Justin Trombley from Winter Harbor, Maine made the long drive to North Woodstock, New Hampshire worth it as he survived the heat and calamity of Saturday nights NEMST race. Chris McKinstry brought home the Tater’s NASCAR Merchandise $100 award given out at the drivers meeting as well.
Ten Tour minis filed into the pit area of White Mountain Motorsports Park on this holiday weekend for the make-up of the June 12th rain out. The two rounds of practice went well and all the cars were running lap times very close to one another. We also had Ricky Porter return to tour racing and NEMST newcomer Tim Boyle show up.
The heat races both went flag to flag with no interruptions with Emerson Cayer taking the win in the first heat and Ricky Porter bringing it home in the second heat. By mid afternoon it already looked like the Cayer and Porter battle was heating up from last year’s duel in the mountains.
The line up for the feature was set and Jeff Prindall started on the pole with Loren Smith on his outside. Smith quickly pulled ahead on the start with Boyle hanging onto his bumper. Throughout the first ten laps while smith showed the way, the back of the pack saw some three and even four wide racing around the tight quarter mile track. There was some contact between Roger Ducharme and Chris McKinstry resulting in a Ducharme’s #43 to scrape the wall but all cars continued. On lap 9 Ricky Porter vaulted to the inside of Loren Smith and made the pass into turn 1. It only took another 5 laps until the rest of the pack cleared the slower cars and began to chase down Porter who had a seven car length lead.
On lap 20 the 88 of Emerson Cayer closed quickly onto Porter and looked to be setting up for a pass, but coming out of turn 2 on lap 24 there was contact between the 88 and 92 sending the 92 spinning to the infield.
The caution came out on lap 25 and the 88 was put to the rear for rough driving. On the ensuing restart the 34 of Trombley and 8 of McKinstry started to show the signs of a tight battle as well.
The caution came out once again on lap 28 for water on the track from the 88 car blowing a radiator hose in turn 4. Lap 33 saw the battle between the 34 and 8 rekindled again as the 34 shot to the inside for the lead. Shortly after Trombley’s move for the lead the hard charging 92 of Porter cut down on the 8 car and spun to the infield once again.
The caution came out for the final time on lap 35 for the stalled machine of Porter on the inside of turn 4. With the 15 lap sprint to the finish Trombley held his lead over the 8 can and the 41 of Smith kept it in the trophy position of third place.
The Hard charger award for 5 gallons of free Sunoco Race Fuel goes to Justin Trombley, and the most laps lead belongs to the 92 of Ricky Porter.
The 8 of Chris McKinstry was found illegal in post race tech. receiving a 2 lap [enalty for his finishing position.
1.(9) 34 Justin Trombley
2.(2) 41 Loren Smith
3.(5) 41M Larry Melcher(R)
4.(3) 43 Roger Ducharme
5.(6) 95 Bruce Knowles
6.(4) 90 Tim Boyle(R)
7.(7) 8 Chris Mckinstry(R)
8.(10) 92 Ricky Porter
9.(8) 88 Emerson Cayer
10,(1) 5 Jeff Prindall(R)