By Lou Modestino
This Saturday, September 14th, marks the end of the regular season for all divisions at Riverside Speedway on Roger’s Campground Championship Night. The battle most fans are keeping an eye on, the Sign Depot Limited Late Model top two drivers are separated by a mere 1 point. “Hollywood” Chandler Davis has been trailing most of the year, but gained just enough points to give him the advantage over Doug Laleme entering Championship Night. Sitting third, still mathematically in the hunt, Jourdan Davis is just 25 points from the lead. The Sign Depot Limited Late Models have put on a heck of a show all year long, and look to continue that trend this Saturday.
The Angels division has a great finish waiting in the wings. Vanessa Brown leads the way with 567 points, but is flanked by Jenna Randall with 562 points, and Tina Leveille with 561. Brown and Randall have racked up the wins this year, but Leveille’s consistency has kept her right in the hunt. Keep an eye on these ladies as they engage in battle on Roger’s Campground Championship Night.
Also knee deep in drama, the Mason brothers sit atop the North Country Ford Late Model division. Bryan leads the way with 630 points, but only 7 ticks back, Corey Mason sits in second with 623. “The Colebrook Kid” Brandon Lambert sits third with 601, and is still mathematically eligible to be crowned champion, as the Semi-Feature will play a huge part in the championship in the Late Models.
Matthew Kopp leads the way in the Marshall Insurance Agency Daredevils division. Kopp has picked up 40 extra points with public appearances in the new point system for the Daredevils, and looks to become the first JR Driver of the Year for his on and off track performances. Zach Savage sits second, and has a few wins already under his belt in 2013, but keep an eye on Dylan “The Dragon” Laleme and Anthony Benoit, as both of these young men have been hot as of late.
James Record has unofficially picked up the first ever championship in the DK-N-Sons Pure Stock division. Record sits 63 points ahead of second place Dave Glidden in the point standings, where a driver can earn 60 points a night. Richie Veilleux sits third in points in the up-and-coming division.
Also, in the Town and Country Inn and Resort Street Stocks, Jamie Heath only has to take the green to pick up the championship. Heath sits 60 points ahead of second place driver “Nitro” Nick Gilcris entering the final point counting event. Gilcris is flanked by Cole Kilby in the battle for the second spot, as Kilby sits just 7 points behind Gilcris. The division has point battles all throughout the standings.
As well as the on track action, the pits will be open to the public at 4PM for the annual Kid’s Pit Tour. The tour will run from 4-5, with racing action starting at 5:30. After the event on September 14th, there is a slight break in the action as drivers prepare for the second annual Fall Brawl October 19th. The Fall Brawl will feature a $10,000 to win Late Model race, as well as a Limited Late Model/Tiger Open, Street Stock Open event, and Championship Day for the Northeast Mini Stock Tour.
Riverside Speedway fended off Mother Nature as they got most of the races in for Passumpsic Savings Bank night. The North Country Ford Late Model division ran green to checkers all while dodging the rain. “The Colebrook Kid” Brandon Lambert took the heat and semi-feature win, and entered the feature looking to pick up the Triple Crown. Lambert would contend for the lead early, but defending champion Luke Shannon took control of the race and motored on for his fourth win of the season. Corey Mason grabbed the second spot, with Lambert picking up third. Bryan Mason and the “Ol’ Tennessee Slicker” Steve Patnaude would round out the top five.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series made their debut at the Groveton high banks, running the Riverside 100. Barry Gray and Matt Frahm seemed to be the cars to beat, as they both picked up heat wins early in the night. The two would start in Row 3 for the feature, which saw “The Punisher” Wayne Helliwell JR and Larry Gelinas lead the field to the green. “The Shadow” Tommy O’Sullivan was involved in an incident with the top 2 point men Jeremy Davis and Mike O’Sullivan as the green flew, sending the caution flag right behind the green. Incidents with Barry Gray, Mike Parks, Eric Sands, and Matt Frahm slowed the race slightly, but the last few laps really got interesting.
