TRACK: Claremont Speedway - August 8th Results
9 August 1998
Baker and Patnode Visit Victory LaneBy Bob Stanhope
Claremont, NH (August 8, 1998): This past weekend, a couple of new faces appeared in victory lane at Claremont Speedway. Gary Baker captured his first win of the season in the Late Models and Todd Patnode joined the group of winners in the Pro Stocks. The New England Antique Racers also ran two exciting features with wins going to Ken Brown and Lee Hood.
The night kicked off with the Mini Stock division. Leading the field from the initial green, April May Gelineau had to hold of early challenges from Brian Tarbell, Joe Olmstead, and Charlie Wheeler. On lap 5, the caution flew when Brian Henry spun in turn 3. Paired back up for the restart, Gelineau had Ron Gobin Jr. knocking on the door from the third spot. When the green flew, Gobin wasted no time going to the front. Gelineau dropped quickly off the pace as Olmstead made his way back to the front followed by Joe Tetreault, Bruce Goodell, and Jean Shippee sneaking into the picture.
Gobin and Olmstead ran nose to tail until lap 17 when Shippee would go by on the outside to capture second. Olmstead tucked back in line to retain third. The field would cross for the checkers in the same running order and Gobin captured another victory on the season.
Trailing Shippee and Olmstead were Tetreault, Chris Hope, Wheeler, Goodell, Tarbell, Gelineau, and Rick Lambert to round out the top ten.
The powerhouse Pro Stocks were next to run with the #121 machine of Punky Caron leading the field. Getting off to a slow start, the first lap would not be completed before almost half the field piled up in turn 3 following a spin by Walt Hammond. The field was reset to the initial lineup with the exception of the cars involved in the lap 1 incident. Mike Brousseau got the jump on Caron when the field refired. Todd Patnode captured the second spot from Caron on lap 3 and appeared to be very strong. On lap 5, Patnode showed just how strong his machine was when he went by Brousseau for the lead. Caron came with Patnode on the pass dropping Brousseau back to third.
Brousseau dropped further back in the field as Jim Morgan moved up through the field. The front three remained the same until the caution flew on lap 20 when Dave Lescord's machine blew up. Patnode was solid on the ensuing restart and maintained the point. Morgan captured second from Caron who appeared to be having handling problems. By lap 25, Caron was out of the picture and last year's champion, Rob Goodenough had moved into third. Patnode went on to victory in the 30-lap event with Morgan taking up second followed by Goodenough.
Completing the top ten were Jim Boniface, point leader Peter Daniels, Bryon Baker, Donnie Lashua, Guy Caron, Bucky Demers, and Kevin Brooks.
Similar to the Pro Stock race, more sheet metal flew in the Late Model race. Cory Bly jumped out to an early lead followed by Larry Riendeau. Bly slowed coming off turn 2 on lap 3 causing everyone to check up and pile up. This could be noted as pile up number one. Gary Baker took over the point on the restart with Tommy Canfield glued on for the ride. On lap 12, the caution flew for pile up number two when a number of cars slid through oil laid down from a blown engine. At this point, half the field had gone to the pits.
Action was very slow over the next several laps as John Crawford would visit the sand bank on the backstretch, point leader Dan Desmarais would tangle with Tommy Canfield, and Monica Rook would take her machine around in turn two. Finally, a restart was successful and six more laps of green flag racing would get in before Joe Lanou lost a tire in turn two battling for fourth spot. Through all the action, Baker retained his lead and was on to victory lane for the first time this season. Managing to avoid all the havoc to follow Baker across the line were Kevin Lescord and Riendeau.
Mike Parks grabbed fourth followed by Everett Bingham, Canfield, Jamie Lanou, Desmarais, and John Crawford.
More excitement was seen when the Modifieds roared twenty-four strong to the initial green. Two veterans, Rusty Ball and Kirby Monteith, lead the field and put on a great show for the fans. Ball and Monteith raced side by side and nose to tail. On lap 4, action was slowed when Keith Martin buried his machine in turn 3. Martin had lain fluid on the track which Dwight Jarvis got caught up in. Jarvis parked his car right next to Martin in turn 3.
