Airborne Hosts Modified Racing Series Memorial Day Weekend

(From track press release)

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Airborne Speedway will celebrate Memorial Day weekend by hosting a Modified Racing Series event for the first time Saturday, May 29, and the tour’s top drivers are looking forward to racing their low-slung 600-horsepower machines on the progressively-banked half mile.

“We’re hearing that there are three or more racing grooves to play around with,” defending Series champion Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass., said. “That should be a lot of fun and it should make it a very interesting, competitive race.”

Veteran Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney, recent Modified Racing Series winner at Monadnock Speedway, feels the same way. “We’re excited,” Jarvis said. “We’ve heard a lot of good things about Airborne.”

“The Airborne race is the first part of a big doubleheader for our series,” founder, promoter and competitor Jack Bateman said. “We race the next day at Thunder Road. It’s something we’ve never done before. This is our seventh season and we have 65 teams entered, which is a record for us. It’s really exciting.”

Greg Atkins Logging and Taylor Rental present the Modified Racing Series 100-lap event. All Airborne divisions will also compete. Post time is 5 p.m.

“I think this race will be a treat for our fans and it should bring in some race fans from outside the area,” Perrotte said. “The Modified Series cars are the type that race so well at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. They’re a link to a lot of Airborne history from the '50s and '60s.”

This Saturday, May 15 is Econo Lodge Kiddie Rides Night. Kiddie rides begin at 4:40 p.m. Post time is 5 p.m. All Airborne divisions will be in action. Admission is $10 for adults, kids 12 and under free.

Jarvis Wins Modified Racing Series at Monadnock

(From MRS press release)

WINCHESTER, N.H. – Despite 12 caution periods Ascutney, Vt., racing veteran Dwight Jarvis scored his first win of the season Saturday night in front of a large opening night crowd when he captured the Bond Auto Parts Spring Dash 100 for modified race cars at Monadnock Speedway.

The win by Jarvis was his sixth career victory with the Modified Racing Series, sponsored by BobValentiAutoMall.com.

Starting 17th in a 24 car field, Jarvis methodically worked his way through the lineup, taking the top spot on lap 76. It was a hard fought victory for the popular driver who chased hometown driver Jim Boniface for several laps before making the pass. Boniface led the race for 68 laps.

2009 Koszela Speed Rookie of the Year Jacob Dore of Sanford, Me., made a late race charge to finish second. Boniface settled for third, while Rowan Pennink of Huntington Valley, Penn., finished fourth with Sean Bodreau of Claremont, N.H., fifth.

Pennink, who started 24th in the field, was involved in an early race skirmish on lap 36, that forced him to start last again. He made a late race charge that led to his fourth place finish.

32 race teams entered the event, the third of 19 races for the popular touring series.

The next scheduled race for MRS is the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta N.Y., on May 21.

The Juice: What a Weekend it Was

-by Justin St. Louis

It should go without saying that we left this weekend impressed all the way around. Airborne Speedway's racing is better than it has ever been. The story for Thunder Road's opener practically wrote itself. Two pit areas full of race cars, two grandstands full of fans, two race tracks full of action, a little sunburn, some great race track food... the perfect weekend.

First, Airborne. Upon driving up Broderick Road to get to the race track, you get this weird "buzz" feeling, like something special is happening. It's been a long time since that existed. My ride buddy for the day traditionally hates Airborne, going back to 15 years ago up through 2008, but even he was excited to be there. The pits were absolutely jam-packed with race cars -- which makes you wonder where 30+ ACT teams are going to park this weekend -- and the stands were jam-packed, too -- which makes you wonder where an extra 500-800 ACT-only fans are going to sit. Good problems to have, if you're a race track promoter.

We waited in line at the pit area concession stand for what was literally ten minutes, but it turned out to be totally worth it: Poutine and a Michigan for six bucks? Are you kidding me? Can't beat it.

The Modifieds are always so strange to see on asphalt, but the power and speed they put down is second to none. The new Mini-Modifieds are visually stunning, and race well, and the Bombers are fun to watch, as always. But the real treat was watching the Sportsman and Renegade divisions, which ran two- and three-wide all night long, door-to-door for the lead, and never lacked for action. Given the similiarities between those cars and the ACT Late Models, the Spring Green on Saturday should be one of the better ones this year on the ACT Tour.

