N. WOODSTOCK, N.H. – Although gray skies greeted the crowds at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Thursday, a warm and rain-free day ensured stellar side-by-side action. Headlined by the inaugural Fisher Auto 100 for the Flying Tigers, Saturday’s showcase was yet another example of what makes the thunder in the mountains.
photo by Johnny Racer
The Fisher Auto 100 saw nineteen Flying Tigers from across the twin states converge on White Mountain Motorsports Park for the $2,000-to-win purse. A pair of Thunder Road track champions in Jason Woodard and Mike Martin brought the field to green. Longtime Riverside Speedway campaigner Makita Giroux hauled down from North Hatley, Quebec, to join the festivities but went around on lap 12 from a fourth-place starting spot to bring out the early caution.
Back under green, you could have thrown a blanket over the top five runners, two-by-two lead by Mike Martin in a door-to-door battle with Luke Peters at the front of the field.
Several mid-pack cautions slowed the field, the worst between Chris Laforest and Nathan Hamblett against the front-stretch wall on lap 48 that resulted in Hamblett’s wrist needing further medical evaluation and Laforest’s departure for his assistance with the wreck. The battle continued at the front again and again as Logan Powers came back from a flat left front to the top five with Martin, Woodard, Peters, Brendan Moodie and Sam Caron all fighting hard with the paycheck waiting in victory lane. In the end, Mike Martin took the $2,000 check back to Craftsbury Common, Vt., with Jason Woodard and Brendan Moodie filling out the podium.
The Late Models kicked off Saturday’s feature racing action with Colin Cornell and Richie Brown setting the pace. After Cornell took off with the lead, a three-car battle for third saw Brian Whalley, Mike Bailey and Kasey Beattie fight hard around the White Mountain quarter mile. All eyes were on Tyler Cahoon as a rough bout with the turn one rumble strips took out his sway bar, he still ran for several laps in the ill-handling machine before pitting out. In the end, Cornell never slowed in the green-to-checkered 50-lap main with Jaden Perry coming home second and Beattie taking third.
photo by Johnny Racer
The Strictly Minis saw a lap one squabble for first as Jason Ball’s poor-handling Cavalier slid out of the pole position leaving Donnie Baumgardner to pick up the pieces. Baumgardner drove away with the lead until the lap 18 caution for the spinning Logan Farnsworth in turn four. The restart set up a duel between Baumgardner, soon-to-be son in law Tyler Thompson and McKenna Merchant with Baumgardner besting the youngsters and Thompson just barely edging Merchant across the line to complete the victory lane podium.
It was twin 20-lap competition for the Mini Late Models and the White Mountain Dwarf Cars Saturday night. For the second consecutive week, defending champion Nick Miller made it a perfect sweep of both segments to claim the overall win with double duty teammate Cody LeBlanc in second and Brett Jackson claiming third. The Dwarf Cars were like lightning in a bottle with Jason Wyman and Jeff Ainsworth swapping positions from segment one to segment two, earning Wyman the overall and Dave Gyger taking home third.
White Mountain Motorsports Park is back in action tomorrow, Sunday, July 13, for the Pro All Stars Series invasion featuring the rain-delayed start to the Platinum Late Model Series with the Spring Board 100. Post time is set for 2 p.m., Sunday.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
(local competitors)
Flying Tigers – Fisher Auto 100 (100 Laps)
1. 01VT, Michael Martin, Craftsbury, Common, Vt.
3. 15NH, Brendan Moodie, Wolcott, Vt.,
10. 23VT, Matt Potter, Marshfield, Vt.
Late Models – (50 Laps)
2. 92VT, Jaden Perry, Hardwick, Vt.
