Payea Gets Back on Track with Spring Green Win

By admin May 12, 2019 ACT, ACT LM Tour, White Mountain Motorsports Park

Woodstock, NH – Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea showed the heart of a two-time defending ACT Champion on Saturday, May 11 by taking his first win of the season in the Caron Fabrication Spring Green at N. Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motosports Park (WMMP). Payea took the lead for good on lap 66 of the 119-lap event and held strong over the second half of the event for his 16th career ACT Late Model Tour victory.

Combined with his heat race victory and lap leader bonuses, Payea earned the maximum amount of points possible at an ACT event. The big day was sorely needed by Payea and his RPM Racing team after they stunningly failed to make the main event at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road just six days before.

Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell started on the pole by virtue of earning a +8 in qualifying under ACT’s “plus-minus” system. But after a caution came out for a multi-car tangle just one lap into the event, it was Graniteville, VT’s Christopher Pelkey sticking his nose out front. The sophomore ACT runner led the next 10 laps before Helliwell regained the top spot.

The three-time ACT Champion continued to pace the field until the third caution came out on lap 28 for Mike Kenison’s spin. Plainfield, NH’s Rich Dubeau had started to challenge Helliwell prior to the caution, and when the green flag flew again, Dubeau swept around the outside into the lead.

All the while, Payea had been following Dubeau to the front from his seventh starting spot. Payea got around Helliwell for second on lap-35 and had Dubeau in his sights when the fourth yellow flag flew on lap-48 for Trent Goodrow’s accident. Helliwell was forced to retire from the event during the same caution for personal reasons.

The outside proved the fast way once again on the restart with Payea moving into the lead for the first time. Three laps later, seven-time White Mountain Motorsports Park Champion Quinny Welch of Groveton, NH took over the second spot. After the fifth and final caution on lap 63 for Jesse Switser’s spin, Welch was able to poke his bumper in front for two laps before Payea moved back on top. Welch gave it everything he had over the final 54 laps, but Payea hung steady through traffic and eventually took the win by six car lengths.

Welch’s second-place finish matched the best result ever by a WMMP regular in an ACT event at the track. Dubeau took third and unofficially moved into the points lead by three over Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert, who came from 18th to finish fourth. Patrick Laperle, rookie Ryan Kuhn, Pelkey, Tyler Cahoon, Mathieu Kingsbury, and Stacy Cahoon rounded out the top-10. All results are unofficial pending further technical inspection.

Kingsbury, Welch, and Payea won qualifying heats. Oren Remick and Hebert won the consolation races while Corey Mason took the last-chance B-Feature. Thirty-six cars attempted to qualify with 30 starting the main event.

In the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, defending champion Shane Sicard of Barton, VT picked up right where he left off with a season-opening win. Sicard crossed the line second in the caution-free 35-lap feature but inherited the win when Christian Laflamme was disqualified for a suspension infraction.

Apparent third-place finisher Nathaniel Parkin was also disqualified for a chassis infraction. This handed the second spot to E. Burke, VT’s Colin Cornell with Morrisville, VT’s Dwayne Lanphear completing the podium. Jaden Perry, Stephen Clark, Kevin Boutin Jr., Kelsea Woodard, Jody Sicard, Matt Potter, and Brad Bushey completed the top-10.

Barton, VT’s Adam Sicard also got his title defense off on the right foot by beating out a huge Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini field for the win. A rough start to the event played into Sicard’s hands as he sliced from the 14th starting position to grab the lead on lap 5 of the 25-lap event. He then survived one more caution and cruised to the victory.

Bethlehem, NH’s Dustin Jackson finished second with Jason Fallman third. Rusty Drew III, Brett Jackson, Colby Bourgeois, Scott Senecal, John Knight, Les Washburn, and Ryan Ware also earned top-10 finishes.

Dunbarton, NH’s Norman Forest lucked into a season-opening victory in the WMMP Dwarf Cars. Forest was running third with two laps left in the 20-lap feature when Andy Hill got into the back of Bobby Brown in turn four, sending Brown for a spin and earning both drivers a trip to the rear. Forest held off Campton, NH’s Dave Gyger on the green-white-checkered sprint to the finish.

