Star Speedway 6/27/20 Race Report
Epping, NH – As has been the case many times in recent seasons, Star Speedway beat the weather to complete a full program of racing on Saturday. The Ken Izzett Construction Late Models were the featured event of the day, contesting a 75-lap event worth over $2,700 to the winner.
The race attracted entries from all over the New England region, with LM legend Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of nearby Dover posting the win after an impressive run from a fifth row starting spot. Helliwell sat tenth on the grid when the green waved, but by lap 15, he was already up to the fifth position.
Helliwell was fourth at lap 25, and that’s when he really kicked it into gear. Two laps later, he slipped past Robby Douglas to take over third, with Erick Sands next to fall to his charge on lap 29. Ryan Lineham had set the early pace and still led the way at lap 30, but Helliwell had him in his sights.
He looked underneath for the lead on lap 32, but a spin by defending LM champ Josh Hedges brought out the caution and reset the field for a restart. Helliwell wasted little time knocking Lineham off the point, but there was plenty of racing left.
A pair of lap 43 spins brought out another yellow, and things got bad in a hurry on the restart. Running third at the time, Robby Douglas got out of shape as the field headed back to the green, collecting George Maroun and Randy Cole in a hard crash at the start/finish line.
Maroun’s car climbed up and over Douglas’, nearly flipping before he came to a stop against the retaining wall at the end of the straightaway. None of the drivers involved was injured.
After the track crew cleaned up the wreck, a quick shower added a few more minutes of delay, but Helliwell picked right up where he left off when racing resumed. At the checkers, it was Helliwell in for the win, with Lineham, Erick Sands, Ryan Morgan of Franklin, CT, and Bill Helliwell of Litchfield closing out the top five.
Veteran Bill Clement scored his first-ever Star Speedway win in the main event for the Woody’s Auto Street Stocks, outrunning Adam Lovejoy and Jim Storace to take the victory. Ron Bolduc took fourth, with Justin Beecher fifth.
The Mia’s Jewelry Slingshots ran their inaugural race, and it entertained the crowd with plenty of fender-banging and paint swapping along the way. T.J Laro of Franklin, NH picked up the win, with Josh Hodgdon of Scarboro, ME, and Drew Morse of Buxton, ME rounding out the podium.
Brickyard Co. Mini Stock ace Andrew Harmon of Farmington rolled to a convincing win in the feature event, with Tyler Chase, Dan Sweeney, Aaron Day, and Jesse Copp filling out the top five.
Next up is a special Sunday afternoon event on July 5, featuring the 350 Supers, Late Models, Six Shooters, Pure Stocks, and Slingshots.
Sources: Rich Hayes/Star Speedway PR