The Ralph Lauren “Count Trossi” has been on display at Lime Rock Park in the past . (Credit: Lime Rock Park photo.)
Two Of Ralph Lauren’s Ferraris Part Of The Italian Masterpiece Theme At Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival
LAKEVILLE, Conn.—Fashion Icon Ralph Lauren is sending two Ferraris from his magnificent collection of cars to the Sunday in the Park Concours d’Elegance, which will be held at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., this Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019.
The Ferraris will be Lauren’s 1964 250 LM and his 1961 250 Testa Rossa. The 250 LM (Berlinetta Le Mans) was designed for racing and equipped with the 250 series’ V12 engine. The aluminum bodywork, designed by Scaglietti, rested on a multi-tubular chassis. Unable to obtain the necessary homologation for GT racing, the 250 LM raced in the prototype category and won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1965. Lauren’s car, chassis No. 6321, was the 31st out of 32 produced, and participated in many competitions in Australia with then owner David McKay. This car was also driven to victory at the Surfers Paradise 12 Hour Race by Sir Jackie Stewart in 1966 Lauren’s 1961 250 Testa Rossa won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1961 with driver Phil Hill and defended its title the following year with drivers Joakim Bonnier and Lucien Bianchi. Lauren’s roadster is one of only two 1961 Testa Rossa’s built, originally bodied by coachbuilder Medardo Fantuzzi.
Italian Masterpieces will be the premier theme of the Sunday in the Park Concours with a plethora of extra- ordinary examples of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, DeTomaso, Osca, Siata, Stanguelini, Maserati and Moretti on display.
“The Italian Masterpieces group will be the most extensive and well curated group of great Italian competition and touring cars from many years,” said Murray Smith, Historic Festival Chairman. “No real enthusiast from the East Coast should miss this Concours.” Along with the more than 200 exquisite cars participating in judging for the Concours d’Elegance, an approx- imate 800 additional cars will be displayed on track for the Gathering of the Marques. Both displays are part of the Historic Festival 37 weekend at Lime Rock, which is the only North American classic car race and concours held on the same track over the same weekend.
About Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival:
Held over Labor Day Weekend, Thursday, Aug. 29 – Monday Sept. 2, 2019, Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival and the Sunday in the Park Concours has been a time-honored tradition since 1982. The event opens with the Vintage Race Car & Sports Car Parade presented by Salisbury Bank through the local towns culminating in a street fair in Falls Village on Thursday, Aug. 29. Then, three days of fantastic, authentic vintage car racing happens on Friday, Aug. 30, Saturday, Aug. 31 and Monday, Sept. 2. On Sunday, Sept. 1, Lime Rock’s Sunday in the Park offers the Concours d’Elegance and Gathering of the Marques, displaying nearly 1,000 vintage and historic cars.
About Lime Rock Park:
Opened in 1957, Lime Rock Park is a historic automotive and entertainment venue located in Litchfield County, Conn. Along with hosting several televised spectator race weekends, Lime Rock is home to numerous special events, racing schools, driving schools, and the exclusive Lime Rock Drivers Club.
Special tribute to Formula Ford, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the single-seater class which launched the careers of many Formula 1, Indy Car and sports car drivers. ➢Formula Ford 50th Anniversary Saturday Night Dinner & A Panel will be a celebration of this important class and the people that made it successful.
Italian motorcar masterpieces such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and many more will be the stars Sunday’s Concou-rs d’ Elegance.
A special celebration of the Morgan, celebrating the marque’s 110 year history.
Luigi Chinetti Junior, a name synonymous with Ferrari, takes the position of Historic Festival’s Honored Guest.
Honored collectors B.Z. and Michael Schwartz, showcasing their 11 masterfully restored collection of Post-War Italian GT Dual-Purpose and Sport Racers.
The Italian-made motorcycles of Gregory Rathe, the Festival’s honored motorcycle collector. Source: Marlane White Lime Rock Park Public Relations & Communications Manager
The Foley Oil & Propane Late Models will go 100 laps this Saturday as part of a six-division card to celebrate the Labor Day holiday. (Mark Alan Sumner photo)
N. Woodstock, NH – White Mountain Motorsports Park (WMMP) is getting back on track in a big way this Saturday, August 31. The Leaf Peepers 100 Labor Day Special celebrates the holiday weekend while paying ode to the coming autumn season with a packed Saturday night of New Hampshire short track racing.
This weekend’s event comes after a two-week break for the ¼-mile oval. The August 17 event was rained out while August 24 was a scheduled weekend off for the Oxford 250. WMMP is making up for the extended break this Saturday with six divisions of action plus the annual Kids Pit Tour for youngsters to see the cars and stars up close.
