Lee USA Speedway Oktoberfest Race Report
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway’s Oktoberfest went into the record books over the weekend, with two action-packed days of racing bringing the 2015 racing season to a close at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed.”
After dozens of qualifying heats were run Saturday afternoon, the early features were run as the sun started to set and a brisk fall night set in. The Hobby Stock B-main was the first event on the slate, with Pelham’s Bret Culleton outrunning Anthony Belfiore to collect the checkered flag.
The 26-car Pure Stock 4-cylinder main was up next, with an entertaining race that saw a pair of Saabs piloted by Matthew Gauffin and Kimmy Rivet of Antrim taking the top two spots. The lightning-quick Pro-4 Modifieds hit the speedway when that one was over, with a first-time winner taking center stage in victory lane.
Second-generation race Norman Wrenn III led the early going, but he lost the top spot just past halfway and had to dig deep to get it back. With just four laps remaining, Wrenn moved back to the point to stay, flashing under the checkers to score career win number one.
A couple of truck races finished up the Saturday night action, with Matt Curtis of Freeport, ME taking down the win over Kris Knox and Mark Grantham in the 4-cylinder main, and Bert Ouellette picking up the Mr. Rooter New England Truck Series win ahead of Roger Turbush, Andy Lindeman, Frank Dumicich, Jr., and Frank Dumicich, Sr.
A full field of Late Model Sportsmen opened up Sunday‘s feature event action, with a trio of Lee USA regulars leading the way. Frankie Eldridge of Stratham took down a convincing win over George Helliwell and Tom Carey III in that one. Eldridge was back in victory lane later in the day after the Outlaw Late Model feature was well, taking a rare Oktoberfest double.
The Lee USA Supermodifieds saw Mike Murphy of Groveland, MA picking up the win. A first lap incident involving Lance Barthelemy, Eddie Witkum, Jr., and the backstretch wall brought the field under a red flag, but it was smooth sailing after the restart, and Murphy ran off to collect the win over Mike Netishen, Tommy Tombarello, Mike Spurling, and Moe Lattime.
The Pro Stocks/Super Late Models ran two 50-lap mains to determine the Oktoberfest champion, and Derry’s Joe Squeglia was the class of the field in both features, taking down twin checkers to end his season in style.
The Valenti Modified Series also ran twin-50’s in their portion of Oktoberfest, with Woody Pitkat outrunning Jon McKennedy and Les Hinckley in the first, and Hinckley leading them across the stripe in the second to score the overall win.
Former Lee LMS and Roadrunner champion Niko Maniatis of Hooksett held off a tough challenge from Jamie Heath to score the Mini Stock/Roadrunner win, with Paul Wainwright, Justin Storace, and Desmond Skillings rounding out the top five.
Six-cylinder Ironman action was wild and wooly from the drop of the green flag, with Tewksbury, MA racer Christin DeStefano making her second 2015 visit to the winner’s circle when the smoke cleared. Austin Elliott of Epping took runner-up honors.
Jeremy Davis of Tamworth topped the Late Models, Dave Helliwell won the Northeast Classic Lites main, his brother George Helliwell scored the Dwarf Car open win, Ricky Porter dominated in the Outlaw Mini Stocks, Ryan Linehan brought home the Hobby Stock/Strictly Stock trophy, and Mike Willis, Jr. won the Modified Light feature event to close out Oktoberfest weekend.
Sources: Lee USA Speedway PR