Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Fuller Moves LFR Operations to the Northeast

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Stafford, CT - The Fuller family is steeped in Modified tradition.  Rob Fuller, a former racer himself, has always been a "Modified guy" and will always be.  Now his company, LFR Chassis, is going to concentrate on Modifieds only.
The brand LFR is now moving back to Fuller's New England home to expand into LFR Northeast, located in Stafford, CT.  Fuller and his staff will be a one-stop-shop for LFR Modifieds.  LFR Northeast will be a fully-functional service shop for that style of race car as well as a parts warehouse for all things pertaining to LFR Modifieds.
"I believe it will be a huge benefit to the Modified market in the Northeast," said Fuller, whose brothers Jeff and Rick are former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions.  "I know that it was tough for teams to commit to a chassis manufacturer in North Carolina. This scenario will provide the best of both worlds for the Northeast racer; a state of the art chassis manufactured in North Carolina and a full service facility in Connecticut to provide parts, set up assistance, and a level of customer service that I have always wanted to provide.
LFR will announce the product lines and services available in the near future.
This move for the LFR business is about one thing... an appreciation for Fuller's home.
"Over the last 3 years I have learned a lot about business, people and most importantly my family.  I have two boys, 13 and 9 at home.  In 10 years they will not know who won the Modified race at Loudon or who won a championship at Bowman Gray. They will remember who was at their baseball games and who was at the bus stop on the first day of school.
"The LFR business grew extremely fast and that consumed all of my time. I was not providing the level of customer service that I intended, and I just was not doing what I love to do, and that is help racers win races and be a good dad. This move back home will allow me to accomplish both of those goals.
LFR Northeast has the state-of-the art technology to service all of their Modifieds, from minor repair, to fully functional clips.  And customers will still be able to purchase a Modified chassis through LFR Northeast, while Fury Race Cars in North Carolina does the manufacturing of the chassis.
"The LFR brand has come on the market like no other manufacturer has," Fuller said.  "We have won championships and countless races right out of the box, which led to the rapid growth.  I am extremely proud of the product I have developed and more proud of the customer base I have acquired over the past two years. I am looking forward to growing the modified brand in the northeast region, and providing them with a location that they can rely on for parts and service.

"I believe it is no secret that my heart is in the New England modified scene. I raced in this region at a very young age with my family, moved south for 15 years and returned home in 2010 with a vision of developing a modified using the skills and knowledge I had acquired while racing in North Carolina with some of the largest teams in NASCAR. 
 
"LFR was a Massachusetts-based company that relocated to North Carolina.  Now I can return home with exactly what I wanted at a level that I can easily control. LFR's success was based on my passion for short track racing, Period.  If I can continue to service these customers that came on board to help me show the racing community what we developed, and grow this brand up here while spending more time with my family, that would make me the happiest guy in racing.  Keeping customers happy and providing them with an unparalleled level of support has always been, and will continue to be most important to me, whether we are talking Draco Springs or LFR."
 
For more information about LFR Northeast, please visit its website (www.lfrchassis.com).  If you need more information, please contact Rob Fuller at rob@lfrchassis.com or call at 860-458-3360.

Valenti Modified Racing Series Kicks Off Holiday Weekend at Stafford

Posted by Wayne G. Barber &  Photos by Simply the Best, Crystal Snape
Canaan, NH — With two race dates on the calendar in September, and two remaining in October, the Valenti Modified Racing Series kicks off this month
at the famed Stafford Springs Motor Speedway, Friday night, September 2, the third and final appearance in 2016.
Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, PA, and Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT, has visited the Stafford/VMRS winner’s circle this season.
As of Tuesday, close to 25 other drivers would like to lay claim to a win at the Connecticut half-mile. The VMRS 80-lap race will give them the opportunity.

The winner of last years race, Chris Pasteryak, of Jewett City, CT, will return to Stafford, looking for this third victory there. Pasteryak is fourth on the all-time win list with 12 victories.
Five-time winner Jon McKennedy, of E. Chelmsford, MA, enjoys a 114-point lead over Mike Willis Jr, of Grantham, NH, entering Stafford. Only three points separate Willis and Pasteryak in the fight for second place.
Christopher won his fourth VMRS race in June at Stafford. Two of those victories were at Stafford. He will again drive the Brady Bunch # 00.
Woody Pitkat, a two-time series winner at Stafford, is expected to compete as is Monadnock winner two weeks ago, Todd Patnode, Swanzey, NH.
Keith Rocco, David Schneider, Richard Savary, Dave Etheridge, and Donnie Lashua, are all expected.
Heat races begin at 6:15 PM.
Sources: John Spence/VMRS PR