The Foley Oil & Propane Late Models are going long-distance with the 100-lap Leaf Peepers event. The top weekly racers and several invaders will duke it out in search of a Labor Day trophy for their mantle. It comes with just two point-counting events in the chase to be the 2019 “King of the Mountains”.
Groveton’s Quinny Welch has all but sewn up his fifth straight track championship and eighth overall. The veteran has five wins this year and holds an 84-point lead over St. Johnsbury, VT’s Stacy Cahoon. But a victory on Saturday is anything but assured as competition at WMMP this year has been fierce.
Seven different drivers have visited Late Model Victory Lane this season, and racers such as Oren Remick, Scott Corey, and Jeff Marshall are itching to get back on top. Other top runners like Cahoon, Mike Bailey, and Stephen Donahue have surprisingly been shut out of the winner’s circle so far this year and are eager to break the skid. A surprise winner such as Jon Savage or Matthew Morrill could also end up at the front when it’s all said and done.
A full complement of WMMP racing divisions are joining the Late Models this Saturday. The Wells river Chevrolet Flying Tigers have been Shane Sicard’s personal playground this season. The Barton, VT veteran has seven wins and holds a 93-point lead over Plainfield, VT’s Michael Potter in pursuit of his second straight championship. However, racers such Jody Sicard and Amanda Wheeler have been strong in recent weeks and could spoil the party if only for one night.
The best championship duel at WMMP can be found in the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s. Littleton’s Ryan Ware has put up an impressive season with two wins and eight podium finishes. However, that has only netted him an 18-point lead over Bethlehem’s Dustin Jackson. Defending champion Adam Sicard and rookie Darren Newland are also in contention with two races left.
Waterford, VT’s Andy Hill has been the man to beat in the 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars with four wins in six events. He currently leads Norman Forest by 31 points and Dave Gyger by 35 points. But the Dwarf Cars have three events left this season thanks to a make-up feature on Championship Night, meaning a lot could still change in their ranks. The Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks are also on the card for Saturday with the young guns of WMMP doing battle once again.
Last, but not least, on Saturday’s program are the Senior Tour Auto Racers (STAR). Both the STAR Sportsmen and Modifieds will have features to showcase the cars of yesteryear.
Action for the WMMP Leaf Peepers 100 begins at 6:30 pm this Saturday, August 31. Admission for the card of six divisions plus the Kids Pit Tour is just $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids). The pits open for weekly divisions at 1:30pm and the front gates open at 4:15 pm. The Kids Pit Tour will be held from 5:30 to 6:00pm.
Michael R. Stridsberg/American-Canadian Tour Media Director
(Stafford Springs, CT)—This Friday, August 30, the Valenti Modified Racing Series heads to Stafford Speedway for the Lincoln Tech 80. Leading the point standings is the #83 Spirit of Alaska Wilderness Adventures machine of Grantham, NH native Mike Willis, Jr. In the last 10 VMRS races held at Stafford dating back to the 2015 season, Willis has notched 3 top-5 and 9 top-10 finishes. He is looking forward to the Stafford race as a great opportunity to either maintain or extend his point lead in the VMRS standings.
“It’s always exciting to be leading the points,” said Willis. “We’ve been consistent the last couple years running at Stafford and it’s one of my favorite tracks to race at. Whenever we come to Stafford it’s always hard to beat the home track guys. Last year we were going for second with about 8 laps to go and I got too low coming out of turn 4 and got loose and lost a few spots. Any time you can put yourself in the top-5, you have a chance to win the race and especially at Stafford, you can do a lot in a few laps if there’s a late race caution. A top-10 would be good but we’d really like to get a top-5 finish to help maintain the point lead.”
Willis’ chief rival in the 2019 VMRS points chase is Jeff Gallup. Gallup trails Willis by 27 points in the standings and Willis’ goal is to keep Gallup’s #4 car in close range during the Lincoln Tech 80.
“Jeff has been pretty hooked up this year with his new car and our goal is to keep that white car in sight and finish near him,” said Willis. “I’m going to drive my race and not try to play it too safe. It seems like every time we make a plan it never works out. We try to play it safe and end up in a bad spot. Last year at the final points race at Thompson, we went into the race second in points to Woody [Pitkat] and he had an incident early in the race and then we were leading the points. I played it safe and ended up getting wrecked and lost the championship, so we’re going to see how the race plays out for us.”
Willis scored his lone victory of the 2019 season earlier this season at his hometrack of Claremont. Willis says there are similarities between the two tracks that helps explain the success he’s enjoyed at Stafford.
