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John Raper photo
N. Woodstock, NH — On a cool Sunday afternoon in the Pemigewasset Valley of New Hampshire, Thunder filled the foothills to the tune of the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models. A special Father’s Day edition of racing at White Mountain Motorsports Park proved just the right medicine after a week of unseasonably constant rain in the Granite State. In the end, familiar faces made their way to victory lane, all of them having to fight to make it happen.
With eighteen cars on the premises coming from Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont, the Open Street Stocks kicked off the Sunday matinee with the Father’s Day 75. Led to green by Buxton, Maine’s Ryan Phillips in his sharp looking Streeter, it was reigning Flying Tiger standout Brandon Gray who would take over at just five laps in. Leaving Phillips to fight door-to-door with Jason Woodard for second, Gray would begin lapping this unique cast of New England characters at lap 16. Just two cautions slowed the field, the first on lap 34 for the spinning Leslie Keyser in turn four and the second on the restart lap with a flat right-front tire stalling Travis Lovejoy.
On the final restart it would be Jason Woodard getting the jump on Gray from the outside groove and leading the way all the way down to the finish. Jason Woodard returned to White Mountain Motorsports Park victory lane with a $1,000 check waiting for him. Brandon Gray took his first finish outside of first place in 2023 with a runner-up finish followed by Tanner Woodard, who helped to celebrate Father’s Day in true racer’s fashion.
The popular Kennebec Equipment PASS Modifieds were next on the field, led to point by longtime supporters Spencer Morse and Ryan Ripley. Morse would get the early jump before Ripley took over as newcomers Ryan Hewins and Jacob Hethcoat would inherit the remainder of the top three. While Morse and Chandler Harrison took to a physical battle for fifth, point leader Brandon Varney marched into third with his sights set on Hewins and Ripley. The lone caution on lap 22 for the spinning Spencer Vaughn allowed the leaders too much space for Varney and relegated him to a third-place finish. Ryan Ripley would take down the PASS Modified win with Ryan Hewins coming home second.
The headlining PASS Super Late Models were led green by Garrett Hall and D.J. Shaw with Joey Doiron and Mike Rowe in tow from the second row. Hall would take the early lead as Rowe followed on the inside but Shaw battled back to take control on lap 5. Shaw’s reign at the top didn’t last long as Doiron took over on lap 7. After slipping back over multiple green-flag laps, Mike Rowe and Trevor Sanborn had contact at the start/finish line before Sanborn went low and pushed the Maine State Racing Legend up into the backstretch barriers. On two wheels, Rowe came back down to all four and slid sideways down the backstretch collecting Andy Shaw and Shawn Knight among others.
Joey Doiron went loose on the restart entry into turn one to give the edge to Shaw before Sanborn stopped in the infield grass to bring out the yellow on lap 38. Shaw edged out Doiron once again on the restart just as the yellow would fly once again as Jimmy Renfrew Jr. was stopped high in turn four. On the restart it was now the Shaw and Johnny Clark show as the two ran doorhandle-to-doorhandle under multiple laps over several restarts until Clark firmly took over on lap 65.
While battling got the best of Clark and Shaw, a damaged and determined Max Cookson started working his way to the front on the outside groove. The final caution on lap 110 for a spun Brian Whalley set up a final 40-lap sprint to the end. Clark beat and banged against Shaw in every corner as the two worked hard for position. Clark would eventually solidly keep the lead with Shaw falling back on the outside to allow Cookson, Evan Halstrom and Jimmy Renfrew Jr. to chase after Clark, but time ran out. Johnny Clark would take his ___ career White Mountain PASS win at with Max Cookson coming home second and Jimmy Renfrew Jr. rounding out the victory lane podium.
The Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Models rounded out the afternoon’s program with plenty of fireworks still to be had! While Desmond Skillings would take the early lead, he wasn’t out of the water with the likes of Dustin Jackson, Cody LeBlanc and defending champion Nick Anderson on his heels. The lone caution flag would fly on lap 9 for a stalled Josh Dunn whose car unexpectedly and ferociously caught fire until Speedway Safety Services quelled the blaze. Skillings and Cody LeBlanc dueled under the restart green flag until huge contact between the two on lap 22 in turn two saw Anderson jump up into the lead and take it all the way to the checkers. Nick Anderson would take his first win of the 2023 season followed by Desmond Skillings in second and longtime White Mountain supporter Dustin Jackson in third.
