champion J.R. Baril captured his first checkered flag of the year on Friday
night in the E Keys 4 Cars Late Model feature event at Lee USA Speedway.
Baril survived a tough mid-race challenge from current points leader Wayne
Helliwell, Jr. to score the win aboard the Dave Reynolds entry. Helliwell
nearly got past on the high side after a lap 17 restart, but Baril came
charging back and took command once again.
Helliwell got credit for leading laps along the way, but at the checkers, it
was Baril by a couple of car lengths for the victory, followed by Helliwell,
Jeffrey Labrecque, Jr., Miles Chipman, Bryan Kruczek, Pat Floyd, A.J. Begin,
Glen Luce, John Donahue, and Tom Fuller.
Trouble started at the drop of the green in the Prime Storage Late Model
Sportsman feature, when most of the field got caught up in a big wreck on
the frontstretch. Several cars headed to the pits for repairs, but for
most, the damage was done.
Rookie Josh Ball led the field to green on the restart, but Steve Wilmot
quickly made his way past and into the early lead. Four laps in, Jimmy
Russell got the best of Wilmot for the top spot, and the race was on.
Three-time winner Grant Aither moved in quickly to challenge, and the two
staged a spirited duel for the lead for the rest of the race. Aither
grabbed the point late in the race and appeared to be on his way to another
win, but Russell got back by on the last lap to take the checkers.
Aither settled for a runner-up finish, with Michele Fushpanski getting
another podium finish in third spot. Fourth went to Jesse Bousquet,
followed by Wilmot, Ball, Timmy Johnson, Ryan Green, Tony Kawejsza, and
Patrick Stewart.
Justin Belfiore continued his domination of the Small Block Supers, picking
up his fifth consecutive win in the Bowes Motorsports machine. Super Dave
Sanborn had pulled away to a huge lead early in the race, but Belfiore
tracked him down as the laps wore on.
After having their engine pulled and verified as legal the week before,
Belfiore continued his perfect season with the victory. Sanborn collected
his best result of the season in the runner-up slot, with Butch Valley, Jr.
grabbing a solid third.
Billy Osborne came across the line in fourth, with Mike Netishen, Tommy
Tombarello, Jr., George Perreault, Jr., Mike Spurling, Bob Millett, Jr., and
Matt Riley rounding out the top ten.
Jim Piaseczny put in a solid run in the Picnic Table Factory Hobby Stock
main event, running out to a comfortable lead in the early stages of the
race. The race ran caution free to halfway, with Piaseczny leading Mark
Parenteau, Kenny Scott, Todd Bregy, and Randy Carmichael at the crossed
flags.
Bregy quickly worked his way to the second spot, but he couldn’t get past
Piaseczny, who went on to collect his first Hobby Stock win. Bregy finished
second, with Parenteau, Stephen Dubois, Patrick Tanguay, Eric Hoffman,
Carmichael, Brian Thompson, Lance Barthelemy, and Niko Manyati following.
Matt Lambert became the first two-time winner in the American Auto parts
Ironman feature, slipping past Chris Martel late in the race to grab the
checkers. Jack Victoria also got past Martel, but he couldn’t catch
Lambert, who led them to the finish.
Victoria had another strong run and scored runner-up honors, with Martel,
Sean Martin, Kevin Emery, Glen Billings, Kyle Roy, Jason Hodgdon, Warren
Harvey, and Thomas Johnson closing out the top ten.
In the David’s Race Cars and Components Roadrunners, Torrey Kovalesky
grabbed the early lead, but that only lasted four laps before contact with
Lloyd Chapin and the spin that resulted sent both drivers to the rear.
Troy Washburn was next to take the point, but he soon gave it up to Tim
Boyle, who looked like he was on his way to win number three on the year.
But it wasn’t to be, as problems forced Boyle off the pace and back to the
pits.
Washburn picked up the lead once again, but Chapin was marching back to the
front after his early-race trouble, and he caught the leader with the laps
winding down. He made his move with two to go, and came away with the lead.
At the checkers, it was Chapin in for his second win of the 2010 season in
the Full Throttle Racing entry, with Washburn getting his best finish of the
year in the second spot. Third went to Cris King, with Dana Faulkner and
Steve Nichols the rest of the top five.