RGeeProductions
09-01-2008, 10:20 AM
With the chase to the 2008 championship starting to wind down, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models had twin 30-lap feature events on tap at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night.
The top three drivers headed into the night separated by just a half-dozen points in the championship standings, and the drama started to unfold just after Bryon Callen dropped the first green flag on the One Stop Toy Shop-sponsored action.
Rookie Billy Brady led the first two circuits before giving up the top spot to Bobby Baillargeon just before the first caution of the night slowed the action.
A backstretch incident left Marc Curtis and Jimmy Linardy tangled together in the middle of the track, with points leader J.R. Baril up against the retaining wall.
Baril’s championship hopes faded a bit when the smoke cleared, and he was towed to the pits with heavy front-end damage, unable to rejoin the race. When racing resumed, Baillargeon picked up the lead once again, with Brady still hanging tough in the second spot at the ten lap mark.
At the crossed flags, Larry Gelinas had moved past Brady and was challenging Baillargeon for the lead, with. Gelinas completed his charge from ninth on the starting grid to take the lead from Baillargeon a few laps later, and the race was his to lose from there.
Charlie Rousseau joined the lead battle in the late going, but he ran out of laps and had to settle for runner-up to Gelinas. Miles Chipman grabbed third, with Ron Harkins, Baillargeon, Katrina Canney, Tom Fuller, Jeffrey Labrecque, Jr., Brady, and Bryan Kruczek the rest of the top ten.
In the nightcap, Rousseau took advantage of a late-race tangle that eliminated leaders Kruczek and Labrecque, taking over the point with just two laps remaining, and staying out front until the checkers to post his first win of the season.
Tom Fuller put in a solid second place run, with Baillargeon, Gelinas, Canney, Chipman, Harkins, Brady, Baril, and Labrecque the remainder of the top ten in the second feature.
In the Mac Tools Small Block Supers, the trouble got started early for Eddie Witkum, Jr., the season-long points leader. George Perreault, Jr. and Dan Bowes spun in turn two on the first lap, with Perreault collecting Witkum as he tried to make it past the incident.
Witkum’s car caught some air and slammed back to the track surface hard, suffering heavy damage to the wing and front suspension. The Callahan Motorsports entry was done for the night as a result of the wreck.
Mike Spurling led the field to the restart, but Danny Lane quickly ran the outside line to take over the lead. Jeff Locke broke out of the pack next, taking over the second spot on lap 14, but there was little he could do to stop Lane.
Lane went the distance to score his first win of the 2008 campaign, with Locke, Jim Lowrey, Jr., Matt Seavey, Dan Bowes, Butch Valley , Jr., Tommy Tombarello, Jr., and Spurling wrapping up the top ten.
The Prime Storage Late Model Sportsmen did battle in the annual Lance Davis Memorial 50-lapper, with Michele Fushpanski moving out early to set the pace. Bill Ahern held down the second spot for the first ten laps before losing out to Bobby Melvin.
Grant Aither followed Melvin past Ahern, and after giving chase for a dozen laps; he moved to the low side and grabbed the second spot on lap 23. Halfway through, it was still Fushpanski out front, but Aither was coming fast.
Aither made his move on lap 27, and he once again used the low groove to make the winning pass. He opened up a few car lengths back to the rest of the field, guiding the Leon Bishop entry to victory lane once again.
The Davis family joined the winner for the post-race ceremony, with Wayne Helliwell, Jr. and Melvin doing post-race interviews for their second and third place finishes. Boe Green finished fourth, followed by Pete Evans, Wayne Whitten, Jr., Fushpanski, Jesse Bousquet, Geoff Rollins, and Dave Langlais.
Jim Shorey returned to his winning ways in the Planet Aid Hobby Stocks, holding off a last-lap challenge from Alby Ovitt to score the victory. Eric Hoffman and Geoff Rollins battled hard in the early laps, with Rollins eventually moving out to the lead.
Shorey was up to second behind Rollins at the crossed flags, with Patrick Tanguay, Wade Worster, and Hoffman next in line. Alby Ovitt was locked in a battle with Ricky Porter for sixth, and he was headed to the front.
Shorey cleared Rollins to assume the lead, while Ovitt clawed his way up to challenge on the final lap. Shorey held on by less than a car length to pick up the win, with Ovitt settling for second.
Rollins wound up third, with Tanguay, points leader Jimmy Russell, Worster, Hoffman, Ron Washburn, Chris Titcomb, and A.J. Panessiti fourth through tenth in the final rundown.
Chris Kingsley battled past Dana Faulkner and took command of the Roadrunner feature; with rookie Tim Boyle closing in to chase the leaders by the time halfway was shown to the field.
Boyle continued his charge to the front, knocking off Faulkner and Kingsley in short order, and he cruised to the checkers to collect the win.
Lance Barthelemy came on strong in the late laps to finish second, with Kingsley, Jim Piaseczny, Faulkner, Chris Jacobson, Steve Nichols, Timmy Johnson, Kenny Piaseczny, Jr., and Anthony Nadeau following.
Kevin Emery won out in a race-long duel with Chris Harding to pick up the Ironman win, with Shane Horvath, Crystal Brown, and Rick Fountain the top five. Max Zachem and Shawn Buffington picked up the wins in the twin Legends features.
