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Tanner Woodard Claims Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tiger Championship by 1 Point
John Raper photo
N. Woodstock, NH — Following a rain-mandated change in schedule, the Pro All Stars Series and American-Canadian Tour Fall Foliage Doubleheader made up for the shift in spades. Both of New England’s top full fendered divisions unloaded thirty-two cars into the White Mountain pit area Saturday morning to compete at one of their favorite Northeast raceways. Alongside the touring series action, the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tiger championship came down to who could finish ahead of the other two, with one point determining a year’s worth of highs and lows in the most competitive support division in New England.
Alongside the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models, the PASS Modifieds invaded the White Mountain highbanks as their championship season winds down. Fourteen Mods battled hard for the top spot with the first serious caution coming out just after the halfway point. As Shawn Knight tried to better his odds, he got hooked moving around another car, slamming into the turn four tire barrier and ending a strong run for the South Paris, Maine driver.
With just five laps remaining, Brandon Varney powered up the outside of Tamworth, New Hampshire’s Mike Davis to steal away the top spot while Spencer Morse and Ryan Ripley battled hard for third. Morse would make contact with the left rear of Ripley to move underneath while a loose Davis would allow Morse to quickly take over the second position. No one had anything for Brandon Varney as he took down the PASS Mod 50-lap main event followed by Spencer Morse and Mike Davis to round out the podium.
The thirty-two PASS Super Late Models took the track for their Fall Foliage 150. After leading the first 20 laps, New Sharon, Maine’s Dillon Moltz brought out the first caution for a flat left front tire, a devastating blow to a dominant start. Center Conway, New Hampshire’s Gabe Brown quickly took over the top spot and held on tight as Hallowell, Maine’s Johnny Clark stalked his every move. The eight-time Pro All Stars Series champ set his sights on the former Oxford Plains Speedway champion, taking the lead following a lap 50 restart.
The Big One took place on lap 57 as a missed shift on a restart sent the front pack reeling, at least nine cars scattered across turns one and two with Trevor Sanborn and Dan Winter calling it a day on the back of the White Mountain wreckers. Clark and Brown brought the restart with Clark pulling away. D.J. Shaw entered the mix under Gabe Brown on lap 65 to take second with Wayne Helliwell, Jr. waiting in the wings behind them.
After a cut left front on the 83 machine of Danville, Vermont’s Tyler Cahoon brought the caution flag once again on lap 82, Clark and Shaw battled hard up front. D.J. Shaw and Johnny Clark were the class of the field throughout the Fall Foliage 150 until tragedy struck the 54 machine of Clark on lap 147. Trailing arms on the rearend broke loose in turn three with Clark muscling his machine until it spun around in turn one, ending a strong run as he looked to make it two-for-two after taking the Feed the County 150 win at Caribou’s Spud Speedway last Sunday.
The restart set up a three-lap battle between Gabe Brown and D.J. Shaw as they raced side-by-side until the bitter end. On the final lap Shaw made contact underneath Brown going into three, Brown gave it back coming out of four and took down the Fall Foliage 150 win by just 0.003 seconds. Gabe Brown earned his first ever PASS Super Late Model win at White Mountain Motorsports Park over D.J. Shaw with East Bridgewater, Massachusetts-driver Ryan Kuhn battling back to finish third.
The Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers were next on the schedule with Kaiden Fisher leading a tied Tanner Woodard and Shane Sicard by one point following the heat race qualifying rounds. Led to green by Thomas Smithers VI and Matt Potter, Smithers took the green nearly sideways, allowing the outside line to take a massive leap over the slowing inside groove. Mike Clark took the lead on lap 10 of the 50 lap, $1,000 to win special followed closely by Fisher. As a sputtering Fisher slowed from the second position, slowing on the backstretch and saved by the spinning Jody Sicard bringing out the caution on lap 24.
