Lee USA Speedway 5/27/16 Race Report
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway opened up the 2016 weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season on Friday night, with 2014 Rookie of the Year Lance Barthelemy of Fremont taking down top honors in the 30-lap EKeys4cars Supermodified feature event.
Leslie Keyser of Northwood brought the field to green, and he quickly moved out to the lead as the field sorted out behind. 2014 champ Jake Stergios of Candia brought the race under caution after just two laps when he was sent into the backstretch wall, sliding to a stop in a shower of sparks in turn three.
While the Witkum Brothers team got Stergios back on track after a quick trip to the pits, Keyser once again took command when racing resumed, moving out to set to the pace with Barthelemy hot on his heels and 2015 Oktoberfest winner Mike Murphy of Groveland, MA right behind.
Stergios’ early race misfortune left him well off the pace, and when the leaders came up to put him a lap down inside the ten to go mark, Barthelemy used him as a pick and slipped past Keyser to take over the lead, which he held until the checkers to post the opening night win.
Keyser had to settle for runner-up honors, with Murphy, Kyle Sawyer of Kingston, rookie contender “Hollywood” Dave Helliwell, 2015 Rookie of the year Mike Keddy of Sandown, Rochester’s Mike Spurling, Stergios, and veteran Artie Rousseau rounding out the top ten.
Patrick Stewart led the R & R Public Wholesalers Late Model Sportsman feature to the green flag, but he quickly lost the top spot to Connor McDougal in the Jeff Hill entry. Epping veteran Ricky Porter fell to the same fate as Jake Stergios had in the Super main, getting turned into the backstretch wall just two laps in, ending his night.
McDougal picked up the lead on the restart, but he was no match for 2009-2010 champ Grant Aither of Exeter, who made his way to the front and took control. Aither held serve until well past halfway, when second-generation racer George Helliwell moved to the outside to challenge.
Helliwell hung tough for several laps before finally making the winning pass, with Aither spinning from contention shortly afterwards with the checkers in sight. Nate Leavitt of Buxton, ME was second when the race restarted, but he couldn’t mount a serious challenge and had to chase Helliwell across the stripe.
Exeter’s Jimmy Russell was third, followed by Jesse Bousquet of Pittsfield, Stewart, Frankie Eldredge of Stratham, Aither, “Big Steve” Paquette of Seabrook, Mike Mitchell of Dracut, MA, and defending champ Jay Sands of Hampton.
The David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stocks barely made the green flag before second-row starter Bill Clement of Manchester got sideways, sending the field scattering and putting them quickly back under caution as Tewksbury, MA driver Brian DeStefano made the best of his pole position start and led the early going.
DeStefano was the class of the field early, and as the laps wound down, he was the class of the field late, holding off a determined Patrick Tanguay to collect the opening night checkers with a .257 second margin of victory . Former two-time champ Tanguay took runner-up honors, with Jim Piaseczny of Merrimack closing out the podium in third.
Fourth spot went to Nottingham’s Zac Fraser, followed by veteran Paul Palen of Pelham, Clement, Jake Michaud of Lebanon, ME, Eric Hoffman of Newmarket, Dylan Bilodeau of Epping, and Kevin Aberle of Wilmington, MA.
The first race of the 2016 Tri-City Line-X Ironman campaign was hard fought from green to checker, with 2015 Pure Stock champion Jesse Tellier of Pelham taking down the win in the new Midnight Motorsports entry, making the move up after dominating the Pure Stocks for the past two seasons.
Local favorite Ryan Pitkin put in a strong run to collect second at the checkers, with Adam Knowles of Seabrook, Ryan Washburn, Jamie Holland, Shane Horvath of Nottingham, defending champ Troy Washburn of Rochester, Joe LaPorte, John Blanchard, and Travis Hollins the rest of the top ten.
Epping’s Tyler Mailhot grabbed the Pure Stock win in an impressive green-to-checker run, with Danielle Evans of Lebanon, ME and Scott Farrington closing out the podium in second and third.
On Friday, June 3rd, the Granite State Pro Stocks along with our NASCAR Whelen All-American Series; Super Modifieds, Late Model Sportsmans, Hobby Stocks, Ironman and the Pure Stock Division will be racing. Racing begins at 7pm. Call Lee’s office for more information at 978-462-4252.
Sources: Lee USA Speedway PR