“Stafford and Claremont are two totally different tracks but I feel like Stafford is just like Claremont in that both tracks are really line sensitive,” said Willis. “Once I find the line, I’m pretty good at hitting my marks every lap. The person who helped me a lot at Stafford was Ken Barry. When I first came to Stafford, he was with me the whole time and we walked the track and he showed me where the correct line was and it’s kind of stuck with me ever since.”
Willis’ career best Stafford finish is a third place finish in August 2015 and again in May 2017. Although he has yet to win at Stafford, Willis is confident that he can run with the leaders as long as he has his #83 car dialed in and he would like nothing more than to drive into NAPA Victory Lane in the Lincoln Tech 80.
“I’d love to win at Stafford, especially with how great the track is, the history of the track, and all the great names who have won there in the past,” said Willis. “To win there would be awesome and if we have a good car I definitely think we can run with the front running guys. My first few races at Stafford didn’t go so well and that was because we didn’t qualify well. The goal is to finish in the top-3 in our heat so that we can start in the top-10 for the feature. If we can do that, we can look after the tires until about the last 30 laps of the race and then we can let loose and go for it.”
The Lincoln Tech 80 Valenti Modified Racing Series takes to the track this Friday, August 30 with qualifying beginning at 6:30 pm. Stafford’s five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will also be in action. Tickets for this event are priced at $30.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seat tickets are $32.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10% CT Admission Tax. Stafford Motor Speedway offers plenty of free parking along with overnight parking available for self contained Recreational Vehicles.
PHOTOS (all credit Jeremy McGaffin/Showstopper) Jake Barrows of Middlebury, Vt., was a Mini Stock feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
: Matt Bilodeau of Brandon, Vt., was an O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Rookie David Sartwell-Cornell of Highgate Springs, Vt., was a Mini Stock feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Scott FitzGerald of West Rutland, Vt., was a Super Stock feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Larry Gallipo of West Rutland, Vt., was a first-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Samantha Mulready of Cambridge, N.Y., was a Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Chris Murray of Fair Haven, Vt., was a Super Stock feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (Note that Murray’s car is attached to a tow truck after breaking on the cooldown lap after the race.)
Lee Jamieson (right) of Castleton, Vt., defeated Allen Jones (center) and Tom Duncan (left) to become the new Sugar & Spice “Great North American Pancake Eating Champion” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Kaleb Badger, 12 (right), of Fair Haven, Vt., was named the winner of the Kids Division in the Sugar & Spice “Great North American Pancake Eating Champion” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Kevin Smith of Brandon, Vt., was a first-time Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Jack Speshock of Malta, N.Y., was a Pepsi Sportsman Modified feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Rookie Brent Warren of Salisbury, Vt., was a first-time Pepsi Sportsman Modified feature winner on Sugar & Spice “Double Stack Night” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Eleven drivers visit Victory Lane on “Double Stack” Night
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – The busiest night of the stock car racing season produced 11 different winners at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, August 25, at the annual Sugar & Spice Restaurant “Double Stack Night” event. Double features were held for all five weekly divisions along with a 50-lap Enduro Series race and the eighth annual “Great North American Pancake Eating Championship” to make for a full night of action and excitement.
Rookie driver Brent Warren scored an upset career-first victory in the opening 20-lap feature for the Pepsi Sportsman Modified division. The Salisbury, Vt., racer, who graduated from the Limited Sportsman class after taking that division’s 2018 championship, surprised veteran driver Wayne Stearns on the outside on a restart just before the halfway mark. Warren was able to clear Stearns and drive away for a popular win.
Stearns finished a season-best second and point leader Kenny Tremont Jr. was third. Vince Quenneville and Joey Scarborough rounded out the top five ahead of Frank Hoard III, Adam Pierson, Tanner Siemons, Marty Kelly III, and Jimmy Ryan.
In the nightcap, Malta, N.Y.’s Jack Speshock ran to his second win in as many weeks at Devil’s Bowl, riding the outside lane to chase down leader Tim LaDuc. Speshock challenged LaDuc for several laps before a green-white-checkered restart extended the race to 21 laps. Speshock grabbed the lead coming to the white flag and left everyone in his wake. LaDuc settled for the runner-up spot with Tremont third.
Paolo Pascarella finished an impressive fourth in his debut in the top-level Sportsman division while driving a backup car from the John St. Germain stable. Cody Ochs was fifth, followed by Ron Proctor, Billy Lussier, St. Germain, Jason Bruno, and Mike Fisher.
