New Faces Fill Top 5 In $1000 To Win Event
The highest winner’s purse of the 2014 season was offered this past weekend at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH. $1000 was up for grabs for the car that was leading at the end of the 75 lap event, the most of any race this season. Practice problems plagued teams including Cris King and Jake Rheaume that had engine problems.
Eighteen cars were entered for the heat race qualifying. Justin Larsen and Toby Wells took home the heat race wins. Both heats went green to checker with no issues, Larsen drew an invert of 5 rows. The final lineup was set with NEMST veteran Nic Skillings, driving his brothers back-up car after a hard consolation race wreck at Waterford two weeks prior, and hometown favorite Aaron Poulin. Point leaders Wells and Cayer would start 11th and 12th following NEMST lineup procedure.
The competitors lined on the front stretch for out of car introductions and one final send off from fans, friends, and family before the 75 lap event. On the initial start Poulin missed a shift and caused cars to avoid him as he slowed. The field was reset for another try with the veteran and the rookie. The second try was good and the field rocketed into turn 1 and 2. On lap 6 the 55 car of Nick Anderson got loose and almost contacted the front stretch wall, upon swerving to miss he hit the 18ME of Rookie of the Year contender Justin Larsen and newly returned Justin Trombley sending Trombley airborn before spinning to the infield. Both cars of Larsen and Trombley suffered heavy right side cosmetic damage. The caution flag flew for the stalled 34ME sitting inside the turn 1 grass.
On the lap 7 restart Poulin and Wells got together sending Wells sideways for the entire 1 and 2 corner and causing drivers to take evasive action to miss the cars. All time win leader Emerson Cayer was forced down pit lane to avoid hitting the backstretch wall. All drivers would recover albeit Cayer lost a lap to the leaders. Wells took over the lead on lap 15 and began trying to pull away. Trombley began jumping through the field after restarting at the back from the caution. Larsen would catch up to Wells slightly but heavy traffic plagued the leaders during the green flag run.
The entire rest of the event, 68 laps, went green flag with Wells, Larsen, and Trombley lapping every other car. Trombley faced big overheating problems with the damaged incurred in the early incident and said “if we had a caution I would’ve had to pit, no way I could stay out there with it running that hot”. In victory lane Wells was speechless thanking numerous NEMST and car sponsors before running out of breath “I know there’s more but man am I tired” he said while finishing his interview.
Local racer Aaron Poulin and 2-time Champion Emerson Cayer came home 4th and 5th. Following the event the top 3 cars removed entire front suspensions for NEMST inspectors to look over for modified or illegal pieces. No rule infractions were found and the finished was made official. Wells brought home his third win in a row and a cool $1000 payday.
Next up for the NEMST is the first annual Invade The Clay event at Legion Speedway in Rumney, NH. The dirt track event will throw another kink into the season for NEMST drivers. Be sure to watch these asphalt cars get dirty for many drivers first ever appearance on a clay surface. For up to the date information like us on Facebook and be sure to check out the website at www.northeastministocktour.com