Then, Thunder Road. That same "buzz" feeling hits you as soon as you turn up Quarry Hill Road (or is it Quarry Street?) on opening day, year after year. This year it lasted a little longer as the VMM Neon struggled a bit to make it up the hill (thank goodness we weren't in the parade on Saturday), but it was finally time to open the Nation's Site of Excitement. And I'm telling you, the story wrote itself.

Eric Williams, defending track champion, takes his low-budget team that may not race the full season and defeats the ACT Late Model Tour's best, winning himself an ACT Invitational starting spot at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the process. That's a good enough story on its own. But to have Williams win the race just an hour after his 17 year-old son, Tucker, wins in his first Street Stock start? Come on, even Hollywood can't pull that off. The Tiger Sportsmen returned to their classic form and went flag-to-flag in a racy 30-lap feature, and the 'Reserve' feature for the Street Stock/Warrior combo division was a bloodlust's dream. Two-and-a-half cars got upside down on the first day, so you know it'll be a good year.

And not an ounce of snow left on the ground, anywhere.

***

So how important is the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

We learned that Trampas Demers will be running the first four events of the Série ACT-Castrol this season, with an eye at running the whole schedule following a mid-season review... because he wants to get into NHMS.

Demers threw us for a loop with the news, saying that's looking for not only opportunities to win a race and earn a starting spot at NHMS, but that he's also looking for track time out front to help his overall program. He is the first American racer to chase the series, although drivers Brent Dragon, Dave Pembroke, Jacob McGrath, and Ryan Nolin have each made select one-race appearances since 2005.

Earlier in the year, Rowley, Mass. racer Eddie MacDonald hinted a running a few Castrol events, and rumor has it that John Donahue will be at Autodrome Montmagny later this month.

***

I learned quickly on Sunday that I'm not ready to sit in my favorite spot at Thunder Road yet. And I'm sure I'd be called a 'weenie' for it. Miss ya, Pete.

***

Kirk Alexander made good on his promise that he would win at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday night. After crashing out of the lead with 11 laps remaining in the True Value Modified Racing Series opener at the track on April 25, Alexander fulfilled his own prophecy by taking the first weekly Modified division feature in many years, beating Bryan Shumway and Jim Boniface for the win. (Mondanock Speedway photo)

***

Bay-Ellsbury 2012. I don't care if Jason Bay is Canadian.

***

The Williams family double at Thunder Road last Sunday was the first time in 20 years that a father and son won features at the track on the same day, but it's wasn't the first time.

Back in the late 1980s, when there were just two divisions but car counts of 50+ for each, Joey Laquerre won a previously rained-out Flying Tiger 'high handicap' feature on July 15, 1988, while his son, the late Joey Jr., won the regularly scheduled 'low handicap' feature later in the evening.

The following year, on August 17, "Stormin'" Norman Andrews won the Flying Tiger 'low' feature while his son, Tony, won the Street Stock 'high' feature.

***

AROUND THE REGION:

Here's a new weekly feature we'll try our best to keep up with this season, honoring the top performances by Vermonters at tracks in the area.

ACT Late Model Tour/Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl (Barre): Eric Williams of Hyde Park won the ACT Merchants Bank 150 on Sunday, with Milton's Scott Payea in third place. Scott Coburn of Barre beat Bradford's Derrick O'Donnell for the Tiger Sportsman checkers, while rookie Tucker Williams won his first-ever Thunder Road start in the Street Stock division. Waitsfield's Kevin Streeter picked up the Junkyard Warrior victory.

Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Mike Bruno of Castleton inherited second place behind Québec's Martin Roy after apparent winner Pierre Berthiaume was disqualified in post-race insepection. Aaron Bartemy of Swanton was third. Former Sportsman track champion Jason Bonnett of St. Albans finished fourth in his division's 25-lap feature, while Milton's Rob Gordon was the runner-up in the Renegade division behind New Yorker Joe Daniels.

