test

Pos.	Car		Driver	Hometown	Points	Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10
1	73		Kevin Chaffee	Orange, VT	102	2	1	1	2
2	01		Ryan Avery	Thornton, NH	94	2	0	1	2
3	5		Gary Siemons	Orford, NH	92	2	0	1	2
4	11		Travis Shinn	Groton, NH	90	2	0	1	1
5	96		Jason Sanville	Rumney, NH	86	2	0	1	1
6	1NH		Jack Cook	Moultonboro, NH	82	2	0	0	1
7	3	#	Dan Eastman	Thetford Ctr., VT	73	2	0	1	1
	63		Trevor Rocke	Canaan, NH	73	2	0	0	2
9	21	#	Ryan Dutton	Bradford, VT	65	2	0	0	0
10	00		Jason Gray	East Thetford, VT	60	1	1	1	1
11	82		Randy Howe	Lebanon, NH	58	1	0	1	1
12	9		Mike Dunn	N. Haverhill, NH	52	1	0	1	1
13	92		Dave Sanville	Rumney, NH	50	1	0	1	1
14	14		Mark Williams	Milton, NH	49	2	0	0	0
15	97		Alan Hammond	Canaan, NH	44	1	0	0	1
16	06	#	Jeffrey Elliott	Orford, NH	43	1	0	0	1
17	51	#	Justin Comes	Middlebury, VT	39	1	0	0	1
18	07x		Jim Lowery, Jr.	Tilton, NH	38	1	0	0	0
19	29		Mike Greene	Haverhill, NH	35	1	0	0	1
20	181		Blake Shepard	Newton, NH	32	1	0	0	0
21	10	#	Derek Graham	Woodsville, NH	29	1	0	0	0
	72	#	Mike Santaw	Lyme, NH	29	1	0	0	0
23	15		Adam Pierson	Fairlee, VT	28	1	0	0	0
24	36		Brian Whittemore	Florence, VT	26	1	0	0	0
25	81x		Louie Cadwell	Vershire, VT	25	1	0	0	0
26	75		Toby Stark	Canaan, NH	23	1	0	0	0
27	X		Bryan King	Corinth, VT	21	1	0	0	0
28	07		Russell Christian	Canaan, NH	5	1	0	0	0

ACT Tiger Tour Opens At White Mountain Saturday

(From ACT press release)

NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. -- White Mountain Motorsports Park will open the Bond Auto/Wix Filters Tiger Tour on Saturday, June 5. The Tiger Sportsman cars from throughout the region will begin their championship run in the first of four events for the 2010 race season.

“White Mountain was a natural for us to begin the 2010 campaign,” said Tom Curley, President of the American-Canadian Tour which sanctions the division. “WMMP took a major step to bring the ACT rules for the Tiger Sportsman division to the track this season, and we want to do whatever we can to try and help get this division in a growth trend at WMMP. We have encouraged the Thunder Road Tiger teams to visit WMMP whenever they can in 2010.”

All tour events will be 100 laps. The other scheduled events that will be held during the season are Thunder Road in Barre on July 1, Canaan Fair (N.H.) Speedway on August 21, and Riverside Speedway in Groveton, N.H., on October 9.

Seven-time ACT Late Model Tour champion Jean-Paul Cyr has assembled a group that will oversee the Tiger Tour on behalf of ACT. “I asked Jean if he had any interest in helping out this summer as we also have many races with the ACT Late Model Tour, the Serie ACT-Castrol Edge, and Thunder Road,” continued Curley. “He certainly has plenty of racing experience and he has brought some of his Late Model team to help with long-time members Randy Ploof and Bruce King joining him.”

The opening ACT Tiger Tour event is expected to draw 30 teams to White Mountain. Leading the pack will be Brendan Moodie from North Wolcott, Vt., winner on Memorial Day weekend at Thunder Road. Tiger Tour champion Shawn Duquette of Morrisonville, N.Y., will make the long haul to the picturesque 1/4-mile oval in defense of his 2009 title. Former Thunder Road champions Shawn Fleury and Jimmy Hebert have both entered the White Mountain event, and Late Model drivers Chip Grenier and Dave Pembroke, both graduates of the Tiger division, will also be compete.

