HARNISH, LUCAS AND GOSSELIN

GRAB WINS AT RIVERSIDE SPEEDWAY OPENER

            Race fans were greeted by hot weather and red hot racing at the season opening events at the P.A.S.S. sanctioned Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire this past Saturday night, and scoring victories  on the evening were Mike Harnish, Mark Lucas, Brian Gosselin, Shawn Swallow, Ernie Laplant, Benjamin Belanger and Jesse Switser.

            The P.A.S.S. Outlaw Late Models were the highlight of the night. The 75 lap event was full of twists and turns, and wasn’t decided until the final laps of the race. Jimmy Renfrew jumped out to an early lead, with Dale Shaw in tow. Renfrew led til the mid-race point, when he stumbled going into turn one, letting Shaw and Mike Harnish by. Harnish got the jump, and looked to pull away from the field, leaving Shaw, Renfrew, Chris Staples and Scott Alexander to battle for the remaining top five spots. Alan Wilson all of a sudden appeared from nowhere, and started passing cars on the high side and worked his way into second on lap 85. He then set his sights on Harnish, and had reeled him in, when caution flew for the final time on lap 98, setting up a green, white and checker finish.  Harnish was able to get the jump, and held on for the win. Wilson, Shaw, Renfrew, and Staples rounded out the top five.

            The P.A.S.S. Mods battled through several cautions in their forty lap main event before Mark Lucas was able to nail down the win. Andy Shaw recovered from an early race incident that sent him to the rear and placed second, while Greg Ellis, Tom Oliver and Steve Bennett Jr. completed the top five.

            A pair of home towners, Brian Gosselin and Luke Shannon had the crowd on the edge of their seat, as they battled for the top spot the entire distance in the 30 lap Budweiser Super Stock main event. When the checkers flew, Gosselin scored the popular win with Shannon, Errol’s, Ron Watson, Nathan Swallow and Brian Middleton all in tow. Gosselin and Shannon won their respective qualifiers.

            Stark’s, Shawn Swallow grabbed the lead early in the River Bend RV Street Stock feature, and never looked back. Island Pond’s, Tori Delabruere was running him down at the end, but ran out of time and settled for second. Michael Smith, Cody Hodge and Alex Theroux placed third through fifth. Smith and Hodge grabbed heat victories.

            The Twisted Tea Dwarf Cars held one of the best races of the night, with no less than six cars battling for the lead in the final stages of the event. Lyndonville, Vermont’s, Ernie Laplant took over the top spot when leader Nathan Brown and Dana Huoppi tangled with a lapped car with four laps to go. Huoppi headed to the pits, while Brown was done for the night. Laplant edged out Lancaster’s, David Hartshorn for the win. Colebrook’s,  Eric Hall, Anthony Leary and Toby Merchant filled out the top five. Qualifying wins went to Huoppi and Hall.

            The Kids Only Daycare Daredevils held two feature events, one for the rookies and one for the veterans. The rookie main event was a torrid affair as Whitefield’s, Benjamin Belanger held off all challengers to gin his first ever trophy. Groveton’s, Nick Gilcris and Littleton’s, Jerrad Ainsworth placed second and third. Erin Hudson and Nick Miller finished the top five. Lyndonville, Vermont’s, Jesse Switser won in a dogfight over Island Pond’s, Brett Gervais in the veterans finale. Colebrook’s, Brandon Lambert raced home third followed by Dilyn Switser and Kyle Pembroke.

RIVERSIDE SPEEDWAY POINTS

5/10/08

BUDWEISER SUPER STOCKS:

1.         O1       BRIAN GOSSELIN             60

2.         13        LUKE SHANNON               58

3.         18        RON WATSON                    52       

4.         04        NATHAN SWALLOW        51

5.         31        BRIAN MIDDLETON        50

6.           8        DENNIS DEGREENIA       49     

7.         21        MATT CARBONE              46

8.           7        MATT LEBLANC               43

9.         37        JASON ROGERS                 41

10.       16        DEAN SWITSER JR.          40

11.       19        ALLYN BRIGGS                 35

12.         4        JERRAD LEDGER             33

RIVER BEND RV STREET STOCKS:

1.         04        SHAWN SWALLOW          59

2.         76        TORI DELABRUERE        57

3.         22        MICHAEL SMITH              56

4.         72        CODY HODGE                    52

5.         95        ALEX THEROUX               48

5.           1        MICHAAEL MCGEE         48

7.         07        BILL STEBBINS JR.          45

8.         74        KEITH WHITTUM JR.      43

9.         02        TOM SOKOLIS                    41

10.       29        BRENDAN HUNT                 6

11.       12        TYLER THERRIEN             5

12.       75        ANDREW FECTEAU           0

TWISTED TEA DWARF CARS:

1.         28        ERNIE LAPLANT              59

2.         92        DAVE HARTSHORN         56

2.           2        ERIC HALL                         56

4.         44        ANTHONY LEARY             50

4.         22        DANA HUOPPI                    50

6.         99        TOBY MERCHANT           48

7.         98        ALEX RANCOURT             45

8.         20        BOBBY RILEY                    44

9.         02        JIM BARKER                      39

9.         00        CIARA MCCOY                  39

9.           4        NATHAN BROWN              39

 The Kids Only Daycare Daredevils