Story By: MICHELLE CLOUTIER / MONADNOCK SPEEDWAY – WINCHESTER, NH – This past Saturday night, the high bank of Monadnock Speedway was filled with racing action as the NE Classic Lites along with the weekly NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series divisions and Young Guns competed for the victory.
Keith Carzello was in victory lane for the Sportsman Modified for his first of the season win along with Ed Lofland in the Thunder Stocks and Nat Wenzel in the Young Guns. Repeat winners included Mike Stebbins in the Mini Stocks and Tyler Leary in the Super Stocks. Robby Bryant took home the checkers for the NE Classic Lites.
Nate Wenzel set the pace for the 15 lap Young Gun feature event. At the green, Wenzel wasted no time to capitalize on his starting spot and lead the field as Cooper Roberge and Chris Phelps were close behind. Matt Lambert looked to the inside and outside several times to make the pass on Phelps for third awaiting an opportunity to move into to gain the spot. Wenzel gained a good lead on the field until a lap ten caution came out for Chloe Wright and Elijah Castillo. On the restart, Wenzel again dominated the start as Roberge followed. Lambert patiently tried to make the pass on Phelps for third. At the checkers, it was Wenzel after suffering some setbacks in weeks past to take his victory lap. Roberge, Phelps, Lambert and Taylor Striebel followed for the top five.
Seventeen cars rolled onto the track for the Mini Stock’s green to checker twenty-five lap main event. Jaret Curtis and Kevin Pittsinger set the pace to the green. Curtis held strong to the lead as Pittsinger fell back giving Louis Maher and Matt Kimball the opportunity to move into the top three. By lap five, Kimball to over second while Mike Stebbins (who started eighth) powered in to take third from Maher. Curtis continued to lead but soon felt Stebbins on his back bumper. Lap ten, Stebbins went to the inside and took over the top spot. On the next lap, Kimball made his move to second. Curtis held strong in third. As laps winded down the leaders, cautiously weaved in and out to pass lap cars. Once laps cars were cleared, Kimball and Curtis battled each other for third as Stebbins was in pursuit for his third victory. At the wave of the checkers, it was Stebbins sailing into victory lane followed by Kimball, Curtis, Maher and Ethan Marsh for the top five.
Brothers Justin and Cole Littlewood brought the Super Stocks to their division’s green flag start. Little brother, Justin, took command of the lead as Solomon Brow placed an early challenge Cole Littlewood for second. Both would run wheel to wheel for several laps until Brow with a good run broke away from the challenge for second. There was no break for Cole Littlewood as Geoff Rollins moved in to set up the wheel to wheel challenge for third. Rollins took over the third spot as Cole Littlewood on the outside was freight trained to settle in fifth. Justin Littlewood continued to lead taking advantage of the battles being fought behind him. At the half way mark, Justin Littlewood began to see a mirror full of Rollins and Tyler Leary. Leary made the move to the inside of Rollins with a battle side by side for second. On lap fifteen, Leary reeled in Justin Littlewood as the two go wheel to wheel for the top spot. Leary, with a good run of turn two, pulled into the lead. Five laps to go, Leary pulled away from the field. Rollins settled in second and Cole Littlewood put the pressure on his little brother and took away third. The top three would remain the same to the checkers with Leary taking down a back to back victory. Justin Littlewood and Brow would round out the top five.