Worcester, VT’s Ethan Tyrrell got his first podium finish in third. He was followed by Jason Wyman, Chad Dufour, Cody Wyman, Eric Boucher, Brown, Hill, and Jeff Ainsworth.

Berwick, ME’s Owen Bouche grabbed the lead on lap 6 of the 15-lap Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Truck feature and sailed off to the win. Luke Peters came in second while Luke Shannon made a late pass for third.

The ACT Late Model Tour opens the Summer Kickoff Series on Saturday, June 1 at Vallée-Jct., QC’s Autodrome Chaudiere. The Claude Leclerc 150 is the first of three $5,000 (USD)-to-win events in the month of June and is also part of a Quebec doubleheader with the following day’s Jean-Paul Cabana 125 at Circuit Riverside Ste-Croix. Post time is 6:00pm.

White Mountain Motorsports Park is back in action on Saturday, May 18 at 6:30pm with 7-Eleven of Lincoln Night. The Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers will go 75 laps in the opener of their Triple Crown series. The Foley Oil & Propane Late Models, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis, Dwarf Cars, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks are also in action.

For more information, contact the ACT and WMMP offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com or www.whitemountainmotorsports.com.

CARON FABRICATION SPRING GREEN
WHITE MOUNTAIN MOTORSPORTS PARK
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
ACT LATE MODEL TOUR
Pos., Start Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown, Laps

 

  1. (7) Scott Payea (37VT), Colchester, VT, 119 Laps
  2. (12) Quinten Welch (78NH), Groveton, NH, 119 Laps
  3. (6) Rich Dubeau (30NH), Plainfield, NH, 119 Laps
  4. (18) Jimmy Hebert (58VT), Williamstown, VT, 119 Laps
  5. (13) Patrick Laperle (91QC), St-Denis, QC, 119 Laps
  6. (5) #Ryan Kuhn (72MA), E. Bridgewater, MA, 119 Laps
  7. (2) Christopher Pelkey (64VT), Graniteville, VT, 119 Laps
  8. (17) Tyler Cahoon (38VT), Danville, VT, 119 Laps
  9. (11) Mathieu Kingsbury (9QC), Blainville, QC, 119 Laps
  10. (10) Stacy Cahoon (83VT), St. Johnsbury, VT, 119 Laps
  11. (23) Jean-Francois Dery (21QC), Quebec, QC, 119 Laps
  12. (20) #Stephen Donahue (2VT), Graniteville, VT, 119 Laps
  13. (25) Jeff Marshall (32NH), Gilman, VT, 119 Laps
  14. (19) Joel Hodgdon (36VT), Craftsbury Common, VT, 119 Laps
  15. (21) Claude Leclerc (11QC), Lanoraie, QC, 118 Laps
  16. (4) Oren Remick (21NH), Monroe, NH, 118 Laps
  17. (24) Corey Mason (1NH), Groveton, NH, 118 Laps
  18. (9) Dylan Payea (7NH), Milton, VT, 118 Laps
  19. (28) Peyton Lanphear (22VT), Waterbury, VT, 116 Laps
  20. (27) Scott Coburn (72VT), Barre, VT, 116 Laps
  21. (29) David LaBrecque (57NH), Thornton, NH, 116 Laps
  22. (15) Chip Grenier (9VT), Graniteville, VT, 85 Laps
  23. (30) Reilly Lanphear (21VT), Waterbury, VT, 71 Laps
  24. (3) Jesse Switser (10ME), Whitfield, NH, 63 Laps
  25. (14) Scott Corey (22NH), Lyndonville, VT, 63 Laps
  26. (26) #Trent Goodrow (31MA), Carver, MA, 63 Laps
  27. (1) Wayne Helliwell Jr. (27NH), Dover, NH, 48 Laps
  28. (8) Mike Kenison (3NH), Lancaster, NH, 28 Laps
  29. (16) Craig Bushey (05VT), Fairfax, VT, 1 Laps
  30. (22) Jonathan Bouvrette (41QC), Blainville, QC, 1 Laps

Lap Leaders: Wayne Helliwell Jr. 1, Christopher Pelkey 2-11, Helliwell 12-28, Rich Dubeau 29-48, Scott Payea 49-63, Quinny Welch 64-65, Payea 66-119. (6 lead changes among 5 drivers)

