Chase Locke, Randy Cabral Best in NEMA at LEE USA’s First Responder Freedom 300 Night
LEE, NH
The Northeastern Midget Association rolled into the Wrenn family’s LEE USA Speedway this past Friday evening for the Freedom 300/First Responder’s September 11th tribute. Great car counts across all divisions showcased some of the best drivers in New England at the New Hampshire oval. In the NEMA Lites, after so many “so close” scenarios for the youngster Chase Locke, he finally took down his first ever NEMA Lites victory, and in convincing style. In the NEMA feature, Randy Cabral inherited the lead after teammate Todd Bertrand suffered a heart breaking flat tire with seven laps to go, as the eight time champion took down his first back to back victory in many years.
In the Lites feature, NJ’s Richie Coy blasted out into the lead from the pole position on lap one. Coy was quickly hounded by the young Chase Locke in the Chester General Store/Locke Crane Services #88. Locke followed Coy closely, and made a bid for the lead on lap nine. Once in command, Locke began to set a torrid pace, with his fastest lap of the feature coming on lap nine, a 14.182 second lap. Lap after lap, Locke began to distance himself from the field, clicking off consistent 14.3 second laps. Behind him, veterans Jim Santa Maria and PJ Stergios were engaged in a battle for the second spot, with Stergios taking over the spot on lap twenty.
LOUDON, N.H. – A wild finish featuring a mind-blowing 20 lead changes in the last 20 laps, Bobby Santos III found a way to keep points leader Justin Bonsignore in his rearview mirror for the last few turns to earn a hard-fought checkered flag at the Musket 200 presented by Whelen Saturday afternoon during the third annual Full Throttle Fall Weekend, earning his sixth win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Wayne Helliwell Jr. won the ACT 75 while Shaun Buffington won both Granite State Legends Cars events.
Santos hung back in the pack until lap 167 when he slingshot around a trio of frontrunners going into turn three and pulled a similar move a few turns later to take the lead, setting up a thrilling string of lead changes with Bonsignore. The two traded the lead 20 times over 20 laps; Bonsignore dominating turn three and Santos showing how to pass going into turn one. Over and over they traded places, with Ron Silk briefly nudging his way into second, with four laps remaining. Bonsignore took the spot back, but not before Santos took advantage and drove just far enough away from the other leaders to keep from being caught before the checkered flag waved.
BELL BIG WINNER, FELLOWS STREAK ENDS, GREENSLIT CLINCHES SEPTEMBER 11 AT CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK
By Gary Dutton
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Ryan Bell topped Friday, September 11, night’s 50-lap main event at Claremont Motorsports Park, as Aaron Fellows’ 26-race winning streak steamed to an end and Dave Greenslit locked up his second track crown in a row.
While Fellows quest for back-to-back perfect seasons stopped Friday, the speedway’s winningest driver wasn’t beaten on the track, falling rather to a crash-caused overheating problem while leading midway through the LMS feature.
Other winners Friday included Hayden Grenier, scoring his first victory of the summer in the Mini Stocks, Pure Stock superstar Kodi Sabins, and top Six Shooter points man Dustin Thibodeau.
Jimmy Renfrew Jr $1500,00 Richer after Granite State Nationals Victory
By Gary Dutton
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Derek Griffith put together the perfect night Sunday at Claremont Motorsports Park..
The 23-year-old Pro Stock star won his heat, then drew the pole starting position for Sunday’s Newport Chevrolet 150 Granite State Pro Stock Series main event at the storied third-mile. The top starting spot in hand, he then led all 150 laps to pocket the $10,000 winner’s purse, the biggest prize ever in series history.
But, while both Griffith and Street Stock Richard Tetreault Memorial 73 winner Jimmy Renfrew each led all the way, it was Red Neck Enduro daredevil Jimmy Zullo’s victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat move that got the loudest applause. Snaking through the some-kind-of-crazy traffic with two laps to go, Zullo darted past Kyle Buck to top the 63-car, 50-lap nightcap event.
Williams, Donahue Take Caron Fabrication Twin 100s at White Mountain
N. Woodstock, NH — Ellington, CT’s Ronnie Williams and Graniteville, VT’s Stephen Donahue were both standing tall after 100 laps of action at N. Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, September 5. Williams won the Honor to Essential Workers 100 for the Modified Racing Series (MRS) while Donahue captured the Leaf Peepers 100 for the Foley Oil & Propane Late Models on Caron Fabrication Night.
Williams earned his first career MRS victory in the first series visit to White Mountain since 2005. Despite a lower car count than what series officials were expecting, the action was hot and heavy for the ground-pounders. West Swanzey, NH’s Kirk Alexander, the winner of the last MRS event at the track, grabbed the early lead off the outside pole. Alexander easily paced the field for the first half of the event while Williams and Bellingham, MA’s Woody Pitkat worked their way through the field.
