strong for the running of the annual Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway
last Friday night, and weekly competitor Miles Chipman became the first
track regular to record a win in the prestigious event.
After four hard-fought 12-lap heat races and a pair of consolation rounds,
an impressive field of 31 starters took the green flag for the
much-anticipated race, which was rained out back on its originally scheduled
date back in mid-April.
The show didn’t disappoint the fans that packed the grandstands, running 47
laps under green before the first caution slowed the race after a minor
spin. Another brief yellow waved just prior to the 100-lap mark, but other
than that, it was clean and green all the way.
In the early stages of the race, current Lee USA points leader and defending
champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. set a torrid pace out front, but he eventually
yielded to fellow weekly racer Chipman as he faded back into the pack in the
late laps.
Jeffrey Labrecque, Jr. completed a Lee USA sweep of the top two spots, as he
came on strong late in the race to follow Chipman across the stripe for
runner-up honors ahead of multi-time ACT champ Brian Hoar, the series’ top
finisher.
The PB Chopper Shop and Rods Small Block Supers saw the third different
winner in three weeks as P.J. Stergios made his first appearance of the
season count with a trip to victory lane over a competitive field of the
open-wheelers.
George Perreault, Jr., Butch Valley, Jr., and Tommy Tombarello, Jr. all took
turns out front before Stergios got there, but once he was in the lead,
Stergios opened up a comfortable margin and cruised away to score the
victory in his 2010 debut.
Tombarello once again checkered in the second spot, followed by “Super Dave”
Sanborn, Valley, Billy Osborne, Eddie Witkum, Jr., Mike Spurling, Perreault,
Mike Netishen, and Steve Dickey, Jr.
Defending champion Grant Aither continued to run strong in the Prime Storage
Late Model Sportsman portion of the program, this time scoring feature win
number five on the season, tying him atop the track win leader board with
Small Block ace Justin Belfiore.
After leading the first half of the LMS feature event, Bill Ahern had to
settle for second place honors, with Ron Bolduc, Tony Kawejsza, Michele
Fushpanski, Ryan Green, Timmy Johnson, Jesse Bousquet and Josh Ball next
across the stripe.
Stephen Dubois looked like he was the class of the field in the Picnic Table
Factory Hobby Stocks, but he received a penalty after the race which cost
him the win. Todd Bregy found himself in the right place at the right time,
and was awarded the victory.
The penalty to Dubois resulted in Bregy’s division-leading third win of the
2010 campaign, with Brian Thompson, Eric Hoffman, Patrick Tanguay, and Kenny
Scott, Jr. moving up to round out the top five.
The same fate befell apparent winner Tim Boyle in the David’s Race Cars and
Components Roadrunner main, as his trip to victory lane was nullified by a
post-race penalty as well. Lloyd Chapin moved up a spot to claim his fourth
win of the season as a result.
Steve Nichols wound up with the second-place trophy, with Dana Faulkner
collecting his first podium finish of the year in the third position. Troy
Washburn came across the line in fourth, with early leader Torrey Kovalesky
rounding out the top five.
Jacob Rheaume broke out to the early lead in the American Auto Parts Ironman
main event, but Glen Billings quickly caught him and challenged for the
spot, eventually getting the best of the rookie and moving past to take over
the point.
Billings went on to collect his first win of the year, with Kyle Roy coming
up just short in the runner-up slot. Jack Victoria made his way from deep
in the pack to finish third, with Chris Martel and Jason Hodgdon finishing
up the top five.