Brandon, Vt.’s Matt Bilodeau ran to his second O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman win of the year in a rough 15-lap affair. Bilodeau was ahead when a big wreck cleaned out five cars on the frontstretch on the fifth lap, and a second wreck at the finish took out two more. When the smoke cleared, Bilodeau was well ahead with Johnny Bruno second, Adam Piper third, Anthony Warren fourth, and point leader James Hanson fifth.
West Rutland, Vt.’s Larry Gallipo became the ninth different first-time Limited Sportsman winner in the second race, leading every lap. Bobby Schmidt was a career-best second, and Wayland Childs took third in his first appearance of the season. Warren and Hanson completed the top five.
Chris Murray won for the fourth time in the Super Stock division, taking the first 15-lap race. The Fair Haven, Vt., racer outran the field but broke a rear suspension part on the cooldown lap and was forced to make hasty repairs in time for the second race. Garrett Given crossed the finish line in second but was disqualified for an unapproved distributor. Kevin Elliott inherited the runner-up spot, followed by Bill Duprey, rookie Roo Forrest, and Matt Mosher.
Point leader Scott FitzGerald of West Rutland, Vt., earned his fourth win of the season in the second race, barely holding off a fully repaired and hard-charging Murray. Duprey was third with rookie Cam Gadue a season-best fourth and Forrest fifth.
Mini Stock racer David Sartwell-Cornell took the second win of his rookie year in his division’s opening 12-lap race. The Highgate Springs, Vt., freshman took the lead from Tim Simonds just after halfway and sailed to the win. Simonds equaled his career-best in second place and rookie Katrina Bean scored her best finish in third. Point leader Craig Kirby and Willie Rice were next in line.
Middlebury, Vt’s Jake Barrows earned his third win of the season in the Mini Stock finale, holding off a determined run but Sartwell-Cornell in the final laps. Simonds finished third with Kirby and Rice matching their finishes from the first feature in fourth and fifth, respectively.
The Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division had a different look to it as the winning streak of rookie sensation Evan Roberts come to a grinding halt. Roberts walked away from a wild three-time flip in the first 12-lap race and was effectively eliminated from competition for the night. Brandon, Vt.’s Kevin Smith was ahead of the wreck and sailed home a first-time winner. Twin brothers Shawn McPhee and John McPhee Jr. finished second and third, respectively, with Samantha Mulready fourth and Joel Belanger fifth.
Cambridge, N.Y., runner Mulready took her second victory of the season in the second feature after a patient drive up the outside lane. Rookie Jack Koponen equaled his best run in second place and Cody O’Brien rebounded from a mechanical failure in the first race to finish third. John McPhee Jr. and Dakota Green completed the top five.
The Enduro Series put out a 50-lap race that ran non-stop, though several cars were involved in big crashes. Cory Gray crossed the finish line first ahead of Bill Fountain as the only two drivers on the lead lap, but Gray was disqualified for having an unapproved tire on his car. Altona, N.Y., driver Fountain inherited the win ahead of Chris Sumner and Scott Richner, each one lap down, with Brian Blake and Andy Botala next in line, each two laps behind.
Two new champions were crowned in the 8th annual Sugar & Spice “Great North American Pancake Eating Championship” at intermission. Lee Jamieson of Castleton, Vt., packed in 12 pancakes with pure Vermont maple syrup in just five minutes, unseating three-time champion Allen Jones. Twelve-year-old Kaleb Badger of Fair Haven, Vt., set a new all-time record in the kids’ division with seven pancakes, topping two-time winner Alex Messer. More than 20 world-class eaters entered the contest.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway hosts its biggest event of the year on Labor Day Weekend with the $12,000-to-win Interstate All Battery Center “Vermont 200 Weekend” on August 31 and September 1. Five divisions will be in action on Saturday at 3:00 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by the speedway’s annual pig roast BBQ and bonfire party. Qualifying and the 200-lap Sportsman Modified main event will be on Sunday at 4:00 p.m., along with the Sprint Cars of New England. One-day admission is $15 on Saturday (includes BBQ admission) or $25 on Sunday, or two-day admission is $35. Pit passes are $45, good for the weekend, and camping is $25 per campsite, open on Friday at 12:00 noon.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2, and just 20 minutes from Rutland, Vt.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Sugar & Spice “Double Stack” Night
Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Pepsi Sportsman Modified Feature #1 – (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (2) # Brent Warren, Salisbury, Vt.
2. (1) Wayne Stearns, Bradford, Vt.
3. (12) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
4. (4) Vince Quenneville, Brandon, Vt.
5. (8) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
6. (6) Frank Hoard III, Manchester Center, Vt.