Sports Trucks at Seekonk Speedway a little tight

5 Time Champion 2006,2007,2008,2011,2012
Posted by Wayne G. Barber & Photos by Wayne G. Barber
2015 Champion & 2016 Triple Crown Winner
Trucks
PosDriverCar #     City, StatePointsBehind
1   Michael Cavallaro   80   Seekonk MA866Leader
1   Chase Belcher   81   W. Wareham MA866-0
3    Mike Duarte   50   Dighton MA811-55
4   Leonard Guy   77   New Bedford MA765-101
5   Josh Hedges   38   Middleboro MA696-170
6   Michael Lopes   72   Wareham MA681-185
7   Robert Rainville   33   Attleboro MA641-225
8   Daniel Johnson   8   Rehoboth MA603-263
9   David Lougee   22   Taunton MA563-303
10   Darryl Church   4   Brockton MA538-328
11   Edward Perry (R)   00    MA536-330
12   Cole Jackson   5   Scituate RI488-378
13   Shawn DeMello   37   Dartmouth MA340-526
14   John Paiva   21   Fall River MA322-544
15   Darryl Dutch   6   Greenville RI289-577
16   Barry Shaw Jr.   85   Pembroke MA199-667
17   John Robidoux   93   Fall River RI192-674
18   Rob Murphy   82   Rochester MA184-682
19   Peter Gloddy   76   Tiverton RI110-756
20   William Schoeler   84   Warwick RI72-794
21   Richard Albernaz   13   New Bedford MA26-840
22   Edward Gannon III   18   Fall River MA20-846
23   Manuel Dias   88   Attleboro MA18-848

Rob ( Dropkick) Murphy 2014 Champion

John Paiva 2013 Champion, racing for wins in 2016 (2)
I would like to see John back full time in 2017 !

Mike Duarte solid third all season (1) win proves Green is not un-lucky !



Darryl Church

Michael Lopes

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

NASCAR Division One Standings 8-30-16

Posted by Wayne G. Barber & Photos by Wayne G. Barber
Not only did Ryan Preece keep Keith Rocco out of Victory Lane – twice – but he also kept the Connecticut driver from taking over the top spot in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings. Preece swept the 25-lap Sunoco Modified Division features last Wednesday at Connecticut's Thompson Speedway Motorsport Park. He took the lead from Rocco with five laps left in the second feature to cap the night.
With the two runner-up finishes at Thompson, paired with a fifth-place run at Stafford Motor Speedway Friday and a 16th at New London-Waterford Speedbowl Saturday, Rocco was unable to improve his national points total and remained one point behind Matt Bowling in the championship race.
Bowling, from Ridgeway, Virginia, has led the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings the entire year. The 22-year-old has piled up 11 wins, 28 top fives and 34 top 10s in 38 starts running his Late Model at six asphalt tracks throughout the southeast. He leads Rocco, 657-656. Rocco has 12 wins, 25 top fives and 33 top 10s running his asphalt Modified at the three Connecticut NASCAR tracks.
The final day for points to count toward NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships is Sunday, Sept. 18.

Rocco, the 2010 national champion, is in position to win his 12th and 13th track titles. He leads Preece by 23 points at Thompson, while he trails Dennis Perry by two points with three races remaining at New London-Waterford. Thirteen titles would move him into a five-way tie for third all-time behind only Joe Kosiski of Nebraska (17) and Jeff Strunk of Pennsylvania (15).

NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES / Top 25
PosDriverTrackStartsWinsT-5T-10Points
1Matt BowlingS Boston, Caraway, East Carolina,Kingsport, Motor Mile, Southern Natl38112834657
2Keith RoccoStafford, Thompson, Waterford39122533656
3Ty MajeskiElko, Madison Intl, Lacrosse, New Smyrna19121618628
4Trevor HuddlestonIrwindale20101920620
5Lee PulliamSouthern Natl, S Boston, Motor Mile,32142427610
6Ted ChristopherThompson, Waterford, Stafford3031825595
7Taylor HoldawaySunset2061318588
8Rowan PenninkWaterford, Stafford, Thompson2651723587
9Nick JoanidesIrwindale2081819586
10Brenden QueenSouthern Natl, East Carolina, S Boston3241927580
11Chase Purdy(R)Myrtle, Greenville21101620568
12Gord ShepherdSunset2021518568
13Louis WhiteSouthern Natl, East Carolina2351523565
14Craig Von DohrenGrandview1961416550
15Christian McgheeIrwindale2021919550
16Michael FoseEast Carolina, Southern Natl2521419540
17Tyler MatthewsEast Carolina, Southern Natl2921423538
18Kres VandykeMotor Mile, L Pine, Greenville,35112830534
19Joey MillerColumbus, Elko2261520532
20Burt MyersBowman1721317522
21Steve CarlsonLacrosse1741717520
22Woody PitkatStafford, Thompson2331418519
23Ronnie MccartyL Pine, Kingsport1951718503
24Peyton SellersDominion, S Boston1901218500
25Nick SmithDominion, S Boston1691314499