Gelinas had saved a bit of his race car for the late stages of the race, and ran down Helliwell with three to go. Gelinas tried multiple times to get around Helliwell, but didn’t have enough for the 27NH as Helliwell picked up his first victory in the GSPSS. Gelinas would come in second, and last year’s Rookie of the Year Derek Griffith had run third most of the night, but found the wall on the back stretch as the race ended, giving Jake Vanada the third spot.
The Sign Depot Limited Late Models saw a barn burner between the top contenders in the division. Jerrad Ledger, the Davis brothers, and Doug Laleme fought their way through the field and found their way to the front of the field. Ledger had to fight “Hollywood” Chandler Davis off in the closing laps to pick up his third win of the 2013 season. Davis would settle for second, with point leader Doug Laleme surviving an incident in turns one and two early in the race to finish third. Jourdan Davis and Aaron Smith rounded out the top five.
The Town and Country Inn and Resort Street Stocks defied Mother Nature to get their 25 lap feature completed. Tina Leveille led 23 laps in the race, but as the race headed to the checkered flag, Jason Kenison had used the outside groove to move his Nissan to the front. Kenison made the move to take the lead, and never looked back. Leveille would finish second, with “Wild” Will Good grabbing third. “Nitro” Nick Gilcris and Josh Barney rounded out the top five.
The Marshall Insurance Agency Daredevils ran their heat race early in the night, but with the skies releasing random raindrops, the track and parents decided to postpone their feature event to next week, where they will run double features on Championship Night. Dylan “The Dragon” Laleme had picked up the heat win, with Zach Savage, Anthony Benoit, and Matt Kopp rounding out the field.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway may be celebrating one of its drivers as a national NASCAR champion at the Vermont 200 Championship Weekend on Sunday, September 15. On the strength of nine main event victories in 2013, Todd Stone of Middlebury, VT leads the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) “Division I” national rookie standings entering the final event of the year.
Stone has been a dominant force in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division at Devil’s Bowl and is in a tight race for the national Rookie of the Year presented by Jostens award with Late Model driver Bobby McCarty of Summerfield, NC. Unofficially, Stone leads McCarty by just nine points (519-510), but has two opportunities to gain points in twin 50-lap Modified races at the Vermont 200 Weekend and clinch the title.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctions 55 tracks under a common point structure including Devil’s Bowl Speedway; each track designates its Division I class, with the open-wheel Modifieds holding the title at Devil’s Bowl. Under the NWAAS point structure, race winners receive two points for every car in the event up to 20 cars.
Second place receives two fewer points and so on through the field. Race winners also receive an additional five points. For example, if 20 cars are in the field, the winner receives 45 points, second place 38, and third 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 35 points, second 28, and third 26.
A NASCAR Division I driver’s best 18 results through the September 15 closing date count toward their state and national point totals and the champions are decided on overall point total. First-time NASCAR Division I license holders are considered rookies in the NWAAS program. Late Model driver Lee Pulliam of Semora, NC unofficially clinched the overall national championship with a victory at Motor Mile (VA) Speedway last Saturday; McCarty finished 11th in the race.
The Vermont 200 Championship Weekend is Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s final event of the year and crowns season champions in all four divisions. Shootout races and first-round qualifying begin at 1:30pm on Saturday, Sept. 14, followed by a barbeque, music, and a bonfire at 6:00pm. Championship main events are on Sunday, Sept. 15, with action beginning at 1:30pm. One-day adult general admission is $10 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday, with a discount two-day ticket available for $25; admission is free for kids 12 and under both days. Free camping is open Friday, Sept. 13 at 12:00 noon through Monday, Sept. 16.
Shelburne NH’s Tim Anderson scored three straight third place finishes and went on to win the overall victory in the Twisted Tea Dwarf car triple feature special at White Mountain Motorsports Park Saturday. Other winners on the night included Stacy Cahoon, Scott Coburn, Lucas Wheeler, Jeremy Wyman, and Evan Amour.
