Story By: WHITE MOUNTAIN MOTORSPORTS PARK – NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH – To say Saturday, July 22nd at White Mountain was one of the most spectacular displays of hard nosed short track racing in New England this weekend is no farce.
Win streaks were broken, twin-features were exactly the type of drama that hypes up a weekly championship series with the New England Pro-4 Modifieds also putting on a fantastic touring display worthy of growth in their ranks!
The schedule started off with a pair of rain-out additions from the Midseason Championships two weeks prior. The Fisher Auto Parts Flying Tigers took center stage with John Donahue overtaking Joey Laquerre for the lead on lap 9 after a melee start. With Donahue stretching his lead, Laquerre and point leader Brandon Gray got physical over the second position as Mike MacAskill got the best of both to take over second. In the final circuits Gray would power back up past MacAskill as John Donahue took the win to break Gray’s win-streak on the season and set up for their second feature later on. Mike MacAskill would rejoin White Mountain victory lane with his third-place effort.
Equally as important for later developments was the double points make-up feature for the Foley Oil & Propane Late Models. It was a Patten front row as both Mark and Pat got physical with each other from the start, playing games and banging doors. While Mark held the lead for a while, point leader Kasey Beattie took over the helm just before the halfway point. The first and only caution flag flew on lap 47 for Matt Anderson’s spin into the infield to set up a perfect side-by-side restart between Mark Patten and Beattie. Physical was an understatement between the two but it was Beattie who would take the win by a bumper cover at the line. After fighting words were exchanged in victory lane, Mark Patten would later be disqualified in post-race inspection for a chassis infraction giving rookie Kyle Goodbout his first runner-up finish and defending champion Quinny Welch third.
A visit from the New England Pro-4 Modifieds broke up the local high-octane drama but trouble struck fast as point leader Dan Meservey Jr. came to a screeching halt in turn one, hooked to Rob Richardi’s nerf-bars. With the field back under green with the leadership of Brandon LaVoie at the front, Caleb Cashman was all over the rear-bumper of the leader giving the perfect distraction to allow Brett Meservey to steal the lead on lap 13. A second caution would flash to life with Justin Faford’s expired engine dumping oil across turns three and four. A final green-white-checker restart gave Brett one final chance to overtake Doug Meservey and beat him he did, just 0.098-seconds at the line. Brandon LaVoie kept it clean and green to round out the podium in third.
In what is no-doubt the best Wayne’s Market Dwarf Car race of the season, a host of new blood invaded the division as sub-drivers for the point chasers. With Keith Normand taking over the Chad Dufour ride, Colby Bourgeois back in the Jason Wyman machine and Luke Shannon, the elder, taking over his son’s machine for the night, regulars Jeff Ainsworth and Dave Gyger were just as confused as the rest of us! Stephen Donahue also joined the fun, taking the Dwarf Car wheel for the first time in his career and miraculously winning the first 20-lap segment over Ainsworth and Shannon.
In the second segment former near-championship standout Bourgeois tangled with new-blood Daniel Brofman to call the one and only caution for the night. Back under green, Donahue worked the outside lane above Gyger and Shannon, using consistency to maintain position with Bourgeois joining in the battle. In the end, Donahue would take second in the second segment by just 0.002-seconds to claim the win with a combined 3-point total. Stephen Donahue would take his first Dwarf Car win in his first start with Dave Gyger and Luke Shannon second and third.
The Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis saw a pair of young-guns lead the pack until lap two as Jacob Ailes and Pat Switser tangled at the line to create a pile-up behind them. Under the restart, Jack Hayes and Donnie Baumgardner led the pack with top rookie McKenna Merchant confidently running the outside groove to gain on the leaders. As Donnie was stretching his lead, Thunder Road invader Nate Brien ran hard into the turn four tire-wall to call out the second and final caution. Baumgardner led the restart over Kristian Switser with the two finishing nose-to-tail at the line with Jack Hayes in tow to round out the podium.
A double-shot of four-cylinder racing saw the $1,000-to-win Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Model Special take the field with Kevin Boucher and defending champion Nick Anderson leading the pack. Unfortunately, Boucher began dropping back from the pole, allowing Cody LeBlanc the chance to duke it out with Anderson. While LeBlanc got around Anderson, the Oxford, Massachusetts-native stayed right with the 7NH. The first yellow slowed the field on lap 25 for the spinning Eric Banks in turn four allowing a hard-charging Jerrod Soucy to restart on the tail of the leaders in third.