Monday, August 29, 2016

Michael McDowell wins XFINITY race at Road America

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Michael McDowell won the Road America 180 at Road America. It is his 1st XFINITY Series win and his first win in any NASCAR national series. He led 24 of the 48 laps. #62-Brendan Gaughan finished second, followed by #48-Brennan Poole, #19-Daniel Suarez, #16-Ryan Reed, #7-Justin Allgaier, polesitter #22-Alex Tagliani, #1-Elliott Sadler, #6-Darrell Wallace, Jr., and #44-J.J. Yeley.
The race ended after the first attempt at NASCAR Overtime.
There were 6 cautions for 13 laps and 6 lead changes among 4 leaders.
The average speed was 74.573mph.

Road America XFINITY Race Fast Facts: Michael McDowell(i) won the 7th Annual Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville, his first victory in 94 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2016.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in five races at Road America.
Brendan Gaughan (second) posted his third top-10 finish in five races at Road America. It is his 12th top-10 finish in 2016.
Brennan Poole (third) posted his first top-10 finish in his first start at Road America.
Brennan Poole (third) was the highest finishing rookie.
Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 47 points over Daniel Suarez.
Richard Childress Racing has won the last three consecutive races at Road America - McDowell (2016), Paul Menard (2015) and Brendan Gaughan (2014).
Michael McDowell is the third first-time winner of the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series season joining Daniel Suarez (Michigan) and Justin Marks (Mid-Ohio).
Michael McDowell is the fourth first-time NASCAR XFINITY Series winner at Road America joining Nelson Piquet Jr. (2012), AJ Allmendinger (2013) and Brendan Gaughan (2014).

Best Finish for Connecticut Modified shoe Ryan Preece #01 # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 48
Started 25th, finished 11th on the lead lap on the road course.
Source: (NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(8-6-2016)

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Nocella Tops Valenti Modified Racing Series Field

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford Plains, Maine

   Anthony Nocella of Woburn, MA. started tenth and methodically worked his way through the field, taking command on lap 63 and then held off late race charges by Jon McKennedy, David Schneider, and Todd Patnode to claim his third series victory of the year.
   "Every time we come here the car is pretty good, so we came back here with the same setup and just tighten it up a little bit extra. I just tried to keep the tires under it and slowly work our way to the front, the car was pretty perfect the whole race. It did wiggle the last five laps because we were pushing to get away from Jon. (McKennedy)  He didn't let us get away too easy. We had a plan and stuck with it" Nocella said.

   A steadily improving Colbey Fournier of Berkley,MA. and David Schneider of Northport, NY brought the field down to starter John Spence Jr.s green flag and Fournier proved he was a serious contender by taking the initial lead, but a lap one spin by Rob Richardi Jr. brought the first of three yellows of the event. Matt Mead was collected in the crash and eliminated from the event.
The restart now had Woody Pitkat of Sturbridge,MA. who muscled his way up from row two starting along side Fournier , who again jetted into the lead. Pitkat settled into second stalking Fournier until lap eighteen when Pitkat used an outside move and drove away with the lead.

   By the thirty lap mark, MRS heavy hitters David Schneider, Todd Patnode, Jon McKennedy, Chris Pasteryak and Anthony Nocella took advantage of a fading Fournier.

   Schneider flexed his muscled on lap 38 and drove by Pitkat who developed handling issues but a spin by Maine driver Bill Dixon caused the second yellow of the event and because the lap was not completed, Schneider had to drop back to second. Under caution Pitkat pitted for adjustments giving the lead back to the Long Island driver

   For the next thirty laps it looked like smooth sailing for Schneider while behind him the racing was getting more intense. Nocella was now in attack mode and picked off Pasteryak, then McKennedy and finally Patnode to move into Schneiders tire tracks. By lap 63 Nocella powered by Schneider with McKennedy following for second.
   A lap 66 spin by Fournier was the cause for yellow and the field was slowed for the final run to the checkers. The restart had Nocella taking charge with Schneider and McKennedy running side by side for the next five laps, neither could gain an advantage, finally McKennedy prevailed taking over second place then went after race leader Nocella looking inside then outside trying to make the winning move but Nocella was just to strong and held on for the win.

