Lee USA Speedway 8/10/18 Race Report
Lee, NH – The thundering 900 horsepower winged machines of the International Supermodified Association (ISMA) invaded Lee USA Speedway on Friday night for the annual running of the Ollie Silva Memorial Classis 75-lap event, with crowd favorite Mike Ordway, Jr. of Windham, ME taking down the win.
It was Ordway’s first win at Lee in the ISMA ranks, but he’s certainly no stranger to victory lane at the seacoast speedplant, having spent many a Friday night there early in his career aboard a weekly small-block Super, where he eventually earned himself a track championship.
These days, the 2007 ISMA Rookie of the Year pilots the famed Clyde Booth #61, a ride once driven by his dad, Mike, Sr. The elder Ordway was a two-time ISMA champion back in the late 1990’s, and sits fourth on the all-time win list with 33 victories, five of which came right here at “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed”.
Pre-race ceremonies included the annual visit by Bentley Warrens’ charity motorcycle ride to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp, with a record number of bikes touring the oval when they arrived, complete with a police escort. Bentley and Grand Marshall Russ Conway then paced the main in a beautifully restored ’32 Ford flathead convertible.
The field of 17 Supers roared under starter Bryon Callen’s green flag with 2017 race winner Michael Muldoon of Baldwinsville, NY on the pole, but Ordway quickly made his way past and into the lead. He led the first half of the race to pick up the E.F. Shea Concrete Products $1,000 halfway bonus, and the second half of the race to take the checkers by a comfortable margin.
Well behind Ordway’s dominating run, 2009 race winner Mark Sammut of London, Ontario, Canada was next across the stripe to finish second, followed by another local favorite and former Lee small-block hotshoe, Dan Bowes of Epping. Bowes recently scored his first career ISMA win at Jukasa Speedway, and came into the race tied atop the ISMA point standings.
Unofficial results for the Ollie Silva Memorial 75: 1. 61 Mike Ordway Jr., 2. 78 Mark Sammut, 3. 25 Dan Bowes, 4. 1E Kyle Edwards, 5. 21 Jon McKennedy, 6. 11 Chris Perley, 7. 32 Ben Seitz, 8. 7 Otto Sitterly, 9. 98 Tyler Thompson, 10. 97 Timmy Jedrzejek, 11. 27 Jamie Timmons, 12. 19 Trent Stephens, 13. 15 Michael Muldoon, 14. 84 Mike Lichty, 15. 9 Dan Lane, 16. 51 Dave Duggan, 17. 74 Rob Summers
In NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action, Newmarket’s Bryan Kruczek and Salem’s George Helliwell battled right down to the wire in the R & R Public Wholesalers Late Model Sportsman main, with Kruczek out front at the checkers.
Groton, MA veteran Bobby Melvin survived an early-race incident to cross the line in third, despite some obvious front-end damage. Fourth went to Kris Miller of Bedford, with Geoff Rollins of Groton, MA fifth.
Rochester’s Mike Spurling broke a season-long drought to collect his first Rodfather Supermodified victory of 2018, with rookie sensation Jeffrey Battle of Westford, MA taking runner-up honors. Leslie Keyser of Northfield rounded out the podium in third, with two-time champ Dave “Hollywood” Helliwell of Pelham and Mike Murphy of Groveland, MA rounding out the top five.
Alby Ovitt once again outclassed the field to pick up his sixth win of the 2018 campaign in the Race Parts NH Street Stock main event, with Patrick Tanguay coming home in second. Third spot went to Londonderry’s “Mad Max” Dolliver, with Michele Fushpanski and Pete Evans finishing up the top five.
Brandon Mailhot picked up career win number one in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Ironman feature, holding off the Midnight Motorsports duo of Christin and Brian DeStefano to post the victory. Jamie Holland checkered fourth, with Adam Knowles closing out the top five.
Tyler Mailhot topped the MLM Diagnostics Pure Stocks, with Jacob Michaud second and rookie Cam Huntress taking down third place honors.
Next up at Lee USA Speedway on Friday, August 17, is the annual Lance Davis Memorial for Street Stocks, along with a full program of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing featuring the Late Model Sportsmen, Supermodifieds, Ironmen, and Pure Stocks.
For more information on this or any upcoming event, log on to www.leeusaspeedway.com, or find us on Facebook.
Sources: Rich Hayes/Lee USA Speedway PR