Dean Switser holds off all challenges to take Jake McDowell 100 at Riverside Speedway

Dean Switser earned the pole position with a lap time of 15.66 during the time trials, and then held off 31 other qualified drivers to win the $1000 Jake McDowell 100 at Riverside Speedway’s Summerfest on day one in Groveton.

Time trials began the day for 42 street stock drivers from Riverside Speedway, Thunder Road, White Mountain Motorsports Park, Bear Ridge, Canaan, and Oxford Plains Speedways.

Qualifying for the feature event was extremely fierce, including a hard crash by Daredevil driver Randy Whittum into the front stretch wall in his heat event. Whittum had to be cut from his racer. Whittum returned to the speedway later in the evening to watch the feature race. After three qualifying heats and two consolation races, 31 drivers took to the track for 100 laps.

The race was slowed by just four cautions. Great racing took place all over the track that included some great runs from the rear of the starting field. Switser weaved his way through traffic using both grooves and putting many cars down a lap. Switser was followed to the stripe by Groveton’s Luke Shannon and WMMP’s Andy Hill. Local drivers Jason Kenison and Mitch Emery rounded out the top five. Heat wins went to Ben Belanger, Doug Duprey, and Kenison. Nick Pilotte and Shannon won the consolation races.

The Caron Building Center Dardevils took to the speedway for their features. Berlin driver Sierra Sanschagrin made it two wins in a row in the rookie class. East Burke’s Brent Ming returned to racing and took charge capturing veteran group feature. Jenna Randall and Ming took the heat race victories. Ming made the street stock time trials interesting. The 13 year old just missed the pole position by turning a 15.68 lap time.

The Isaacson Structural Steel Angels came out in force sporting a 14 car field. Youngster Desirae Sicard grabbed the lead and raced to her first feature win of the year. Sicard watched an all out war in rear view mirror, between Shauna Randall in the #13 and Cabot Vermont’s Lyndsey Christman, that ended at the finish line with Randall nipping Christman by a nose. Joanna Christman and Lisa Hodgdon rounded out the top five. Sicard and Joanna Christman won the heat races.

In the North Country Ford Late Model division, youngster Brett Gervais fought off a stiff field of veterans to win his first Late Model feature of his career.

Shaun Cook brought a field of 18 late models to the green flag. The racing was strong throughout the event, with several of the big guns coming from the back of the field. Gervais beat WMMP’s Quinney Welch at the stripe. The duo made contact in the final turn with Welch striking the front stretch concrete. Veterans Bryan Mason and Russ Clark were three four at the line. Gorham’s Cody LeBlanc rounded out the top five. Heat wins went to Jeremy Lacoss and Paul Schartner III.

The crowd was then treated to a Monster Truck show put on by “The Dominator” and “Crushstation”. The duo crushed a set of cars and spun wildly in the infield, thrilling the crowd and ending the evening.