Star Speedway 7/20/19 Race Report
Epping, NH – Star Speedway was celebrating Christmas in July on Saturday night, and temperatures nearing the 100-degree mark made it feel like anything but. The Bob Webber, Sr. Memorial race for 350 Supermodifieds headlined the program, with Mike Collins of Strafford taking down the prestigious win.
Brad Babb of Windham, ME broke out to the early lead, but he was brought back to the field by a caution when Tommy Tombarello, Jr. of Haverhill, MA and Eddie Witkum, Jr. of Westford, MA got together and collected the frontstretch wall. Both drivers were done for the night.
James Witkum of Methuen, MA was quickly up to challenge Babb, but the two got together, and while they gathered themselves up, Collins moved past and into the lead. A late-race restart set up a green-white-checker finish, where Collins held off a bid from Jeffrey Battle of Westford, MA to score the victory.
Dave Helliwell of Pelham was third, with James Witkum, Rich Eaton of Seabrook, Jim Storace of Kingston, Billy Osborne of Plaistow, Bobby Timmons III of Windham, ME, Mike Elliot of Pittsfield, and Babb rounding out the top ten.
In the Ken Izzett Construction ACT-type Late Models, Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. of Candia made it back-to-back wins with a dominating performance. Jeramee Lillie of West Warwick, RI came home in the runner-up slot, with Erick Sands of Hampstead outfinishing points leader Josh Hedges of Rochester, MA by inches to finish third. Jay Sands of Hampton rounded out the top five.
Another exciting Woody’s Auto Street Stock main event saw points leader Alby Ovitt of Barrington and Joey “The Jet” Ventrillo of Methuen, MA battling side by side over the second half of the race, taking turns leading laps along the way.
Ventrillo hung tough in the low groove, while Ovitt stuck to his familiar high side looking to get yet another win. Anthony Belfiore of Hampstead joined the leaders to make it a three-car shootout with the laps counting down, but contact sent both Belfiore and Ventrillo hard into the turn three wall.
Ovitt held off Chris Curtis on the restart and went on to pick up the win, with former champ Ron Bolduc of Plaistow avoiding the late-race trouble to finish third. Fourth went to Shane Gendron of Tyngsboro, with Jim Storace of Kingston, Chase Curtis, Dylan Bilodeau of Fremont, Jaret Curtis, Luke Grammont of Raymond, and Don Woodburn of Kingston the rest of the top ten.
Top honors in the Brickyard Mini Stocks went to Andrew Harmon of Farmington, who once again had to make significant repairs during the week due to a wreck while racing elsewhere while the Minis had a week off at Star. Aaron Day of Rochester, Tyler Chase of Sandown, Adam Perkins of Lowell, MA, and Dan Sweeney of Barrington were second through fifth.
Seabrook’s Adam Knowles grabbed the win in the Maddy’s Car Wash Six Shooter main, with Josh Bilodeau of Epping scoring his best finish of the 2019 season the second spot. J.T. Cashman of Danvers, MA was third, with Brandon Flanders of Seabrook and Brandon Mailhot of Epping closing out the top five.
Next up at Star on Saturday, July 27, it’s the highly-anticipated SBM VIII Modified event, along with a full support program of racing action.
Sources: Rich Hayes/Star Speedway PR