman, Dennis Dumas, and Jake Michaud
the rest of the top ten.
Tim Boyle grabbed the lead when the David's Race Cars and Components
Roadrunner feature went green, and he was still out front when flagman Bryon
Callen showed the crossed flags to the field.
Sixteen-year-old rookie Shaun Waites, Jr. was already up to second by the
halfway mark, and he was looking for the lead. Heading down the backstretch
on lap 14, Waites looked to the low side on Boyle, and he came away with the
top spot.
It was all but over from there, as Waites led the rest of the way to score
the win. Jim Piaseczny came on strong late in the race to finish second,
with Boyle, Niko Manyati, Anthony Nadeau, Cris King, Steve Nichols, Aaron
Day, Chris Harding, and Torrey Kovaleski finishing up the top ten.
It was once again Kevin Emery getting the job done on the American Auto
Parts Ironman feature event, picking up his third feature win of the year.
Tom "Hulk" Harton, Troy Washburn, Warren Harvey, and Matt Bakutis rounded
out the top five.
The Northeast Classic Lites were on hand for their first appearance of the
2009 season, with Billy Ryder taking down the win, while the STAR features
went to Dick Crotty and Skip Stearns, and Mike Collins won the All Out Car
Wars Drags.