N. WOODSTOCK, N.H. – A stellar crowd readied themselves for plenty of fireworks both on and off the track Saturday night at White Mountain Motorsports Park, all in celebration of the July Fourth weekend.
The Kids Division got Saturday’s showcase off with a bang as newcomer Henry Martin took a hard lick into the turn four tire barrier and overturned in a rough start to his freshman year. Cooper Benoit took off in the restart lead with a rear-view mirror full of Owen Dupuis before Dupuis took over on lap 11 and never looked back to take his first win of the season followed by Lucas Sidney and Benoit across the line.
After making child’s play of Segment No. 1 in the Dwarf Cars, Jason Wyman found himself shotgun on the field and looking to make it a perfect day at the start of Segment No. 2. Daniel Brofman took off with the early lead but Chad Dufour and Wyman found themselves at the front before the halfway point. Under the crossed flags, Wyman’s power plant began to sputter, growing into a full cloud of white smoke as he entered the backstretch and left Dufour to battle it out with Dave Gyger at the front. Gyger’s eventual segment win would nab him the overall victory with Dufour and Jeff Ainsworth rounding out the podium.
Jason Ball and Aiden Young brought the Strictly Minis to green on the night. Young kept it up front until lap-5 with rookie Jackson Hunt sneaking up the inside groove to steal the lead away. A black and green look-alike contest at the front saw McKenna Merchant sneak up on Hunt with Tyler Thompson right there, waiting in the wings. The two young-guns battled side-by-side with Merchant eventually nabbing the edge and marching all the way to White Mountain victory lane alongside Thompson and Hunt in the end.
Next out of the gate came the Flying Tigers, 14 strong with Todd Derrington and Luke Peters in control at the head of the field. Peters launched into the lead and kept it out front, even as the likes of Logan Powers, Kyle Willis and Matt Potter stalked him from behind. Mechanical woes took Powers out of contention under the caution for Owen Cheney’s turn one spin leaving Peters to take the back-to-back win. After some physicality, Matt Potter would best Willis to second.
Segment racing returned to the Mini Late Models on Saturday with defending champion Nick Miller looking to sweep both 15 lap segments. Rookie Jack Hayes led the field to green but outside polesitter Brett Jackson quickly took over. Before long, Miller overtook both Brett, and son Dustin, to sweep the night with Garrett Labounty and Dustin Jackson flanking the podium.
Thomas Smithers VI and Mike Jurkowski brought the Late Models to green, wrapping up Saturday’s feature racing. A heated battle between Smithers and Richie Brown gave the lead to Jurkowski before the halfway point with a big chain-reaction wreck on lap 32 and another big one on lap 38. Jurkowski and Smithers again found themselves side-by-side at the front with Kyle Goodbout joining the mix. The final restart with 11 laps remaining saw Goodbout drive away from the inside of the front row and make it three for three in Late Model competition followed by Jurkowski and Smithers across the stripe to end the night.
White Mountain Motorsports Park is back with the first of two July doubleheader weekends next Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13. Saturday brings the inaugural Tiger $2K for the Flying Tigers with a 100 lap showdown and $2,000 earmarked for the winner along with the Late Models, Stricktly Minis, Mini Late Models and Dwarf Cars with a 6 p.m. post time. Sunday, July 13, will feature the rain-delayed start to the Late Model Series with the Spring Board 100 plus the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model 150, New England Supermodified Series and the PASS Modifieds with a 2 p.m.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
(local competitors)
Late Models – 50 Laps
14 92VT, Jaden Perry, Hardwick, Vt.
Flying Tigers – (35 Laps)
2 23VT, Matt Potter, Marshfield, Vt.
7 23NC, Chandler Potter, Plainfield, Vt.
Kids Division – 15 Laps
6. 23, Madison Potter, Marshfield, Vt.