Lee USA Speedway
The top three drivers headed into the night separated by just a half-dozen points in the championship standings, and the drama started to unfold just after Bryon Callen dropped the first green flag on the One Stop Toy Shop-sponsored action.
Rookie Billy Brady led the first two circuits before giving up the top spot to Bobby Baillargeon just before the first caution of the night slowed the action.
A backstretch incident left Marc Curtis and Jimmy Linardy tangled together in the middle of the track, with points leader J.R. Baril up against the retaining wall.
Baril’s championship hopes faded a bit when the smoke cleared, and he was towed to the pits with heavy front-end damage, unable to rejoin the race. When racing resumed, Baillargeon picked up the lead once again, with Brady still hanging tough in the second spot at the ten lap mark.
At the crossed flags, Larry Gelinas had moved past Brady and was challenging Baillargeon for the lead, with. Gelinas completed his charge from ninth on the starting grid to take the lead from Baillargeon a few laps later, and the race was his to lose from there.
Charlie Rousseau joined the lead battle in the late going, but he ran out of laps and had to settle for runner-up to Gelinas. Miles Chipman grabbed third, with Ron Harkins, Baillargeon, Katrina Canney, Tom Fuller, Jeffrey Labrecque, Jr., Brady, and Bryan Kruczek the rest of the top ten.
In the nightcap, Rousseau took advantage of a late-race tangle that eliminated leaders Kruczek and Labrecque, taking over the point with just two laps remaining, and staying out front until the checkers to post his first win of the season.
Tom Fuller put in a solid second place run, with Baillargeon, Gelinas, Canney, Chipman, Harkins, Brady, Baril, and Labrecque the remainder of the top ten in the second feature.
In the Mac Tools Small Block Supers, the trouble got started early for Eddie Witkum, Jr., the season-long points leader. George Perreault, Jr. and Dan Bowes spun in turn two on the first lap, with Perreault collecting Witkum as he tried to make it past the incident.
Witkum’s car caught some air and slammed back to the track surface hard, suffering heavy damage to the wing and front suspension. The Callahan Motorsports entry was done for the night as a result of the wreck.
Mike Spurling led the field to the restart, but Danny Lane quickly ran the outside line to take over the lead. Jeff Locke broke out of the pack next, taking over the second spot on lap 14, but there was little he could do to stop Lane.
Lane went the distance to score his first win of the 2008 campaign, with Locke, Jim Lowrey, Jr., Matt Seavey, Dan Bowes, Butch Valley , Jr., Tommy Tombarello, Jr., and Spurling wrapping up the top ten.
The Prime Storage Late Model Sportsmen did battle in the annual Lance Davis Memorial 50-lapper, with Michele Fushpanski moving out early to set the pace. Bill Ahern held down the second spot for the first ten laps before losing out to Bobby Melvin.
Grant Aither followed Melvin past Ahern, and after giving chase for a dozen laps; he moved to the low side and grabbed the second spot on lap 23. Halfway through, it was still Fushpanski out front, but Aither was coming fast.
Aither made his move on lap 27, and he once again used the low groove to make the winning pass. He opened up a few car lengths back to the rest of the field, guiding the Leon Bishop entry to victory lane once again.
The Davis family joined the winner for the post-race ceremony, with Wayne Helliwell, Jr. and Melvin doing post-race interviews for their second and third place finishes. Boe Green finished fourth, followed by Pete Evans, Wayne Whitten, Jr., Fushpanski, Jesse Bousquet, Geoff Rollins, and Dave Langlais.
Jim Shorey returned to his winning ways in the Planet Aid Hobby Stocks, holding off a last-lap challenge from Alby Ovitt to score the victory. Eric Hoffman and Geoff Rollins battled hard in the early laps, with Rollins eventually moving out to the lead.
Shorey was up to second behind Rollins at the crossed flags, with Patrick Tanguay, Wade Worster, and Hoffman next in line. Alby Ovitt was locked in a battle with Ricky Porter for sixth, and he was headed to the front.
Shorey cleared Rollins to assume the lead, while Ovitt clawed his way up to challenge on the final lap. Shorey held on by less than a car length to pick up the win, with Ovitt settling for second.
Rollins wound up third, with Tanguay, points leader Jimmy Russell, Worster, Hoffman, Ron Washburn, Chris Titcomb, and A.J. Panessiti fourth through tenth in the final rundown.
Chris Kingsley battled past Dana Faulkner and took command of the Roadrunner feature; with rookie Tim Boyle closing in to chase the leaders by the time halfway was shown to the field.
Boyle continued his charge to the front, knocking off Faulkner and Kingsley in short order, and he cruised to the checkers to collect the win.
Lance Barthelemy came on strong in the late laps to finish second, with Kingsley, Jim Piaseczny, Faulkner, Chris Jacobson, Steve Nichols, Timmy Johnson, Kenny Piaseczny, Jr., and Anthony Nadeau following.
Kevin Emery won out in a race-long duel with Chris Harding to pick up the Ironman win, with Shane Horvath, Crystal Brown, and Rick Fountain the top five. Max Zachem and Shawn Buffington picked up the wins in the twin Legends features.
Lee USA Speedway