Albany-Saratoga Speedway (Malta, N.Y): Fair Haven's Dave Camara came in as the runner-up to New Jersey's Brett Hearn in the headline 358 Modified class, with Middlebury's Todd Stone in fifth and Vince Quenneville, Jr. of Brandon in sixth. Ed Thompson of Fair Haven won the Pro Stock feature.

PASS North/Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (Scarborough, Me.): Danville teenager Steven Legendre failed to make the start of the PASS 150 on Saturday after suffering an engine failure in morning practice.

Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Joe Rogers of Ludlow finished seventh in the Mini Stock feature, with Putney's Dana Shepard 16th in the Super Street class.

Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Three Vermonters competed in the Late Model feature on Friday, led by Rutland's Dallas Trombley, who finished in fifth place. Joey Jarvis of Ascutney was the top Modified driver in fifth place, one spot better than Windsor's Robert Hagar. Chris Wilk of Mendon was the runner-up to New Hampshire's Aaron Fellows in the Super Street class, while Springfield lady Tara Tarbell won the Strictly Stock feature. Jeremiah Losee of North Springfield won a Wildcat feature dominated by Vermont racers.

Both tracks at the Canaan Fair Speedway complex in Canaan, N.H. open their gates this week, with dirt racing on Friday night and the asphalt track running on Saturday. The ACT Late Model Tour is at Airborne Speedway on Saturday night for the Furniture World of Vermont Spring Green 100, while the True Value Modified Racing Series is at Waterford Speedbowl on the Connecticut shoreline for a 100-lap event.

Five Years Old, the True Value Modifieds Look Ahead

Jack Bateman was a driver without a place to race. Ongoing disagreements at Twin State Speedway in Claremont, N.H. meant that the track's lead division -- the ground-pounding, open-wheel Modifieds so beloved by New England race fans -- would be gone from competition in 2004. Modifieds were off the card at Monadnock Speedway an hour down the road in Winchester, and things were so unpredictable at Canaan Fair Speedway an hour north that racers and fans gave up on the track.


But rather than sit idle, Bateman formed the Modified Racing Series. He picked up title sponsorship from True Value Hardware, and now in 2009, the series has just completed its first event of its sixth season. Bateman is still the series' President and is still a competitor with the tour. Drawing 26 cars to Mondanock on Saturday night was an average showing for the series on the pit side, and a packed grandstand on the other side of the fence was more of the norm.

Bateman sees the first half-decade of the True Value Modified Racing Series as positive. "Well, we've had an awful lot of fun with the thing, and it looks like the guys enjoy what we're doing, and that's really what it's all about," he said. "Our whole theory is to have a good time. As long as everybody's having a good time, it's all good."

The series was formed not only to give weekly-level racers a place to compete, but also to give those racers a place to showcase their talents without going broke, an alternative to the high-dollar equpiment and schedule of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. So far, it's mission accomplished; drivers from all six New England states plus Pennsylvania and New York competed at the season opener last weekend.

"I think it's an opportunity for guys who love Modifieds to race on a touring deal without having to pay the NASCAR-type money, and I think that's what attracts a lot of people," Bateman said. "And there's a few of those (NASCAR drivers) that are coming over because it just isn't feasible financially to do what they're doing."

Kirk Alexander, the series' all-time leading winner and the 2004, 2005, and 2007 champion, agrees.

"If you want to come race Modifieds on a touring series and spend the least amount of money, this is the one to do it on," he said. "And they're paying a lot better now, they're paying two grand to win. I know it isn't a ton of money, but when you don't have to spend a lot to be there at the race track it's pretty good."

NASCAR champions Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher, and Ken Bouchard, have been attracted to the True Value series, and top young talents like Matt Hirschman, Jimmy Blewett, and Rowan Pennink have competed successfully on the series. In addition, drivers better known for their winning résumés in full-fendered cars -- drivers like Jean-Paul Cyr, David Pinkham, and Vinnie Annarummo -- have been frequent competitors.

Alexander is proud of the work his fellow True Value regulars, like 2006 champion Dwight Jarvis, Les Hinckley, Jon McKennedy, and Saturday's winner, Rob Goodenough, have done against the invaders; of the 'big gun' drivers, only Hirschman has been able to break into victory lane, last year at Twin State.