Pit gates open at noon, practice starts at 2:30 and post time is 5:00 on Saturday, June 5. For more information contact WMMP at http://www.whitemtnmotorsports.com/ or call (603) 745-6727.

The Juice: Kruczek's Suspension Necessary For Unnecessary Wreck

-by Justin St. Louis
VMM Editor

Bryan Kruczek set the sport of short track racing back 50 years last Friday night.

The Newmarket, N.H., driver is a leading weekly Late Model competitor at Lee USA Speedway, and is a part-time competitor with the American-Canadian Tour, most recently racing at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine last month. Last August Kruczek was invited to test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the inaugural ACT Invitational, and although he did not participate in the race, he was surprisingly fast at the Loudon mile.

On paper, Bryan Kruczek has proven himself a solid competitor for several years, both at and away from Lee USA Speedway. But what he did last week is simply inexcusable.

Four ACT teams that do not compete regularly at Lee USA Speedway took part in the track's Friday night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model program: Joey Polewarczyk, John Donahue, Glen Luce, and rookie Dave Farrington, Jr. Thirteen other teams were racing in the division that night including A.J. Begin, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., J.R. Baril, Jimmy Linardy and Miles Chipman, each one a name familiar to ACT fans.

Coming to the final lap of their qualifying heat race, Polewarczyk sat in third place as Kruczek -- who came from the rear after being penalized by Lee USA officials for a three-wide maneuver that caused a wreck in the opening laps of the race -- drilled Polewarczyk's rear bumper at the start/finish line. As Polewarczyk attempted to correct his car as it slid out of control toward the infield, Kruczek hit him again, this time hard enough to lift Polewarczyk's rear tires off the track.

With his front tires turned to the right while still attempting to make the first save, Polewarczyk's car immediately shot across the track and nearly head-on into the frontstretch wall, destroying the chassis and many bolt-on parts. Polewarczyk was not hurt in the crash, but strained a leg muscle from "standing on the brake pedal" with both feet as his car careened into the wall.

But far worse than the damage done to Polewarczyk's car was the fact that Kruczek intended to cause the crash, justifying his actions with an "us-against-them" attitude reminiscent of racing's earliest, most rambunctious days. When Polewarczyk confronted him in the pit area for an explanation, Kruczek essentially told Polewarczyk he wasn't welcome at Lee USA.

"I love racing at Lee and I've never had a problem with any of the drivers when I've raced there," Polewarczyk said. "But when I asked [Kruczek] why he wrecked me, he pointed at himself and said, 'I'm running for points, you ACT boys stick to your own turf.' I was shocked. I don't want to sound like a whiner, but that wreck was totally unnecessary and I'm lucky I wasn't hurt. We had an in-car camera, and the replays are scary to watch."

Polewarczyk said that his car's chassis was bent from the front clip to the center section, and that it needed to visit a fabricator for repairs before it could return to a raceable condition. Polewarczyk, Donahue, and Luce were at Lee USA to test their Ford crate engines after having them rebuilt at Butler-MacMaster in Maine.

Donahue said he "didn't trust" any of the drivers after Polewarczyk's crash and stayed out of the way for the rest of the evening, and according to another report, Farrington's team was also involved in a shouting match after the feature event later in the evening.

With the ACT rulebook expanding over the last decade to include Late Model divisions at nearly a dozen weekly tracks in the region, ACT Late Model Tour competitors have been encouraged to support weekly events, just as weekly competitors have been invited to race with ACT at other venues. Kruczek's participation in ACT over the past half-dozen years is a prime example of the rulebook working succesfully in both directions.