7. (16) Adam Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.
8. (5) Tanner Siemons, Orford, N.H.
9. (15) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
10. (14) Jimmy Ryan, Shoreham, Vt.
11. (11) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
12. (19) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.
13. (13) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
14. (9) Mike Fisher, Castleton, Vt.
15. (17) # Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
16. (23) John St. Germain, West Sand Lake, N.Y.
17. (18) Cody Ochs, East Greenbush, N.Y.
18. (26) Jason Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
19. (20) Jack Speshock, Malta, N.Y.
20. (25) Paolo Pascarella, Brunswick, N.Y.
21. (24) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
22. (21) James Fadden, Plainfield, N.H.
23. (3) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
24. (22) Bruce Loomis, Queensbury, N.Y.
25. (10) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
26. (7) Jeff Washburn, Benson, Vt.
Heat Winners: None
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Kenny Tremont Jr. (+9 positions)
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Ron Proctor
AMSOIL Award: Brent Warren
Pepsi Sportsman Modified Feature #2 – (20 laps – extended to 21 laps by green-white-checkered)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (8) Jack Speshock, Malta, N.Y.
2. (2) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
3. (23) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
4. (7) Paolo Pascarella, Brunswick, N.Y.
5. (10) Cody Ochs, East Greenbush, N.Y.
6. (4) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
7. (14) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
8. (11) John St. Germain, West Sand Lake, N.Y.
9. (9) Jason Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
10. (13) Mike Fisher, Castleton, Vt.
11. (20) Adam Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.
12. (21) Frank Hoard III, Manchester Center, Vt.
13. (17) Jimmy Ryan, Shoreham, Vt.
14. (5) James Fadden, Plainfield, N.H.
15. (24) Wayne Stearns, Bradford, Vt.
16. (15) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.
17. (12) # Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
18. (3) Bruce Loomis, Queensbury, N.Y.
19. (6) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
20. (25) # Brent Warren, Salisbury, Vt.
21. (18) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
22. (16) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
23. (26) Vince Quenneville, Brandon, Vt.
24. (19) Tanner Siemons, Orford, N.H.
25. (22) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
26. (1) Jeff Washburn, Benson, Vt.
Heat Winners: None
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Kenny Tremont Jr. (+20 positions)
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Jeff Washburn
AMSOIL Award: Jack Speshock
O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature #1 (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (1) Matt Bilodeau, Brandon, Vt.
2. (6) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.
3. (3) Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.
4. (11) Anthony Warren, Shoreham, Vt.
5. (9) James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
6. (12) Marty Hutchins, Poultney, Vt.
7. (5) Anthony Ryan, Benson, Vt.
8. (15) Wayland Childs, Chelsea, Vt.
9. (13) Shawn Phelps, Richmond, Vt.
10. (16) Mike McGinn, Elizabethtown, N.Y.
11. (17) Larry Gallipo, West Rutland, Vt.
12. (2) Bobby Schmidt, Gansevoort, N.Y.
13. (10) Austin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
14. (8) Dave Snow, Brandon, Vt.
15. (4) Josh Payea, Georgia, Vt.
16. (14) Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
17. (7) Austin Chaves, Chester, Vt.
Heat Winners: None
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Anthony Warren (+7 positions)
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Dave Snow
O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature #2 (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (2) Larry Gallipo, West Rutland, Vt.
2. (1) Bobby Schmidt, Gansevoort, N.Y.
3. (4) Wayland Childs, Chelsea, Vt.
4. (7) Anthony Warren, Shoreham, Vt.
5. (6) James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
6. (9) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.
7. (5) Marty Hutchins, Poultney, Vt.
8. (10) Matt Bilodeau, Brandon, Vt.
9. (8) Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.
10. (11) Mike McGinn, Elizabethtown, N.Y.
11. (3) Shawn Phelps, Richmond, Vt.
Did Not Start: Anthony Ryan, Benson, Vt.; Austin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.; Dave Snow, Brandon, Vt.; Josh Payea, Georgia, Vt.; Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt.; Austin Chaves, Chester, Vt.
Heat Winners: None
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Anthony Warren (+3 positions)
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Shawn Phelps
Super Stock Feature #1 (15 laps – shortened to 13 laps by time constraints)
Motorcycle racing may still be a male-dominated sport, but the women of LRRS are proving they aren’t going anywhere fast, unless it’s on two wheels.
Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton said “Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” That statement is showcased every month by the women who race in the Loudon Road Race Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Round five of the 2019 LRRS season hit the 1.6-mile road course this past weekend, and nearly half of the 26 total races throughout the weekend featured at least one female on the starting grid.
