By Lou Modestino
The NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites joined the weekly Benson Lumber and Hardware Small Block Supermodifieds, David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stocks, and American Used Auto Parts Ironman division on the program at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night, with another crop of first-time winners putting their names into the record books.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour ace Bobby Santos made the quick trip over to Lee after taking care of business at NHMS in nearby Loudon preparing for Saturday’s tour race, and he jumped into Adam Cantor’s NEMA Midget and dominated the action in the NEMA midget feature.
Santos was clearly the class of the field in the main event, pulling away from the field and putting down some incredibly fast laps on his way to victory. Jimmy Chambers, who was a weekly competitor in the Lee Small Blocks early in his racing career, just held off Ian Cumens for the runner-up spot at the stripe.
Fourth spot went to “Liquid Lou” Cicconi, followed by teammate Todd Bertrand to put two Bertrand Motorsports entries inside the top five, with John Zych Jr., Greg Stoehr , Joey Payne, Jim Santa Maria, and Bethany Stoehr rounding out the top ten.
The NEMA Lites had a major incident just past the halfway mark of their main event that knocked several cars out of contention, and cause a lengthy delay for track cleanup in its aftermath. One car oiled down the track heavily coming off turn four, with several others making heavy contact with each other and the wall as a result.
Heat winner Logan Rayvals was among the first to hit the slick spot, and he ended up against the outside retaining wall, where he was subsequently collected hard by Andy Barrows, who then went tumbling end-over-end down the front straightaway. All drivers walked away from the incident uninjured.
Small Block Super competitor Jake Stergios, who was a winner the last time the Lites were at Lee, was among those eliminated after hard contact with the wall when he tried to maneuver through the mess, joining Avery Stoehr, Steve Powers, and several others on the dnf list.
After the track crew completed their duties, Kevin Hutchens led the field to the restart, but he soon fell to the charge of Carl Medeiros, Jr., who went on to score the win. “Liquid Lou” Cicconi, Hutchens, Kenney Johnson, and Richie Morocco rounded out the top five.
It was the final tune-up for the Small Block Supers before the July 19th Moneybags Special, a three-segment event with big money on the line, and the added challenge of ISMA Supermodified racers Chris Perley and Justin Belfiore, who have both filed entries for the race.
Total prize money for the Moneybags event totals out to $15,450 which includes lap bonuses which amount to $3,400.
Making his first foray into the Small Block Super wars for the 2013 season, 2004 Lee USA Speedway Late Model and NASCAR Weekly Series New England regional champion Ricky Wolf, Jr. was the man to beat this time out, becoming the seventh winner in eight races when the checkered waved.
Wolf led flag-to-flag to pick up his first victory of the year, holding off a fast-closing Jake Stergios at the stripe. Third spot went Mike Murphy, who collected his first career Small Block podium finish after an impressive drive from the tenth starting spot.
After surviving a scary moment in his heat race when a component in his steering broke, Tony Carroll drove to a fourth place finish in the main, followed by Mike Spurling, Ryan Gath, Leslie Keyser, Mike Netishen, Moe Lattime, and defending champ Tommy Tombarello, Jr. Stergios and Lattime won the qualifying heats.
Longtime campaigner Patrick Tanguay finally shook the monkey off his back and posted win number one of the 2013 season in the Hobby Stock main, holding off a determined challenge from sophomore competitor Kyle Sawyer to get the job done.
Wade Worster rounded out the podium in the third spot aboard the Jeff and Nancy Trask machine, with Paul Palen making it a sweep of the top four spots for Camaro entries. Billy Clement, Jr. came across the line in the fifth spot, with David MacDonald taking down sixth.
Seventh went to two-time feature winner Jim Piaseczny, followed by Brian DeStefano, Niko Maniatis, who rolled his old Hobby Stock out of mothballs with the Late Model Sportsmen taking the night off, and Chris Jacobson, who rounded out the top ten. Sawyer and Jacobson scored the heat wins.
Hannah Shaw led the field of Ironman competitors to the green flag, but Tyler Mitchell quickly made his way past and into the lead. Mitchell, the 2012 Rookie of the Year in the entry-level division, kept it out front the rest of the way and finally made that long-awaited first-career trip to victory lane.
Wayne Osborne had another strong run to come across the stripe for runner-up honors, with Shaw rounding out the podium in the third spot ahead of Zach Washburn and Evan Horvath.
Patrick Laperle from St. Denis, QC has confirmed his entry in the American Canadian Tour (ACT) 500 event scheduled for Sunday, July 21 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY.
Laperle is a 4 time ACT Champion, with titles in the Serie ACT in 2007, 2011 and 2012. Laperle also won the US ACT title in 2008.
“My team is coming to Plattsburgh to win the $25,000.00 dollar first prize,” said Laperle. Laperle credited his legion of Quebec fans in helping the 91QC team’s decision to race in the International 500.