  McKennedy finished 1.045 second behind. "It was a good run for us, first half a little tight and last thirty laps had an awful push, over all it was a good night to get second and had a good battle for the lead. With 30 to go I was just hanging on, apparently we loss some stagger, about an inch. We cant win them all and still its been a great season" McKennedy said.

   Richmond, NH driver Todd Patnode pulled off a late race charge passing Schneider for third place on lap 96." I wasn't sure how to set this car up for Oxford, I thought I had a good piece at the beginning but it went really tight and wouldn't turn at all, but we pitted on a caution and flipped flopped tires which gave us a little stagger which made it a little too free, but free is drive-able, tight is not. So were very pleased with our finish." Patnode noted.

   Schneider held on to finish fourth while Donnie Lashua of Cannan,NH rounded out the top five. Schneider commented, "The car was good, very good, our plan was to let guys go and just save our tires and that's what we did. When Woody pitted and gave us the lead I was just still cruising. At lap 60 it tightened up and that's when some guys got by me but we're happy to come in fourth".

 This is the third win in 2016 for Nocella on a partial schedule and career win number five to tie driver Andy Seuss in this great touring series.

   Sixth thru tenth were 15ct.-Chris Pasteryak, 33- Rob Richardi Jr., 55- Joe Doucette, 16- Colbey Fournier, 93- George Sherman.

   Heat winners: Colbey Fournier, David Schneider
Summary.
Track- Oxford Plains Speedway,0.373 mile - Oxford Plains,Maine
Race-Oxford 250 Weekend, VMRS 100
Time of Race-39:25.635
Margin of Victory-1.048
Best Lap Time-15.688
Best Speed-86.053
Best Lap By-Colbey Fournier
Cautions- (3)- Lap 1--38--66

Source: Story by Jim Snape and Photos by Simple the Best, Crystal Snape

I hope I get to witness Jon McKennedy in a Super Modified at the World Series at Thompson





Finish
1     92  Anthony Nocella
2     29  Jon McKennedy
3     24  Todd Patnode
4     19  David Schneider
5    117 Donnie Lashua
6    15ct Chris Pasteryak
7    33  Rob Richardi Jr
8    55  Joe Doucette
9    16  Colbey Fournier
10  93 George Sherman
11  52 Woody Pitkat
12  04 Brandon Dion
13  33me Bill Dixon
14  38 Mike Willis Jr
15  81 Josh Cantara
16  77 Matthew Mead

     Next Race: Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford Springs, CT. September 2nd.  

