NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS NORTH For July 24, 2014

NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS NORTH For July 24, 2014
By Lou Modestino

South Burlington’s Trampas Demers snagged the Late Model win during the double-point Times Argus Mid-Season Championships at Thunder Road on Thursday, July 17. Demers came from deep in the field to beat Scott Dragon in the closing laps of the 75 lap event.

Demers came from the 14th starting position to claim his seventh career feature win.

Dragon led most of the second half of the event but had to settle for second as Demers beat him by half a car length at the checkered flag.

Lance Allen completed the podium. Dave Pembroke and Nick Sweet worked their way from the back of the field through heavy traffic to complete the top five. Josh Demers, Eric Badore, Derrick O’Donnell, Kyle Pembroke and Emily Packard completed the top ten.

Joel Hodgdon of Craftsbury led every step of the way as the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen went all 50 laps caution free. Apparent second place finisher Tucker Williams was disqualified in post race tech for a suspension issue. That handed second place to point leader Jason Woodard who came from the 13th place starting position. Brendan Moodie inherited third while Scott Coburn and Jeff Bousquet completed the top five. Rookie Derrick Calkins, Cameron Ouellette, Mike Martin, Mark Barnier and Joe Steffen rounded out the top ten.

Tommy Smith of Williamstown added to his all-time Allen Lumber Street Stock wins record with his 29th career win. He outran Alan Maynard and Jamon Perry to earn the win. Will Hennequin and Kyle Streeter rounded out the top five, while Garry Bashaw, Donny Yates, Bunker Hodgdon, Jadon Perry and Jamie Davis earned top tens.

Coming up next Thursday, July 24 is the Safelite Auto Glass night with Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Rough Riders running regular events. Post time will be 6:30pm.

Times Argus Mid-Season Championships
Thunder Road – Barre, VT
Thursday, July 17, 2014

Late Model Unofficial Results
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed
1. Trampas Demers (85vt) S. Burlington, VT

2. Scott Dragon (16vt) Colchester, VT

3. Lance Allen (17vt) Barre, VT

4. Dave Pembroke (44vt) Middlesex, VT

5. Nick Sweet (88vt) Barre, VT

6. #Josh Demers (10vt) Montpelier, VT

7. #Eric Badore (4vt) Milton, VT

8. Derrick O’Donnell (60vt) N. Haverhill, NH

9. Kyle Pembroke (27vt) Montpelier, VT

10. Emily Packard (9me) E. Montpelier, VT

11. Shawn Fleury (1vt) Middlesex, VT

12. Boomer Morris (13vt) Barre, VT

13. Cody Blake (99vt) Barre, VT

14. Brooks Clark (68vt) Fayston, VT

15. Jason Corliss (66vt) Barre, VT

16. John Donahue (26vt) Graniteville, VT

17. Phil Scott (14vt) Middlesex, VT

18. Ricky Roberts (3vt) E. Barre, VT

19. Brett Gervais (11nh) Island Pond, VT

20. Eric Chase (40vt) Milton, VT

21. David Whitcomb (25vt) Essex Jct., VT

22. #Jason Allen (29vt) Barre, VT

23. Joey Laquerre (15vt) East Montpelier, VT

24. Mark Norris (22me) Farmington, ME

With four races into the books on the 2014 season, it’s time for the resident stat-geek to take a look at the numbers for the Granite State Pro Stock Series.

The series has already raced at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Monadnock Speedway, Hudson International Speedway, and Star Speedway all before July. The schedule continues July 25th, as the series heads to Lee for the first time ever, and continues at Monadnock, Star, Hudson, White Mountain Motorsports Park, and concludes at the World Series at Thompson once more. With Lee and WMMP being the wildcards in the chase for the championship, as the series has never visited either facility, each race left is more important than ever.

There have been four different winners in four races to begin 2014. Mike O’Sullivan tied Matt Frahm’s career win total by picking up the win at the Icebreaker at TSMP, but Frahm upped the ante once more by winning the very next race at Monadnock. Larry Gelinas continued his torrid run by picking up the victory at Hudson, while Jeremy Davis returned to the GSPSS in style by grabbing the checkers at Star. This trend is actually the norm with the GSPSS, as there has only been one driver that has picked up more than one victory in a season. That driver? Matt Frahm in 2013.