Three 25 lap features were on tap for Twisted Tea Dwarf cars. The night was being sponsored by Hill Heating Services LLC, All Access Real Estate Associates, and Kingdom Cycle Worx. Dave Gyger of Campton NH brought a group that was 17 strong in their high powerebusiness as he led each lap until checkers flew. Andy Hill, Anderson, Bobby Brown, and Jeff Ainsworth rounded out the top five.
In the second segment, the field was inverted from the previous finish. The field was diminished by two cars that did not return. Kevin Scott Hockman and Jeremy Labrecque brought the field to green. By lap ten, the #7 car driven by Eric Boucher, took control of the second segment. Boucher finished first with Paul Marsan, Anderson, Hill, and Gyger completing the top five. That set the stage for the third feature with Gyger, Hill, and Anderson all dead locked with six points each.
There were fourteen cars remaining as the #33 of Hockman and the #17 of Tyler Jones led the Dwarfs to green. Jones set the early pace as the trio of racers in the hunt for the overall win were working their way from the back of the field. Just six laps in Jeff Ainsworth and Dennis O’Brien put on a great battle for the top spot. The duo rolled to a great finish with the #16 of O’Brien inching out Ainsworth for the win. Anderson had his third straight podium finish for the night, Polaski and Toby Merchant completed the top five for the third feature.
For the evening, Anderson topped the field at nine points, Hill in second at 12 points, Gyger was third overall with thirteen markers, Ainsworth fourth at 15 points and the #99 of Merchant rounded out the top five netting 18 points.
Four new cars were on hand in the NAPA Late Model division, making for some very exciting action. The three heats went off without a hitch. Oren Remick in his #21, Tim Churchill in the #66, and Travis Fadden in the #16, cruised to their heat 12-lap victories.
The final week of racing in the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship season went into the record books at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night, with Tommy Tombarello, Jr. wrapping up the season title in the track’s headline division, the Benson Lumber and Hardware Small Block Super-Modifieds.
Tombarello’s impressive season aboard the Bobby and Ed Witkum-owned Witkum Brothers Racing machine made it back-to-back championships and three overall for the Haverhill, MA native, who also put in a strong bid for the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series New Hampshire state championship in the rain-shortened season.
Grant Aither capped off another championship year in the Prime Storage and Warehouse Late Model Sportsman division driving for Ricky Porter, while Patrick Tanguay scored his first David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stock championship in his family entry, and Travis Hollins held on for the American Used Auto Parts Ironman title.
Sparky MacIver finally shook the monkey off his back in the Small Block Supermodified main, leading all 30 laps in the Bob Chabot machine to score his first win of the season, becoming the ninth different driver to find victory lane over the course of the summer.
Moe Lattime had his best run of the year in the season finale as well, bringing the Dick Osborne entry home with a solid runner-up finish. Ryan Gath finished third, with Jake Stergios, Mike Netishen, Tombarello, Dylan Duhaime, Leslie Keyser, Mike Spurling, and Ricky Wolf, Jr. rounding out the top ten.
Geoff Rollins appeared to be the class of the field in the Late Model Sportsman main event, leading the main from flag to flag to take the checkers. But a post-race disqualification for a tire rule violation handed the win to Michele Fushpanski instead.
Like MacIver, it was the first time Fushpanksi’s made the trip to victory lane this season, and her crew swarmed the track to celebrate her victory. 2011 champ Ryan Green took home runner-up honors, with Alby Ovitt, Nick Maniatis, Jimmy Russell, Aither, 2013 champ J.R. Baril, Larry Moloney, Boe Green, and David Piper finishing third through tenth.
Eric Hoffman was in the process of running a storybook race on Friday night, jumping out to the lead early in the Hobby Stock main, and looking like he had held off the division’s most prolific winner, Jim Piaseczny in a close finish. But his story ended without a win after his car underwent the scrutiny of the tech staff.
Lee USA officials waved Hoffman out of victory lane after another tire rule infraction, with Piaseczny picking up win number four on the season as a result. Dennis Dumas grabbed his third runner-up finish of the year with another impressive run in the 25-lapper, and David MacDonald rounded out the podium in the third spot.