"Matty's the only one that has won. It means a lot. I mean, it's not like they come in and walk all over us," Alexander said. "I mean they're good, but they're good under their rules where they can spend a lot of money. Guys like Mike Stefanik, who has been racing forever, and that guy is an awesome driver, he knows his stuff. Teddy Christopher, he's awesome. But you know these (True Value) guys are good and there's some talent here that you don't just come in and walk all over us. They keep it down to a minimum on bumping and jamming, they don't put the bumper to people. You want to see good racing, and that's what we do."

"They're usually pretty competitive," Bateman says, "but it takes quite a lot of ingenuity to win on these little bullring tracks. Most (of those) guys are used to running big tracks like Stafford, Thompson, New Hampshire, Martinsville, and places like that. It's different with these little short tracks, it takes a different tact."

In recent years, Bateman's series has developed young talent including Andy Seuss, Bobby Grigas, and 2008 champion Chris Pasteryak, who now compete in the NASCAR ranks. Grigas, the 2006 TVMRS Rookie of the Year, is a consistent top-ten driver with the Whelen Modified Tour, while second-generation racer Pasteryak is in his first season there. Seuss has won two of his four starts on the Whelen Southern Modified Tour this season, beating the likes of Christopher and past champions L.W. Miller and Burt Myers.

It seems that given the momentum the True Value Modified Racing Series has built in its first five years -- full fields, full grandstands, and dates at top New England tracks including Oxford Plains, Lee USA, Thunder Road, Thompson, and more -- the next five years should be pretty good, too.

"I think it's a good deal, (Bateman) is going in the right direction," says Alexander. "You've got all these different kinds of rules and motor combinations so it makes it possible for people to come in with stuff that don't cost them a lot of money. I think it'll be a good thing."

"We're in pretty good shape, considering the economy and that sort of thing," said Bateman. "We've got 26 cars here, I think that's a fairly respectable number. We'll just see how it goes throughout the season and take it from there."

(Photo 1: Rowan Pennink's #25 car sits in front of a full grandstand at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday night. Photo 2: The TVMRS pits are always full of cars. Photo 3: Qualifying heat action is intense and gives the TVMRS a distinction from NASCAR's time-trial qualifying. Photo 4: The TVMRS field under the lights. Photos 1, 2, and 4 by Justin St. Louis/VMM; Photo 4 by Alan Ward)

Goodenough Wins TVMRS Thriller at Monadnock

WINCHESTER, N.H. -- Rob Goodenough fans rejoice. Kirk Alexander fans cringe. Dwight Jarvis fans stand proud. Jon McKennedy fans take what they can get. And every fan goes home a winner.

The True Value Modified Racing Series opened its sixth season in fine style at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. on Saturday night, with a wild finish that brought the packed grandstand crowd to its feet.

For the first 89 laps of Saturday night's Bond Auto Spring Dash 100, three-time series champion Alexander looked as though he would take his fifteenth TVMRS victory at Monadnock, until he attempted to put a lap on Kenny White, Jr. The two inadvertantly made contact at full speed, sending leader Alexander hard into the Turn 2 wall, ending his race and opening the door for a barnburner of a finish.

Enter Goodenough, McKennedy, and Jarvis.

Running in positions two through four at the time of Alexander's demise, the trio suddenly found themselves playing the lead roles in the final act of the season opener. As the green flag flew for the restart on lap 89, Goodenough and McKennedy, who made up the front row, banged wheels, sending a plume of smoke into the air from the middle of Turn 4 all the way down the frontstretch to Turn 1 before they seperated. As McKennedy slowed only momentarily to regroup, Jarvis snuck under him and into second place.

Jarvis, who drove from 22nd place after pitting under caution on lap 21, raced, as one fan put it, "the hardest he's driven in years," and stirred his fans into a minor frenzy that grew louder with each pass. Mike Holdridge followed Jarvis on lap 92, taking third place away as McKennedy slapped the frontstretch wall, but just seconds before Holdridge's car lost power and came to a stop, bringing out the ninth and final caution flag.

