The double header PASS and ACT Tour races at tracks like Thunder Road bring in the top drivers of both series into a unique racing program.
Glen Luce of Turner, Maine claimed an emotional victory Sunday afternoon in the Mekkelsen RV 150 for Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models at Thunder Road international Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont.
Luce, coming off his best-ever season racing stock cars – a season that included a $31,000-plus win in the 42nd Annual Oxford 250 last August – took the lead from and then held off a longtime ACT Tour rival, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., of Dover, New Hampshire.
Helliwell, a multi-time ACT Late Model Tour champion, chased Luce under the checkered flag, earning his runner-up finish the hard way after starting dead last in the quick Super Late Model field. Travis Benjamin of Morrill, Maine nailed down a third-place finish.
Benjamin led just about 100 laps to open up the Super Late Model race, yielding the frontrunning position to Jeremy Davis of Tamworth, New Hampshire at that point.
For 20 laps Davis looked unstoppable, but under caution something went wrong under the hood of the 09 and Davis was pushed to the pit area, done for the day.
That handed the lead to Helliwell, who had methodically worked his way into contention after beginning the race dead last on the starting grid.
On the ensuing restart Helliwell appearaed to spin his tires, and Glen Luce took command. Luce, a former regular on the ACT Late Model circuit, did not relinquish the top spot for the remainder of the event, earning his first touring series win of the 2016 season.
Luce, Helliwell and Benjamin were joined in the top five rundown by fourth-place Derek Ramstrom of West Boylston, Massachusetts, making his first-ever Thunder Road appearance, and four-time PASS North Super Late Model champion Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine.
Rookie Derek Griffith of Hudson, New Hamphire finished in sixth position. Six-time PASS SLM Champion Johnny Clark of Farmingdale, Maine was seventh, followed by 2014 champ DJ Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire, reigning series titlist Mike Rowe of Turner, MEaine and first-time PASS entrant Scott Payea of Georgia, Vermont.
Andy Shaw of Conway, New Hampshire cruised to victory in the 30-lap race for PASS Modifieds at Thunder Road. Shaw, a five-time champion of the open-wheel touring series, got by his hometown rival, Mark Lundblad, Jr., for the race lead, then held off Ben Tinker of New Gloucester, Maine to post the victory.
Shaw and Tinker were joined on the podium by Ryan Robbins of Dixfield, Maine who survived a late skirmish with Lundblad to earn his trophy. Mike Carignan of Lebanon, Maine survivied multiple bouts with the frontstretch wall to claim a fourth-place finish, in front of Ron Henry of New Gloucester, Maine.
Tyler Cahoon of St. Johnsbury, Vermont won the 100-lap Mekkelsen RV race for ACT Late Models. Mark Barnier won a 30-lap race for Tiger Sportsman competitors. Richard Gravel took the top spot in the Street Stock feature race.
The next Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model event is the Foley Oil 150, scheduled for Saturday, June 11 at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, New Hampshire.
Unofficial results from the Mekklesen RV 150-lap Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model North Series race at Thunder Road International Speedbowl; Barre, Vermont; Sunday, May 29, 2016 (showing finishing position, car number driver’s name, driver’s hometown):
Super Late Model (150 laps) 1 7 Glen Luce, Turner, ME; 2 27 Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, NH; 3 7 Travis Benjamin, Morrill, ME; 4 35 Derek Ramstrom, West Boylston, MA; 5 4 Ben Rowe, Turner, ME; 6 12 Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH; 7 54 Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, ME; 8 60 DJ Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 9 24 Mike Rowe, Turner, ME; 10 37 Scott Payea, Georgia, VT; 11 16 Travis Stearns, Auburn, ME; 12 49 Brent Dragon, Colchester, VT; 13 15 Mike Hopkins, Hermon, ME; 14 97 Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH; 15 09 Jeremy Davis, Tamworth, NH; 16 2 Matt Matheson, French Lake, NB; 17 00 Bryan Kruczek, Newmarket, NH; 18 1x Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT.
PASS Mods (30 laps) 1 0 Andy Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 2 19 Ben Tinker, New Gloucester, ME; 3 36 Ryan Robbins, Dixfield, ME; 4 21 Mike Carignan, Lebanon, ME; 5 05 Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME; 6 28 Mark Lundblad, Jr., Conway, NH; 7 14 Jon McCarron, Etna, ME; 8 64 Matty Sanborn, Westbrook, ME; 9 00 Bill Lake, Albany, NH.
Source: Media Duffer
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