Bonsignore Drives Home Win At Riverhead

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Justin Bonsignore celebrates his win Saturday night at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway. It was Bonsignore's second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win of the year and his 10th of his career.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- Justin Bonsignore came up short at home in June. He wasn't going to let it happen again Saturday night.
The 28-year-old from Holtsville, New York, held off the charge of brother Timmy and Shawn Solomito to score the victory in the Riverhead 200 at Long Island's Riverhead Raceway. It was a night of milestones for Bonsignore, who earned his 10th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in his 100th career start.
Bonsignore kept the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet out front for a race-high 117 laps. He kept the Solomitos behind him on a final restart with nine laps remaining to secure the win.
In June, Bosignore finished second to Timmy Solomito on a green-white-checkered finish at Riverhead. Bosignore, both Solomitos and fourth-place Tom Rogers Jr. are all Long Island natives. It was Bonsignore's fourth win at his home track, where he was the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I champion in 2011.
Timmy Solomito led 70 laps on the quarter-mile but had to settle for a runner-up finish this time. Shawn Solomito won his first career Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day -- knocking Timmy off the provisional pole as the second-to-last driver to make a qualifying lap -- and led the other 13 laps.
In addition to the win, Bonsignore cut Doug Coby's championship points lead to 13 with five races remaining. Timmy Solomito remains 35 points back of Coby, who finished 15th.
Jimmy Blewett, Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Craig Lutz, Max Zachem, Frank Vigliarolo Jr. and Eric Goodale rounded out the top 10.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to upstate New York next Saturday for the Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s at Oswego Speedway.
The Riverhead 200 will air on NBCSN on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m.
FinStrCarDriverTeamLapsPointsB/PointsStatus
1751Justin BonsignorePhoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet200485Running
2216Timmy SolomitoDiversified Metals Ford200431Running
3175Shawn SolomitoEastport Feeds Chevrolet200421Running
430Tom Rogers, Jr.Stakey's Pumpkin Farm/S.J.S. Stoneworks Chevrolet20040Running
5119Chase DowlingS&S Asphalt Paving/Dunleavy's Repair Chevrolet20039Running
6124Jimmy BlewettStarrett Tools/Mayhew Tools Dodge20038Running
72156Craig Lutz *TBA Chevrolet20037Running
81620Max ZachemLu-Mac's Package Store/East End Statuary Chevrolet20036Running
9135Frank Vigliarolo, Jr.Frankie's Towing Chevrolet20035Running
10458Eric GoodaleGAF Roofing Chevrolet20034Running
1193Rowan PenninkCape Cod Copper/Canto Paving Chevrolet20033Running
122599Jamie TomainoDunleavy's Repair/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet20032Running
132626Gary McDonaldLakeland Landscape /TRC Electric Chevrolet20031Running
14882Ron SilkHorton Avenue Materials Chevrolet19930Running
1562Doug CobyDunleavy Repair/A&J Romano Const Chevrolet19829Running
1658Donny LiaSypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet19728Running
172369Jason Agugliaro *NEBR/Bob Bruneau/Chuck's Auto Repair Chevrolet19627Running
182289Matt Swanson *Spafco Race Chassis/FMR Racing Chevrolet18526Accident
192446Jeff GoodaleRiverhead Building Supply Chevrolet18525Accident
201784John FortinJohn's Tree Removal Chevrolet18524Accident
21146Vincent Biondolillo *Kennedy L.I. Realty Chevrolet18423Flat Tire
222868Johnny BushJB Stone Chevrolet12822Suspension
231036Dave SapienzaFrankie's Towing/Wine Country Chevrolet12721Accident
242910Jerry Solomito *AJ Painting Chevrolet10920Handling
251818Ken HeagyBuoy One Seafood Chevrolet8719Accident
262064Rob SummersHTE/Dell Electric/Complete Const. Chevrolet4718Accident
271933Wade ColePerf. Engines/Kendall Oil Chevrolet3217Overheating
281544Bobby SantosTinio Corp./Dan Kelley/Curb Records Chevrolet2516Brakes
29271Melissa FifieldEastern Propane & Oil Chevrolet415Electrical
Top 10 Driver Points: Doug Coby 465, Justin Bonsignore 452, Timmy Solomito 430, Donny Lia 424, Jimmy Blewett 417, Max Zachem 417, Eric Goodale 416, Ron Silk 399, Chase Dowling 378, Matt Swanson * 377
Next Race: Oswego

Payea Takes Third Win of Season in Thriller at Oxford

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Oxford, ME – Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea emerged as the victor in a heavyweight thriller at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, August 27, beating out Eddie MacDonald, Dillon Moltz, and Brad Babb for his third American-Canadian Tour (ACT) win of the season in the Dave’s Small Engines/Ferris Mowers 100.

Payea, Babb, and MacDonald had engaged in a three-way battle for more than half the race, with Payea and Babb swapping the lead numerous times while MacDonald lurked in the wings. Payea finally gained the edge for good shortly after a lap-79 caution for Emily Packard’s spin, sweeping around the outside of Babb for the event’s 13th lead change. The title contender then held on through two more restarts for his eighth career ACT Late Model Tour victory and first at Oxford.

Hinesburg, VT’s Bobby Therrien, the winner at Oxford in the ACT season opener, led the first five laps from the pole before Rich Dubeau got around him following a hard duel to lead his first laps ever in ACT competition. Babb followed Dubeau up the outside line, then swung to the outside himself to nab the point on lap 18.

Payea and MacDonald worked their way to second and third shortly thereafter, and following a lap-29 caution for an incident between Walter J. Hammond and Mark Jension, the three began their battle royale. Babb and Payea, constantly swapped lanes and the lead, with MacDonald sticking his nose into second multiple times in his own attempt to get the top spot. At one point, Babb and Payea rode through turns three and four sideways as they went three-wide around lapped traffic, with neither willing to give an inch. Meanwhile, Moltz steadily moved up from his 19th starting position, and looked to be one caution away from joining the fray.

The two traded the lead three more times on successive laps following the lap-79 restart before Payea finally gained control. MacDonald followed him into second and made bids for the lead following cautions on laps 88 and 90, but it was Payea who would ultimately wear the championship belt.

MacDonald settled for second, while Moltz  swiped third in the closing laps. Babb faded to fourth, followed by ACT point leader Nick Sweet in fifth. Unofficially, Sweet’s lead over Payea will shrink to just two points, with MacDonald 16 points back in third.

