Lee USA Speedway 8/12/16 Race Report
Lee, NH – The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models invaded Lee USA Speedway for their second appearance of the 2016 season at “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed”, with Granite Stater Derek Griffith of Hudson collecting his first career series win in the 150-lap main event.
Griffith outdueled series veteran Derek Ramstrom of West Boylston, MA, after chasing the early-race leader over the first third of the event, then swapping the lead back and forth several times in the late stages of the race before finally moving ahead for good.
At the checkers, it was Griffith in for his first career PASS win, with all of the biggest names in Super Late Model racing following him across the stripe. Ramstrom finished second, with Johnny Clark, Travis Benjamin, Jeremy Davis, DJ Shaw, Ben Rowe, Mike Hopkins, Joey Pole, and ageless veteran Mike Rowe rounding out the top ten.
The PASS Modifieds ran a 40-lap main event as part of the support program, with former Lee USA Supermodified competitor Ben Tinker of New Gloucester, ME taking down the win. Tinker looked right at home in the Lee USA winner’s circle, returning to the scene of his early open wheel career success.
Geoff Rollins of Groton, MA, who spent a good portion of his career in weekly Lee USA Late Model Sportsman competition, garnered a second-place finish at the checkers. Dana Reed of Shapleigh, ME, Andy Shaw of Center Conway, and Dixfield, ME’s Ryan Robbins rounded out the top five.
Lee USA’s weekly EKeys4cars Supermodifieds ran a 30-lap feature event, and it was rookie driver Dave “Hollywood” Helliwell who was the king of the hill in the main event. Helliwell moved past polesitter Mike Spurling of Rochester to take the lead on lap two, and he was quickly off to the races.
Helliwell was in command from that point on, leading the rest of the way to collect his fourth feature win of the season. Spurling gave chase once he lost the top spot, and he was the best of the rest at the checkers. Kingston’s Moe Lattime collected another solid podium finish in the third spot aboard the Dick Osborne entry.
Mike Netishen of Auburn made his 2016 debut with an impressive fourth place run, with Jim Lowrey, Jr. of Tilton, Mike Keddy of Raymond, Leslie Keyser of Northfield, P.J. Murphy of Groveland, MA, Jim Barker of Meredith, and Lance Barthelemy of Fremont rounding out the top ten.
The R & R Public Wholesalers Late Model Sportsmen ran a special 50-lap main event, with points leader Nate Leavitt of Buxton, ME taking down the win. Former champ Grant Aither of Exeter was first out of the gate to lead the way, and he stayed out front until lap 38, when Leavitt snuck past and took over the top spot while Aither spun from contention.
Bedford rookie Kris Miller took up the chase when Aither left the lead battle, but he was no match for Leavitt, who went on to collect his third win of the season. Miller was the only one within striking distance at the checkers, taking home an impressive runner-up finish.
Second place points man Jimmy Russell of Exeter finished the 50-lap run in third, followed by Newmarket’s Bryan Kruczek, Ray Dinsmore of Waterboro, ME, George Helliwell of Pelham, Aither, Patrick Stewart of Georgetown, MA, Mike St. Pierre, and Jesse Bousquet of Pittsfield.
Former two-time champion Patrick Tanguay of Lebanon, ME tightened up the battle at the top of the point standings in the David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stocks, taking down his second feature win of the season to move within a couple of points of second place running Paul Palen of Pelham.
Dylan Bilodeau of Fremont continues to lead the points parade, but after another early retirement and a 13th place finish, it’s anybody’s championship to win or lose with just four races remaining in the 2016 points season. Bilodeau’s point lead is now 14 points over Palen, with Tanguay just two further back.
Dumas finished the night in the second spot, with Palen third, former LMS champ Ryan Green of Berwick, ME fourth, and Jake Michaud of Lebanon, ME fifth. Sixth went to Zac Fraser of Nottingham, followed by Kenny Piaseczny of Center Barnstead, Mike Reynolds of Kansas City, KS, Jay Avery of Berwick, ME, and Tyler Munroe of North Andover, MA.
Points leader Ryan Pitkin of Lee made a return trip to victory lane in the Tri-City Line-X Ironman feature event, taking down his fifth feature win of the season. Former champ Travis Hollins of Milford checkered second, with Jamie Holland, Troy Washburn, Adam Knowles, Ryan Washburn, Chris Howard, Joe LaPorte, Luke Grammont, and James Witkum the rest of the top ten.
Sources: Lee USA Speedway PR