Fourth went to eventual 2013 champion Tanguay, followed by former champ Jim Shorey in the Doug Ricker tribute machine, Wade Worster in the Jeff and Nancy Trask entry, Brian DeStefano, Kyle Sawyer, Billy Clement, Jr., and Paul Palen.
After trying all year with nothing more than an occasional podium to show for his efforts, Zach Washburn finally put it all together in the final feature race of the 2013 season to make that long-awaited first career trip to the winner’s circle.
Washburn held off an early challenge from Austin Elliott, then finally a late-race effort from Wayne Osborne to post the win. Osborne won out in a race-long battle with his Red Cup Racing teammate Shane Horvath, who ended up third, followed by 2013 Ironman champion Travis Hollins, Tyler Mitchell, newcomer Pam Ford, Hannah Shaw, Elliott, and Evan Horvath.
Our next event at Lee will be our season finale the Oktoberfest on October 11th, 12th and the 13th with 14 racing divisions. October 11th is an 3PM to 7PM afternoon practice. October 12th will be Qualifying and all features held on October 13th.
No fewer than four 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing Series division titles will be decided Saturday, Sept. 14, when Monadnock Speedway hosts its final NASCAR points event of the season.
Bill Kimball, Beth Adams, Chris Davis, and Ed Lofland all lead their respective division entering the points finale, but none of them have the top prize in the bag going into Saturday’s event.
Only Super Stock ace Ed Brehio III has a lock on his division’s title; that aided by a Saturday, September 7, rainout that ensured the third generation driver the championship, while, at the same time, taking two-time defending titlist John Lavoie’s last chance at a threepeat away.
Lavoie leads the Super Stocks in wins with four, followed by rookie Tom Carey III’s three victories; while Brehio has carried the checkers only once, but has put together a long list of top-three finishes. Of the 15 events contested this summer, no fewer than ten different drivers have scored victories in the Super Stocks.
In the Sportsman Modified class, previous champ Bill Kimball takes an 18-point advantage over Tyler Jarvenpaa into the final showdown. Kimball, gunning to win his second divisional championship, leads Jarvenpaa 676 to 658, with four-time feature winner Adam Norton also in the hunt with 636 points.
The potent Sportsman Modified division has produced nine different winners so far this season, with Norton leading the way in wins with four, while Kimball has earned two victory laps entering the final points event of the summer.
Further back in the Sportsman Modified points parade, Steve Fifield and Alyssa Rivera will square off one last time in their quest for Rookie of The Year honors. Entering Saturday’s event, Rivera and Fifield are deadlocked in the battle for top rookie honors with 434 points apiece, with Fifield having two victories, while Rivera is winless so far.
In the Mini Stock division, Beth Adams takes an eight-point lead over Mike Stebbins into Saturday’s race; with Chris McTaggart and defending champ Kimmy Rivet both in the championship hunt as well, both entering the points finale 20 markers behind Adams.
Lightning Stocker Chris Davis carries a sizable cushion over Tim O’Shea into championship night, 532 to 496. Davis had piled up eight wins during the summer to O’Shea’s one, but still must avoid trouble Saturday if he is to win the title.
Ed Lofland began the 2013 Thunder Stock season looking unbeatable, as he powered to seven consecutive victories. Joe Ethier, on the other hand, is winless but has been a model of consistency. Saturday, one of the two will leave the track with the 2013 title in hand. Lofland enters the final go-round only four points ahead of Ethier, 462 to 458.
The Young Guns division will also be in action Saturday. The division has produced no fewer than ten different winners this summer, including six of whom have notched their first career victory on the high-banked speedplant. The visiting NE Race Trucks and NE Champ Karts will also be in action Saturday, with post time at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, September 15th , the point battle continues in the MudBog Mudslinger Series. The second to last point event for the MudBog competitors as they compete for their titles. Leading the points are: Joe Jarvis (4/6 cylinders), Robert Card (8 Cylinders), Nick Ellis (Modifieds), Rob Jacobs (Pros) and Paul Wagner (Opens). The mud starts flying at Noon. The final MudBog will be held on October 19th.