Rookie Ryan Olsen earned a career-best sixth-place finish, while Rowland Robinson, Jr. roared back from an early pit stop to take seventh. Packard recovered from her misfortune to finish eighth. Scptt Dragon and Dubeau completed the top-10.

The ACT Late Model Tour concludes its Maine swing with a return trip to Scarborough’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18 for New England 500 Weekend. Qualifying will be held on Saturday, with the Fall Foliage 200 on Sunday marking the next-to-last event of the 2016 season. The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models and Valenti Modified Racing Series will also be in action. Post time is 12:00pm both days.

For more information, contact the ACT offices at 802-244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com.

ACT LATE MODEL TOUR
OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY
DAVE’S SMALL ENGINES/FERRIS MOWERS 100
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Pos   Start Pos   Driver   Car #     Hometown   Laps
  1. ( 4 ) Scott Payea ( 37VT ) , Miton, VT , 100 Laps
  2. ( 6 ) Eddie MacDonald ( 17MA ) , Rowley, MA , 100 Laps
  3. ( 19 ) Dillon Moltz ( 5CT ) , Waterford, CT , 100 Laps
  4. ( 10 ) Brad Babb ( 15NH ) , Windham, ME , 100 Laps
  5. ( 9 ) Nick Sweet ( 40VT ) , Barre, VT , 100 Laps
  6. ( 5 ) #Ryan Olsen ( 61NH ) , N. Haverhill, NH , 100 Laps
  7. ( 15 ) Rowland Robinson, Jr. ( 28ME ) , Steuben, ME , 100 Laps
  8. ( 12 ) Emily Packard ( 9ME ) , E. Montpelier, VT , 100 Laps
  9. ( 22 ) Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) , Milton, VT , 100 Laps
  10. ( 3 ) Rich Dubeau ( 30NH ) , Lebanon, NH , 100 Laps
  11. ( 7 ) #Devin O'Connell ( 1VT ) , Madison, CT , 100 Laps
  12. ( 16 ) Dave Farrington, Jr. ( 23ME ) , Jay, ME , 100 Laps
  13. ( 14 ) Shawn Swallow ( 04NH ) , Stark, NH , 100 Laps
  14. ( 8 ) Mike Ziter ( 54VT ) , Barre, VT , 100 Laps
  15. ( 1 ) Bobby Therrien ( 5VT ) , Hinesburg, VT , 99 Laps
  16. ( 20 ) Spencer Morse ( 50ME ) , Waterford, ME , 99 Laps
  17. ( 26 ) #Mark Jenison ( 22RI ) , Warwick, RI , 99 Laps
  18. ( 23 ) Claude Leclerc ( 11QC ) , Lanoraie, QC , 99 Laps
  19. ( 2 ) Brandon Atkins ( 4NY ) , AuSable Forks, NY , 99 Laps
  20. ( 21 ) Raymond Christian lll ( 93CT ) , Norwich, CT , 99 Laps
  21. ( 11 ) Corey Mason ( 1NH ) , Groveton, NH , 99 Laps
  22. ( 13 ) Bryan Mason ( 10NH ) , Stark, NH , 99 Laps
  23. ( 17 ) Mike Kenison ( 3NH ) , Lancaster, NH , 99 Laps
  24. ( 18 ) Mark Hudson ( 82MA ) , Norton, MA , 98 Laps
  25. ( 25 ) Walter J. Hammond ( 97ME ) , Canaan, NH , 82 Laps
  26. ( 24 ) James Linardy ( 77MA ) , Somerville, MA , 30 Laps