But his antics need to stop now. It appears that both Lee USA and ACT are doing their part in making sure that the Kruczek-Polewarczyk incident is a one-time-only happening.

"It was an unnecessary wreck," said Lee USA Speedway General Manager Bob Watson. "Bryan races here on a weekly basis, and I like the kid, he's a good little shoe, but sometimes he gets in a little over his head."

Watson said that Kruczek was involved in a racing incident in May 2009 that warranted a probationary period lasting through the season. "It seems like almost on a yearly basis we have to sit down and have a chat with him, and he was beautiful for the rest of the season last year," said Watson. "But we can't overlook this."

Watson said that Lee USA Speedway has suspended Kruczek from competition for two weeks and has again placed him on probation throught he 2010 season.

"We hope this is an isolated incident at Lee," said ACT President Tom Curley. "ACT encourages race teams to compete throughout the season, when the opportunity exists, at all tracks that are part of the ACT rules package." Curley said. "We have enjoyed much success with various teams joining the tour regulars at our events over the years [and] there are also many positive examples of ACT teams racing at other tracks besides the scheduled ACT events. We will continue to encourage that participation for what we perceive as good for fans, race teams, and promoters."

Kruczek's suspension means that he will not compete at Lee USA Speedway when the ACT Late Model Tour arrives on June 11. It's probably a safe bet that he won't be invited to race at NHMS this September, either.

***

AROUND THE REGION:

Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...

Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney was third in the Modified Racing Series 100-lap event on Saturday night. Brandon's Don Scarborough finished fourth in the Modified feature, and Swanton's Kevin Boutin was third in the Renegades.

Albany-Saratoga Speedway (Malta, N.Y.): Mike Bruno of Bomoseen was eighth in the Modified feature on Friday night with Brandon's Don Scarborough ninth.

Bear Ridge Speedway (Bradford): Rookie Dan Douville of Concord, N.H., won his first SCoNE 360 Sprint Car feature on Saturday over Robby Bodwell of Sanford, Me., and rookie Chris Donnelly of Orford, N.H. Fairlee's Adam Pierson won the Sportsman Modified race over Brian Whittemore of Florence and Travis Shinn of Groton, N.H., Topsham's Josh Harrington won the Sportsman Coupe feature over East Corinth drivers Gene Pierson and Melvin Pierson. Newbury's Jeremy Hodge took his second Limited Late Model win over Will Hull of East Montpelier and T.C. Forward of Lyme, N.H., and Josh Sunn of White River Junction stayed perfect through three features in the Fast Four division, winning over Kevin Harran of St. Johnsbury and Andy Johnson of Wilder. Bradford's Tom Placey won the Hornet race over Wilder's David West, Jr., and Steve Sheldon of St. Johnsbury Center, while Melissa King of Corinth beat St. Johnsbury's Misty Bell and Dawn Woodward of Corinth in the Hornet Queen race.

Big Daddy's Speedway (Rumney, N.H.): Josh Sunn of White River Junction was the Mini Stock winner on Sunday over St. Johnsbury's Kevin Harran.

Canaan Dirt Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Rookie Dan Eastman of Thetford Center was third in the Sportsman Modifed feature on Friday, and Josh Sunn of White River Junction was third in Mini Stock feature. Mike Stender of South Strafford beat Tunbridge's Baxter Doty to win the Bandit feature.

Canaan Fair Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Mendon's Chris Wilk won Saturday's Pro Stock feature, with South Royalton's Kevin Menard sixth. Hartland's Bruce Jaycox was third in the Super Street feature, and Jamie Hodgdon of Ascutney was fifth in the Pure Stocks. Thetford's Chris McKinstry won the Northeast Mini Stock Tour feature.