Novice rider Erika Tomlinson is a clinical psychologist who is finishing up a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Harvard. She started racing motorcycles this year, but began riding in her thirties when she was in graduate school.
“I actually think of it as therapy,” said California native and current Warwick, R.I. resident Tomlinson. “It’s a lot more than the adrenaline. It’s definitely an escape. I feel like I’m really not awesome at it, but I don’t care, because just having the ability to do it is freeing, it increases my self-confidence and it makes me feel happy to be alive and grateful for the moments.”
While some riders discover their passion for motorcycle racing later in life, a lot of riders start out very young, often fueled by a parent who races. This is the case for 13-year-old Rindge, N.H. native and amateur rider Brianna McHugh, whose dad sparked her interest when most kids are focused on potty training.
“When I was three years old, I was on a four-wheeler,” said McHugh, who claimed a top five finish in Sunday’s Combined 300 Superbike, finishing first for the amateurs in the race. “I ended up going too fast on it and it was too big for me, so my dad threw me on a motorcycle. When I turned four, he got me a PW-50, took me over to a local flat track race and it all started there.”
Sunderland, Mass. native and amateur rider Kerry Smith may also be new to LRRS with this weekend marking only her second round competing in the series, but she is no stranger to motorcycle racing or NHMS. Smith has been racing for 13 years on a vintage motorcycle, and she has been coming to the speedway since 1981 when it was Bryar Motorsports Park with her dad, who raced motorcycles up until 2005. She spoke about how it can be difficult for a woman to break in to a male-dominated sport, but her experience has been positive.
“You’re always going to come across some men that are not ok with it,” said Smith. “When I started vintage racing, they gave me more space than they needed to on the track, but I think with 13 years of racing experience, I proved myself pretty quickly.”
Smith also reflected on the deeper meaning of being one of the few females in the sport.
“Being a female in this industry and in this sport is fun,” said Smith, who took second in Sunday’s Lightweight Supersport after two third place finishes. “I’ve had women come up to me and talk about how I’m a role model. It’s about encouraging and empowering women to be able to do this or ride in general and not have it be so male-dominated. I’m proud to be a female racer. I’m also proud to be a motorcycle racer. You have to have a balance of both.”
Round six of the Loudon Road Race Series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway September 14-15.
Cody Copeland finally gets his first win in the Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupes. Todd Dunham gets the win in the visiting Twin State Dirt Stocks, while Ryan Christian grabs his sixth win of the season.
The DIRTcar Sabil & Sons Sportsman Modifieds started out strong with a full field of cars, but then the first caution waved. From there it was a down hill battle as cautions breed cautions, until finally they figured out that racing was a bit more fun then wrecking. Jordan Fornwalt and Kevin Chaffee were able to work their may thru the mayhem avoiding mishap as they worked their way to the front. When the checkers waved it was Fornwalt for his fifth win of the season. Chaffee came home in second with Jesse Durkee having a great night coming home in third. Matt Lashua and Steven Flint rounded out the top five.
In the Wells River Chevrolet DIRTcar Sportsman Coupes NOW everyone can say they are a winner! Rookie Cody Copeland was beginning to think that he might end up being the odd man out, as the weeks slipped by and his first win eluded him. Tonight, things would be different, as a fast-pasted event, the proper stars alignment, and a great handling car, put him right where he wanted him to be. Copeland held off the hard-fought challenges of Brian Chaffee, but Chaffee found that he just didn’t have enough to get by him as the laps ticked off. When the checkers waved on Copeland’s most memorable night, he grabbed the win with Chaffee in second, and Josh Harrington in third. Tanner Siemons and Melvin Pierson rounded out the top five. In the USAC DMA Midgets Seth Carlson was able to get the monkey off his back, after trying out the old Tyler Rivard machine. Tyler getting ready to be a dad of not one but TWO babies, decided it was time to hang up his helmet for a few years as he and his wife gear up for the new additions coming. Seth coming from deep in the pack worked his way to the front and when the checkers waved breathed a huge sigh of relief as he was he first one across the line claiming the win. Joe Krawiec fell in behind Carlson on his way to the front and crossed the line in second with Will Hull grabbing third. The other happy driver of the night was Adam Whitney, whom also seems to maybe have gotten the monkey off his back as he came across the line in fourth. Jeff Horn completed the top five.
In the C.A. Miller Limited Late Models Flying Ryan Christian is back strong as he claims another win crossing the line ahead of John Neddo and Brian Bigue. Nicholas Longley and Todd Dunham rounded out the top five.