Saturday, August 27, 2016

Donny Schatz Wins for Eighth Time at River Cities Speedway

Posted by Wayne G. Barber
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - August 26, 2016 - Donny Schatz scored a pair of sweeps on Friday night with the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at River Cities Speedway in his home state of North Dakota. First, he completed a clean sweep of the night, setting fast time, winning a heat race, winning the dash and winning the 40-lap A-Feature. Second, he completed a sweep of both legs of the Gerdau Northern Tour at River Cities Speedway for 2016.
The win for Schatz was his fourth straight with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at the high-banked, action-packed bullring. In his career, the seven-time and defending Outlaws champion has now won eight times with the series at the track.
"This race team is incredible, it's not me," said Schatz of his success at River Cities Speedway. "The things they think of to make this race car better is amazing. I just have a habit of having a dumb way of driving it. I like it laying on the right rear like the late model. It really works, especially here. Sunday at Angell Park, I thought I had the best race car I had ever driven. That thing was awesome, but tonight, it was unbelievable. I think one of my eight-year-old nieces could have won that race in that race car. This race team is on their game. It's what they do, day in and day out. I'm just the lucky guy that gets to drive it."
Schatz started on the pole and led from the drop of the green flag. The first caution of the night fell on the second lap. He chose the low side of the track on the double file restart and opened a quick lead, as Logan Schuchart, Brad Sweet and David Gravel waged a side-by-side battle for the second spot for several laps. The second and final yellow flag of the night flew on lap-13, with the remainder of the race going green, putting Schatz in heavy lapped traffic for most of the duration of the 40-lap contest in his Bad Boy Off-Road J&J.
"It was fun in traffic," said Schatz. "If you're not leading and in second or third, you want to use that traffic to your advantage to try to move around. When you are leading, it's what you look forward to and try not to make mistakes, because it can gap you between yourself and the field. I could run the top and the bottom and threw enough stuff off the bottom that you could run in the middle. We were lapping some really, really good cars."
Schatz now has won 17 A-Feature events in his career with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series in his home state of North Dakota, at four different tracks. He has one more chance to add to that on Sunday at his home track of Nodak Speedway in Minot.
"I'm a damn proud North Dakotan," said Schatz. "This state is where I grew up. We are fortunate in North Dakota to have a lot of great race tracks. Everybody needs to keep that in mind and keep supporting them. This is a part of the country that still has a lot of dirt track racing and it's disappearing in other parts of the country. It's strong here and let's keep it that way."
Brad Sweet picked up his third consecutive podium finish over the last week and a half, as he crossed the line second. After battling Schuchart and Gravel in the early going, Sweet moved into second on the seventh lap. He was able to gain a little ground on Schatz in traffic in the middle portions of the race, but was never able to gain enough ground to make a bit for the lead.
"Donny (Schatz) was awfully good, like he's been the last four or five times here," Sweet shared. "It's tough to beat him at one of his home state tracks, just like any other place. We are pretty happy with how the car handled tonight. To be up here on the front straightaway with Donny is all good. We are still chasing him and trying to get our program a little better so we can win these races."
Sweet started fourth and was able to quickly move forward and maintain his spot near the front of the field aboard the Ollie's Bargain Outlet machine. With his runner-up finish, Sweet moved into the second spot in points.
"We had great speed all night," said Sweet. "Getting through lapped traffic, Donny was just a little bit better. He was able to go in the middle and do a few things we weren't able to do. We'll go back and do our homework. I have to thank my guys for working hard."
Mark Dobmeier, who hails from Grand Forks, made a late-race charge to finish third. Dobmeier started seventh and fell back a few spots early in the race, before gaining quite a few positions in the final 20 laps of the 40-lap race.
"About halfway through, the car really came on," explained Dobmeier. "I knew it was a long race and I had to save my (right rear) tire a little bit. I saved it up for a bit. I don't know if it was me getting on the gas or these fans, but we got some electricity going and this thing was charging forward. We turning as fast of laps as we could. We just needed a caution or something at the end to bunch them up again. That's what you get for starting sixth, but I got up on the wheel and got it going."
Dobmeier, who is the winningest sprint car driver in River Cities Speedway history, has been close on several occasions to scoring a win with the series at his home track. While he has three career World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series wins on his resume, one at River Cities is what still eludes him.
"I would give up a Knoxville Nationals win to win one here with the Outlaws," said Dobmeier. "I've won a couple in Sioux Falls, which is kind of a second home track to me, and the crowd gets electric, but it cannot beat the crowd at Grand Forks when these guys get on their feet and cheering."
Logan Schuchart finished fourth on Friday night to earn his second straight top-five finish at River Cities. Joey Saldana was fifth, with Daryn Pittman coming home sixth. Jason Johnson was seventh, while David Gravel was eighth, Shane Stewart ninth and Dusty Zomer 10th.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Sunday, August 28 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota, with the running of the Gerdau Magic City Showdown.
River Cities Speedway Notebook

RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz's dominance of River Cities Speedway continued Friday night as he led every lap of the feature en route to his 19th World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series victory of 2016. Brad Sweet, Mark Dobmeier, Logan Schuchart, and Joey Saldana rounded out the top five. 

