Amsoil Legend Cars Return to Wiscasset with Lanpher Taking the Win
WISCASSET, ME — It was a bright, warm evening at Wiscasset Speedway last Saturday. The Amsoil Nelcar Legends made their third appearance out of four scheduled this season. Also on the roster were Strictly Street, Late Model Sportsman, and an Outlaw Mini race. There were some new faces in victory lane, and their fans were there to cheer them all on.
First up was the flex race of the week, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends twenty-five lap feature. Coming into the race Ryan Hammar driving the No. 2 was points leader. Behind him in second place in point position was Mathew Bourgoine. Only ten points separated the two leaders. Prior to race time, Hammar commented, “Pretty much up to me and Mat (points). We are more on the line. We are focusing on our setups better. But, we are friends, and respectful of each other on the track. If you have the fastest car, you have the fastest car.”
Starting in the pole position in the Legends race was No. 96 driven by Wyatt Alexander. Behind him in the No. 38 was Mathew Bourgoine. Driving the No. 81 was Dan Winter, in third position. Right off the start, Bourgoine pulled ahead on the outside of turn 2 to pass Alexander, taking the lead. Winter dropped back, and car No. 59 driven by Reid Lanpher took third.
Lap seven saw Alexander move down the track and pass Bourgoine on the inside of turn three. The next several laps saw both Alexander and Bourgoine battle it out for position until a caution was thrown in lap twelve due to a mechanical problem on the track.
Alexander pulled ahead on the restart, but Bourgoine faltered allowing Lanpher to slide into second place. By lap fourteen, Bourgoine had regained his momentum, and he passed Lanpher to retake second position on the track. The second caution of the race came in lap eighteen, when a car spun on the track.
When the action resumed, Alexander took an early lead, but once again Lanpher slid by Bourgoine’s Corinna Auto Body Coupe Legend car for second place. Lanpher came up the track behind Alexander, looking for an opportunity to pass. His chance came in lap twenty two, and he passed Alexander on the inside of turn two. Then behind him, Bourgoine moved up to pass Alexander, and slid by him on turn three.
However, Bourgoine was not able to hold onto the lead when in lap twenty three he and Alexander bump together. Bourgoine moved to third, and Alexander to second. Still in the lead was Lanpher. Then in the last lap, Bourgoine had a burst of speed to regain second. Race leaders went past the checkered in that order. Lanpher took the win. Bourgoine took second. Alexander placed third. Point leader Hammar took sixth.
Lanpher said in Victory Lane, “Started off the year really, really good. Then we had a streak of bad luck . . .Today we got lucky with the restarts and had a good day. I would like to thank Scotts Recreation and Houlton Power Sports. Sponsors make it all possible.”
Next on the track were the Strictly Street division. This twenty lap feature was action packed. Starting in the pole position was Corey Morgan in the No. 26. Behind him were Gerry Freve in the No. 39 and Guy Childs in the No. 5. Morgan took an early lead, and had a ten car length lead by lap six, when a caution was thrown.
The restart saw Morgan once again at the head of the pack. A battle was waged for third position with Tasha Dyer in the No. 32 trying to take that position from Childs. Freve maintained his second place position. Dyer and Childs went neck and neck around the track, Dyer trying an outside line, then an inside line to pass. Dyer would briefly gain a lead, only to have Childs take the position back. Dyer finally had an opening in lap nineteen, when she cemented her second place position. She passed Childs and raced for second along the top of the track. Only seconds between her and Freve, Dyer placed second at the finish. Freve placed third.
Morgan placed first, after running away with the lead for the entire race. Morgan, who lets kids sign his car to get them involved in racing, simply said, “Car is running good today.”
The Late Model Sportsman thirty-five lap feature was next. Starting in the pole position was No. 4 driven by Allan Moeller Sr. Behind him in the No. 15 was Nick Hinkley. In third was the No. 00 driven by Alex Waltz. Lap one saw a caution when the No. 1 driven by John Rideout attempted to pass Waltz for third. Rideout lost control, and collected No. 8 driven by Nick Reno. Reno had to pit, but was able to tear off the damaged metal and get back on the track.
Lap five saw No. 3 driven by Shane Lane gain momentum. Lane passed Waltz on the outside of turn three. Lane was not satisfied with third, and he moved up the track behind Hinkley looking for his chance. Lap nineteen came, and once he again passed on the outside of turn three. This time he took second place. Lane moved up behind race leader Moeller, looking for an opportunity to take the lead. In lap thirty-two Moeller and Lane scraped together, and Moeller spun round on the track. A caution was thrown. Lane took the lead, Hinkley advanced to second and No. 25 driven by Will Collins moved to third.
