Lee USA Speedway 5/19/17 Race Report
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway raised the curtain on the 2017 weekly racing season on Friday night, with defending Super champion Dave “Hollywood” Helliwell of Salem making a statement in his first ride aboard the storied Witkum Brothers Racing entry, taking down the checkers for the season opening win in the Rodfather-sponsored NASCAR Whelen All American Series Supermodified feature.
ISMA Supermodified veteran Jamie Timmons led the early laps of the main, clicking off some impressive laps in the machine normally steered by Kyle Sawyer, setting a torrid pace over the first half of the 30-lap main event. Helliwell moved up to challenge Timmons shortly after the crossed flags, and made the winning pass to take over the point on lap 18, going the distance from there to post the win.
Car owners Bobby and Ed Witkum, Sr. joined Helliwell for the victory lane ceremonies, with Timmons and multi-time champion Tommy Tombarello, Jr. of Haverhill, MA rounding out the podium. Fourth spot went to Leslie Keyser of Northfield, with Mike Spurling of Rochester, Kingston’s Moe Lattime, Meredith veteran Jim Barker, Mike Keddy of Raymond, and P.J. Murphy of Groveland, MA the rest of the top ten.
Salem’s Jay Ryan jumped out from the pole to grab the early lead in the R & R “The Tool Store and More” Late Model Sportsman main event, but he quickly fell to the charge of Bedford based second-generation racer Kris Miller, who moved to the lead on lap three, and quickly began to distance himself from the field.
Miller ripped off some impressive laps as the field sorted out behind, and the further they went, the more obvious it became that it nobody was going to be able to catch the race leader. Frankie Eldredge of Stratham was up to second on lap 23, when a late race restart gave him a shot, but Miller was up to the task and held on to post the win.
Eldredge checkered second, with Nate Leavitt of Buxton, ME taking home a hard earned third place finish. 2014 champ Jay Sands of Hampton was fourth, followed by defending champion Jimmy Russell of Exeter, George Helliwell of Pelham, Newmarket’s Bryan Kruczek, Erick Sands of Hampton, and Trevor Randlett of Holderness.
The David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stock main saw Torrey Kovalesky of Atkinson out to the early lead, with Pelham’s Paul Palen quickly up to challenge in the Traditional Mortgage-sponsored entry. Palen made his way past Kovalesky to the lead on lap five, and it was all but over from there.
Palen held off a late race challenge from Lebanon, Me ace Chris “Rooftop” Harding, and went on to collect the opening night checkers. Harding posted a solid runner-up run, with rookie contender Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. of Hooksett third, Jim Piaseczny of Epsom, and Kovalesky rounding out the top five.
In the Tri City Line-X Ironman main event, hometown hero Ryan Pitkin and James Witkum of Methuen, MA ran under the checkers first and second, but both fell victim to the DQ blues when the tech staff got done with them, handing the opening night win to Tewksbury, MA driver Christin DeStefano.
Sophomore racer and multi-time feature winner in 2016, Jamie “Haulin” Holland of Somersworth was credited with the runner-up finish, followed by second generation racer Brandon Washburn, and former champs Troy Washburn of Farmington and Travis Hollins of Milford.
John Boomhower of Epping outlasted fellow Epping-ite Anthony Nadeau to score the win in the season opening feature event for the MLM Diagnostics Pure Stocks. Rob Carleton of Newbury, MA and Danielle Evans of Berwick, ME were next across the stripe.
The next event on the calendar at Lee USA is a special Saturday afternoon event on May 27, with the Valenti Modified Racing Series, New England Pro-4 Modifieds, Northeast Classic Lites, INEX Legends, and Bandoleros making up the racing card.
For more information on this or any upcoming event, call the race hotline at 978-462-4252, log on to www.leeusaspeedway.com, or find us on Facebook.
Sources: Lee USA Speedway PR