Dylan Smith Takes Allison Legacy North Points Lead
Newburgh, NY — For the first time this season the ALNRS has a new points leader. Randolph, VT driver Dylan Smith not only picked up his third win of season this past weekend at Monadnock Speedway, he also became the series current points leader heading into the final two races of the season.
James Logan of Dighton, MA. who had held the points lead the entire season in his 44 G. Lopes Construction Thunderbird, came into the weekend with a fifteen point lead over Dylan. Unfortunately for James his luck ran out Saturday during the heat race when he got together with the 19 of David Schneider as they entered turn three. James was unable to finish the heat race and had to retire to the pits for repairs. The winner of the heat race was Dylan who picked up five points for the win to help close the gap on Logan.
Heat two went to Bennington, NH driver Kyle Poodiack. Kyle was able to come back from a lap five caution involving himself and the 88 of Paul Tuthill of Washingtonville, NY. Tuthill also recovered and came back to finish second.
Based on their wins in the heat race the front row would have Dylan on the pole with young Kyle on his outside. Lap three would see the first caution a Series Director Michael A. Vasquez, Sr. of Newburgh, NY would lose the handling on his V-Twin Performance Ford Thunderbird in the middle of turns 3 & 4. Vasquez’s car would be clipped by a passing car forcing him to pit for repairs. The restart would put an end to Logan’s night as a broken heim on his panhard bar would ended his night early regulating him to his first last place finish of the season.
Lap twelve would bring out the second caution involving the 19 of Schneider and the 25 of Victor Johnson thus ending both their nights early. On the restart Poodiack would get together with the 79 of Shane D’Agostino as they entered turn three causing both drivers to spin. D’Agostino would be blacked flagged on lap 15 for intentional contact with Poodiack on the restart.
The last 10 laps would be caution free and at the checkers it would be Dylan Smith followed by rookie sensation Nathan Johnson who in only his second start comes away with a second place finish. Third place would go to current aDP Rivet Rookie of the Year points leader Melissa Fifield of Wakefield, NH.
With his win Dylan now holds a 17 point lead over Logan with only two races left. The Series will be headed to Twin State Speedway this coming weekend for the New England Outdoor Furnace Fall Challenge. It will be a double points weekend for the ALNRS and hopefully Mother nature will change her current forecast and allow the Stars of Tomorrow to do battle for the 2008 Allison Legacy North Championship.
Sources: Allison Legacy North Series PR