Devil's Bowl Speedway (West Haven): Don Scarborough of Brandon won the Modified Tri-Track Series opener on Sunday over Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake, N.Y., and Ketih Flach of Ravena, N.Y. Don Miller of Wells won the Sportsman feature over Paul Dunham of Indian Lake, N.Y., and Chris Johnson of Malta, N.Y. Dave Emigh of Ballston Spa, N.Y. beat Milton's Cody Benoit to win the Renegade feature, with Jon Miller of Malta, N.Y., third. Milton's Chad Brown beat Brent Warren of Salisbury and Nathan Woodworth of Essex Junction to win the Bomber Warrior race. Andy Smith of South Glens Falls, N.Y., won the Duke Stock race.

Lee USA Speedway (Lee, N.H.): Graniteville's John Donahue was ninth in the Late Model feature on Friday night.

Modified Racing Series: On Saturday at Airborne Speedway, Ascutney driver Dwight Jarvis finished third, with his rookie nephew Joey Jarvis 23rd. On Sunday at Thunder Road, Joey Jarvis finished seventh with Dwight Jarvis ninth. Les Hinckley of Windsor Locks, Conn., won at Airborne, and Steve Masse of Bellingham, Mass., won at Thunder Road.

Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Putney's Dana Shepard was tenth in the Super Street feature on Saturday, and Joe Rogers of Ludlow finished seventh in the Mini Stocks.

NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage finished 37th at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday.

PASS South Super Late Models: Steven Legendre of Danville finished 14th in Saturday's event at Concord Motorsports Park. Rookie Andy Loden of Stanley, N.C., was the winner.

Riverside Speedway (Groveton, N.H.): Dan Sidney of St. Johnsbury was the Outlaw Sportsman runner-up on Saturday with Davey Ofsuryk of Newport Center fifth. Rookie Johanna Christman of Cabot was fifth in the Super Stock race. Brett Rowell of Concord was the Street Stock runner-up with Aaron Smith of Orleans third. Howard Switser of West Burke won the Dwarf Car race. Waterford's Lorin Vear won the Cyclone race.

Sprint Cars of New England: Lacey Hanson of Orwell was seventh in Saturday's event at Bear Ridge Speedway. Rookie Dan Douville of Concord, N.H., was the winner.

Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl (Barre): Steve Masse of Bellingham, Mass., won the Modified Racing Series event on Sunday over Ron Goodenough of Swanzey, N.H., and Ken Barry of Preston, Conn. Dave Pembroke of Middlesex won the 100-lap Late Model event over John Donahue of Graniteville and Hyde Park's Eric Williams. Brendan Moodie of North Wolcott won the Tiger Sportsman feature over Tom Therrien of Hinesburg and Ricky Roberts of Washington. Travis Hull of Graniteville took his first Street Stock win over Williamstown's Mike MacAskill and Dan Lathrop of Hyde Park. Ken Christman of Cabot won the Junkyard Warrior race over Josh Erwin of Waterbury and Brock Parrott of Williamstown.

Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Rutland's Dallas Trombley was the Late Model runner-up on Friday night. Chris Wilk of Mendon was the Super Street winner. Jacksonville's Kaitlin Stone won the Strictly Stock feature with Pittsford's Kyle Davis third.

White Mountain Motorsports Park (North Woodstock, N.H.): Dwayne Lanphear was sixth in the Late Model feature on Saturday. Jason Corliss of Danville was the Super Sportsman runner-up with Tucker Williams of Hyde Park third. Stevie Parker of Lyndonville was seventh in the Strictly Stock feature, and Ernie Snider of Orange won the Strictly Stock Mini race.

