Posted: July 5th, 2011

With Mother Nature finally taking the night off, White Mountain Motorsports Park was able to get the whole show in with the NAPA Late Models batling it out for 100 laps and $1000 to win. Not to be outdone the other four weekly divisions put on spectacular shows in their own right. Overall it was a great night of racing all the way around at the N. Woodstock speedplant with great weather and a huge crowd on hand to witness some blistering hot racing.

Before the racing action got underway the kid's pit tour went down on the frontstretch with all cars and drivers in attendance to meet and greet the younger fans who attend the weekly racing at WMMP. Pounds of candy and beverages were handed out, as well as everything from beachballs to a bicycle, to a scooter and even collectible jackets of Mark Martin and the late great Dale Earnhardt, even trophies won by Strictly Mini Stock driver Shawn Sinclair found their way into the kids hands. A great time was had by all, drivers and young fans alike as the annual event went off without a hitch.

Kicking off the twilight series of racing were the action-packed qualifiers in all five divisions. In the Little Ceaser's Kids Truck Division it ws the #22 of Michael Lloyd out of Pike, NH taking the checkers in a very heated contest with multiple lead changes. The Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Mini Stock Division win went to the #43 of Kyle Willis hailing from Derby, VT. Next on the speedway were the three qualifying events for the NAPA Late Model Sportsmen. Qualifying was intense in anticipation of the 100 lap main event to be run later in the evening. Qualifier number one for the Late Models went to Travis Fadden in the #16 out of Woodsville, NH, qualifier number two went in the books with Jeremy Harclerode of Newmarket, NH in the #51 taking down the win, while the third and final qualifier was picked off by multi-time track champion Fulton Mountain in the #0no hailing from Barrington, NH. Qualifying continued with the Avery's Sweeping Tiger Sportsmen taking over the speedway. It was the #6 of Michael Moore from East Haven, VT showing the way to the checkers in a very heated contest. Qualifying concluded with the Beacon Resort Strictly Stock Division doing battle on the 1/4 mile N. Woodstock oval. In qualifier number one it was Tom Keith in the #63 crossing the start/finish line first, while qualifier number two went to rookie contender Lucas Wheeler in the #21 out of Bradford, VT. The semi-feature event for the NAPA Late Models went to Gilmanton, NH's own Tommy Smithers in the #62.

The Little Ceasar's Kid's Truck Division was the first to run their 15 lap feaure event. Amanda Wheeler in her #20 truck bolted from the second row to take the lead on lap 2, with the #26 of Logan Oliver of Groton, VT and the #23 of Chandler Potter of Marshfield, VT hounding her and all over her back bumper every step of the way. The caution flag flew on lap seven as the #43 of Nick Willis and the #22 of Michael Lloyd got together on the frontstretch send parts and pieces flying everywhere. On the restart, the #4 of Brandon Croteaum from Irasburg, VT came unhinged down the backstretch and drilled the wall in turn three backwards, ending his run in dramatic fashion. The field realigned and took the green, only to have the yellow fly again before a lap could be completed as the # 24 of Grady Johnson went around all by himself in turn three. With the speedway cleared and the field once again in formation the green went in the air for the final time as Wheeler once again bolted into the lead with Potter and Oliver battling it out behind her. They were busy enough fighting it out amongst themselves that Wheeler walked away with the win in her Lakeside Auto, Whippi Dip Chevrolet, followed across the line by Oliver in his Phil Emerson Logging, Groton Tire and Auto Chevrolet, while in third it was Potter in his Country Floors of Plainfield, Tuck's Repair Chevrolet.

Next up was the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Mini Stock Division, ready to do do battle for 20 laps. The green flag flew and the field made it as far as turn two when the #4 of Travis Dickenson spun himself out of the second row in turn two. With the field reracked and took the green again it was the #17 of Desiree Sicard taking the lead out of turn two and down the backstretch. The #43 of Kyle Willis soon found his way around Sicard on the backstretch and went to work building a substantial lead. It ws shortl-lived however as the caution flew on lap five when the #2 of Allyssa welch had the lights go out under the hood of her Chevy Cavalier in turn one. The green flew again, only to be followed quickly by the yellow again as Sicard went around in turn four and was t-boned by Dickenson. On the restart it was the #01 of Shawn Sinclair out of the back of the pack into the lead. He only looked back the rest of the way to see the battle behind him for second place between the #91 of Keri Sicard, Dickenson and Willis. When the checkered flag flew it was Sinclair bringing home the win in his Spinnaker Contract VW Sciocco, Dickenson in his NAPA C&S Auto Parts Extremem Decals and Designs VW Golf and rounding out the top three Willis in his North Country DECA, Charbo Campground Chevrolet Cavalier.

