First PASS North checker of 2011 for the four time PASS North Champion
Canaan NH (7/3) Ben Rowe reclaimed the lead from Richie Dearborn on lap 116 of Saturday night’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Firecracker 150 at Canaan Fair Speedway and raced on for his first PASS North win of the season. Alex Gingras and Scott Dragon both earned career best finishes, crossing under the checkers in second and third.
Richie Dearborn and Rowe led the field to the first green flag and it was Dearborn jumping out front early but a red flag at lap seven for Jon Dickerman’s slow roll on the back stretch put the action on hold briefly. Dearborn resumed control until Lonnie Sommerville charged by on the outside. Dearborn reclaimed the lead after a lap fifteen caution and kept the point until Rowe reeled him in and drove by for the lead at lap 28.
The field stayed clean and green until lap 83 when yellow flag number two flew for Scott Alexander’s spin, followed by another caution for Chris Wilkes trip into the front stretch wall,ending a strong run for the Vermonter. Dearborn took advantage of the high line to take yet another turn out front, with Rowe, Gingras, Johnny Clark and Sommerville all giving chase..
Dearborn and Rowe gapped the field, both drivers charging hard for their first win of 2011. Caution number four brought the pair back to the field, and the high line gave Rowe the opportunity he needed. Rowe put the RMR four back out front and Johnny Clark slipped by Dearborn for second but contact from the 33 sent Clark off turn two. Dearborn received the black flag for his part in the incident and retired for the night. Meanwhile the sparks continued to fly when Clark and Donnie Lashua got together, dropping the pair back in the line up.
The front of the field was shuffled by the on track fireworks. Rowe kept his lead but Gingras was now second with Dragon,Donnie Whitten,Sommerville and Travis Benjamin racing in the top five. Rowe clearly had the fast car, but the battle for second on back was a good one. Gingras took control of that spot but Donnie Whitten and Travis Benjamin were battling to find a way around Dragon for the final podium position. With three to go Whitten tried a bottom move that didn’t work out, sending him around and setting up a three lap shoot out to the checkers. There was no beating Rowe on this night, and when the final flag flew it was Rowe,Gingras,Dragon,Benjamin,and Sommerville in the top five.
Richie Dearborn, Ben Rowe and Johnny Clark all claimed heat race wins.Nine cars completed all 150 green flag laps.
Andy Shaw made it three starts and three wins in the PASS Mod feature, using the high side to take the lead from Dana Reed on lap fifteen of the open wheelers forty lapper. Reed came up one spot short in second and Mitch Miller earned a solid third.
Sumner Sessions and Mark Lundblad Jr. led the field to the green but the field didn’t stay that way long as a series of early cautions marred the action. Sessions, Lundblad, Miller, Scott McDaniel and Reed all took turns leading early but once the defending series champ got out front the race stayed clean and green. At the checkers it was Shaw by half a front stretch. Dana Reed and Scott McDaniel scored in the heat races.
The PASS Super Late Models and Mods move on to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough Maine on Saturday July 9th . Post time is 6:00 PM.
Get all the latest Pro All Stars Series news, stats, and photos at www.proallstarsseries.com. Beech Ridge Motor Speedway can be found at www.beechridge.com
Unofficial Results – PASS North Super Late Model Firecracker 150
Canaan Fair Speedway-Canaan NH 7/2
1 4 Ben Rowe Turner ME 2 27 QC Alex Gingras Quebec City CA 3 10 Scott Dragon Colchester VT 4 17 Travis Benjamin Morrill ME 5 48 Lonnie Sommerville New Brunswick CA 6 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell ME 7 24 Mike Rowe Turner ME 8 05 Ricky Bly Sunapee NH 9 7 Donnie Whitten Wells ME 10 88 Kyle DeSouza E. Providence RI 11 12 John Dabrowski W. Bridgewater MA 12 17A Scott Alexander Orrington ME 13 21 Donnie Lashua Meredith NH 14 2 Matt Matheson Geary New Brunswick CA 15 11 Austin Brehio Hopkinton NH 16 33 Richie Dearborn Hollis ME 17 77 Scott Chubbuck Dresden ME 18 14 Matt Frahm N. Salem NH 19 15 Chris Wilk Center Rutland VT 20 97 Joey Polewarczyk Hudson NH 21 13 Jon Dickerman Weymouth MA DNS Fernandez, Saugus MA
PASS MOD 40 Lap Feature
1 66 Andy Shaw Center Conway NH 2 60 Dana Reed Shapleigh ME 3 85 Mitch Miller West Boylston MA 4 14 Scott McDaniel Livermore ME 5 33 Bill Dixon N Waterboro ME 6 53W Alan Wilson Hebron ME 7 50 Sumner Sessions So. Paris ME 8 28 Mark Lundblad Jr. Conway NH 9 53 Leo Oliveira Raynham MA 10 21 Charlie Small Buxton ME 11 56X Rich Ferreira Raynham MA