Cahoon Gets Monkey Off His Back With Nh Governor’s Cup Victory

By admin July 26, 2021 White Mountain Motorsports Park

N. Woodstock, NH — St. Johnsbury, VT’s Stacy Cahoon finally snapped out of a season-long skid with a victory in the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 24. The reigning Foley Oil & Propane Late Model champion inherited the lead following a crash just past the quarter-pole in the 100-lap special and went on to his first victory of the year.

For Cahoon, it was a welcome breath of fresh air in what had been a disappointing title defense. The longtime White Mountain competitor had posted just three top-10 finishes in the first eight events and sat a distant seventh in points entering the Governor’s Cup. By leading the finial 72 laps, Cahoon showed he hasn’t lost his touch, and the win sets him up to make a run over the final weeks of the season.

With the event being the final tune-up for next Saturday’s $10,000-to-win Midsummer Classic 250, a huge field of 32 Late Models rolled into the pits; 29 eventually started the feature. The intensity and win-or-go-home attitude was apparent right from the get-go, as several early caution flags took out top point runner Alby Ovitt and mangled other potential contenders. As the carnage mounted, the field was given a time-out with 19 laps complete to calm everyone down.

Cahoon was able to navigate through the early missteps and rolled off sixth for the restart as Jeff Marshall and Dillon Moltz led the way. The front duo held the line through two more quick cautions on laps 25 and 26 — which included rookie Kasey Beattie plowing into the turn four tire barrier — as Cahoon moved up to third. However, as Marshall and Moltz duked it out on lap 28, Marshall tagged Moltz in turn three, which sent Moltz spinning to the infield. Cahoon also slid through the infield, but was ruled to have spun to avoid, which made him the leader for the race’s eighth restart.

The field was finally able to put some green flag laps under them, going 41 circuits before a multi-car tango entering turn three that saw Moltz encounter the tire barriers. Moultonborough, NH’s Matthew Morrill had hung with Cahoon before that final yellow. But in the final 31-lap sprint, Morrill’s handling started to go away just as the big dogs began howling.

North Dartmouth, MA’s Derek Gluchacki, an ACT Late Model Tour regular getting ready for the Midsummer 250, came from the 21^st starting position to eventually take second from Morrill on. Foley Oil & Propane Late Model point leader Jimmy Renfrew Jr., eight-time White Mountain champion Quinny Welch, and Granite State Pro Stock Series point leader Gabe Brown were also making hay as the sun went down. None of them could touch Cahoon, though, who cruised to the victory by nearly four seconds.

Gluchacki finished second while Candia, NH’s Renfrew roared from 15^th to take third. Matthew Morrill was a still-impressive fourth. Welch, Brown, Bryan Mason, Beattie, Marshall, and Oren Remick rounded out the top-10.

Barton, VT’s Shane Sicard finally knocked off Waterbury Center, VT’s Jason Woodard to win the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tiger feature. Sicard, the three-time reigning Flying Tiger champion, started sixth in the 35-lap main event and slowly knifed to the front. He settled in behind polesitter Mike Clark just past halfway while East Thetford, VT’s Brandon Gray, the top Flying Tiger rookie at Thunder Road, was on the fly from the 12^th position.

After a caution with 26 laps complete for Matthew Potter’s spin, it was a four-car shootout between Clark, Sicard, Woodard, and Gray. Sicard flew around Clark on the restart to take the lead. A Gray went underneath Clark for the second spot with seven laps to go, Clark lost it off turn two and nailed Gray in the right rear. The contact severely damaged both machines, forcing Sicard’s closest contenders out of the equation.

That handed second to Woodard, giving him a chance to extend his four-race winning streak. This time, however, Sicard finally held the upper hand, outrunning the point leader on the final sprint to get his third win of the season.

Woodard settled for a runner-up, which nonetheless continued his perfect record of podium finishes in 2021. Littleton, NH’s Ryan Ware continued his impressive sophomore season with a third-place effort. Michael Potter, Matthew Potter, Cooper French, Kyle Streeter, Kaiden Fisher, Michael Clark, and Hunter King completed the top-10.

Bethlehem, NH’s Brett Jackson bounced back from a rough Midseason Championships by winning the 25-lap Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini feature. The reigning champion started on the outside pole because of his did-not-finish on double points night. Jackson got the hole shot over polesitter Keri Driscoll on the restart and was holding off Tim Corey when the second and final caution came out with six laps to go.

Littleton, NH’s Tyler Thompson, N. Woodstock, NH’s Donnie Baumgardner went on the charge following the restart, quickly getting past Corey. Thompson made a last-ditch charge at Jackson but came up a car length short as the sexagenarian beat the teenager.

Baumgardner continued his impressive rookie season with a third-place finish. Groveton, NH’s Luke Shannon came in fourth to maintain his point lead. Corey, Todd Derrington, Driscoll, Chris Moulton, Scott Senecal, and Gavi McGinnis were fifth through 10^th.

Easton, NH’s Jason Wyman made defending champions four-for-four on the night by winning the Arnold’s Wayside Diner Dwarf Car feature. Wyman started next-to-last in the 25-lap main event but was already up to second by lap four. He then put the heat on polesitter Chad Dufour until swinging past him on the 12^th circuit.

Lincoln, NH’s “Downtown” Bobby Brown and St. Johnsbury, VT’s Colby Bourgeois chased Wyman out of the back of the pack but could not catch him. Wyman rolled to his second straight victory … while Brown and Bourgeois completed the podium. Tommy Smithers and Dave Gyger were fourth and fifth.

Gilmanton, NH’s Thomas Smithers VI picked up his fourth Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Truck win of the year. St. Johnsbury, VT’s Logan “Cone Eater” Farnsworth started on the pole and led the first two laps before Smithers flew by. Previous week’s winner McKenna Merchant eventually worked her way to second but had nothing for Smithers, who rolled to the victory in a caution-free event. Farnsworth came home third.

White Mountain Motorsports Park hosts the $10,000-to-win Midsummer Classic 250 this Saturday, July 31 at 5:30pm. The ACT Late Model Tour joins a host of weekly Foley Oil & Propane Late Model racers plus all-star invaders to chase the five-figure top prize. The Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks round out the card. Admission is $25 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and $50 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

For more information, contact the White Mountain Motorsports Park offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.whitemountainmotorsports.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at @WhiteMtnMotorsports.

WHITE MOUNTAIN MOTORSPORTS PARK — N. Woodstock, NH

NEW HAMPSHIRE GOVERNOR’S CUP

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

OFFICIAL RESULTS

FOLEY OIL & PROPANE LATE MODELS