Lee USA Speedway is proud to announce the latest addition to the annual “Ollie Silva Memorial Classic” program for the International Supermodified Association on Friday night August 11, the 40-lap Rodfather Small Block Super Shootout, and paying $4,000 to the winner.



Les “The Rodfather” Sanborn has been a big supporter of the Supermodified action at the storied seacoast oval for the past several years, and the running of the first annual Small Block Super Shootout brings that support up a notch, with the biggest Small Block Super winner’s purse ever offered at “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed”.



The region’s top weekly Supermodified pilots are all expected to be in the field for the extra-distance event, led by defending Lee Super champ Dave “Hollywood” Helliwell of Salem, who exploded onto the scene in 2016 with a four feature win, title winning season in his rookie campaign in Lee USA’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series headline division.



Helliwell has taken over the driving duties in the famed Witkum Brothers Racing machine for 2017, and with a pair of feature wins already under his belt this year, is looking to be a strong threat to make it back-to-back championships in 2017. His older brother Wayne, Jr. took the 2011 title in the same ride.



Another driver expected to contend for the win is Tommy Tombarello, Jr. of Haverhill, MA, whose resume is even deeper when it comes to championships, having taken home the Lee USA Super title more often than not this decade, grabbing top honors in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015. The ’13 title came in the same Witkum Brothers entry that Helliwell currently pilots.



Tombarello has been held winless thus far in 2017, but could easily snap that losing streak in the Rodfather SBS Shootout. Joining Tombarello on the short list of favorites is Northfield’s Leslie Keyser, a perennial feature win who was the most recent visitor to Lee’s victory lane, scoring his first win of the year on July 14.



Moe Lattime of Kingston is another driver with a solid chance of winning, having put the Dick Osborne mount into victory lane earlier in the year to extend his streak of seasons with at least one trip to victory lane. John Burke of Derry, second-generation racer Mike Keddy of Raymond, Rochester’s Mike Spurling, and Auburn’s Mike Netishen are among the former feature winners expected to enter the event.



Groveland, MA-based brothers Mike and P.J. Murphy are anticipated to be in the field, as are longtime veteran Jim Barker of Meredith and “Super Dave” Sanborn of Tilton, among others.



All indications are that the biggest field of the year will be on hand in the quest for the $4,000 winner’s share of the purse, which will see at least a $300 payoff to every driver who takes the green flag.



Lap sponsorships are currently available for just $100, with all monies being added to the purse to make it easily the largest the Supers will compete for this season. For individuals or businesses interested in supporting the event, please contact Joe Bassett at 978-580-7962, or via e-mail at joebassett@leeusaspeedway.com



For further information on this or any other upcoming event at Lee USA Speedway, call the race hotline at (978)462-4252, log on to www.leeusaspeedway.com, or follow us on Facebook.


Judy Macdonald