When racing action resumed, Collins moved to the inside and took second place, dropping Hinkley to third. Collins moved up the track to challenge Lane for first. Then, in lap 34, Collins passed Lane on the inside of turn two. Race leaders remained the same until the checkered. Collins took first place. In Victory Lane, Collins said, “It was a lucky break, and that was it. I’d like to thank my father and family.”
Lane took second place. Hinkley rounded out the top three.
Last on the schedule was the Outlaw Mini thirty-five lap feature. This one caution race saw a number of cars taken off the field in one fell swoop. Starting in the pole position was the No. 26 driven by Brent Roy. Behind him were George Fortin in the No. 9, and Nate Tribbet in the No. 13. Right off the start, Fortin passed Roy for the lead.
By lap seven Fortin had a commanding lead. Then, in turn three Tribbet moved up the track to pass Roy, when the two scraped together. Roy spun and went into the wall. Tribbet went off the track. Car No. 10 driven by Jimmy Childs, car No. 18 driven by Tim Collins, car No. 5 driven by Jeff Prindall, and car No. 2 driven by Rob Greenleaf were all caught in the melee. Tribbet, Roy, Childs, and Greenleaf were towed off the track. Tribbet was able later to rejoin the action, but the others were out of the race for the remainder.
The restart saw Fortin in the lead with Collins behind in second place. In third was Prindall. Prindall dropped back, and car No. 61 driven by Chris Morris took third. Race leaders then remained the same until the conclusion of the race. Fortin took first place. Collins took second place. Morris took third place.
Wiscasset Speedway resumes racing action, July 13, 2013 with its group one lineup of divisions: Prostock, Super Stock, New England 4-cylinder Prostock, and Thunder 4. The flex race of the week will a twenty-five lap Outlaw Mini race. Pit gates open at 2:00 PM. Grandstand gates open at 4:00 PM. Racing begins at 6:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 for adults and children aged seven and older. Kids six and under are free. Wiscasset Speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset. For more information, head to the Wiscasset Speedway website at: http:www.wiscassetspeedway.com.
WISCASSET SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL FINISH JULY 6, 2013
AMSOIL NELCAR LEGENDS
1. #59 Reid Lanphier, Manchester
2. #38 Mathew Bourgoine, Newport
3. #96 Wyatt Alexander, Ellsworth
4. #51 John Peters, Westbrook
5. #21 TJ Laro, Concord, NH
6. #2 Ryan Hammar, Pembroke, NH
7. #399 Bob Weymouth, Topsham
8. #60 Anthony Pagliarulo, Groveland ,MA
9. #81 Dan Winter, Windham, NH
10. #8 Matt Chagnot, Derry, NH
11. #17 Terry Kirk, Durham
12. #84 Matt Grant, Windham
13. #33 Alan Smith, Lincoln
14. #70 Tylar Braunschweig, West Newfield
15. #113 Casey Nash, Richmond
16. #42 Steve Johnson, Conway, NH
17. #49 Pete Cannell, South Berwick
18. #46 Chad Harrington, Richmond
19. #19 Kevin Girard Jr, Old Orchard Beach
20. #10 Ed Getty, Gray
STRICTLY STREET
1. #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston
2. #39 Gerry Freve, Turner
3. #32 Tasha Dyer, Arrowsic
4. #5 Guy Childs, Turner
5. #13 Chuck Grey, Wiscasset
6. #06 Zach Poland, Woolwich
7. #99 Phil Main Jr, Trevett
8. #56 Thomas Smith, Boothbay
9. #1 Mike Moody, Topsham
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN
1. #25 Will Collins, Appleton
2. #3 Shane Lane, Kingfield
3. #15 Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset
4. #00 Alex Waltz, Walpole
5. #4 Allan Moeller Sr, Wiscasset
6. #34 Tyler Robbins, Montville
7. #290 Corey Walker, New Vineyard
8. #28 Steve Minott, Windham
9. #33 Ed Tyler, Farmington
10. #8 Nick Reno, West Bath
11. #61 Brian Wiles, Brownville
12. #1 John Rideout, Thomaston
OUTLAW MINI
1. #9 George Fortin, Greene
2. #18 Tim Collins, Farmingdale
3. #61 Chris Morris, Poland
4. #44 Ozzie Cummings, Vassalboro
5. #84 Michael Bolduc, Windsor
6. #13 Nate Tribbett, Richmond
7. #5 Jeff Prindall, Lisbon Falls
8. #26 Brent Roy, Vassalboro
9. #10 Jimmy Childs, Leeds
10. #2X Rob Greenleaf, West Bath
11. #20 Shawn Kimball, Augusta
MINI TRUCK
1. #17 Aron Shields, Cushionnelcar
Sources: Lisa Maguire/Wiscasset Speedway PR