The thundering Thunder Stocks were up next as James Nowakowski and Doug McLean set the pace to the green. Before the green was displayed, Richard Vincent was sent to the pits for gas leaking. Vincent was able to fix the problem before the green to join the field. Ed Lofland was on a mission and quickly took over the lead by lap three. On lap four, the caution was displayed as Ben Williams made contact with Hillary Renaud causing her to spin. On the restart, Bruce Clark started to make his move after starting in the back due to mechanical issues placing the pressure on Nowakowski for second. Chaffee settled in third. By lap eight, Clark took over second as Vincent who also had earlier issues took the third spot away from Chaffee. Lap ten, the field would see the caution flag fly for Ben Williams who was stopped on the track. On the restart, Lofland continued to lead as Clark and Vincent went wheel to wheel for second. As the battled continued for second, the caution once again came out on lap fourteen as Joshua Nutter spun on the front stretch collecting Chase Curtis who had no where to go. The field was shown a single file restart with ten laps remaining in the race. The top settled into the position and were stretched out as the battle for fifth brewed between Nowakowski and Renaud. On the final lap, Renaud going into turn one did the famous bump and run on Nowakowski and made the pass for fifth. At the checkers, it was Lofland followed by Vincent, Chaffee, Clark and Renaud.
The final feature of the evening roared onto the track as Joe Monahan and Brian Chapin took the field to the green. Monahan, with a good start, jumped into the lead as Chapin, Kim Rivet and Ben Byrne followed. Matt Kimball and Keith Carzello challenged each other early for fifth. The top runners ran nose to tail by lap eight. Carzello looked to the inside of Byrne for several laps but was denied the spot. On lap twelve, Rivet powered her way on the outside of Chapin to take over second and began to pursue Monahan for the lead. The next lap, the field was slowed under caution as Rookie Jessica O’Leary suffered mechanical problems on the front stretch resulting in damage to the Carzello machine. Carzello pulled into the pits but was able to return before the restart of lap thirteen. The field was once again under green, as Monahan led the field but felt the pressure of Rivet and Chapin. Rivet looked to the outside of Monahan but was denied the room to pass. Lap nineteen, Rivet used the bump and run method and made the pass on Monahan for lead. Rivet pulled away from the field as Chapin defended his third spot from Byrne. On lap twenty, the battle for third would end as Byrne made contact with Chapin in turn four causing Chapin to spin as Byrne rolled onto the top of Chapin’s hood. Both cars suffered major damage ending their night of racing while Matt Kimball and Geoff Rollins were also collected but able to continue. On the single file restart, Rivet continued to lead as Carzello, who suffered issues in an earlier incident, made his way to second. On lap twenty-six, the hope for victory for Kim Rivet was gone as her #99 machine went up in smoke suffering engine problems. On the restart, Carzello took the top spot as Kimball moved into third and attempted the inside of Monahan for second. In a wild turn of events of the Sportsman modified feature, it was Carzello taking the checkers followed by Monahan, Kimball, Rollins and Eric Leclair.
This Saturday, Monadnock Speedway will be back in action at 6PM with the Sportsman Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Lightning Stocks and Young Guns. On Sunday (May 19). The speedway will host the first Mudbog Mudslinger Series of the season. Mud start flying at Noon and will include six divisions.
Sportsman Modifieds: Keith Carzello, Joel Monahan, Matt Kimball, Geoff Rollins, Eric Leclair, Kim Rivet, Brian Chapin, Ben Byrne, Jessica O’Leary
Super Stocks: Tyler Leary, Geoff Rollins, Cole Littlewood, Justin Littlewood, Solomon Brow, Nancy Muni-Ruot, Jason Kozacka, Scott Beck, Dennis Stange
Mini Stocks:Mike Stebbins,Matt Kimball, Jaret Curtis, Louis Maher, Ethan Marsh, Tim Paquette, Devin Guy, Desmond Skillings, Kevin Mcknight, Kevin Pittsinger, David Elliot, Cory Plummer, Shelby Avery, Tim Wenzel, Kurt Cormier, Mike Radzuik, Kyle Robinson Newell, Chase Curtis
Thunder Stocks: Ed Lofland, Richard Vincent, Craig Chaffee, Bruce Clark, Hillary Renaud, James Nowakowski, Joshua Nutter, Doug Mclean, Chase Curtis, Nathaniel Nunez, Dan Comeau, Ben Williams
Young Guns: Nathan Wenzel, Cooper Roberge, Chris Phelps, Matthew Lambert, Taylor Striebel, Chloe Wright, Elijah Castillo, Gage Coates