The Fisher team quickly jumped to work, checking over the fuel system and adjusting the ignition before sending the S.D. Ireland machine back to battle at the back of the field just in time for the restart green flag. Clark continued to lead as Shane Sicard moved into championship contention, a full straightaway ahead of fellow top point chaser Tanner Woodard. The yellow flag would wave once again on lap 39 as Jason Woodard went way high in turn three, spinning into the turn four grass.
The restart set the three point leaders, Sicard, Woodard and Fisher, under a blanket as the top three cars on track. The final caution on lap 43 for a stopped Mike Clark set up the final dogfight for the championship with Tanner Woodard choosing the outside of Kaiden Fisher on the restart with Shane Sicard behind Fisher in third. Over the final seven laps, Woodard and Fisher fought hard side-by-side while Sicard slipped allowing Matt Potter to move into third. Tanner Woodard would cross under the checkered flags ahead of Kaiden Fisher giving Woodard the one point advantage to take the 2022 Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tiger championship, his first career championship. Matt Potter would round out the podium in third with Kaiden Fisher finishing second in points and as the Flying Tiger Rookie of the Year.
The American-Canadian Tour Fall Foliage 200 rounded out the evening’s activities. Led to point by Foley Oil & Propane Late Model regulars Bryan Wall Jr. and Quinny Welch, both would make their mark on the 44th running of the iconic event in very different ways. Fellow White Mountain regular Kasey Beattie took down a consolation round win to qualify into the main event with his Plus/Minus handicap but mechanical issues kept him from capitalizing on the day. Current King of the Mountain point leader Quinny Welch took the early lead and held on through restart after restart, holding off Patrick Laperle for 161 laps.
Following a major caution on lap 161 for a turn three pileup, Welch’s fuel cell went dry under the caution laps forcing a push back into the pits via the White Mountain safety crew. The heartbreaking turn of events for the 78NH crew ruined a stellar run for the multi-time White Mountain champion, continuing his bad-luck streak in American-Canadian Tour competition.
After Canadian Patrick Laperle took over the lead, he battled hard with former White Mountain champion D.J. Shaw till the end of the 200 lap event. Coming into turn three to take the checkered flag, Shaw powered under Laperle with New Salem, Massachusetts’ Tom Carey III and Bryan Wall Jr. in tow. Contact between the leaders found Laperle sideways along the bumper of Shaw with Carey and Wall jumping beneath to try and get a leg up. Carey would get caught in the right rear on the bumper of Laperle as he miraculously straightened out to take the win over Shaw by just 0.023 seconds.
Patrick Laperle took down his fifth Fall Foliage 200 win followed by D.J. Shaw with current Foley Oil & Propane Late Model Rookie of the Year points leader Bryan Wall Jr. taking third place in just his third American-Canadian Tour start.
White Mountain Motorsports Park wraps up the 2022 season Saturday, September 24 with the $5,000 to win R&R Race Parts NH Street Stock Open 100. Also on the docket is the championship final rounds for the Foley Oil & Propane Late Models, Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Models, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis and Wayne’s Market Dwarf Cars all crown the 2022 champions. The Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division and rescheduled New England Dwarf Car Series will be joining the fray.
