Lee, NH – The thunder of the True Value Modified Series came rolling into
Lee USA Speedway on Friday night, with a full field of the high-powered
open-wheelers on hand for the running of the Port City 100 presented by
Laticrete.
After three qualifying heats and a consolation round set the field for the
100-lap feature event, Richard Savary outran polesitter Jimmy Kuhn to grab
the lead on lap three, and the pace he set was untouchable over the first
half of the race.
Jimmy Dolan and Jon McKennedy gave chase to Savary pretty much from the
start, while Kuhn faded back deep into the pack, dropping as far back as
21st on lap 35 before he started his march back to the front.
McKennedy finally got past Dolan and he moved in to challenge Savary for the
lead on lap 63, but a backstretch tangle sent McKennedy off the leader
board, and Savary to the pits with terminal damage.
Rob Goodenough picked up the lead from there, while Kuhn had already made
his way back to seventh, and was still on the move after the restart. Andy
Seuss was right there with Goodenough, even inching ahead to lead lap 75,
but he quickly fell back in line.
Kuhn meanwhile, was knocking them off one-by-one, taking second from Seuss
with 80 laps on the board, and he completed his triumphant run by passing
Goodenough with just four laps remaining.
Kuhn, a former Pro Stock competitor at Lee USA, went on to post the win,
with Goodenough, McKennedy, Mike Holdridge, Rowan Pennink, Seuss, David
Pinkham, Dwight Jarvis, Carl Pasteryak, and Eddy Spiers the rest of the top
ten.
There was plenty of action among the Lee weekly competitors Friday night as
well, with Bryan Kruczek putting an end to his streak of bad luck with an
impressive victory in the E Keys 4 Cars NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Late Model feature event.
Points contender J.R. Baril had problems and missed the feature event, with
Wayne Helliwell, Jr. solidifying his lock on the point standings lead with
another strong second place run right on Kruczek's back bumper.
Jeremy Harclerode led the first 12 circuits of the 50-lapper before losing
the spot to Jeffrey Labrecque, Jr., but by halfway, Kruczek was already past
them both and on his way to victory.
Helliwell made is past Labrecque for second with 19 laps remaining, but
there was nothing he could do to stop Kruczek, who went on the score the
win. Helliwell, Labrecque, A.J. Begin, Harclerode, Tom Fuller, Bobby
Baillargeon, Dean Weber, Katrina Canney, and Tyler Fiscus the rest of the
top ten.
Rookie competitor Frankie Eldredge jumped out to the lead when the Prime
Storage late Model Sportsmen took the green from flagman Bryon Callen, and
he set the pace for the first seven laps before losing out to "piranha Pete"
Evans.
Evans was in search of his first feature win of the 2009 campaign, but he
was no match for points leader Grant Aither of nearby Exeter, who worked his
way by and went on to add another checkered flag to his collection.
Evans held on to pick up a solid runner-up finish, with Bobby Melvin, Bill
Ahern, Michele Fushpanski, Ryan Green, Timmy Johnson, Sulo Burbank, Dave
Fowler, and Eldredge closing out the top ten.
Eric Hoffman was first out of the gate in the planet Aid Hobby Stock feature
event, leading the way for the first five laps before Patrick Tanguay looked
to the low side and slipped past to take over the top spot.
Jim Shorey followed Tanguay past Hoffman to the front, but he didn't follow
him for long, charging by to take over the lead on lap nine.
Tanguay soon had his hands full with Jimmy Russell, Alby Ovitt, and A.J
Planeside right on his tail, while Shorey took advantage of the battle and
opened up his lead to several car lengths over the competition.
Shorey went the distance to roll the Jeff and Nancy Trask-owned machine into
victory lane, with Tanguay following him across the stripe after a solid
runner-up effort. Russell, Ovitt, Panessiti, Hoffman, Kenny Scott, Ron
Washburn, George Helliwell, and Bobby Glass were the rest of the top ten.
In the American Auto Parts Ironman feature event, Crystal Brown broke out to
the early lead, and she stayed out front for the first several laps before
the field sorted itself out and began to reel her in.
Her big challenge came from rookie driver Troy Washburn, who made a strong
late-race pass to get by, and he went on to pick up the first win of his
career. Howard Brown III had another good run to checker third, with Tom
Harton and Kevin Emery next across the stripe.