What started out as a godsend, turned sour fast as the motor exploded under Soucy’s hood, sending fluid across turn four and ending his strong run. Anderson took the outside jump on LeBlanc at the line before a melee ensued in turn one with Anderson going around and collecting Colton Hull and Dustin Jackson. The final restart saw LeBlanc up against Garrett LaBounty with Desmond Skillings and Brett Jackson hoping for the best in the second row. Cody LeBlanc would nab the $1,000 win at the line over LaBounty with Skillings rounding out the podium in third.
Back for their second feature of the night, David Baron and Frank Sweeney led the Fisher Auto Parts Flying Tigers at the line. An absolutely wild field behind them, all seemingly out for blood, bobbed and weaved from corner to corner with John Donahue taking it three wide from his ninth-place start to try to make it two-for-two. Donahue took over for Sweeney out front with Matt Potter, Brandon Gray and Colin Cornell nose-to-tail behind him. With Donahue and Gray getting physical at the head, Potter and Cornell sat in the cat-bird seat as the final caution flew on lap 32 for Joey Laquerre and Luke Peters’ spin and stop. With a three-lap dash ahead of them, Donahue and Gray got physical and hooked each other in turn two allowing Matt Potter to rocket out the outside and steal the lead. Matt Potter would take the ecstatic win over Donahue and Gray as they exchanged words following the desperate battle they played out on the track.
The Foley Oil & Propane Late Models also returned to wrap-up the night’s card of racing with Oren Remick and Pat Patten starting off the event. Patten looked to have a career day as he held a strong half-track lead over the pack while point leaders Kasey Beattie, Quinny Welch and Stacy Cahoon methodically made their way up through the pack of invaders. The final caution for a spinning Kyle Goodbout on the frontstretch set up a final 10-lap dash to the finish. Beattie would sneak under Patten on lap 42 to lead as the former leader slid back quickly on the outside. Kasey Beattie would take the win and sweep the Late Model double features, this time with Quinny Welch and Stacy Cahoon on the podium.
Thunder returns to the Mountains on Saturday, July 29th with another action-packed line-up. Midseason Championships make-up double features return, this time for the ultra-competitive Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis. The Wall’s Ford Platinum Late Model Series returns for 100 laps of Foley Oil & Propane Late Model action in Round #3 as the last test and tune before the American-Canadian Tour returns for the 6th annual Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250 on August 5th. Don’t forget, July 29th with also include the $500 to win Matt Clay Memorial for the Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Models with $100 bonuses for the top-10 finishers plus Fisher Auto Parts Flying Tigers and the Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division!
White Mountain Motorsports Park – N. Woodstock, NH
Mini Late Model Special feat. Late Model & Flying Tiger Double Features
Saturday, July 22, 2023
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Foley Oil & Propane Late Models – (50 Laps)
1. 45NH Kasey Beattie St. Johnsbury, VT
2. 78NH Quinten Welch Groveton, NH
3. 83VT Stacy Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT
4. 21NH Oren Remick Monroe, NH
5. 55VT Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT
6. 97VT Patrick Patten Belmont, NH
7. 49NH Matt Anderson Franklin, NH
8. 38VT Tyler Cahoon Danville, VT
9. 42NH Mike Jurkowski Claremont, NH
10. 28NH Ricky Bly Sunapee, NH
11. 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT
12. 17NH #Kyle Goodbout N. Woodstock, NH
13. 10ME Christian Laflamme Whitefield, NH
14. 16NH Sammy Gooden Whitefield, NH
15. 57NH David Labreque Thornton, NH