***

THIS WEEK:

Friday, June 4
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Spring Championships)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (SCoNE 360 Sprint Cars)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)

Saturday, June 5
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (Regular Event)
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H. -- 5:00 (ACT Tiger Sportsman Series)

Sunday, June 6
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 4:00pm (Granite State Mini Sprints)
Devil's Bowl Speedway, West Haven -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)

TOURING SERIES:

ACT Tiger Sportsman Series: Sat., June 5 -- White Mountain Motorsports Park, No. Woodstock, N.H. (5:00pm)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Fri., June 4 -- Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas (SPEED/8:30pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Sat., June 5 -- Nashville Superspeedway, Nashville, Tenn. (ESPN/7:30pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sun., June 6 -- Pocono Speedway, Long Pond, Pa. (TNT/1:00pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Fri., June 4 -- Ace Speedway, Altamahaw, N.C. (7:45pm)
Série ACT-Castrol Edge: Sat., June 5 -- Autodrome Chaudiere, Vallee-Jct., Qué. (6:00pm)
Sprint Cars of New England: Fri., June 4 -- Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. (7:00pm)

Dragon Family Headed Back To Bear Ridge

BRADFORD -- Vermont's most famous racing family returns to Bear Ridge Speedway on Saturday night as the Dragons race on the dirt. Patriarchs Harmon "Beaver" Dragon, 69, and his brother, Bobby, 64, put their home town of Milton, Vt., on the stock car racing map as they won races from the 1960s to the 2000s. Their sons, Brent and Scott, are also successful racers, and will join their fathers at the Bradford quarter-mile for a family showdown.

Both members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Beaver and Bobby Dragon racked up well over a dozen track and series championships, and have competed on superspeedways including Daytona, Charlotte and Darlington. Brent, Beaver's son, is a three-time Airborne Speedway champion and is among the all-time winners on the present-day American-Canadian Tour, and Bobby's son Scott is a three-time ACT winner currently competing with the Pro All Stars Series.

Bobby Dragon won last year's inaugural event, as Beaver and Brent played a last-lap game of bumper tag. Brent held his own ground in the regular 30-lap Sportsman Modified event that evening, though, finishing tenth in his first-ever dirt-track start.

"I plan to do a lot better this year in the main feature," Brent chuckled. "I was nervous about it last year having never raced dirt before, but I know what to do now."

Beaver and Bobby both raced on dirt tracks in Vermont and New York during the 1960s and '70s, but Bobby was still surprised to have won last year.

"It was a lot of fun, but it was a lot different from the asphalt I'd been used to running on. I think this year we've got to remind Beaver that the guys that own these cars have to race them after we're done and he shouldn't try to tear them all up like last year," Bobby laughed.

Bobby said that his son Scott, who will take part in the race for the first time this year, has designs of his own. "Scott's never been on a dirt track before, but he told us he's going to show us all how it's done out there."

Fairlee's Adam Pierson earned his first feature win of the season last week and leads the Sportsman Modified points after three events. Jack Cook of Moultonboro, N.H., sits second ten points back, with three-time defending champion Gary Siemons of Orford, N.H., third, twelve points behind Pierson. Melvin Pierson, Josh Harrington, and Jason Horniak pace the Sportsman Coupe division, and Will Hull leads Jeremy Hodge in the Limited Late Models.

Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank presents the card at Bear Ridge Speedway at 6:00pm on Saturday.

NASCAR: Latitude 43 Signs With GlobeTrack Wireless GPS

(From team press release)

Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports, LLC, has announced a long-term sponsorship agreement for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series #26 car with GlobeTrack Wireless, Inc., (GTW) of Austin, Texas.

Latitude 43 Motorsports will represent GTW's very unique line of GPS products which include the SOS 1000 automotive GPS tracking device, as well as personal and pet GPS tracking devices.

About: Globe Track Wireless

GTW’s GPS Products affords many solutions for both the consumer and for commercial vehicle tracking. Now tracking your loved ones, possessions, or employees can be done from your computer or more conveniently your smart phone.

Simply put, in today’s society we all look for levels of protection that allow us in a real-time basis to be reactive almost immediately. The solutions which are available to us are only limited by technology and affordability. GTW has developed products which make these solutions a reality and at the same time are economically feasible. Now, you have the ability to receive accurate location notification among other exciting options. The other options include the ability to know when your vehicle/person enters or leaves a specially designated geographical area known as Geo-Fencing. In order to maintain both peace-of-mind and security in real-time GTW has developed and put together programs which include a substantial savings in devices such as the SOS-1000 which is included FREE with a 36 month contract. The cost of operating the SOS-1000 GPS device can be offset by potential insurance discounts. Additionally, you will also have your own secured website login and password to access your account 24/7. All of these benefits afford you the highest level of security while maintaining real-time knowledge of all of your assets which are under your control.