Thunder Returns to the Mountains on Saturday, June 24thwith the annual Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini Special! The Strictly Minis go for a special 50-lap extra-distance showdown alongside the Foley Oil & Propane Late Models, Fisher Auto Parts Flying Tigers and the Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Kid’s Division.
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
Sunday, June 18, 2023
PASS Father’s Day Sunday Special
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models – (150 Laps)
1. 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell, ME
2. 39 Max Cookson Pittsfield, ME
3. 00NH Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. Candia, NH
4. 1VT Evan Hallstrom Northfield, VT
5. 44 Trevor Sanborn E. Parsonsfield, ME
6. 94 Garrett Hall Scarborough, ME
7. 60 D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH
8. 40RI Mike Mitchell Cumberland, RI
9. 73D Joey Doiron Berwick, ME
10. 02 Brian Whalley Laconia, NH
11. 38 Garrett Lamb Windham, ME
12. 41 Logan Melcher Fayette, ME
13. 90K Derek Kneeland Scarborough, ME
14. 11B Matt Beers Farmingdale, ME
15. 47B Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH
16. 25 Shawn Knight S. Paris, ME
17. 07 Nick Calvert Steep Falls, ME
18. 09 Jeremy Davis Tamworth, NH
19. 12 Dennis Spencer, Jr. Oxford, ME
20. 24 Mike Rowe Turner, ME
21. 50 Andy Shaw Center Conway, NH
DNS 90W Craig Weinstein E. Walpole, MA
PASS Modifieds – (50 Laps)
1. 09 Ryan Ripley Thomaston, ME
2. 70 Ryan Hewins Oxford, ME
3. 1 Brandon Varney Canton, ME
4. 1x Kevin Varney Mechanic Falls, ME
5. 34 Spencer Morse Naples, ME
6. 85 Chandler Harrison Freeport, ME
7. 28 Kevin Oliver
8. 21 Zach Nicholson Ctr. Ossipee, NH
9. 6 Drew Morse Auburn, ME
10. 7 Spencer Vaughn Canton, ME
11. 13 Evan Roy Turner, ME
12. 9 Alex Ricker Tamworth, NH
13. 33 Billy Dixon N. Waterboro, ME
Father’s Day Street Stock Open – (75 Laps)
1. 68NH Jason Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
2. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
3. 68VT Tanner Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
4. 44VT Justin Prescott Milton, VT
5. 89 Ryan Phillips Buxton, ME
6. 22 Austin Erickson Ashland, NH
7. 47 Brian Caswell Buxton, ME
8. 46 Aaron Maynard Lyndonville, VT
9. 2 Travis Lovejoy Waterboro, ME
10. 27 Leslie Keyser Ossipee, NH
11. 30CT Charles Beal Ledyard, CT
12. 83 Shawn Gilpatrick W. Newfield, ME
13. 30 Jaysin Beal Ledyard, CT
14. 1 Billy Childs Jr. Leeds, ME
15. 5VN Scott Vien Ashland, NH
16. 60 Dustin Towle Corinth, VT
DNS 39 Moose Douton Waterford, CT
DNS 11C Cam Childs Wales, ME
Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Models – (40 Laps)
1. 55 Nick Anderson Oxford, MA
2. 90 Desmond Skillings Antrim, NH
3. 37 Dustin Jackson Bethlehem, NH
4. 7NH Cody LeBlanc Berlin, NH
5. 57 Pat Houle Vernon, VT
6. 76 Garrett LaBounty Orleans, VT
7. 31 Brett Jackson Bethlehem, NH
8. 66 Normand Raymond, Jr. Sherbrooke, QC
9. 71 Kevin Boucher Grafton, NH
10. 7MI Matt LeBlanc Berlin, NH
11. 5 Eric Banks, Jr.
12. 11NH Josh Dunn Enfield, NH
DNS 18 Dick Lamotte White River Jct., VT
