N. WOODSTOCK, N.H. – Thirty American-Canadian Tour Late Models entered the pits at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon and all thirty started the Midsummer Classic 250. Former King of the Mountain track champion Kasey Beattie earned the pole in Plus/Minus qualifying with a plus-6 in heat three with eight-time ACT champion Brian Hoar to his outside. The two battled hard at the onset before Beattie took off with the lead in the early goings. The lap 100 fuel stop quickly gave way to a mad dash to the pit area for fresh racing tires with Beattie, Nick Sweet, Bryan Mason and Hoar opting to stay out and play the strategy game.
Sweet took off with the lead over Beattie following the break before Raphael Lessard powered up through the field to steal the lead on lap 120. After the lap 154 caution, Kaiden Fisher entered the picture with the two young stars putting on one of the best side-by-side performances on the White Mountain highbanks in recent memory. Everything came unglued under the popsicle sticks on lap 248 as third-place runner Jesse Switser and Fisher made sliding contact to spin in turn three. It set up a green-white-checker finish between Lessard and D.J. Shaw with Lessard launching under the green flag and taking the $10,000 win in the Midsummer Classic 250 over Shaw and Derek Gluchacki at the line.
The Kids Division got Saturday’s racing action off with a bang. Colton Williams and Kip Aldrich took off in a rip-roaring start and Cooper Benoit quickly entered the top three picture. The lone caution on lap six set up a nine-lap dash to the finish as Owen Dupuis and Lucas Sidney sliced up through the field. Dupuis would power through to take his second win of the season with Sidney on his tail across the line and Benoit coming home third.
Sophomore racer Austin Sicard and leading rookie Todd Derrington led the Flying Tigers to green for their 35-lap trophy dash. Sicard kept his nose clean at the front as Nate Hamblett, point leader Shane Sicard and Luke Peters made their methodical moves to the front. Hamblett was in charge at the lap 24 caution for the dust-up between Austin Sicard and Mike Martin, a feud that lasted throughout the feature event, while Jason Woodard entered the top five picture. Woodard, substitute driving for Tyler Pepin, brought the #78 through the pack with the three late-race cautions only helping his efforts. Woodard would steal the win away with Logan Powers finishing a yo-yo race in second and Hamblett taking third.
Hardluck racers Aiden Young and Jason Ball brought the Strictly Stock Minis out to round out the White Mountain track championship action on Saturday’s extravaganza. After running his best race of the season, everything came apart for Young on lap 11 as he spun across the front of the field with J.J. Goodbout and Donnie Baumgarnder piling in. Only Baumgardner was able to fight on. Back out front, McKenna Merchant took off and never looked back to take the win over Tyler Thompson and Ball.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
(local competitors)
Flying Tigers – (35 Laps)
6. 23NH, Michael Potter, Plainfield, Vt.
9. 01VT, Michael Martin, Craftsbury, Common, Vt.
10. 23VT, Matt Potter, Marshfield, Vt.
Kid’s Division – (15 Laps)
6. 23, Madison Potter, Marshfield, Vt.