Time of Race: 57:40   Margin of Victory: 6 car lengths

Cautions: 5 (laps 1, 20, 28, 48, 63)

Heat Winners: Mathieu Kingsbury, Quinny Welch, Scott Payea

Consi Winners: Oren Remick, Jimmy Hebert

B-Feature Winner: Corey Mason

WELLS RIVER CHEVROLET FLYING TIGERS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

  1. Shane Sicard (4NH) Barton, VT
  2. Colin Cornell (54VT) E. Burke, VT
  3. Dwayne Lanphear (40VT) Morrisville, VT
  4. Jaden Perry (92VT) Hardwick, VT
  5. Stephen Clark (55NH) Littleton, NH
  6. Kevin Boutin Jr. (25NH) Fairfax, VT
  7. Kelsea Woodard (55VT) Waterbury Ctr., VT
  8. Jody Sicard (49NH) Gilmanton, NH
  9. Matthew Potter (23VT) Marshfield, VT
  10. Brad Bushey (52VT) Vergennes, VT
  11. Michael Potter (23NH) Plainfield, VT
  12. John Donahue (26VT) Graniteville, VT

DSQ Christian Laflamme (10NH) Whitefield, NH

DSQ Nathaniel Parkin (88NH) Bradford, VT

WOODSVILLE GUARANTY SAVINGS BANK STRICTLY STOCK MINIS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

  1. Adam Sicard (16) Barton, VT
  2. Dustin Jackson (37) Bethlehem, NH
  3. Jason Fallman (21)
  4. Rusty Drew III (4) Franklin, NH
  5. Brett Jackson (31) Bethlehem, NH
  6. Colby Bourgeois (82) St. Johnsbury, VT
  7. Scott Senercal (1) Lisbon, NH
  8. John Knight (12) Franklin, NH
  9. Les Washburn (11)
  10. Ryan Ware (32) Littleton, NH
  11. Darren Newland (25)
  12. Nate Walton (88) Derby Line, VT
  13. Laci Potter (55)
  14. #Jillian Baumgardner (14) N. Woodstock, NH
  15. John Shedd (43)
  16. #Gavin McGinnis (10) St. Johnsbury, VT
  17. #Andrew Kachmarik (94) Maidstone, VT
  18. #Jack Hayes (09) Littleton, NH
  19. Jonathan Baker (22)
  20. Richard Stockwell (77) Canaan, NH
  21. Keith Lord (17) Berlin, NH
  22. Craig Hurley (02) Greenville, NH
  23. Dave Driscoll (19) N. Woodstock, NH
  24. #Andrew Kachmarik (94) Maidstone, VT
  25. #Gavin McGinnis (10) St. Johnsbury, VT
  26. Joe Giddings (41) Waterford, VT
  27. #Tyler Thompson (51) Littleton, NH
  28. Santana Merritt (07) Haverhill, NH

 DWARF CARS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

  1. Norman Forest (01) Dunbarton, NH
  2. Dave Gyger (93) Campton, NH
  3. Ethan Tyrrell (23) Worcester, VT
  4. Jason Wyman (88) Easton, NH
  5. Chad Dufour (52) Littleton, NH
  6. Cody Wyman (00)
  7. Eric Boucher (4) Berwick, ME
  8. Bobby Brown (27) Lincoln, NH
  9. Andy Hill (8) Waterford, VT
  10. Jeff Ainsworth (41) Bethlehem, NH
  11. Alfred O’Haire (09)
  12. Tommy Smithers (60) Gilmanton, NH

 DADS 4 BY TOOL & SUPPLY KIDS TRUCKS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

  1. Owen Boucher (77) Berwick, ME
  2. Luke Peters (26) Groton, VT
  3. Luke Shannon (13) 0
  4. Ryan Bevins (7) Colchester, VT
  5. Thomas Smithers, VI (24) Gilmanton, NH
  6. Dominic Warren (9) Concord, VT

Sources: Michael R. Stridsberg/American-Canadian Tour PR

(IMG_0165.JPG): Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea (center) celebrates his victory in the Caron Fabrication Spring Green while flanked by runner-up Quinny Welch (right) and third-place finisher Rich Dubeau (near left). (Mark Alan Sumner photo)