Speaking of Gelinas’ season; the Buxton, ME driver has not finished outside the top 4 to begin the 2014 campaign. Dating back to last year, the 2013 championship runner-up has finished outside the top 5 only once in his last 7 races, giving him an average feature finish of 3.29 in that stretch. Surprisingly enough, that isn’t even the best stretch of top finishes in the short GSPSS history. Mike O’Sullivan’s first seven races netted him only one finish outside the top five as well, sporting a 2.71 average feature finish during that span, propelling O’Sullivan to the 2013 championship. Jeremy Davis’ 4.71 average feature finish in his first 7 races in 2013 places the Tamworth, NH resident 3rd in that category.

Frahm is the all-time wins leader, but things get a bit tricky in the records column after that. Of drivers competing in at least ¼ of the 22 events held with the GSPSS, Larry Gelinas boasts the best all-time average feature finish, with a 5.56. Mike O’Sullivan sits second with a 5.75 average feature finish, and Bobby Baillargeon sits third with an average finishing spot of 7th. Mike O’Sullivan is the leader in top 3’s with 8 all-time, with Gelinas second with 7, and Frahm third with 6 top 3 finishes. Veteran driver Barry Gray has the most all-time top 10’s however, with 14 to his name. A tie between O’Sullivan and Gelinas with 13 top 10’s place them in second, with recent winner Jeremy Davis close behind with 11.

There have been only two drivers to finish all four races in the early 2014 season in the top 10. One, of course, is Gelinas, the current point leader as of the first Star Speedway event. The second? Youngster Derek Griffith, who sits fourth in points, just 8 points shy of Dillon Moltz for third, 11 points shy of Frahm for second, and 44 points behind Gelinas for first.

Gelinas, as previously mentioned, is the current point leader after Star’s June 28th event, but he hasn’t improved his position the most in the feature overall this year. In fact, the leader of that category isn’t even in the top 10 in points. Scott “Zig” Geno has competed in only two events, but has improved 21 spots in the features from his starting position, the most on the GSPSS this year. Derek Griffith has been second-best in that category, with a +20, and Gelinas third with a +17. Of the 36 cars to compete in a feature event so far this year, 16 have improved their positions in their features, 17 have fallen back, while three are dead even.

The GSPSS will add to these numbers on July 25th, as the series heads to Lee Speedway for the first time in their existence.

Ron Proctor waited nearly two years to carry a checkered flag at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, but the wait became worth it as the veteran driver won the double-points Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championship in dominant fashion on Friday, July 18. Proctor headlined a list of winners that also included Bucko Branham, Jamy Begor, and Chris LaVair.

The outcome of the 25-lap main event for the Bond Auto Parts Modified division was never in question, as Proctor’s No. 27 Charlton Oil/Timco Transportation Teo Pro car jumped from its outside-pole starting position to lead the opening lap, and was never challenged. It was the Charlton, NY driver’s first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series victory since August 2012.

Runner-up Jason Durgan of Morrisonville, NY ran lap times nearly identical to Proctor’s throughout the well-driven, caution-free race, but was never able to mount a serious charge. Joey Roberts and Todd Stone waged a long battle for third place with Stone making several outside-lane attempts in the final laps, but Roberts held on for the spot. Stone was fourth with Johnny Scarborough fifth.

“This was a long time coming,” two-time track champion Proctor said of the win. “You have to really enjoy these victories, because you never know when the next one is coming.” Proctor became the eighth different driver to win in 11 Modified races in 2014. Stone stretched his championship lead only slightly, and now paces Roberts by 37 points.

Bucko Branham of Plattsburgh, NY used a much-improved car and a dash of luck to win the 30-lap Late Model feature. Branham led the opening laps before Joey M. Laquerre took over, but an ill-fated three-wide attempt at the lead by Emily Packard left her car in a dramatic crash with Jamie Fisher and Josh Masterson. Packard, Fisher, and Masterson entered the race separated by just nine points for the championship lead.

