Lee, NH – Wayne Helliwell, Jr. continued his drive to the 2009 NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series Late Model championship at Lee USA Speedway Friday
night, scoring his third win of the season in the 50-lap main event.
Joe Amour and A.J. Begin battled hard for the lead when the race went green,
with Begin gaining the advantage and pulling out into the top spot. Ten
laps in, J.R. Baril slipped past Amour for second, and he was looking for
the lead.
After a tough night the week before, Baril was looking good in the early
going, passing Begin on lap 13 to take over the point. Bryan Kruczek
quickly joined Baril at the head of the field, and on lap 23, he moved past
to take a turn out front.
Helliwell was next to make his move, knocking Baril back a spot and
immediately moving in to challenge Kruczek for the lead. With eight laps
remaining, Helliwell made his move to the lead, and he went on to score the
win.
Kruczek backed up his win from the previous race with a solid second place
run behind Helliwell, with Baril, Begin, Tom Fuller, Joe Amour, Bobby
Baillargeon, Dean Weber, Jeremy Harclerode, and Tyler Fiscus the rest of the
top ten.
Veteran Bobby Glass held off a strong challenge from Brian Thompson to lead
the way when the Planet Aid Hobby Stock feature event went green, and the
former champion led the way fro flag-to-flag to collect the win.
A mid-race wreck sent contenders Ron Washburn, Kenny Scott, and A.J.
Panessiti to the pits for the night with heavy damage, but Glass was safely
out front and cruising. Todd Bregy took over second from Thompson late in
the race, but he couldn't catch Glass, who went on to score the victory.
Bregy posted a solid second place finish after fighting mechanical issues
all night, with Thompson holding on for third. Fourth spot went to Patrick
Tanguay, with Jimmy Russell, Dennis Dumas, Eric Hoffman, Eddie Wahn, Jim
Shorey, and Chuck Roberto rounding out the top ten.
Steve Nichols made a strong three-wide move for the lead on the first lap of
the David's Race Cars and Components Roadrunner main, with Jim Piaseczny and
Niko Manyati moving up quickly to challenge him for the top spot.
Nichols maintained the point until lap 12, when Piaseczny made his move and
took over. Manyati followed Piaseczny past Nichols to the front, taking the
crossed flags in the second spot a lap later.
With two wins already under his belt this year, Manyati was looking to pick
up another, but Piaseczny was hooked up and held on to collect his second
checker of the season. Manyati, Nichols, Bruce Knowles, and Kenny
Piaseczny, Jr. were the rest of the top five.
Veteran competitor Warren Harvey continued to run strong behind the wheel of
the L & W Auto entry in Ironman competition, taking down his second win of
the year in the Friday night feature event.
The PB Chopper Shop and Rods Small Block Supers were contesting the Summer
Shootout, with twin 25 lappers on the schedule for the night. Bonus money
was waiting for the drivers with the top five combined finishes.
Dan Bowes took the checkers in the first half of the show, but the second
race fell victim to the rain and was postponed. The Prime Storage Late
Model Sportsmen also lost their feature event to the wet weather.