Laperle is considered one of the top racers in the Northeast. The team is one of a few select teams to run the legendary Jr. Hanley prepared chassis. Hanley is a former ACT Champion.
Patrick’s twin brother Eric has been the crew chief for the Laperle racing team since their very first stock car race at Airborne International Raceway in 1996. “Really, Plattsburgh is where we started racing. Actually both Patrick and I attended school in Plattsburgh. It is so close to all our Quebec fans we felt we had to race the ‘500’ weekend. We have won three Milk Bowls at Thunder Road and the Fall Foliage 300 at Airborne four times. We have experienced the pressure of Milk Bowl style racing; I hope it gives us an edge. The whole team is very excited,” said Eric Laperle.
Airborne owner at that time, and ACT President Tom Curley said, “I remember when the twins first showed up at Airborne for a weekly race. They had not decided who would be the driver. They asked me to flip a coin. The deal was whoever won would race the first week and the other the following week. Patrick won the coin toss. For nearly twenty years Patrick has been the appointed driver, and Eric has become a well-respected crew chief.”
Laperle will join 39 other drivers on the starting grid for the $140,000.00 inaugural ACT International 500. Gates open Sunday, July 21 at 9:30. Adult admission is $30, children 6-12 are admitted for $5.00. Reserve top five rows are on sale for $40. Post time for ACT qualifying is set for 1 p.m.
Rookie Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg, VT set a blistering pace on his way to his first career American Canadian Tour win in the 150-lap event at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 13. Therrien led all but two of the 150 laps as the event saw just 1 caution. Therrien and runner-up finisher Brock Davis broke away from the field following the lap 44 caution and built a large lead while negotiating heavy lap traffic.
Current ACT point leader Wayne Helliwell, Jr. worked his way up from his 9th starting position to third but couldn’t catch the lead two. Brent Dragon took 4th while Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. came all the way from 18th to complete the top five. Jimmy Hebert took 6th while Ben Lynch marched from 20th to 7th. Glen Luce earned 8th, Jeff White 9th and Quinny Welch recovered from a spin to complete the top ten.
Therrien and Davis built a nearly half-track lead over the rest of the field during the final 106 laps under green. Therrien crossed the line 40 minutes and 38 seconds after the green flag.
Therrien becomes the 9th ACT Bond Invitational qualifier for the Saturday, September 21st event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He joins Jimmy Hebert, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Brian Hoar, Jean-Francis Day, Donald Theetge, Derrick O’Donnell and Cody Blake.
The stars of the American Canadian Tour will now set their sights on the biggest stock car event of the summer, the ACT International 500 next Sunday, July 21 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY. Over 60 cars are expected for the $25,000 to win event which boasts a purse of over $140,000. The headlining ACT Late Models will be joined by the ground-pounding Airborne Modifieds.
White Mountain 150 Unofficial Results
White Mtn. Motorsports Park – N. Woodstock, NH
American Canadian Tour
Saturday, July 13, 2013
1. (1) #Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT, 150 Laps
2. (3) Brock Davis, Whitefield, NH, 150 Laps
3. (9) Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, NH, 150 Laps
4. (8) Brent Dragon, Milton, VT, 150 Laps
5. (18) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH, 150 Laps
6. (12) Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT, 150 Laps
7. (20) Ben Lynch, Huntersville, NC, 150 Laps
8. (13) Glen Luce, Turner, ME, 150 Laps
9. (2) Jeff White, Winthrop, ME, 150 Laps
10. (14) Quinten Welch, Lancaster, NH, 150 Laps
11. (5) Nick Sweet, Barre, VT, 149 Laps
12. (7) Chip Grenier, Graniteville, VT, 149 Laps
13. (10) #Joey M. Laquerre, E. Montpelier, VT, 149 Laps
14. (21) #Travis Stearns, Auburn, ME, 149 Laps
15. (15) Rowland Robinson Jr., Steuben, ME, 149 Laps
16. (19) DJ Shaw, Center Conway, NH, 149 Laps
17. (17) Todd Davis, Claremont, NH, 149 Laps
18. (6) Ray Parent, Tiverton, RI, 149 Laps
19. (4) Luke Hinkley, Claremont, NH, 149 Laps
20. (23) Mike Kenison, Lancaster, NH, 149 Laps
21. (16) #Kyle Welch, Newport, NH, 148 Laps
22. (11) Jimmy Linardy, Somerville, MA, 147 Laps
23. (24) Katrina Canney, Burrington, NH, 141 Laps
24. (22) John Falconi, Oakham, MA, 15 Laps
25. (25) Travis Fadden, N. Haverhill, NH, 6 Laps
Lap Leaders: Bobby Therrien, 1-44; Brock Davis, 45-46; Therrien, 47-150.
Time of Race: 40:38
Margin of Victory: 1.296 seconds
Cautions: 1 (lap 44)
Heat Winners: Ray Parent, Jimmy Hebert, Glen Luce
Consi Winner: Ben Lynch