Laquerre survived heavy contact in the incident to retain the lead at the restart, but Branham overpowered him three laps later and sped to the win, the first of his career at Devil’s Bowl. Fisher, of Shelburne, VT, made a brilliant run through the field after restart in the back following the lap 15 crash to nip Jamie Aube at the finish line for second place by less than a foot. Robert Bryant, Jr., finished fourth, just ahead of Masterson. Packard took sixth, while Laquerre suffered a flat tire late in the race and did not finish. Fisher took over the point lead, topping Masterson by three points and Packard by 10.

Long-time Airborne Park standout Jamy Begor hauled from the Canadian border town of Mooers Forks, NY to make his first start of the season in the Renegade division, and ended up in victory lane. Begor stalked leader Jim McKiernan for the first 15 circuits of the 20-lap race before making his move, bringing Robert Gordon along with him. Gordon made a bid on the inside on the final lap, but a spin by a backmarker forced the caution flag to wave, freezing the field. Begor was scored as the winner with Gordon second and McKiernan third. Richard Lowrey, III and Dylan Rabtoy rounded out the top five.

Chris LaVair of Gabriels, NY used a car borrowed from fellow competitor Dan Collins to take his second win of the season in the Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock division. LaVair diced with brother Bobby LaVair in the early stages, but pulled away over the 20-lap distance. Point leader Chuck Bradford slipped by for the runner-up finish, followed by Bobby LaVair, Jake Noble, and John McCarron.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway will take its annual summer break on Friday, July 25, but returns to action on Friday, August 1 with the third annual C.J. Richards Memorial presented by Carrara Masonry & Concrete. The Northern Modified Challenge Series joins the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions for the 67-lap event run in honor of the track’s late founder and the facility’s inaugural 1967 season.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT

Friday, July 18, 2014

Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature (25 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

(# – denotes rookie)

1. (2) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY

2. (4) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, NY

3. (6) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, VT

4. (8) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT

5. (5) Johnny Scarborough, Bomoseen, VT

6. (3) # Jason Reome, Ballston Spa, NY

7. (7) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY

8. (11) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT

9. (10) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY

10. (9) Jamie LaFountain, Plattsburgh, NY

11. (1) # Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT

Heat Winners: Jason Durgan, Ron Proctor

The young talent of the Northeastern Midget Association were fast and in charge Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway. The NEMA midgets returned to the Maine oval for the first time in several years as part of the track’s historic “250 Weekend.” Eighteen year old Avery Stoehr of Lakeville, MA won the NEMA main and 22 year old Jake Smith of Stroudsburg, PA took the checkers in the Lites feature. Both drivers had a straightaway lead at one point during their romp to victory. Both received the Marvin Rifkin Trophy for winning the race named for the late owner and operator of M & H Tire, honored for his endless support of NEMA and its competitors throughout the club’s long history.

Stoehr came from his third starting spot to get around early leader Paul Scally within the first five laps. Scally was left to battle Avery’s cousin Bethany Stoehr for the second spot. It wasn’t long before Randy Cabral had sliced his way through the field from his eighth starting position and began to reel in the leaders. Cabral had been the fastest in practice turning the track at 13.4 and was again setting a blistering pace with a feature fast lap of 13.7. The caution waved at lap 11 when Scally slowed on the track with brake problems ending his promising run. This set up a side by side restart between Stoehr and Cabral, with Stoehr getting the jump at the green. Cabral gave chase, but a misfiring engine a few laps later allowed Stoehr to get away and cruise to his second victory of the season. Cabral held on for second, followed by Bethany Stoehr, Jim Chambers and Todd Bertrand rounding out the top five. Paul Scally and Jim Chambers were qualifying heat winners. Avery Stoehr’s feature win keeps the top of the point battle tight between he and Cabral heading into the next event at Seekonk on Wednesday.

