HARRISONS SHARE WISCASSET’S VICTORY LANE ON FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND
Fathers and sons are perhaps the tightest of bonds in the racing world. It’s a time-honored tradition for dads to pass along their knowledge of racing to their sons and someday “pass the torch”. It’s an extra special occasion when fathers and sons get to race together on the track head to head for a win. That opportunity came on Saturday night on Father’s Day weekend at Wiscasset Speedway when Michael and Kenny Harrison lined up side by side on the front row for a mid-race restart in the Maxwell’s Market Super Street feature. In the end, it was the student who beat the teacher as Michael took the checkered flag in the 30 lap feature and left his dad Kenny to claim third. It was the first time in Michael’s 8-year racing career that he shared victory lane with his dad – a veteran of nearly 30 years in the sport. Bobby Mesimer of Woolwich turned in his best performance of the season finishing in second, The Harrison family reunion wrapped up the Saturday night program that also saw action in the Pro Stocks, 4-Cylinder Pros, and Thunder 4 Minis, plus the first appearance of the year for the Nelcar Legends.
N. Woodstock, NH — East Thetford, VT’s Matt Sonnhalter stood firm through everything the North East Mini Stock Tour (NEMST) field could hurl at him on his way to victory at North Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 9. Sonnhalter took the lead on lap 8 of the 50-lap feature and held off a huge pack in the final dash for the win.
The NEMST veteran started seventh in his familiar #33VT truck and did not need long to get the lead. Passing nearly a car a lap, Sonnhalter flew past Seekonk, MA’s Mike Viens to grab the top spot with just eight laps complete.
However, that was just the beginning of Sonnhalter’s battle. After a caution on lap 12 for a tangle involving Emerson Cayer and Cody LeBlanc, things got serious for the crown. As Sonhalter fended off Robert Anderson, Viens, reigning NEMST champion Desmond Skillings, and others at the front, LeBlanc and Cayer were flying out of the back.
KEVIN IANNARELLI LOOKS FOR STRONG RUN WITH MODIFIED RACING SERIES AT BEECH RIDGE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
SHIRLEY, Mass. — Set for his third racing action of the season, Kevin Iannarelli and the entire No. 27 team will roll into Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for Tour-Type Modified racing this Saturday, June 19. Iannarelli will drive the No. 27 iRacing.com, Lucas Oil, Access Realty, PFC, VTANG machine in competition around one of the toughest tracks in the region.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, located in Scarborough, Maine, is a third-mile, flat, asphalt track that hosts weekly racing action through the summer. On Saturday, the rumbling of Modifieds will return with the Modified Racing Series for the only visit of the year for the tour.
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) are days away from a trip to New Hampshire’s Hudson Speedway. The Sunday, June 20 tripleheader is a long-overdue journey to the Southern New Hampshire bullring for both series as their championship battles heat up.
The ACT Hudson 150, which is on the first official day of the 2021 summer, is only the second ACT event at Hudson Speedway ever — and the first in 20 years. The PASS Super Late Models are making their inaugural trip to Hudson as the track celebrates its 75th anniversary.
JOSH ST CLAIR CONTINUES HOT STREAK, WINS 2021 COASTAL 200 AT WISCASSETby Ken Minott
It’s a great time to be Josh St Clair. That could be the understatement of the year when it comes to the start of the 2021 season at Wiscasset Speedway. He only opened the season by winning four feature races over three different classes, leading the points in the track’s two “premier” divisions, and earned honors as the track’s May Driver of the Month. So, how could he possibly top that? By winning Wiscasset Speedway’s most prestigious race in exciting fashion no less. The Coastal 200 is a race that every Memorial Day weekend showcases the region’s top Late Model Sportsman drivers and their quest for the $5000 winner’s take of a (near) $30,000 purse. The race which was rained out from its original date was made up on Saturday evening in front of a large crowd of over 2,200 fans, including many veterans and active-duty military personnel who were welcomed to the event free of charge. Shortly after the sunset behind the backstretch of the 3/8 mile speedway, Josh St Clair was celebrating his second victory in the crown-jewel race with his family and friends. Many fans left saying it was one of the most exciting Coastal 200 ever. Other winners on the evening included Zach Audet in the Outlaw Minis, Adam Chadbourne in the Modifieds, and Bernie Dinsmore in the Strictly Streets. The Senior Tour Auto Racers were the flex division of the weekend with Kurt Snow of West Warren, Ma and Mike Rucci of Warren, Ma taking the checkered flag in their Modified and Sportsman division features.
DAVID OLIVER DOMINATES LATE TO WIN GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES RACE AT BEECH RIDGE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
SCARBOROUGH, Maine — The story heading into Saturday’s Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway was about whether or not the local Pro Stock regulars could compete with the series regulars and come out on top.
After 150 laps of tough racing around the flat Maine oval, local track regulars proved to be the dominant force. David Oliver passed local favorite Joe Pastore with less than 40 laps to go and drove away to his first career Granite State Pro Stock Series victory. Pastore crossed the line 1.428 seconds back in the runner-up spot, while Rusty Poland, another local favorite, was third. Garrett Hall was fourth and Bobby Webber Racing driver Bryan Kruczek fifth.
