Lee USA Speedway 6/7/19 Race Report
Lee, NH – After winning the first two main events of the season, Bill Helliwell of Pelham had established himself as the man to beat in the Rodfather Late Model Sportsman division at Lee USA Speedway, and his brother George did just that, picking up his first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series win of the season on Friday night.
George blasted by polesitter and heat winner Bobby Baillargeon of Kingston to grab the lead on lap one, and he never looked back, leading every lap on his way to victory. Brother “Billistic Bill” had worked his way up to second in the late going, but he was under attack by the resurgent Baillargeon as the laps wound down.
The pair took the white flag side by side, but after another trip around the track, Bedford’s Kris Miller saw an opening underneath the two and ducked to the low side coming off turn four, beating them both to the stripe by inches in a three-wide photo finish. Defending champ Frankie Eldredge of Stratham rounded out the top five.
Patrick Tanguay of Lebanon, ME led early and often in the Race Parts NH Street Stock main event, but defending champion Alby Ovitt of Somersworth moved to the outside and took the lead with five laps remaining, and he led the rest of the way to score the win.
Tanguay took home his second straight runner-up finish, with rookie Devon McConologue of West Newfield, Lewis Anderson of Hollis, ME, and Travis Hollins of Milford rounding out the top five.
Shane Horvath of Northwood scored an emotional win in the Don and Aline Coster Memorial for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Six Shooters, just a week after he and his family laid his grandfather to rest.
The elder Horvath was instrumental in getting Shane’s racing career started back in 2007 when the Six Shooters were known as the Ironmen, and his current Red Cup Racing entry carries a throwback paint and lettering scheme that mirrors Shane’s first racer, built from a car donated by his Grandpa.
Seabrook’s Adam Knowles shadowed Horvath for most of the race, but when he opted to head to the high side in a last-ditch effort late in the race, he was left hanging and lost out on a podium finish at the checkers.
2017 champ Christin DeStefano of Tewksbury, MA moved up late to claim the runner-up finish, with opening night winner Brandon Mailhot of Epping taking third. Knowles was scored fourth, with JoJo Roberts making his 2019 debut with a strong fifth place finish.
DeStefano’s Midnight Motorsports teammates, Jesse Tellier of Pelham and 2018 champion and her husband Brian were next in the finishing order, with Paul Childs of Derry, Chris Harding of Lebanon, ME, and fellow Lebanon racer Gary Grenier the rest of the top ten.
Jacob Michaud dusted off his wife Jessica’s car and raced it to victory in the MLM Diagnostic Services Pure Stocks, with Andrew Harmon and opening night winner Shawn Lessard, both of Farmington filling out the podium in second and third.
Jonathan Provost of Hudson was fourth, with Justin Faford of Westminster, MA, Skeeter Bearce of Milford, Tim French of Campton, Jaden Curtis of Buxton, ME, Francis Boivon of Derry, and Cameron Keary the rest of the top ten.
Derrick Marsan led the Northeast Classic Lites main until the two to go mark, when Eric Skofield ducked underneath and moved to the point. Skofield went on to post the win, with his uncle Duane and Marsan rounding out the podium.
The Senior Tour Auto Racers also took part in the night’s action, with Art Merchant picking up the win in the Sportsman portion of the program in a restored Jeff Peabody/Buzzie Bezanson coupe that was a frequent visitor to Lee’s victory lane back in the late 1970s. Tom Trempe scored the STAR Modified win.
Sources: Rich Hayes, Lee USA Speedway PR