Lee USA Speedway 7/23/21 Race Report
Lee, NH – After waiting out some afternoon showers, Lee USA Speedway presented round two of the Norm Wrenn III Triple Crown on Friday night, featuring the four NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series divisions, along with special appearances by the Pro-4 Modifieds and the Northeast Classic Lites as part of the 2021m edition of the Norm’s Birthday event.
The late Wrenn’s dad, track owner “Stormin” Norman” Wrenn took part in the Pro-4 Mod portion of the program, coming up just short of the victory in the division he once dominated. Wrenn was joined by a huge crowd of family and friends in the post-race celebration. Longtime Pro-4 competitor Rob Richardi, Jr. took down the win.
Tom Harwood powered past polesitter Jason Hodgdon to grab the early lead in the Northeast Classic Lites main, and he quickly opened up a healthy lead as the field sorted out behind. Jimmy Ryder, winner the last time the Classic Lites were in town, was next to break free, but Harwood was already long gone.
Ryder narrowed the gap slightly over the second half of the race, but there was no stopping Harwood on his drive to victory lane. Ryder was next across the stripe in the second spot with Andrew Harmon rounding out the podium in third.
Multi-time champ Frankie Eldredge led the early going in the Rodfather Late Model Sportsmen main, but it was once again Bryan Kruczek getting it done, taking down the win aboard the Bobby Webber Racing #19 machine with another impressive run.
The win was Kruczek’s seventh of the season, moving him ever closer to the top of the points parade. Charlie Colby slipped past Eldredge in the late going to finish in the runner-up spot, with Eldredge, rookie Cam Huntress, and Steve Paquette the remainder of the top five.
In the R&R Race Parts Street Stocks, Travis Hollins quickly grabbed the lead when flagman Dave Tibbetts let them loose, but his time out front was short-lived, as Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. soon moved past and took over the point.
Max Dolliver followed Renfrew to the front, and by halfway, was battling hard for the top spot. Renfrew and Dolliver swapped the lead several times in the second half of the race, but their lead battle ended with five to go, when contact ended their chances of victory.
“Downtown” Kevin Brown found himself in the lead for the restart, and he stayed out front to the checkers to score his first win of the season. Former champ Patrick Tanguay was next across the stripe, with Matt Robinson rounding out the top three.
Renfrew charged back in the final five circuits to salvage a fourth place run, while early leader Hollins closed out the top five.
Adam Knowles jumped out from the pole to lead the first half of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Six Shooter feature, setting the pace while Christin DeStefano and Travis Hollins battled hard for the second spot. But Dakotah Decourcy brought caution on the field with a spin on lap 17, and that changed everything.
Hollins slipped past DeStefano on the restart, and when leader Knowles drifted high, Hollins ducked to the low side and came away with the lead. Once out front, he was good to go, leading them all under the checkers for his third win of the year.
Knowles held on for second over a late-closing Jake Michaud, with DeStefano, Mike Yeaton, Tom Harton, Chris Jones, Decourcy, David Piper, and Trystin Bodwell finishing up the top ten.
Crowd favorite Justin Faford finally shook the monkey off his back in the MLM Diagnostic Services Pure Stock main, getting to the lead early and going the distance to collect his first checkered flag of the 2021m season.
A threat to win whenever he visits Lee USA, Vermont racer Kodi Sabins challenged Faford in the late going, and coming off turn four for the final time, he looked to the low side, coming up just a few feet short at the checkers. Zach McGrath, Ernie Coates, and Noah McGrath were the rest of the top five.
Sources; Rich Hayes/Lee USA Speedway PR