Renfrew Gets First White Mountain Late Model Win in Saturday Night Classic

By admin May 17, 2021 White Mountain Motorsports Park

N. Woodstock, NH — Candia, NH’s Jimmy Renfrew Jr. made the most of a late restart to capture a heart-stopping Foley Oil & Propane Late Model feature at North Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, May 15. Renfrew went three-wide to snatch the lead from Whitefield, NH’s Christian LaFlamme with nine laps remaining in a 50-lap feature that became the leader in the clubhouse for White Mountain’s “Race of the Year”.

Although Renfrew had won an 8-cylinder Street Stock event last September, it was his first triumph at the track in a Late Model. It gave Renfrew a huge early boost in the battles for both the “King of the Mountain” crown and the New England Late Model Challenge Cup.

Laflamme started on the pole after a rough Opening Night the week before and set the tone early. The second-year Late Model racer, who was gunning for a “Triple Crown” following wins in his heat race and the semi-feature, was well out in front of veterans Mike Jurkowski, John Donahue, and Stacy Cahoon at the halfway mark. However, rookie Laci Potter got turned around to bring out the caution and bunch the field up.

The lead pack then went to war on the restart. Donahue was going back-and-forth with Jurkowski for second when rookie Zachary Fraser ran into trouble on lap 31 to draw the second caution. Donahue finally secured second on the restart and set his sights on Laflamme while Jurkowski, Cahoon, and Jeff Marshall dueled behind them. Renfrew sat in sixth, just waiting for the pack to clear up.

The stage was set for a classic finish when reigning champion Cahoon, who had started to fall back, spun on lap 39 for the third and final caution. Shortly after the field went green, Laflamme and Donahue got together with Donahue sliding up into the marbles. From the fifth spot, Renfrew saw an opening and went for it. The leaders when three-wide out of turn four, barely laying a mark on each other as Renfrew darted to the front with nine laps to go.

Fellow Candia racer Alby Ovitt was right behind him, going from sixth to second. Laflamme then began dropping back with a deflating right-front tire while Donahue had to pit shortly after the contact. It was clear sailing for Renfrew from there as he held off Ovitt for the victory.

Marshall completed the podium in third. Danville, VT’s Tyler Cahoon benefitted from his father Stacy’s misfortune as he sliced to fourth in the final sprint. Stephen Donahue drove his uncle Bill’s car to a fifth-place finish after Bill had to leave the track due to a family matter. Oren Remick, Jurkowski, Mike “Beetle” Bailey, and rookie Kasey Beattie rounded out the top-10.

Waterbury Center, VT’s Jason Woodard continued his strong start to the season with a victory in the 35-lap Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tiger feature. The former J.P. Sicard Triple Crown Champion started eighth on the grid and quickly moved through the field.

Woodard drove around early leader Jody Sicard of Gilmanton, NH to take the lead on lap 14. Three-time defending champion and Opening Night winner Shane Sicard of Barton, VT passed his brother Jody for second on lap 24 but didn’t appear to have time to catch Woodard.

With six laps to go, though, rookie Cooper French got loose out of turn four, overcorrected, and spun into the frontstretch wall. Jaden Perry, Ryan Ware, and Matthew Potter had nowhere to go, piling in to bring out the caution. Sicard gave Woodard everything he had on the restart, but Woodard was just too strong.

Jody Sicard held off rookie Tanner Woodard for third. Chandler Potter, Perry, Michael Potter, Mike Clark, Ware, and French completed the top-10.

Whitefield, NH’s Tim Corey earned an upset victory in the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis. Corey started third in the 25-lap feature and swiped the lead from polesitter Keri Driscoll on lap three.

Multi-time Strictly Mini winner Tyler Thompson of Littleton, NH emerged from a multi-way battle to get the second spot after a lap-12 caution for rookie James Knights. But try as he might, the hard-charging youngster could not get around the veteran as Corey took the win.

Defending Strictly Stock Mini champion Brett Jackson of Bethlehem, NH came in third. Opening Night winner Luke Shannon bounced back from some trouble in qualifying, roaring from 19^th to a 4^th-place finish. Todd Derrington, Jack Hayes, Mike Smith, Jon Savage, Jillian Baumgardner, and Donnie Baumgardner rounded out the top-10.

Gilmanton, NH’s Tommy Smithers was both fast and lucky on his way to the Arnolds Wayside Diner Dwarf Car win. Smithers has already moved up from 8^th to 3^rd when “Downtown” Bobby Brown and Jeff Ainsworth touched wheels while racing hard for the lead. The contact sent both hard into the turn-three wall. Although Ainsworth was shaken up at first, both drivers walked away from the incident.

When the race resumed, Smithers and St. Johnsbury, VT’s Colby Bourgeois put on a 19-lap battle for the win. Bourgeois threw everything short of the rent money at Smithers, but the veteran showed his mettle and carried the checkered flag. Reigning champion Jason Wyman, Dave Gyger, and Howie Switser completed the top-five.

Smithers’ son Thomas VI bounced back from some early adversity to win the 15-lap Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Truck feature. The younger Smithers was on the outside pole following an opening-lap spin by Logan Farnsworth. However, Smithers and McKenna Merchant tangled on the restart to bring out another yellow.

But that was just a minor setback for the budding star. He needed just five laps to carve his way back through the field and glide past Glover, VT’s Owen Rogers for the lead. Smithers cruised from there to his second win in as many races this year. Rogers finished second followed by Farnsworth, Merchant, Hayley Corum, and Austin Sicard.

White Mountain Motorsports Park has a doubleheader in store on May 22 and May 23. Saturday, May 22 at 6:00pm, the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis go 50 laps in their annual special. They’re joined by the GoMotorsportsShop.com, NELCAR Legends Tour, Foley Oil & Propane Late Models, and Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers. Admission is just $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

Then on Sunday, May 23 at 1:30pm, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models make their first visit of the year to White Mountain for a 150-lap main event. A pair of 50-lap features are also on tap for the PASS Modifieds and 8-Cylinder Street Stocks/ACT Flying Tigers. Admission is $20 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and $40 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

WEEKLY EVENT

SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021

OFFICIAL RESULTS

FOLEY OIL & PROPANE LATE MODELS