For further information, GTW encourages you to visit their website www.gtwgps.com.

Scarborough Wins Tri-Track at Devil's Bowl

(From track press release)

WEST HAVEN -- It's only fitting that a Green Mountain Boy won the first Modified feature run on the new asphalt surface at Devil's Bowl Speedway.

Former track champion Don Scarborough of Brandon dominated an impressive field on Sunday afternoon to win the 50-lap Tri-Track Series race, the first Modified event of the 2010 season at the Bowl.

Scarborough made a smooth transition to the new surface at the Bowl and came away with his 31st career Devil's Bowl victory, which pitted competitors from Devil's Bowl, Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., and Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. The victory was Scarborough's first at the Bowl since opening night in 2007; he was the track champion in 1998.

Airborne invader Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake, N.Y., finished second, with Keith Flach third, defending track champion Ken Tremont, Jr., fourth, and Mike Bruno fifth. Tremont kept the fans on their feet for most of the race, coming from 18th at the start.

Don Miller of Wells picked up his second-straight win in the Sportsman division, leading Paul Dunham, Chris Johnson, Alex Bell, and Marc Hughes to the finish line.

David Emigh, a regular competitor at Albany-Saratoga, made the holiday haul to Vermont pay off by picking up the victory in the Renegade feature. Cody Benoit, the opening day winner, had to settle for second, with Jonathan Miller third.

Chad Brown was victorious in the Bomber Warriors feature for the second week in a row, and Andy Smith took the checkered flag in the Duke stock feature.

OFFICIAL RESULTS -- Chittenden Bank 50
Modified Tri-Track Series -- Devil's Bowl Speedway, West Haven, Vt.
Sunday, May 30, 2010

(Pos.-Driver-Hometown)

Modified
1. Don Scarborough, Brandon
2. Patrick Dupree, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
3. Keith Flach, Glemont, N.Y.
4. Ken Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
5. Mike Bruno, Bomoseen
6. Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
7. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon
8. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, N.Y.
9. Greg Atkins, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
10. Tim Laduc, Orwell
11. Scott Duell, Ballston Spa, N.Y.
12. Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
13. Derrick McGrew, Ballston Spa, N.Y.
14. Andy Lindemann
15. Jeremy Markle
16. Jason Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
17. Mike Perrotte, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
18. Marc Johnson, Guilderland, N.Y.
19. Jimmy Ryan, Whiting
20. Frank Hoard III, Manchester
21. Jim Introne, Granville, N.Y.

Sportsman
1. Don Miller, Wells
2. Paul Dunham
3. Chris Johnson
4. Alex Bell
5. Marc Hughes
6. Hunter Bates
7. Kevin Wright
8. Jared McMahon
9. Joey Trudeau
10. Kevin Elliott

Renegade
1. Dave Emigh
2. Cody Benoit
3. Jonathan Miller
4. Bill Duprey
5. Frank Monroe

Bomber Warrior
1. Chad Brown
2. Brent Warren
3. Nathan Woodworth
4. Michael Devino, Sr.
5. Justin Lilly

Duke Stock
1. Andy Smith

Masse, Pembroke Repeat Thunder Road Memorial Day Wins

Modified Racing Series coverage presented by GossCars.com

BARRE-- It was nearly as simple as copying and pasting last year’s Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic results at Barre’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl on Sunday: Steve Masse dominated the Modified Racing Series event, and Dave Pembroke dominated the Late Model race.

But it wasn’t that simple.

While he stole the headlines with his career-first MRS win last year, Masse was nearly an afterthought to the MRS portion of the event in 2010, after a controversial finish involving Les Hinckley and Rowan Pennink at Airborne Speedway on Saturday night centered the focus on those two drivers.

