Defending Pass champion Joey Doiron got by Derek Ramstrom with 25 to go and post the win at the Winter Meltdown at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in SC. (Credit: PASS Tours photo.)
Defending Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model national champion Joey Doiron stormed back from three laps down to take the lead from Derek Ramstrom with 25 laps to go and led the rest of the way to take the win in the PASS Winter Meltdown 150 Saturday afternoon at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. The win matches his Winter Meltdown triumph at Florida’s Auburndale Speedway in 2013. It was also his second straight PASS Super Late Model win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
“I almost parked it on the pace laps because the clutch was slipping and wouldn’t work,” said Doiron afterwards. “We took the green and I was wide open and couldn’t even keep up. We lost three laps and I figured we would go until lap 50 and if I could keep up, we would keep racing. Fortunately enough we got the laps back. Nobody can say I didn’t pass the most cars.”
In qualifying, Preston Peltier set a new track record for PASS at the legendary half-mile speedway with a lap of 90.923 miles per hour. Following the top 10 qualifiers redraw, Peltier would slot in to the sixth starting position, while Roger Lee Newton and Tyler Church would move up to the front row.
At the drop of the green flag, Newton jumped into the lead over Church and Matt Craig. The first caution flag of the afternoon would wave on lap four when rookie Kodie Conner spun in turn one and collected RS Senter and JP Josiasse. Back under green, Mike Hopkins would take the lead from Newton before being bypassed for the top spot by Michael Faulk on nine.
The car on the move early on was Jeremy Davis, who started in 13th. Davis moved by Jay Fogleman for fifth on lap 24 and, just four laps later, passed Faulk for the lead. The biggest incident of the day would occur on lap 38 when Trey Jarrell and Jeff Batten made hard contact on the back straightaway collecting Jimmy Doyle, Matt Matheson, and Conner. Thanks to the early cautions, Doiron was able to recover from losing three laps with clutch problems and get back on the lead lap for the next restart.
Texas youngster Derek Scott, Jr. would take a turn up front when he moved by Davis for the lead. Davis would continue to slide back as both Peltier and Derek Ramstrom moved by to take second and third. Following a caution for a spin into the turn three wall by Matheson, Peltier was able to work to the low side of Scott to take the lead on lap 53. All the while, Doiron was marching his way to the front, moving around Faulk and into the top 10 on lap 57.
The lead would continue to change hands as Mike Hopkins passed Peltier on lap 60 and was then passed himself by Scott just nine laps later. Just past halfway, Doiron was up to fifth andchallenging the leaders. Following a spin by Dabbs in turn two on lap 77, Ramstrom regained the lead as he moved by Scott. But Doiron was on a charge, moving into second and eventually passing Ramstrom for the lead on lap 94.
With 47 laps to go, a competition caution would wave to allow teams to change two tires and refuel. On the restart, Ramstrom moved back by Doiron to take the lead. But it would be short lived as Doiron would go back up front with 25 laps to go. Ramstrom began to struggle with the handle of his machine losing two more spots to Peltier and Hopkins. With less than 15 laps to go, Hopkins bypassed Peltier to take second place.
Following a spin by John-Michael Shenette with seven laps to go, Hopkins began a spirited charge to take the lead from Doiron. Despite drawing alongside on a couple of occasions, Hopkins would have to settle for second as Doiron captured his second career PASS South Super Late Model victory. Peltier, Ramstrom, and Davis would complete the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Matt Craig, Ben Rowe, Randy Gentry, Conner, and Jay Fogleman.
The PASS South Super Late Models will be in action once again for 150 laps as part of the 11thAnnual South Carolina Clash on Saturday, March 5th at Dillon Motor Speedway.
PASS Super Late Model – PASS Winter Meltdown 150 – Unofficial Results
1. 73 – Joey Doiron 150 17. 82 – John-Michael Shenette 148
2. 15 – Mike Hopkins 150 18. 23 – Zachary Dabbs 148
3. 74 – Preston Peltier 150 19. 88 – Kyle Desouza 120
4. 35 – Derek Ramstrom 150 20. 71 – Jimmy Doyle 113
5. 09n – Jeremy Davis 150 21. 24 – JP Josiasse 113
6. 54 – Matt Craig 150 22. 01 – Derek Scott, Jr. 112
7. 4n – Ben Rowe 150 23. 5 – Brennon Poole 109
8. 09 – Randy Gentry 150 24. 83 – Joey Padgett 101
9. 45 – Kodie Conner 150 25. 59 – Dustin Dunn 101
10. 4 – Jay Fogleman 150 26. 5f – Michael Faulk 73
11. 33 – Roger Lee Newton 150 27. 2n – Matt Matheson 49
12. 3 – Kaz Grala 150 28. 7k- Jody Lavender 38
13. 10 – RS Senter 150 29. 12 – Trey Jarrell 37
14. 16me – Travis Stearns 149 30. 49 – Jeff Batten 37
15. 8f – Tate Fogleman 149 31. 16 – Vinnie Miller 37
16. 7 – Tyler Church 149 32. 64 – Garrett Evans 4
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