photo by Rich Hayes
Lee, NH – The final Friday night race of the 2017 season determined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships at Lee USA Speedway, with “Hollywood” Dave Helliwell of Salem celebrating his second consecutive Rodfather Supermodified title aboard the Witkum Brother Racing machine.
Tyler Mailhot of Epping also picked up his second straight championship in the MLM Diagnostics Pure Stocks, while Frankie Eldredge of Exeter claimed his career-first in the R & R “The Tool Store and More” Late Model Sportsmen.
Veteran Boe Green of Berwick, ME captured the David’s Race Cars and Components crown, and Tewksbury, MA racer Christin DeStefano booked her seat at the head table for the annual “Banquet of Champions” by taking home the championship in the Tri City Line-X Ironman division.
In championship night feature event action, Mike Scott of Hampton brought the Supers to a halt when he drilled the frontstretch wall shortly after the race went green. Scott was checked out and given the thumbs up by the track safety crew, uninjured despite the wicked hit.
John Burke of Derry picked up the lead when racing resumed, and he went the distance to pick up his third checkered flag of the 2017 season. Mike Murphy of Groveland, MA was next across the stripe, with Raymond’s Mike Keddy rounding out the podium in third.
Helliwell closed out his championship season with a fourth place finish, followed by Moe Lattime of Kingston, Bobby Timmons of Windham, ME, Rochester’s Mike Spurling, Leslie Keyser of Northfield, Mike Collins of Strafford, and Jim Barker of Meredith.
Bobby Melvin of Groton, MA broke out to the early lead in the LMS main, setting the pace for the first nine circuits before Kris Miller of Bedford moved past to take over the top spot. It was pretty much over from there, as the sophomore pulled away to post his second win of the year with a comfortable 1.824-second margin of victory.
Defending champ Jimmy Russell of Exeter was the best of the rest in the runner-up spot, with his successor, 2017 champion Eldredge claiming third at the checkers. Melvin came home fourth, with Newmarket’s Bryan Kruczek, Nate Leavitt of Buxton, ME, Max Dolliver of Londonderry, Steve Paquette of North Hampton, Bill Helliwell of Salem, and Mike Marshall of Hudson rounding out the top ten.
When flagman Steve Gran unfurled the green to let the Hobby Stock feature loose, Ryan Green of Berwick, ME was quickly out to the lead. But Barrington’s Alby Ovitt, making his first start of the year from the back of the pack, was on the move and soon closed in to challenge.
Ovitt was a man on a mission, and that mission ended with a trip to victory lane when the checkers waved. Green had to settle for second spot, with his father Boe rounding out the podium, and closing out the season championship. Patrick Tanguay of Berwick, ME and Jake Michaud of Lebanon, ME finished up the top five.
Jeff Battle of Westford, MA was the man to beat in the Ironman main, breaking out to the lead and opening up a comfortable margin over the rest of the field. All eyes were on the title fight a bit further back in the pack, with DeStefano and Travis Hollins of Milford heading into the final feature event of the season tied atop the standings.
The pair battled all race long, swapping positions back and forth, and swapping some paint as the battle heated up in the late laps. DeStefano eventually prevailed, outfinishing Hollins by one position to secure the title by the narrowest of margins.
Battle, James Witkum of Methuen, MA, Jamie Holland of Somersworth, DeStefano, Hollins, Adam Knowles of Seabrook, Northwood’s Shane Horvath, Gary Grenier of Lebanon, ME, and Austin Elliott of Rochester were at the top of the finishing order.
Tyler Mailhot locked up the Pure Stock championship with his sixth feature win of the year, with 2015 champ Jesse Tellier of Dracut bringing the Rob Carleton entry home in the runner-up slot ahead of Epping’s Anthony Nadeau, Jaden Curtis of Buxton, ME, and Jessica Michaud of Lebanon, ME.
With the regular Friday NASCAR WAAS season completed, next up at Lee USA is a special Saturday night event on September 23 at 5:00 p.m., featuring Demolition Derbies, Spectator Drags and a Spectator Race, a 50-lap 4-cylinder Enduro, flagpole race and kids’ Big Wheel and Power Wheel races as part of the “Night of Destruction” at New Hampshire’s Center of Speed.
For more information on this or any upcoming event, call the race hotline at 978-462-4252, log on to www.leeusaspeedway.com, or find us on Facebook.