RECAP: Jeffrey Battle Opens 350 Title Defense With Opening Night Win; Ventrillo & Cameron Go Back-To-Back, Knowles, Osborne Grab Wins
April 29, 2023 — When just about every track in the Northeast canceled early due to inclement weather forecasted for Saturday, Star Speedway owner Bobby Webber defied the odds once again and got his full racing program in under cloudy, but dry skies Saturday afternoon. Week number two of the Star Speedway season and week one of regular Saturday night division racing saw a handful of familiar winners take their spots in Star victory lane during the afternoon event.
Defending 350 Supermodified champion Jeffrey Battle started out his track title defense in the best possible way with an opening race win in the division’s main event. Battle edged out Eddie Witkum Jr. by a little over one second at race end. Last year’s championship runner-up, Bobby Timmons, also started his season off on a good note with a third-place finish.
Bunny Brawl winner Joe Ventrillo made it two for two in Woody’s Auto Street Stock action with his new 2023 ride, which seems to be tuned to his liking. Young gun JT Cashman, who has made the jump up from the Six Shooters over the last few seasons, took home the second position in one of the best runs of his early Street Stock career. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. was in town on Saturday and drove his mount to the third and final spot on the podium.
In K-COB Plumbing and Heating Slingshot action, it was once again Dave Cameron who topped the competition, grabbing his second straight feature win to start the 2023 season. Defending champ Justin Gaillioux bounced back from week one to take home the second spot, while Rookie Nate LeClair doubled up on his Bunny Brawl third-place finish, grabbing his second podium of the season.
Adam Knowles took home checkers in the 2 To Go Show Six Shooter main, grabbing his first Star Speedway win of the year. Bunny Brawl winner Billy Eastman fell one spot short of another Bunny Brawl repeat but was forced to settle for second behind Knowles. The third and final podium spot went to Claremont regular Steve Miller, who is always a contender when he’s on track.
Gage Osborne took home his first Star MLM Diagnostic Pure Stock win of the new season. Osborne was a championship contender and multiple-time winner in 2022 and looks to be building on that momentum to start 2023. Second place went to multiple division veteran Billy Osborne, who is always a force to be reckoned with in whatever he drives. Last year’s top point man, George Riley Jr., scored his second straight third-place finish getting his season off to a very consistent start.
Star Speedway returns to racing on Saturday, May 6, for a full night of racing including the Hedges Excavating 100 for the Granite State Pro Stocks and the annual Bob Webber Sr. Memorial 47-lap race for the 350 Supers. Additional divisions are also involved. For more information and upcoming schedule, visit StarSpeedwayNH.com.
Sources: Star Speedway
Rich Hayes photo