Jake Smith notched his first ever NEMA Lite victory by dominating their portion of night’s action. Smith came from his third starting spot to battle double-duty driver Randy Cabral in the early stages. He was able to clear Cabral within a lap and set sail on a torrid pace, leading better than a straightaway over Cabral. Danny Cugini caught and passed Cabral for second in the late stages of the 25 lap main. Cabral held on for third, followed by Kevin Hutchins and Matt Swanson. Smith and Ryan Krachun were heat winners. In victory lane, Smith thanked his parents who make the long tow from Pennsylvania and crew for him at the NEMA Lite events.

The Oxford race was the first of three in one week for NEMA. Both divisions of midgets race in the prestigious Boston Louie Memorial Classic on Wednesday night at Seekonk and the annual Shane Hammond Memorial race at the Waterford, CT Speedbowl on Saturday night.

The 41st running of the Oxford 250 was a crowd pleaser as sixty of the best Super Late Model teams in the country converged on the small town of Oxford, Maine to participate in the historic event. The fans were treated to over seven hundred laps of racing, with several teams collecting checkered flags, but none as happy and as excited as Travis Benjamin, whom collected his second straight $25,000 payday, plus lap money.

Forty-four Super Late Models lined up on the grid with Concord, N.C. speedster, Preston Peltier and Turner, Maine’s, Shawn Martin filling the front row when the green flag flew. Peltier jumped to lead and held the point for the first 21 laps with the exception of lap six when Kelley Moore edged him out at the stripe. Joey Doiron raced by Peltier on lap 21 and held the point for the next 66 laps with Austin Theriault, Shawn Martin, Scott Mulkern and Moore in tow. Theriault held the lead through four restarts before he and Travis Benjamin pitted for tires and fuel on lap 185, setting the stage for a storybook ending. Cassius Clark took over the lead from Theriault as pit stops completely changed the lineup around. DJ Shaw, Richie Dearborn, Scott Moore and Johnny Clark were all now in the top five and ready to challenge for the lead. Clark held the lead all the way until lap 220 when Richie Dearborn edged him to the stripe when the final caution waved.

Dearborn took the lead at the green, but Benjamin and Theriault were right on his heels. Benjamin made his move on lap 227, grabbed the lead and set sail towards the checkers. His only obstacles included heavy lapped traffic, and the #57 of Theriault. Theriault tried every move in the books looking inside and outside, but Benjamin would not be denied his second Oxford 250 win in a row. Theriault raced home second from his sixth starting position, ahead of Dearborn who actually had to take a provisional to get into the event. Dearborn started 40thon the grid. Cassius Clark took home the 4th spot ahead of OPS regular, TJ Brackett. Rounding out the top ten were Tyler Dippel, Derek Ramstrom, Ben Rowe, David Oliver and Shawn Martin.

Heat checkers flew for Peltier, Martin, Kelley Moore, Tim Brackett, Daniel Hemric and Theriault. Consi victors were DJ Shaw, Benjamin, and Brent Dragon. David Farrington Jr. was awarded the win in the Last Chance Race as apparent winner Travis King failed post race inspection as his car was too low.

Oxford 250 sidebar: Travis Benjamin started 27th and drove to the win.

SUPER LATE MODELS (OXFORD 250)

FINISH

CAR#

DRIVER

TRAVIS BENJAMIN

AUSTIN THERIAULT

RICHIE DEARBORN

CASSIUS CLARK

TJ BRACKETT

TYLER DIPPEL

DEREK RAMSTROM

BEN ROWE

DAVID OLIVER

SHAWN MARTIN

JOEY DOIRON

60N

DJ SHAW

JOHNNY CLARK

55VT

BRENT DRAGON

SCOTT MOORE

BRIAN KRUCZEK

TIM BRACKETT

MIKE ROWE

TREVOR SANBORN

73ME

ADAM POLVINEN

27NH

WAYNE HELLIWELL JR.

KYLE TREADWELL

SHAWN KNIGHT

DANIEL HEMRIC

DAVID FARRINGTON JR.

TATE FOGLEMAN

TRAVIS STEARNS

JEREMY DAVIS

…