16. 22WC Mike Clark Littleton, NH
17. 0VT Richie Brown Wentworth, NH
Midseason Championships Make-Up from 7/8
1. 45NH Kasey Beattie St. Johnsbury, VT
2. 17NH #Kyle Goodbout N. Woodstock, NH
3. 78NH Quinten Welch Groveton, NH
4. 83VT Stacy Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT
5. 42NH Mike Jurkowski Claremont, NH
6. 28NH Ricky Bly Sunapee, NH
7. 22WC Mike Clark Littleton, NH
8. 49NH Matt Anderson Franklin, NH
9. 21NH Oren Remick Monroe, NH
10. 97VT Patrick Patten Belmont, NH
DSQ 07NH Mark Patten Belmont, NH – Chassis Infracton
Fisher Auto Parts Flying Tigers – (35 Laps)
1. 23VT Matthew Potter Marshfield, VT
2. 26NH John Donahue Graniteville, VT
3. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
4. 54VT Colin Cornell E. Burke, VT
5. 3NH David Baron Nashua, NH
6. 23TX #Owen Cheney Moretown, VT
7. 36NH #Nathan Hamblett Derby Line, VT
8. 26VT #Luke Peters Groton, VT
9. 82NH Frank Sweeney Belmont, NH
10. 15NH Joey Laquerre E. Montpelier, VT
11. 34VT #Jim Paquette Alburgh, VT
12. 3VT Michael MacAskill Williamstown, VT
Midseason Championship Make-Up from 7/8
1. 26NH John Donahue Graniteville, VT
2. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
3. 3VT Michael MacAskill Williamstown, VT
4. 54VT Colin Cornell E. Burke, VT
5. 15NH Joey Laquerre E. Montpelier, VT
6. 36NH #Nathan Hamblett Derby Line, VT
7. 82NH Frank Sweeney Belmont, NH
8. 26VT #Luke Peters Groton, VT
9. 3NH David Baron Nashua, NH
10. 34VT #Jim Paquette Alburgh, VT
Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Models – (40 Laps / $1,000 to Win)
1. 7NH Cody LeBlanc Berlin, NH
2. 76 Garrett LaBounty Orleans, VT
3. 90 Desmond Skillings Antrim, NH
4. 31 Brett Jackson Bethlehem, NH
5. 409 Nick Houle Granby, MA
6. 37 Dustin Jackson Bethlehem, NH
7. 1NH Ken Marier Newfields, NH
8. 7MI Matt LeBlanc Berlin, NH
9. 55 Nick Anderson Oxford, MA
10. 42 Jerrod Soucy Marlboro, MA
11. 5 Eric Banks Jr. Bristol, NH
12. 57 Pat Houle Vernon, VT
13. 66 Normand Raymond, Jr. Sherbrooke, QC
14. 71 Kevin Boucher Grafton, NH
DNS 18 Dick Lamotte White River Jct., VT
Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis – (25 Laps)
1. 18 Donnie Baumgardner N. Woodstock, NH
2. 16NH Kristian Switser Waterford, VT
3. 09 Jack Hayes Littleton, NH
4. 57 Todd Derrington Littleton, NH
5. 15 Chris Moulton Pepperell, MA
6. 99 #McKenna Merchant Waterford, VT
7. 51 Tyler Thompson Lincoln, NH
8. 16x #Patrick Switser Woodsville, NH
9. 14 Jillian Baumgardner N. Woodstock, NH
10. 01 Jeff Champine Whitefield, NH
11. 87 Don Judd Franklin, NH
12. 69 #Aiden Young Dalton, NH
13. 92 Jason Goodbout, Jr. Lincoln, NH
14. 16VT Nate Brien Williamstown, VT
15. 02 Dustin Wilson Bethlehem, NH
16. 19 Jody Sicard Gilmanton, NH
17. 72 Jacob Ailes St. Johnsbury, VT
18. 1 Scott Senecal Lisbon, NH
19. 0 Keri Driscoll Gilmanton, NH
20. 18NH Anthony Gavel Belmont, NH
21. 17 Les Washburn Bethlehem, NH
Wayne’s Market Dwarf Cars – (Two 20-Lap Segments)
1. 1 Stephen Donahue Graniteville, VT (1+2=3)
2. 93 Dave Gyger Campton, NH (4+1=5)
3. 13 Luke Shannon Sr. Groveton, NH (3+4=7)
4. 41 Jeff Ainsworth Bethlehem, NH (2+5=7)
5. 88 Colby Bourgeois Danville, VT (5+3=8)
6. 3NH Daniel Brofman Berlin, NH (6+7= 13)
7. 52 Keith Normand Concord, VT (8+6=14)
8. 55 Ken Wright Danbury, NH (8+8=16)
DNS 23 Ethan Tyrrell Worcester, VT
New England Pro-4 Modifieds – (25 Laps)
1. 5 Brett Meservey Brewster, MA
2. 1A Doug Meservey Harwich, MA
3. 67b Brandon Lavoie Littleton, MA
4. 4xl Jack Dumas Brockton, MA
5. 57L Kurt Lester W. Suffield, CT
6. 95 Ryan McPartland Northfield, VT
7. 58 Dana Willis Hanson, MA
8. 0 Rob Richardi Taunton, MA
9. 25 John Dumas Brockton, MA
10. 37L Allen Keiser Brimfield, MA
11. 3x Henry Sirignano Abington, MA
12. 7vt Ben Ashford Northfield, VT
13. 6 Caleb Cashman Troy, NH
14. 04 Justin Faford Westminster, MA
15. 30 Eddie Petruskevicins Rutland, MA
16. 82 Robert Matheson Sanbornton, NH