MacMichael Back on Top at Monadnock
Posted By Tj Ingerson On August 26, 2014
Categories: Regional
PHOTO: Scott MacMichael celebrates his Sportsman Modified win on Saturday night at Monadnock Speedway. (Chip Cormie photo)
Carey Returns to Form in Super Stocks; Sontag Steals Mini Stock Win
--by Michael Stridsberg (@OntheMike43)
VMM Correspondent
WINCHESTER, N.H. -- Much of the Sportsman Modified division has been fighting for crumbs at Monadnock Speedway this season. In Scott MacMichael’s case, the crumbs are still pretty tasty.
MacMichael got the jump on a lap 18 restart and then held off the charge of Todd Patnode to take his third Sportsman Modified feature win of the year on Saturday night.
The Newbury, N.H., driver started seventh in the 30-lap event and steadily worked up to the second position in the tire tracks of early leader Dana Smith. MacMichael tried to cross over Smith under green, but saw his every move parried.
However, a caution allowed MacMichael to draw alongside Smith. MacMichael put the nose up on the restart and was in front another caution came back out a lap later. Smith fell off the pace on the subsequent restart and pitted three laps later, while MacMichael fended off a fast-closing Patnode to get the win.
“Scary – ‘cause Todd was coming,” MacMichael said when asked to describe the race. “It’s just awesome to race against him. To beat him is even better.”
Patnode, who holds a commanding lead in both the division and NASCAR state championship point standings, ended up second.
“Scott was just fast tonight,” the Richmond, N.H., driver said. “Our car was good too. I think if maybe we had got (to the lead) first we might have been able to hold him off, but my hats off to him.”
Rookie Kim Rivet held off defending champion Bill Kimball to post a career-best third place finish, with Brian Chapin following in fifth. Tyler Jarvenpaa, Trevor Bleau, Keith Carzello, Eric LeClair, and J.T. Cloutier rounded out the top-10.
In the Super Stocks, point leader Tom Carey, III, overcame a close call early to claim the win. Carey had started fifth and was trailing a battle between Tyler Leary and Geoff Rollins two laps into the race when Rollins got crossed up on the frontstretch, and spun down into Carey’s path entering turn one. Carey tagged the left front of Rollins’ machine, which sent him careening back up the track into the pit entrance wall.
Despite some body damage, Carey was able to continue and quickly moved up to second, stalking Alyssa Rivera for several laps before he moved underneath her on lap 10 of the 25-lap event. The New Salem, Mass., driver completed the pass two laps later and cruised to the win.
“What a crazy race,” Carey said in Victory Lane. “I thought Rollins had it all together and I was just going to motor on by him and thought I was going to get an easy spot there, ‘cause he’s a tough customer. And man, next thing I know, he was in my hood.”
Carey won six straight races in May and June to establish a commanding lead in the division, but had subsequently been shut out of Victory Lane until Saturday. He credited a new set of well-matched tires with the turnaround.
“The car hasn’t felt this good since about eight races ago,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a good night. I was just sitting there being patient, and I’m glad it worked out.”
Rivera finished second, giving her team its second podium of the night after Rivet’s Sportsman Modified run. Dave Streibel came in third, followed by Ed Brehio III and Robert Hagar.
Rookie Cameron Sontag showed that it’s never over until the checkered flag flies in the Mini Stock feature.
Sontag had stalked fellow rookie Justin Faford for most of the 25-lap event, poking his nose to the inside entering turn three multiple times only for Faford to close the door. On the final lap, however, Sontag made the move work, and muscled to the bottom off of turn four to beat Faford to the line for his second win of the season.
“(Justin) was holding it the whole race,” Sontag said. “I just want to say sorry. I was really fast, and I wanted to go. It was a really good race, and I just want to thank him for racing me pretty clean.”
Faford settled for second, with point leader Mike Stebbins taking third. Joel Monahan and Chris McTaggart rounded out the top-five.
While Sontag had made his own fortune, Thunder Stock point leader Marshall Usher needed outside intervention to claim his feature win. Usher chased Dave Greenslit for the second half of the 20-lap event, but had been unable to do anything with the second-place point man. As the two came to the white flag, though, the lapped car of Doug Guy spun by himself in turn four in front of the leaders. Greenslit tried to go low but couldn’t avoid clipping Guy, cutting Greenslit’s right-rear tire and shearing the bumper cover off.