When action resumed, Ball and Monteith continued their great show until lap 12. Locking wheels on the backstretch the two tangled and ended of buried in the sandbank. Monteith rolled his machine and landed upside down when the car came to a stop.
Bruce Batchelder assumed the lead following the read flagged wreck. Rookie Todd Fitz moved into second with a solid performance followed by Peter Daniels. Solid green flag action allowed Daniels to get by Fitz and challenge Batchelder for the lead. Daniels came up short as laps ran out. Batchelder added to his win total, but only gained a couple of points over Daniels in overall standings. Daniels turned in another solid performance with a second. Fitz finished third with his best career finish in a modified.
Les Mardanes finished fourth followed by Kirk Alexander, Todd Patnode, Steve Corbiel, Dan Douville, Rusty Ball, and Sean Bodreau.
The unpredictable Street Stocks put on one of their better shows of the season as only two cautions slowed the action. Jeremy Willey led the way to the green but only held to the point until lap 3 when Carl Nickerson relieved him of his duties. Willey was hung out to dry as the field began railroad by on the low side. By lap 7, the Red Rocket of Dennis Greenwood had moved by Nickerson for the lead.
Willey was on the move back to the front to challenge and was towing Russ Davis along for the ride. Willey moved into second on lap 13. By this point in the race, Greenwood had checked out and was off to the bank. The battle was on for second between Willey and Davis. Davis got by Willey on the last lap to finish second.
Davis added to his points lead and Greenwood's solid finish helped him in his hunt for the championship. Willey maintained third followed by Carl Nickerson for his best finish along with David Anthony, Lee Chute, Jack Ayott, Greg Benson, Nick Taylor, and Mike Benson.
Fans can catch a full card of racing this week, as all five divisions will take to the 1/3 mile facility. Racing starts at 6:30pm. For more information please call (603) 543-3160 or visit the Claremont Speedway web site at www.claremontspeedway.com.
HEAT WINNERS
MODIFIEDS: 20 RUSTY BALL, 77 BRUCE BATCHELDER, 8 PETER DANIELS
PRO STOCKS: 1 MIKE BROUSSEAU, 12X GUY CARON
LATE MODELS: 28 GARY BAKER, 9 DAN DESMARAIS
STREET STOCKS: 28 JEREMY WILLEY, 47 MIKE BENSON, 5 RUSS DAVIS
MINI STOCKS: 00 JEAN SHIPPEE, 15 JOE OLMSTEAD
FEATURE RESULTS
MODIFIEDS: 77 BRUCE BATCHELDER, 8 PETER DANIELS, 71ME TODD FITZ, 11 LES MARDANES, 33 KIRK ALEXANDER, 24 TODD PATNODE, 56 STEVE CORBIEL, 7X DAN DOUVILLE, 20 RUSTY BALL, 3 SEAN BODREAU
PRO STOCKS: 24 TODD PATNODE, 17 JIM MORGAN, 1NH ROB GOODENOUGH, 27 JIM BONIFACE, 76 PETER DANIELS, 11 BRYON BAKER, 67 DONNIE LASHUA, 12X GUY CARON, 26 BUCKY DEMERS, 41 KEVIN BROOKS
LATE MODELS: 28 GARY BAKER, 75 KEVIN LESCORD, 4 LARRY REINDEAU, 66 MIKE PARKS, 24 EVERETT BINGHAM, 15 TOMMY CANFIELD, 35 JAMIE LANOU, 9 DAN DESMARAIS, 85 JOHN CRAWFORD
STREET STOCKS: 73 DENNIS GREENWOOD, 5 RUSS DAVIS, 28 JEREMY WILLEY, 12 CARL NICKERSON, 12X DAVID ANTHONY, 33 LEE CHUTE, 69 JACK AYOTTE, 2X GREG BENSON, 10 NICK TAYLOR, 47 MIKE BENSON
MINI STOCKS: 25 RON GOBIN JR., 00 JEAN SHIPPEE, 15 JOE OLMSTEAD, 73 JOE TETREAULT, 42 CHRIS HOPE, 72 CHARLIE WHEELER, 14 BRUCE GOODELL, 0 BRIAN TARBELL, 76 APRIL MAY GELINEAU, 94 RICK LAMBERT