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
Fall Foliage Saturday Spectacular
Saturday, September 17, 2022
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
American-Canadian Tour – 44th Fall Foliage 200
1 91QC Patrick Laperle St-Denis, QC
2 04VT D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH
3 77NH #Bryan Wall Jr. E. Kingston, NH
4 68NH Tanner Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
5 5MA Tom Carey III New Salem, MA
6 04NH Shawn Swallow Groveton, NH
7 00NH Joey Doiron Berwick, ME
8 21QC Alexandre Tardif Notre Dame des Pins, QC
9 7NH #Cody Leblanc Berlin, NH
10 78NH Quinten Welch Groveton, NH
11 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT
12 27NH #Cam Huntress Rochester, NH
13 36NH Erick Sands Derry, NH
14 0NH Dylan Bilodeau Fremont, NH
15 61NH Ryan Olsen N. Haverhill, NH
16 92VT Jaden Perry Hardwick, VT
17 02NH Randy Potter Groveton, NH
18 21VT Reilly Lanphear Waterbury, VT
19 12NH Jeffrey Labrecque Jr. Strafford, NH
20 67MA Chase Curtis Rutland, MA
21 4NH #Jamie Swallow Jr. Stark, NH
22 48QC Raphael Lessard Quebec City, QC
23 55VT #Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT
24 36QC Alex Labbe St-Albert, QC
25 32NH Jeff Marshall Littleton, NH
26 27KY Isaac Bevin Louisville, KY
27 49NH Matt Anderson Franklin, NH
28 03MA Derek Gluchacki North Dartmouth, MA
29 22VT Peyton Lanphear Waterbury, VT
30 1ME Mike Bailey S. Barre, VT
31 58VT Jimmy Hebert Williamstown, VT
32 45NH Kasey Beattie St. Johnsbury, VT
Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models – Fall Foliage 150
1. 50 Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH
2. 60 D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH
3. 72 Ryan Kuhn E. Bridgewater, MA
4. 27NH Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Dover, NH
5. 17MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA
6. 09 Jeremy Davis Tamworth, NH
7. 39 Max Cookson Pittsfield, ME
8. 52 Jake Matheson Hillsboro, NH
9. 5x Bobby Therrien Hinesburg, VT
10. 24 Ben Rowe Turner, ME
11. 10 Kate Re Harrison, ME
12. 18s Mike Scorzelli Feura Bush, NY
13. 12 Dennis Spencer, Jr. Oxford, ME
14. 02 Brian Whalley Laconia, NH
15. 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell, ME
16. 12x Corey Bubar Windham, ME
17. 90 Craig Weinstein E. Walpole, MA
18. 83 Tyler Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT
19. 7B Isaac Bevin Louisville, KY
20. 00 Jimmy Renfrew Jr. Candia, NH
21. 8 Calvin Rose, Jr. Turner, ME
22. 01 Sammy Gooden Whitefield, VT
23. 93 Ryan Green
24. 29 Trevor Sanborn E. Parsonsfield, ME
25. 81 Dan Winter Deerfield, ME
26. 36 Ryan Robbins
27. 5M Dillon Moltz New Sharon, ME
28. 84 Jamie Wright
29 20 Joe Pastore Gorham, ME
30 60M Mike Mayberry Naples, ME
DNS 4NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH
DNS 07 Mark Patten Belmont, NH
Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers – 50 Lap
WMMP Flying Tiger Track Champion: Tanner Woodard
1. 55NH Tanner Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
2. 18VT #Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT
3. 23VT Matthew Potter Marshfield, VT
4. 4NH Shane Sicard Barton, VT
5. 35DG Colin Cornell E. Burke, VT
6. 44VT Justin Prescott Williston, VT
7. 56VT Chris Laforest Barre, VT
8. 3VT Michael MacAskill Williamstown,VT
9. 60NH #Thomas Smithers VI Gilmanton, NH
10. 49NH Jody Sicard Gilmanton, NH
11. 22NH #Chandler Potter Plainfield, VT
12. 68VT Jason Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
13. 82NH Frank Sweeney Belmont, NH
14. 2NH Michael Clark Littleton, NH
15. 23NH Michael Potter Plainfield, VT
16. 94NH Leslie Keyser Northfield, NH
PASS Modifieds – 50 Laps
1. 1 Brandon Varney Canton, ME
2. 34 Spencer Morse Naples, ME
3. 17 Mike Davis Tamworth, NH
4. 09 Ryan Ripley Thomaston, ME
5. 6 Troy Morse Bridgton, ME
6. 83 Dan Brown Turner, ME
7. 52 Colby Benjamin Belmont, ME
8. 00 Zach Bowie Greene, ME
9. 38 Garrett Lamb Windham, ME
10. 85 Chandler Harrison Freeport, ME
11. 9 Alex Ricker Tamworth, NH
12. 33 Bill Dixon N. Waterboro, ME
13. 7 Spencer Vaughn Canton, ME
14. 25 Shawn Knight South Paris, ME
15. 10 Bill Fiske Chester, NH
