Derek Ramstrom Prevails in PASS North Super Late Models at Star Speedway
Epping, NH — Leading early and often, Derek Ramstrom of West Boylston, Massachusetts earned his first Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model win this season in the Support 50 Legs 150 Saturday night at Star Speedway.
Ramstrom won his heat race to earn a front restarting position, then outdueled fellow heat race victor Joe Squeglia of Derry, New Hampshire over the first half of the event. Berwick, Maine’s Joey Doiron moved into contention, mounting a serious challenge to Ramstrom’s lead with just over 50 laps remaining.
Doiron, racing hard in the outside groove, led a couple of laps while side-by-side with Ramstrom before the two got together a bit in turn four, opening the door for Travis Benjamin to make a three-wide move to the lead. Benjamin, of Belfast, Maine managed to hang on to the top spot for over twenty laps, but with a car best set up for long runs, he was unable to fend off Ramstrom on late-race restarts.
Ramstrom reclaimed the lead with just over 25 laps remaining and earned his first PASS North Super Late win of the season, and third top-five finish in three starts aboard the Mathews Truck Service & Towing-sponsored car, numbered 35.
Benjamin hung on to second-place until the checkered flag waved, holding off reigning PASS Super Late Model National Champion Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, New Hampshire posted a fourth-place finish. Doiron rounded out the top five, nursing a broken shock late in the race after participating in one of the many ‘contact sport’ moments on the racy, quarter-mile oval.
Six-time PASS North Super Late Model Champion Johnny Clark of Farmingdale, Maine raced to sixth position several times following pit stop, and was in that position after 150 laps. Gary Drew of Casco, Maine was seventh across the line, just in front of defending PASS North Super Late Model Champion DJ Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire. Middlebury, Vermont’s Todd Stone and Dave Farrington, Jr. of Jay, Maine filled out the top ten.
The next Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model race is scheduled for Sunday, May 21 at Autodrome Montmagny Speedway in Montmagny, Quebec, then moving on to test the brand-new asphalt surface at Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road on Sunday, May 28. For more information visit proallstarsseries.com or call (207) 539-8865.
Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model “Support 50 Legs 150” results from Star Speedway; Epping, New Hampshire; Saturday, May 13, 2017, showing finishing position, car number, driver’s name, driver’s hometown.
1 35 Derek Ramstrom, West Boylston, MA; 2 7 Travis Benjamin, Belfast, ME; 3 4 Ben Rowe, Turner, ME; 4 97 Joey Polewarczyk, Hudson, NH; 5 73 Joey Doiron, Berwick, ME; 6 54 Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, ME; 7 71 Gary Drew, Casco, ME; 8 49 DJ Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 9 1 Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT; 10 7 Dave Farrington, Jr., Jay; 11 8 Angelo Belsito, Auburn, MA; 12 12 Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH; 13 32 Steven Murphy, Tewksbury, MA; 14 7 Glen Luce, Turner, ME; 15 03 Joe Squeglia, Jr., Derry, NH; 16 41 Tracy Gordon, Strong; 17 15 Mike Hopkins, Hermon, ME; 18 40 Nicholas Sweet, Barre, VT; 19 20 Joey Pastore, Gorham, ME.