Lee USA Speedway 6-25-21 Race Report
Lee, NH –Veteran racer Charlie Colby put in an impressive performance and outdistanced multiple time 2021m winner Bryan Kruczek of Newmarket to score his first feature win of the season in the Rodfather Late Model Sportsmen at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night.
Colby started alongside polesitter Skeeter Bearce in the main, but he quickly powered his way past and into the lead. Kruczek meanwhile had started mid-pack, but he was soon broke out of the pack into the second spot and set his sights on leader Colby.
At the crossed flags, it was still Colby setting the pace, and although Kruczek got to within a couple of car lengths, there was no stopping Colby’s drive to victory lane, his first visit to the winner’s circle this season.
Kruczek chased the winner across the stripe to earn a solid runner-up finish, with reigning champion Frankie Eldredge coming home third. Rookie contender Cam Huntress of Rochester picked up a fourth place finish, with Steve Paquette rounding out the top five.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Six Shooters had double features on tap, and rookie Michael Yeaton appeared to be the man to beat in the first race of the night. Yeaton broke out to the early lead and stayed there for the distance to score the apparent victory.
Yeaton did well on the track, but not so good in tech, where he failed post-race inspection. The win was instead awarded to Tewksbury, MA driver Christin DeStefano, giving her win number two of the 2021m campaign.
When the post-race shuffle of the finishing order was complete, Travis Hollins got runner-up honors, with Adam Knowles, Brandon Mailhot, and Chris Hadley making up the rest of the top five.
In the nightcap, Hadley raced past polesitter Jesse Tellier to grab the lead on lap two, then held off a strong race-long challenge from eventual runner-up Mailhot to collect his first career Lee USA Speedway checkered flag. Hollins, DeStefano, and Knowles were third through fifth.
Like Yeaton, Ernie Coates appeared to have things going his way in the MLM Diagnostics Pure Stocks, and he would have had his first career Lee USA win. But a similar fate came his way, as a post-race DQ at tech handed the win over to Justin Faford. Zach McGrath, Donnie McCaffrey, Bill Faford, and Jimmy Decourcy rounded out the top five.
Next up at Lee USA will be a very special Fourth of July weekend event, featuring the stars and cars of the Granite State Pro Stock Series. The GSPSS always puts on a spectacular show when they visit New Hampshire’s Center of Speed.
It’s also Round #2 of the Norm Wrenn III Triple Crown Series for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Sportsmen, Street Stocks, Six Shooters, and Pure Stocks, plus there will be a spectacular fireworks show to close out the night’s festivities.
Sources: Rich Hayes/Lee USA Speedway PR