The Peanuts Auto Four Cylinders keep coming with another couple dozen showing up for competition. When the checkers waved it would be a trio of wily veterans at the front of the pack. Robert “Buddy” Welch finds himself on top with Jason Porter in second and Kevin LaForest having a much better night then brother Chris in the Coupes grabbing third. Brian Lakin and Dennis Perry finished out the top five.
The Granite State Mini Sprints were in the house. In the 500cc’s Tom Chaffee gets the win over Eric Relation and Carson Williams. Matt Calley and Triston Puffingbuger rounded out the top five. In the 600cc’s Dan Lang grabs the win over Mark Wiggett and Drew Eldridge. Nick Ostertag and Andrew Ruston rounded out the top five.
The Twin State Dirt Stocks were here for another event. Todd Dunham comes home in first with Matt Piper in second and Tommy Keith in third. Keith Nelson and Dylan Nelson rounded out the top five.
Bear Ridge Speedway’s 52nd season of dirt car racing continues Saturday, August 31, 2019 sponsored by Valley Floors, featuring a full card of racing for the 99Rock weekly racing series, with the Sabil & Sons DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds, Wells River Chevrolet DIRTcar Sportsman Coupes, C.A. Miller Inc Limited Late Models, and the Peanuts Auto Four Cylinders. Plus the Mike Estrada State Farm Insurance 4/6 Cylinder Enduro and the BRS WYKR Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE). The USAC DMA Midgets are off and will return to action on September 7th. General admission pricing for the 99Rock Weekly Racing Series is $10 for adults (age 18-61), $8 teens (12-17) and seniors(62+), and $2 for children; Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Racing begins at the famous “6:00-ish” start time.
Bear Ridge Speedway is as an alcohol-free family friendly entertainment spot, with our goal to make each experience at the Ridge better than the last. Remember “Dirt where every lap is the last lap” we continue to offer the best source of good inexpensive high-quality entertainment for families.
Bear Ridge Speedway is located off exit 16 of I91 on to Rte 25 west 1 mile to South Road up the hill to Kidder Rd. The green will wave every Saturday at 6:00 pm(ish).
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – 52nd Season of Racing Dead River Co. night 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series Bear Ridge Speedway — Bradford, VT Saturday August 24, 2019
Sabil & Sons DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds (40 Laps) 1st 24 Jordan Fornwalt 2nd 73 Kevin Chaffee 3rd 1 Jesse Durkee 4th 18 Matt Lashua 5th 40 Steve Flint 6th 631 Todd Buckwold 7th 3 Jeff Huntington 8th 34 Richie Simmons 9th 91 Tim Tucker 10th 42T Robert Tucker 11th 6 Jeremy Huntoon 12th 14 Nathan Locke 13th 9 Michael Dunn 14th 78 Josh Ruel 15th 10s Ryan Christian 16th OO Jason Gray 17th 2nh Tanner Siemons 18th 11 Josh Sunn 19th 98 Walter Hammond 20th 86 Mike Ryan 21st 8 Steve Lary
HEAT one: Steve Flint HEAT two: Ryan Christian HEAT three: Jordan Fornwalt
Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupe Feature (30 Laps) 1st 18 Cody Copeland 2nd 16 Brian Chaffee 3rd 71 Josh Harrington 4th 5 Tanner Siemons 5th 33 Melvin Pierson 6th 3 Jason Horniak 7th O9 Tad Kingsbury 8th 77j Robert Kilburn 9th 12 Cody Gregoropoulos 10th 1 Jeremy Hodge 11th 56 Chris LaForest
HEAT one: Josh Harrington HEAT two Brian Chaffee
USAC DMA Midgets Feature (25 laps) 1st 2 Seth Carlson 2nd 1B Joe Krawiec 3rd 3 Will Hull 4th 12 Adam Whitney 5th A1 Jeff Horn 6th 17 Justin Sheridan ® 7th 26 Josh Constantine 8th 50 Owen Carbee ® 9th 42 Manny Diaz 10th 23 Tim West® 11th 91 Wayne Kohler ® 77 Jeff Champagne DNS
HEAT one: Seth Carlson HEAT two: Joe Krawiec
C.A. Miller Limited Late Model Feature (20 laps) 1st 10c Ryan Christian 2nd 15 John Neddo 3rd 51 Brian Bigue 4th 316 Nicholas Longley 5th 71 Todd Dunham 6th 32 Tyler Tremblay 7th 31 Matt Lashua
HEAT one: Ryan Christian
Peanuts Auto Four Cylinders 1st 65 Robert Welch 2nd 13 Jason Porter 3rd 49 Kevin LaForest 4th 23 Brian Lakin 5th 18 Dennis Perry 6th 73 Tim St John 7th 5 Owen Carbee 8th 9 Zach Audet 9th 12 Devin Spinks 10th 89 Garrett Brown 11th 55 Rick Stygles 12th 98 Tom Brown 13th 66 Robert Audet 14th 51 Westley Blake® 15th 0vt Kelly Miller Jr 16th 53 Travis Burroughs 17th 87 Don Reynolds 18th 7 Cary Hunter 19th 60 Kyle Ashford 20th o1 Riley Chaffee 21st 22x Greg Torrey 22nd 30 Hayden Bishop 23rd 43 Steve Tracy 24th 34 John Duprey (DNS)
HEAT one: Chase LaFoe HEAT two: Jeffrey Martin HEAT three: Garrett Brown
The Sport Trucks opened up our tremendous Saturday Night lineup of racing. 185 green flag laps to be run to determine Four Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Champions. For this 35 Lap feature, 2 Rookies in Mikey Cooper and Richie Murray were joined by 2 Veterans in Darryl Dutch and Lenny Guy.
