Lee, NH – The NEMA Midgets made their only 2011 appearance at Lee USA
Speedway on Friday night, with veteran Greg Stoehr taking down the feature
win. Stoehr spent the early part of his racing career campaigning a Late
Model at Lee, which made the win doubly sweet.
Stoehr took the lead on lap two, and was never seriously challenged on the
way to his first feature event win of the 2011 season. Jeremy Frankoski,
Jeff Abold, defending NEMA champ and Greg’s brother Russ Stoehr, and Anthony
Nocella wrapped up the top five spots.
Russ Wood, Jr. of nearby Pelham put on an impressive show in the NEMA Lites
portion of the program, coming from deep in the field to collect the
checkers and take home the win, the second time the second-generation driver
has scored a victory at Lee.
Jake Stergios nearly stole the show when he took the lead away from Wood on
a late-race restart, but another quick yellow flag turned the lead back to
Wood, who went on to post the win over Stergios, Anthony Marvuglio, Andy
Barrows, and Jim Santa Maria.
In the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Small Block Supermodifieds, it was
defending champion Tommy Tombarello, Jr. showing the fast way around the
3/8th’s mile oval, outrunning the field for his second feature win of the
2011 campaign.
Ben Tinker put in another solid run to checker second, with two-time 2011
winners “Super Dave” Sanborn and Butch Valley, Jr. coming across the stripe
in third and fourth. Fifth went to points leader Wayne Helliwell, Jr.,
followed by Matt Riley, Matt Seavey, Sparky MacIver, Mike Ordway, Jr., and
Johnny Burke.
With the annual Stratham Fair scheduled for this weekend, July 21-24, Bobby
Melvin couldn’t have picked a better time to put his main sponsor’s name in
victory lane, which he did in the Prime Storage sponsored Late Model
Sportsman feature event.
Tony Kawejsza wasted little time getting out front at the drop of the green
flag, taking the lead from Josh Ball on lap two in the LMS main. Kawejsza
showed the way until lap 26, when tangle sent Kawejsza to the pits, Ron
Bolduc to the rear, and Jimmy Renfrew to the lead.
Melvin was outside pole on the ensuing restart, and he eventually prevailed
in the four-lap shootout that brought them to the checkers. Renfrew scored
runner-up, with Ryan Green, Michele Fushpanski, Brian Grantz, Timmy Johnson,
Mike Mitchell, Ball, Ryan Gath, and Bolduc the rest of the top ten.
With the David’s Race cars and Components Hobby Stocks taking the night off,
Picnic Table Factory Ironman competition closed out the weekly division
action, with Kyle Roy nailing down the feature win once again.
Early leader Troy Washburn had to settle for a second place finish, with
Kale Billings, Jake Rheaume, and Justin Dawalga rounding out the top five.