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Aaron Reutzel; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): David Gravel; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Greg Wilson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Sides; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Joey Saldana, Logan Schuchart, Brad Sweet, David Gravel, Shane Stewart; Craftsman/Sears($100 cash): Mark Dobmeier; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Terry McCarl; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Cory Mack.
SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 19 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26); David Gravel - 7 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5); Daryn Pittman - 7 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Brad Sweet - 7 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2); Shane Stewart - 5 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19); Joey Saldana - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7);Rico Abreu - 1(Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Jason Johnson - 2 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13);Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Logan Schuchart - 1 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27).
World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; River Cities Speedway, N.D.; Augst 26, 2016
A-Main - (40 Laps) - 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet[4][$5,500]; 3. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier[6][$3,200]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[3][$2,800]; 5. 83-Joey Saldana[2][$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman[10][$2,300]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson[12][$2,200]; 8. 5-David Gravel[5][$2,100]; 9. 2-Shane Stewart[8][$2,050]; 10. 82-Dusty Zomer[7][$2,000]; 11. W20-Greg Wilson[19][$1,500]; 12. 7-Paul McMahan[16][$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen[21][$1,100]; 14. 2A-Austin Pierce[24][$1,050]; 15. 41X-Dominic Scelzi[23][$1,000]; 16. 8-Casey Mack[15][$900]; 17. 24-Terry McCarl[17][$800]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides[18][$800]; 19. 3-Tim Kaeding[14][$800]; 20. 20A-Jordan Adams[20][$800]; 21. 25-Cory Mack[13][$800]; 22. 9N-Wade Nygaard[9][$800]; 23. 87-Aaron Reutzel[22][$800]; 24. 2L-Logan Forler[11][$800] Lap Leaders: Donny Schatz 1-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 2A-Austin Pierce[+10].
Qualifying - 1. 15-Donny Schatz, 10.027; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 10.064; 3. 82-Dusty Zomer, 10.065; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 10.161; 5. 9N-Wade Nygaard, 10.180; 6. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier, 10.212; 7. 25-Cory Mack, 10.287; 8. 2L-Logan Forler, 10.316; 9. 17A-Austin McCarl, 10.339; 10. W20-Greg Wilson, 10.342; 11. 24-Terry McCarl, 10.430; 12. O-Nick Omdahl, 10.554; 13. 7T-Trent Stengl, 10.614; 14. 8-Casey Mack, 10.670; 15. 13T-Ty Hanten, 10.716; 16. 8B-Jack Croaker, 10.863; 17. 91M-Jackson Moffett, 10.936; 18. 99-Jordan Graham, 11.092; 19. 14-Tom Egeland, 11.301; 20. 83-Joey Saldana, 10.177; 21. 49-Brad Sweet, 10.187; 22. 5-David Gravel, 10.190; 23. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.224; 24. 9-Daryn Pittman, 10.240; 25. 41-Jason Johnson, 10.282; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen, 10.323; 27. 7-Paul McMahan, 10.329; 28. 7S-Jason Sides, 10.414; 29. 20A-Jordan Adams, 10.422; 30. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 10.486; 31. 21K-Thomas Kennedy, 10.530; 32. 3-Tim Kaeding, 10.543; 33. 2A-Austin Pierce, 10.586; 34. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, 10.681; 35. 5G-Dave Glennon, 10.840; 36. 13-Clyde Knipp, 10.987; 37. 8H-Jade Hastings, 11.057; 38. 31-Shane Roemeling, 11.250; 39. 10TRB-Bob Martin, 11.330; 40. 26-Blake Egeland, 11.453
Unofficial World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Championship Standings
Pos.
Car
Driver
Total
Diff
Wins
Top 5's
Top 10's
QT
1
15
Donny Schatz
8617
0
19
46
59
5
2
49
Brad Sweet
8359
-257
7
35
48
11
3
5
David Gravel
8350
-266
7
35
51
4
9
Daryn Pittman
8350
-266
7
35
49
6
5
83
Joey Saldana
8218
-398
4
25
46
10
6
2
Shane Stewart
8190
-426
5
28
52
2
7
41
Jason Johnson
7714
-902
2
12
34
2
8
1S
Logan Schuchart
7590
-1026
1
9
25
2
9
7s
Jason Sides
7476
-1140
1
4
22
2
10
7
Paul McMahan
7354
-1262
0
1
17
0
11
W20
Greg Wilson
6980
-1636
1
4
11
0
12
1A
Jacob Allen
6684
-1932
0
2
8
0
13
29
Kerry Madsen
5371
-3245
2
12
24
2
14
13
Clyde Knipp
4054
-4562
0
0
0
0
15
24
Terry McCarl
3006
-5610
1
1
4
0
16
1
Sammy Swindell
2947
-5669
0
2
5
1
17
11k
Kraig Kinser
2770
-5846
0
3
7
0
18
17W
Bryan Clauson
2456
-6160
0
1
6
0
19
18
Ian Madsen
2427
-6189
0
0
9
1
20
41
Dominic Scelzi
2338
-6278
0
1
2
0