As True Value Modified rules dictate, restarts inside 10 laps to go require single-file formation. As Goodenough held his line to protect the lead, Jarvis looked high and low each lap until the white flag flew, when he made a banzai run on the outside entering Turn 3, drawing even with Goodenough's car. But the drag race went to Goodenough by a bumper, handing the driver from nearby Swanzey, N.H. his first TVMRS win since a Monadnock score in 2007.

"It was very fast-paced, rough, it was (deep breath)... it was interesting out there," said Goodenough. "I needed that break (Alexander's crash), I admit it, yeah, he had a fast car and he would have won this race unless something happened like it did. (But) that's what being a strong second-place competitor does, it just pays off one of these nights, and that's just what it did today."

Alexander took his fate in stride, sparing White of any direct blame. "The car was awesome, just lapped traffic, you know, things got out of control there. Maybe I should have backed off, maybe not," he said. "It looked like the 77 (White) was trying to hang it down, I don't know if he got his left-front caught on the guy in front of him or something, but it looked like he shot right, and I just turned right with him and locked up my brakes and that was the end of that. It kinda sucks, but what are you gonna do, get mad about it? Big deal, we'll come back and win next week." Alexander was not hurt in the crash.

Once Alexander met his end, Goodenough and Jarvis stole the show.

"I was trying to hold it down to the bottom because this thing was getting really loose," said Goodenough. "I thought (Jarvis) was coming up the outside of me, and he did one of his famous moves. I think he was looking out there and snuck it back down to the bottom and then went back out. I knew he was going to go anywhere he could go. I was just trying to keep it in one groove, and the guys told me I was going to have to be on my toes for the last couple of laps because he had something for me. They were right."

"I knew I was going to have a good run, the car was there and it hooked up good," said Jarvis, of Ascutney. "I'm pretty happy, and I was pretty confident we'd head back up through (after pitting). The car was real loose at the end. I think if I could have got up beside (Goodenough) I had something for him, but I had it all hanging out, she was loose."

McKennedy, of Chelmsford, Mass., held on for third place ahead of Eddie Dachenhausen and Sean Bodreau. The unofficial top-ten was completed in order by Rowan Pennink, Mike Douglas, Joe Doucette, Jack Bateman, and Bill Park. Peter Jarvis, Alexander, and Dachenhausen won the qualifying heats, while Pennink won the last-chance consi.

Feature winners in Monadnock Speedway's weekly divisions were Russ Hersey (Outlaw Pro Stock), Matt Mead (Super Stock), and Tim Jackson (Mini Stock).

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS - Bond Auto Spring Dash 100
True Value Modified Racing Series - Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H.
Saturday, April 25, 2009

Pos.-Driver-Hometown
1. Rob Goodenough, Swanzey, N.H.
2. Dwight Jarvis, Ascutney
3. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass.
4. Eddie Dachenhausen, Danbury, Conn.
5. Sean Bodreau, Claremont, N.H.
6. Rowan Pennink, Huntington Valley, Penn.
7. Mike Douglas, Jr., Auburn, N.H.
8. Joe Doucette, Framingham, Mass.
9. Jack Bateman, Canaan, N.H.
10. Bill Park, Manorville, L.I., N.Y.
11. Peter Jarvis, Ascutney
12. Jimmy Dolan, Bethel, Conn.
13. John Cleary, Madison, Conn.
14. Steve Masse, Bellingham, Mass.
15. Mike Holdridge, Madison, Conn.
16. Kirk Alexander, West Swanzey, N.H.
17. Kenny White, Jr., Weare, N.H.
18. Todd Annarummo, Swansea, Mass.
19. Todd Patnode, Swanzey, N.H.
20. Jacob Dore, Sanford, Me.
21. Kevin Iannarelli, Maynard, Mass.
22. Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, Conn.
23. Tony Ricci, Westbrook, Me.
24. Butch Perry, Ashaway, R.I.

(Photo 1: Bond Auto 100 winner Rob Goodenough celebrates his victory. Photo 2: (L-R) Runner-up Dwight Jarvis, winner Rob Goodenough, third-place Jon McKennedy. Photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)