Garrett Hall wins PASS Super Late Model race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
First-ever touring series victory for young racer from Scarborough, Maine
Thompson, Connecticut — Garrett Hall of Scarborough, Maine nailed down his first-ever Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model victory in the 75-lap season opener for the PASS North Tour, also offering National Championship points, Sunday afternoon at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Hall, driving his Quinn’s Insulation car, numbered 94, outgunned early race leader Trevor Sanborn of East Parsonsfield, Maine midway through the race to claim the top spot after an extended, spirited battle. He then held off a determined challenge from Hudson, New Hampshire’s Derek Griffith, aboard the LCM Racing 12, to post the win.
Hall, a 21-year-old competitor who prior to this season spent almost his entire racing career on relatively flat, third-mile ovals in his home state, credited a February trip to Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway with helping himself and the team to dial the car in on New England’s biggest and fastest oval short track.
“We would have never been able to do this without that trip to New Smyrna, even though we didn’t run well there,” Hall said in victory lane after thanking his crew, family, and sponsors.
Griffith made things interesting in the late stages of the race for a while, dueling with both the eventual winner, as well as third-place finisher Dave Garbo, Jr. of Stonington, Connecticut in the Garbo Lobster-sponsored 8.
Early race leader Sanborn dominated the first half of the event aboard the Cushman Competition Ford, crossing the finish line in fourth position. Multi-time PASS North Super Late Model champion Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine rounded out the top five. Rowe unofficially took over the PASS Super Late Model National Championship points lead on the strength of that finish.
Mike Hopkins of Hermon, Maine kept things tight at the top of the rankings, finishing sixth at Thompson after entering the race tied for second spot with Rowe in the National rankings. Larry Gelinas of Buxton, Maine battled for the early race lead, and ended up in seventh position under the checkered flag.
Berwick, Maine’s Joey Doiron battled to an eighth-place finish in a car borrowed from Dale Shaw Race cars, with 2015 Oxford 250 winner Glen Luce of Turner, Maine and Derek Ramstrom of West Boylston, Massachusetts rounding out the top ten. Ramstrom had entered the race as the PASS National Championship Series points leader.
Saturday afternoon heat race victories were posted by Sanborn, Gelinas, and Hall.
The Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Models are in action this Sunday, April 17, at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine in a doubleheader racing program also featuring the ACT Late Model Tour, presented by Speedway Homes, Dave’s Smaal Engines, and Husqvarna. Post time is 2:00 p.m. For more information visit proallstarsseries.com, oxfordplains.com or call (207) 539-8865.
Results from the Icebreaker 75 Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model National Championship and North Series race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Sunday, April 10, 2016 (showing finishing position, car number driver’s name, driver’s hometown):
1 94 Garrett Hall, Scarborough ME; 2 12 Derek Griffith, Hudson NH; 3 8 David Garbo, Jr. Stonington CT; 4 4 29 Trevor Sanborn, East Parsonsfield ME; 5 4 Ben Rowe, Turner ME; 6 15 Mike Hopkins, Hermon ME; 7 37 Larry Gelinas, Buxton ME; 8 68 Joey Doiron, Berwick ME; 9 7 Glen Luce, Turner ME; 10 35 Derek Ramstrom, West Boylston MA; 11 80 Donald Theetge Boischatel QC; 12 8 Angelo Belsito, Auburn MA; 13 60 DJ Shaw, Center Conway NH; 14 09 Jeremy Davis, Tamworth NH; 15 15 George Bessette, Oxford MA; 16 1 Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs CT; 17 82 John-Michael Shenette, Thompson CT; 18 16 Travis Stearns, Auburn ME; 19 59 Reid Lanpher, Manchester ME; 20 54 Johnny Clark, Farmingdale ME; 21 00 Bryan Kruczek, Newmarket NH; 22 46 Jake Vanada, Berkley MA; 23 2 Matt Matheson, French Lake NB; 24 42 Eric St.Gelais, Saint-Aime-des-Lacs, QC; 25 24 Mike Rowe, Turner ME; DNS 7 Travis Benjamin, Morrill ME.
Sources: Alan Dietz/PASS PR