Lee USA Speedway 6/9/17 Race Report
It’s now three weeks, three winners in Rodfather-sponsored NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Supermodifieds at Lee USA Speedway, as Kingston veteran Moe Lattime scored his first win of the season in the 30-lap main event on Friday night.
A single caution flag slowed the pace when the previous week’s winner, John Burke of Auburn had a tire go down and spun on the backstretch on the first lap, but it was all Lattime from there.
After starting the race inside the front row, Moe moved out to the lead when racing resumed, and he led every lap on the way to the winner‘s circle, with a comfortable half-second margin of victory over eventual runner-up Mike Keddy of Raymond.
Defending champion and opening night winner Dave “Hollywood” Helliwell of Salem rounded out the podium with a third place run, followed by Jamie Timmons of N. Andover, MA, Rochester’s Mike Spurling, Leslie Keyser of Northfield, Tommy Tombarello, Jr. of Haverhill, MA, P.J. Murphy of Groveland, MA, Burke, and Meredith’s Jim Barker.
When flagman Steve Gran waved the green flag for the 30-lap R & R “The Tool Store and More” Late Model Sportsman main event, Salem’s Jason Ryan moved out from the pole to set the pace for the first eight laps. Former champion Jay Sands of Hampton made his move to the lead at that point, and it was all but over from there.
Sands immediately began to distance himself from the field, going the distance to post the win with a straightaway lead over his nearest challenger. Last year’s championship runner-up, Nate Leavitt of Buxton, ME came across the stripe in the second spot, with five-time 2016 winner Bryan Kruczek of Newmarket third in the Brian House-owned, A Family Cab- sponsored ride.
Fourth spot went to opening night winner Kris Miller of Bedford, with defending champ Jimmy Russell of Exeter, George Helliwell of Pelham, Erick Sands of Hudson, Nick Maniatis of Hooksett, Stratham’s Frankie Eldredge, and Bobby Melvin of Groton, MA closing out the top ten.
Lebanon, ME veteran Chris Harding jumped out to the early lead in 25-lap David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stock main event, holding serve and setting the pace for the first ten circuits before falling to the charge of Berwick, ME ace Boe Green.
Another Berwick racer, former two-time champ Patrick Tanguay was next to break our of the pack, and he quickly reeled in leader Green to challenge for the top spot. The duo pulled away to settle it between themselves, with Green holding on the rest of the way to become the first repeat winner of the 2017 campaign at Lee USA.
Tanguay settled for a solid second place finish, with second-generation rookie contender Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. of Candia claiming his best finish of the season to round out the podium in the third spot. Fourth went to the winner’s son Ryan Green, with Harding holding on to round out the top five.
Another Lee USA division to continue without a repeat winner was the Tri-City Line-X Ironmen, where perennial hard-luck competitor Austin Elliott of Rochester collected his first career checkered flag at the end of the 20-lap main event.
James Witkum of Methuen, MA, Troy Washburn of Farmington, Milford’s Travis Hollins, Seabrook’s Adam Knowles, Christin DeStefano of Tewksbury, MA, hometown racer Kaycie Kustra, David “Rowdy” Smart of Exeter, Jamie Holland of Somersworth, and Ron Washburn of Rochester finished up the top ten.
Another first of the year winner rolled into victory lane when the checkers waved over the MLM Diagnostics Pure Stock feature event, as Epping’s Anthony Nadeau collected his first checkered flag of the season. John Boomhower of Epping, Rob Carleton of Newbury, MA, defending champ Tyler Mailhot of Epping, and Jessica Michaud of Lebanon, ME finished up the top five.
Skip Stearns of Londonderry picked up the checkers in the Senior Tour Auto Racers Sportsman division, while ME veteran Bobby Turner collected top honors in the Modified portion of the program.
The next event on the calendar at Lee USA is slated for Friday night, June 16, with the running of the “Johnny Durant 47”, and extra-distance, extra payoff event for the Hobby Stocks, honoring living legend and former Hobby Stock champion Durant. The rest of the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will be on the schedule as well.
For more information on this or any upcoming event, call the race hotline at 978-462-4252, log on towww.leeusaspeedway.com, or find us on Facebook.
Sources: Lee USA Speedway PR