Next out on the 1/4 mile asphalt oval were the Avery's Sweeping Tiger Sportsmen Division. The green flew and everything went well....until lap three when the #24 of Jeff Huntington and the #6 of Michael Moore got together in the middle of turn 2. The field got themselves reorganized and the green flag went in the air again. For the rest of the race the yellow flag stayed in the hands of Flagman Bill as the battle for the lead shaped up. Track champion Thumper Griswold in the #77 out of Bath, NH returned for the first time this season and did battle door to door with the #66 of Tim Churchill from Lincoln, NH for the next twenty-two laps. It was Griswold on the inside, Churchill on the outside, with neither willing to give an inch of racing room. You could see air between both cars all the way around the racetrack as each gave the other the room and respect they deserved. Lap after lap they swapped the lead at the line, while the #90 of Sean Akers and the #24 of Huntington looked for racing room that wasn't there with the top two doing battle. Churchill in his Noseworthy Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala SS took the win by less than a quarter car length over Griswold in his Chevrolet Impala SS, while Akers was forced to settle for third in his Ford Fusion sponsored by Goody's Garage and Pemi Valley Excursions.

The Beacon Resort Strickly Stocks were next to roll out of the pits and onto the racing surface in turn four. On the start the #16 of Brandon Albee took the early lead, only to have the #63 of Tom Keith take to the high side and drive around him on the backstretch on lap two. Keith then went to work at distancing himself from the field, leaving the battle for second place. The #31 of Brandon Bourne, the #84 of Elwin Sidney, the #28 of Dave Baron Sr, the #4 of Shane Sicard, the #27 of Alex Kelley and Albee put on an awesome battle for the second spot. While they were busy amongst themselves Keith was having at it in first place and had a full straightaway lead on second place. That lead went up in smoke on lap nineteen when Kelley looped it in the middle of turn four. Kelley righted himself, dove into the pits and rejoined at the rear of the field. The green flew again and was short-lived as the #84 of Elwin Sidney went around, taking the #43 of Wade Willis with him in turn two. The field realigned for the final time and keith had his hands full as Bourne punched a hole down low under Baron Sr for second place, with Albee riding in fourth. Keith was across the finish line in commanding fashion in Monte Carlo SS, followed by Bourne in his Monte Carlo SS and in third was Baron Sr. in his Little Ceasar's, Karstok's Automotive sponsored Monte Carlo.

The main event of the night rolled out of the pits and formed themselves up in columns of two as twenty NAPA Late Model Sportsmen prepared to do battle for 100 laps with a $1000 payday. With the warm-up laps complete and the oil up to temperature Flagman Bill Threw the green flag over the twenty win-hungry Late Models. The #52 of Tommy Smithers jumped off the front line and into the lead with the #51 of Jeremy Harclerode fighting for traction to stay with him in the outside lane. The caution flew for the first time as the #34 of Lou Fortin went around in turn two. The restart saw Harclerode get the jump into turn one and take the lead off turn two and down the backstretch. After that Harclerode was gone in a big way. By lap thirty-four he was in lap traffic, and by lap 45 had a full straightaway lead over second place. The long green flag run allowed the heavy hitters to come out of the back as Oren Remick in the #21 struggled with the handle on his machine and traffic bottle-necked behind both him and Smithers. When it sorted out, the #60 of Dan Colby, the #83 of Stacy Cahoon, and points leader Quinny Welch in the #78 were doing battle for the fourth and fifth place with #16 Travis Fadden and #55 Brent Dragon. Harclerode may have been gone at that point at the front of the field, but the action behind him as to who was going to chase him down was fierce. The lead was gone though when the #92 of Will Avery went around in turn number two and ripped the right front fender off the #17 of Todd Aldrich. Both pitted, went to the rear of the field, the field realigned and the green flag flew for the final time. Colby bolted to second place on lap eighty-five after starting in the final row, with Welch settling into third on lap ninety. Harclerode was once again a vision in the distance as Welch struggled in the high lane for traction and drove around Colby and into the second running position. That's the way they would finish Harclerode with a huge win in his #51 Dodge Charger out of Newmarket, NH, Welch in second in his IBEW Local Linemen 104, Cutting Blade Lawn Care #78 from Lancaster, NH and the #60 of Dan Colby in third with his Schofields Septic, Absolute Powersports Ford Fusion.

Next up on the WMMP schedule is a full card of regular events for all five divisions. Gates will open at 2, practice starts at 4, racing gets underway at 6pm sharp.

Don't forget about the new program for the kids we have started just this year. Each week the announcer will be pulling a child's ticket. That child and parents will then be invited into the tower to watch a feature event. When that event is over the child will be brought down onto the track and will hand out the trophies to the three winning drivers. As a "Thank-You" to the child for doing it, they will be taking home a trophy of their own! this weeks winner was Connor Haddock from Campton, NH. This is just one more way White Mountain Motorsports Park would like to thank the families that come out in support of our racing program every week. We look forward to seeing you soon!!

We are very easy to find in the heart of the White Mountains, in Woodstock, NH. We are two miles south of N. Woodstock village on route 3 and three miles north of exit 30 off Interstate 93. We are a family friendly facility with no alcohol being allowed on the grounds at any time, and the grandstands split evenly into smoking and non-smoking sections. Again, we look forward to seeing you, if not next week, then sometime over the 2011 season.