Carey Breaks Through with First ACT Victory in Spring Green
American Canadian Tour
N. Woodstock, NH — New Salem, MA’s Tom Carey III became the 81st different winner in ACT Late Model Tour history by taking the Caron Fabrication Spring Green at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 12. Carey snuck past eight-time track champion Quinny Welch in lapped traffic just before the halfway mark of the 121-lap event and then hung on in a checkered-and-yellow finish to get his first American-Canadian Tour (ACT) victory.
Groveton, NH’s Welch started on the pole thanks to a +3 in qualifying under ACT’s “plus-minus” system with Carey to his outside. After calamity struck on lap 10, with Dillon Moltz and Dylan Payea getting torn up in an accordion effect from Joey Laquerre’s spin, Welch spent the next several laps fighting for his racing life. Carey hung with him on the initial restart before Herman, ME’s Mike Hopkins dove inside both of them entering turn 3 on lap 13. Hopkins couldn’t make it stuck against Welch, though, and settled in behind the local hero as Carey made a smart move to hold third.
Oxford Replaces Monadnock on ACT-PASS Schedule with July 11 Showdown
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) announced today that the doubleheader originally planned for Monadnock Speedway on July 4 has been moved to Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, July 11. Qualifying begins at 4:00pm with features to follow.
The program will remain the same, with twin 150-lap features for the ACT Late Model Tour and PASS Super Late Models plus a 50-lap PASS Modified shootout. The post time was chosen in part because of the potential for extremely hot midday temperatures in mid-July. It also allows weekly Late Model and Super Late Model racers around the region more time to get their cars ready so they can compete at Oxford if they choose.
WYATT ALEXANDER LOOKS TO GO BACK-TO-BACK WITH GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES AT BEECH RIDGE
By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
WALPOLE, N.H. — When the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) rolls into Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 12, track regulars are set to compete with GSPSS stars in what should be another classic battle in Maine.
Last year, more than 25 cars showed to the track — with track regular Wyatt Alexander stealing the show and scoring the victory with late drama — passing for the lead and the win in the final 20 laps. He may have made the finish look easy on track, but his first touring series win didn’t come without some mid-week drama.
Alexander’s drivetrain broke in a Beech Ridge weekly Pro Stock race just seven days prior — and he wasn’t even planning on running with Granite State until just a few days before race day.
New Stars Abound in ACT Standings at Quarter-Pole Mark
Next Generation Emerging as Series Prepares for White Mountain on June 12
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) resumes its 2021 championship campaign next Saturday, June 12 at North Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park with the Caron Fabrication Spring Green. As the ACT Late Model Tour sits at the quarter-pole of its season, many new stars are crashing the party against the series’ established contenders.
The last six seasons have seen five different ACT champions. Four of those drivers, including Jimmy Hebert in 2020, were earning the crown for the first time. Although there are still a lot of races left this year, we could well see another name added to the ACT championship list from an impressive crop of talent.
Mother nature wins Sunday at Wiscasset – Coastal 200 postponedby Ken Minott
In the world of auto racing, the old adage still applies “You win some – You lose some”. Unfortunately, Sunday afternoon Mother Nature won out over a hopeful contingent of racers and fans who had gathered for the annual Coastal 200 at Wiscasset Speedway. With the threat of oncoming rain, track officials made the decision to bump up the start time of the afternoon’s action by an hour to 1:00 pm and run Late Model heats and then features only in the support divisions, in an effort to beat the oncoming weather. Things looked good to start with successful runs in three 12-lap heat races for the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Models, to set the field for the big race. In heat one, a pair of third-generation drivers battled for the pole position, with Tiger Colby of Wiscasset jumping up from his number two starting position to grab the lead and then hold off a late charge from point leader Josh St Clair of Liberty to take the checkered flag. Matt Bourgoine of Stetson finished in 3rd. In heat number two it was Shane Clark of Winterport who turned in an easy win, leading from start to finish over Clinton’s Frank Moulton and Harpswell’s Mark Lucas. Heat number three was dominated by 2-time defending Coastal 200 champ Ben Ashline. He grabbed the lead on lap one and held the top spot all the way to the checkers. Former 200 champ Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington chased him across the line in second followed by Scott Hall of Jay. 26 of 27 cars on hand are now qualified for the Coastal 200.
GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES ROLLS TO CLAREMONT WITH RACE FOUR ON TAP
By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
WALPOLE, N.H. — With three races complete, the Granite State Pro Stock Series is set to return to Claremont Motorsports Park on Sunday, May 30, celebrating Memorial Day weekend with a 100-lap Pro Stock special. The tricky New Hampshire oval will host three of the 15 events on the series schedule this season — meaning those who hope to be in championship contention will need to get a handle on it quickly.
Entering the race, there have been three different winners in the first three races of the season. Joey Pole opened the year with a dominating victory at Stafford Motor Speedway, while Angelo Belsito stormed to Victory Lane in race two at Monadnock Speedway. Last time out, Bryan Kruczek drove the Bobby Webber Racing No. 19 into Victory Lane at his home track, Star Speedway. The entry list for Sunday’s spectacular includes a mix of former series champions, rising stars and series veterans.