Hinckley would prove to be a non-factor at Thunder Road, but Pennink kept everyone’s attention with two frightful trips over the top of the first turn, one of which sent his car into a barrel roll.

But once Pennink’s dust settled and he eventually retired from the event, Masse assumed the lead role. Masse was unchallenged virtually the entire 100-lap distance, leading by as much as a half-lap.

“I like this track,” said the 20 year-old Bellingham, Mass., driver, whose two career Modified Racing Series victories have both come at the track known to chew up and spit out veterans three times his age. “For some reason I know how to drive it. I feel like I’ve got a good grip on it. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Masse wrecked his primary car at Airborne on Saturday night and rolled out his back-up car to win at Thunder Road.

“The car was awesome, that’s it,” said Masse, who started fifth on the 24-car field. “[The win] is a tremendous thing. We found something [wrong with the car] over the long break we just had, and I think we’re going to be a contender all year long from now on. We should be fast at every track.”

Rob Goodenough of Swanzey, N.H., drove from seventh at the start to finish as the runner-up, and Ken Barry of Preston, Conn., came from 12th to finish a season-best third. Three-time MRS champion Kirk Alexander of West Swanzey, N.H., was fourth and rookie Max Zachem of Preston, Conn., was fifth. Hinckley finished sixth with Ascutney rookie Joey Jarvis seventh. Charlie Pasteryak, Dwight Jarvis, and Eddy Spiers completed the unofficial top ten.

Pembroke’s drive wasn’t quite as easy initially during the 100-lap Late Model feature, coming from 14th at the start.

As Pembroke drove through the field, Graniteville’s John Donahue battled Jeffersonville driver Joe Becker at the front, banging doors and fenders several times. Nick Sweet, who had arguably the fastest car on the track, made his way by Becker on lap 37 and raced outside Donahue for the lead until they came together on lap 46.

Sweet spun to bring out the yellow flag, leaving Pembroke in fourth place for the restart. Donahue and Becker resumed their previous fight up front, with the final blow coming on lap 68. As Becker slid up the track, Pembroke dived under both drivers to take the lead, then cruised to a large lead. He withstood a lap-96 restart and beat Donahue by two car-lengths to the finish. Donahue nipped Hyde Park’s Eric Williams by a foot for second place; Becker faded to sixth.

“I don’t want to say that luck was why I won, but it helped that I didn’t have to pass Nick to win the race. He had the fastest car, I think,” Pembroke said. “When [Donahue] and Joe Becker kind of touched a little bit getting into [Turn 1], Becker had to chase his car up the track and I just was able to turn under him.”

Pembroke’s Memorial Day Classic victory was his third in four years in the event. His name now ranks among some of the all-time Thunder Road elite winners and champions, including multi-time Memorial Day winners Dave Dion, Jean-Paul Cabana, and Robbie Crouch.

“I used to come here as a kid [to watch them race], and now… I don’t even know,” Pembroke said of his accomplishment. “It’s crazy. Crazy.”

Joey Laquerre of East Montpelier was fourth behind Williams, with Charlotte’s Rich Lowrey fifth. Tracie Bellerose, Jamie Fisher, Sweet, and Brent Dragon followed Becker across the line to complete the top ten.

Brendan Moodie of North Wolcott held off a race-long challenge from Hinesburg’s Tom Therrien to win the 35-lap Tiger Sportsman feature. Ricky Roberts was third, with Lance Allen and David Finck rounding out the top five.

Travis Hull of Graniteville earned his first career Street Stock victory over Mike MacAskill, Dan Lathrop, Jamie Davis, and Dave LaFleche. Ken Christman of Cabot earned his second Junkyard Warrior win in as many starts, beating Josh Erwin and Brock Parrott. Amanda Habel of Roxbury earned her first win the Street Stock/Warrior reserve feature.