The early story of this feature was Brockton’s Darryl Church. Church found himself in the lead ahead of Richie Murray. Murray had speed but couldn’t find his way past the 4 of Church. After laps of hard racing between the two, Murray ends up getting into the back of Church which sent Church into the infield. Both drivers end up at the back with Murray being called for the assist. This opened up a new chapter of the race where we saw Barry Shaw Jr take to the point. Shaw has been out front many of times this season but this race was different. After cutting a tire in his heat, Barry had to start scratch on the field. The speed in that 85 was there though, and he carried his way through the field in route to his 5th win. Though, Shaw wasn’t a Triple Crown contender. And after Murray and Dutch went to the rear, the battle was on between Mike Cooper and Lenny Guy. After a great battle in the middle of the pack, Lenny Guy came away with the Triple Crown and heard a roar of cheers in Victory Lane.
The Everett’s Auto Parts Late Models arguably had our most competitive Top 4 when it came to the Triple Crown. Vinnie Arrenegado, Marc Jenison, Ryan Lineham and Tommy Adams all lined up ready to battle for the title. What we saw was more of an annihilation than a battle. When the 17 of Arrenegado took the lead after a Lap 5 caution, he never looked back. The race went green to checkers after that point and Vinnie took off. Though, he was not alone. Dan Johnson took his #4 to its limits and keeping up with Arrenegado better than anyone else. He took home 2nd place only .322 behind your race winner, while 3rd place Gerry Degasparre was almost 6 seconds behind the top two.
Vinnie takes the win and the first sweep of the weekend for the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown.
The Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment Sportsman division brought together a great foursome fighting for the Triple Crown. Steve Axon, Corey Fanning, Kyle Casper and Tyler Lallier took the grid ready to go but both Lallier and Casper were at an early disadvantage. Both had to start within the last 3 rows due to issues in their heats. Having that lead in the starting grid, both Axon and Fanning knew this could easily be a race between the two of them.
With the drop of the green, Axon and Fanning both rocketed towards the front. After a Lap 7 caution, we saw the #74 of Scott Bruneau make his way to the point, a familiar sight for the Phil’s Propane machine as of late. Another restart about halfway through the race saw Bruneau at the point with Fanning and Axon lining up 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
When the checkered flag flew, it was Scott Bruneau coming home the winner and Corey Fanning holding off Steve Axon for 2nd and the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown.
Coming into Triple Crown weekend, Dave Darling was the favorite to take the title in the Pro Stocks. He had a poor week, for his standards, with a 6th place finish last time out, and would be ready to put on his best show for the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown. It would not be easy for Darling though, as he had three of the top Pro Stock drivers to challenge him in Ryan Vanasse, Tom Scully Jr, and Dylan Estrella.
Mike Brightman took off to an early lead trying to hold off Vanasse. On Lap 15, we saw the muffler break on the 46 of Estrella and he was given two black flags. Right before that decisive third black flag, the yellow flag comes out for a Daryl Stampfl spin out of turn 2. Estrella was thanking the racing gods after that one, and rejoined at the rear after the fix.
Off the restart, the 4 contenders, Estrella included, powered towards the top. Within 5 laps, we had another caution after a Mike Brightman spin. This lined up our 4 contenders in the top 2 rows on the restart. Darling was the leader and the others knew they didn’t have many chances to get by Darling. Much to their dismay, Darling was able to hold the trio off on two separate restarts and capture both the race win and the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown.
A big thank you to Phils Propane for his continued support of short track racing at Seekonk Speedway with the Triple Crown Series!
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