Usher inherited the lead on the restart and survived the final two-lap dash to take his fourth win of the season. Early leader Randy McGee took second, with defending champion Ed Lofland finishing third in his first appearance of the year. Paul Barnhard and Tyler Janovsky rounded out the top-five, while Greenslit ended up seventh.
Lightning Stock point leader Kyle Boniface continued his strong season by picking up his sixth win of the year. Boniface dove underneath Matt Somerville on lap five of the 20-lap event and withstood a late challenge from Tim Paquette to take the victory. Paquette settled for second, while Somerville came out on top of a three-car battle with Richard Whipple and Hillary Renaud to complete the podium.
Solomon Brow took home his first career win in convincing fashion in the Young Gun feature. Brow started on the pole and was never seriously challenged en route to the victory in a caution-free race. Mike McGoldrick Jr. finished in second, followed by Matt Kimball, Dylan Morse, and Michelle Leh.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Swanzey Oil Victor Johnson Memorial
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series -- Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
Sportsman Modifieds (30 laps)
1. Scott MacMichael, Newbury, N.H.
2. Todd Patnode, West Swanzey, N.H.
3. Kim Rivet, Chicopee, Mass.
4. Bill Kimball, Bennington, N.H.
5. Brian Chapin, Palmer, Mass.
6. Tyler Jarvenpaa, Orange, Mass.
7. Trevor Bleau, Troy, N.H.
8. Keith Carzello, Somers, Conn.
9. Eric LeClair, Easthampton, Mass.
10. J.T. Cloutier, Fitzwilliam, N.H.
Super Stocks (25 laps)
1. Tom Carey, III, New Salem, Mass.
2. Alyssa Rivera, Bellows Falls, Vt.
3. Dave Streibel, Hinsdale, Mass.
4. Ed Brehio, III, Baldwinville, Mass.
5. Robert Hagar, Windsor, Vt.
6. Tyler Leary, Hatfield, Mass.
7. Ken Springer, East Swanzey, N.H.
8. James Thompson, Dublin, N.H.
9. Nancy Muni, Harwinton, Conn.
10. Chris Curtis, Rutland, Mass.
Mini Stocks (25 laps)
1. Cameron Sontag, Sterling, Mass.
2. Justin Faford, Westminster, Mass.
3. Mike Stebbins, Winchester, N.H.
4. Joel Monahan, Whately, Mass.
5. Chris McTaggart, Swanzey, N.H.
6. Beth Adams, North Swanzey, N.H.
7. Eric Pomasko, Peterborough, N.H.
8. Kevin McKnight, Jr., Orange, Mass.
9. Ethan Marsh, Winchester, N.H.
10. Louie Maher, North Brookfield, Mass.
Thunder Stocks (20 laps)
1. Marshall Usher, Palmer, Mass.
2. Randy McGee, New London, N.H.
3. Ed Lofland, Belchertown, Mass.
4. Paul Barnard, Montague, Mass.
5. Tyler Janovsky, Jacksonville, Vt.
6. Henry Martin, Belchertown, Mass.
7. Dave Greenslit, Claremont, N.H.
8. Ben Williams, Turners Falls, Mass.
9. Chris Lawrence, Winchester, N.H.
10. James Novakowski, Ware, Mass.
Lightning Stocks (20 laps)
1. Kyle Boniface, Winchester, N.H.
2. Tim Paquette, Bennington, N.H.
3. Matt Somerville, Searsburg, Vt.
4. Richard Whipple, Fitzwilliam, N.H.
5. Hillary Renaud, Vernon, Vt.
6. Cole Littlewood, Orange, Mass.
7. Eric Silvernale, Winchester, N.H.
8. Kris Krisotlaitis, Winchester, N.H.
9. C.J. Johnson, Keene, N.H.
10. Chris Davis, Winchester, N.H.
Young Guns (15 laps)
1. Solomon Brow, Vernon, Vt.
2. Mike McGoldrick, Jr., Leyden, Mass.
3. Matt Kimball, Bennington, N.H.
4. Dylan Morse, Winchester, N.H.
5. Michelle Leh, Montague, Mass.