Mark McKeon
06-08-2008, 11:38 PM
Marc Guerard Picks a Pair
At Whip City Speedway
By Mark McKeon
Neither snow nor heat nor gloom of night can keep Marc Guerard from the swift completion of his appointed rounds. Guerard hadn’t visited victory lane since winning 12 features in the dead of winter during the indoor racing season at the now defunct Mototown USA Speedway. All that changed on Saturday night in the sweltering heat and humidity at Whip City Speedway as Guerard scored wins in both the 1200cc and 750cc Mini Sprint main events.
“I got lucky on the original starts,” Guerard understated. “I learned a lot from Richie Wood a couple weeks ago when he was running high and I couldn’t catch him. This week I ran as high as I could and didn’t worry about protecting the bottom and it worked,” he concluded.
Guerard, who skipped the second week of racing at Whip City Speedway just to remind himself that he isn’t running for points this year, started fifth in the 750cc feature and ninth in the 1200cc event. He also came from the seventh starting spot to win a 750cc heat, and sliced and diced for several laps with Jamie Beaudry while finishing second in a 1200cc heat.
The Quad 4 Midgets, which have blossomed this year like the first rose of summer, put on another great show. Tony Montesi won the feature by a few feet in Hully Bunn’s racer after a furious side by side battle with NEMA Midget points leader Randy Cabral. Randy’s father Glen, an infrequent competitor on dirt, finished sixth.
Putting aside a couple of frustrating finishes this season, Bran Peterson won all there was to win in his Modified Lite by scoring victories in both his heat and in the 20 lap feature. He took the lead from Joe Anselmo on the 13th lap and was followed across the line by Ryan Charland.
There were five lead changes before Dylan Menditto claimed his first 270cc victory. The race was plagued with a Paris Hilton-strength rash of yellow flags and only 10 of the 17 starters finished the race.
Greg Smith was victorious in the 600cc Mini Sprint feature which started 17 cars and went 17 laps before the sole caution flag was waved. Luke Greenwood was second and Lex Burritt charged from tenth to finish third.
John Missale was as hooked up as a body could be, scoring wire to wire 750cc Sportsman victories in both feature and the heat. Robby Spino finished second in the feature, followed by Charlie Pease, who came from eighth.
Fast and focused Tyler Chartrand picked up another win in the 250 Youth Mini Sprints, passing Wayne Ibitz Jr. with 5 laps to go. Jim Santa Maria was third.
270cc Mini Sprints: DYLAN MENDITTO, Kelly McCarthy, Phil Bessette, Frank Russo, Grant Sabo, Brayton Round III, Brian Boudreau, Tim Bertrand, Kevin Tefft, Andrew Howe, Todd Bertrand, Bryan Russo, Kendall Segar, Seth Carlson, Ryan Bigelow, Kurt Conklin, Joey Chick. Heats: Tim Bertrand, Russo.
600cc Mini Sprints: GREG SMITH, Luke Greenwood, Lex Burritt, Paul Bigelow, Jim DeCambra, Matt Pupello, Richard Crooker, Lowbed Johnson, Chris Lennox, Ricci Hirth, Kevin Heath, Arthur Marrero, Susan Lescynski, Matt Seymour, Sam Christie, Andy Shlatz, Anthony Nocella. Heats: Nocella, Seymour.
750cc Mini Sprints: MARC GUERARD, Mark Dupuis, Paul Rose, Rob Walendy, John Virgilio, Michael Parolo, Ken Hinckley, Peter Dance, Walt Feldman, Josh Woollam. DQ: Joe Platt, Kyle Spencer. Heats: Guerard, Walendy.
750 Sportsman: JOHN MISSALE, Robby Spino, Charlie Pease Kristen Phillips, Jack Fogarty, Derek Nappi, Matt Brown, Darren Peterson. Heat: Missale.
1200cc Mini Sprints: MARC GUERARD, Jon Moore, Mark Dupuis, Bob Dance, Chris Haskell, Jon Walts, Jamie Beaudry, R. J. Tufano, Justin Phillips. Heat: Beaudry.
Quad 4 Midgets: TONY MONTESI, Randy Cabral, Bethany Viets, David Rose, Vince Jacobs, Glen Cabral, Kelly Ferrell, Thom Ring, David Blaze. Heat: Montesi.
Modified Lites: BRIAN PETERSON, Ryan Charland, Joseph Anselmo, Brett Crowther, Rick Ashlaw, Ryan Nicewicz, William Carter, Brian Hohenstein, Walter Castings, Bob Charland, Bob LaForge, Bob Poloski, Roy Bacon. Heats: Peterson, Anselmo.
250 Youth Mini Sprints: TYLER CHARTRAND, Wayne Ibitz, Jr., Jim Santa Maria, Tyler Jackson, Cody Chick, Alex Curley. Heat: Ibitz.
Novice Karts: COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, E.J. Adametz, Kacie Heath.
Turquoise: KYLE SMITH, Kate Lafreniere, Ryan Irish, Cullen Pike, Alex Blanco, Alex Adamsky, Kaitlyn Brice, Nora Lemelin, Michael Langevin, Jeffrey Champagne.
Junior: JUSTIN WALTS, Makayla Lucia, Dylan Dexter, Dylan Campbell, R.J. Currey, Elliot Daly, Anna Coons, Josh Wood, Kara Franqueza.
Lite: STEVE ROCKWOOD, Scott Kalber, Will Coons, Gary Sokoloski, Jr.
Heavy: JAKE SAPOWSKY, Justin Dube, Dan Murdzia, Tim Gallant, Rich Dulac, Gary Hublard, Eric Jorgensen, Shaun Fenner
2 Stroke: DONALD WOOD, Dan Card, Josh Woollam, Ernie Whidden.
At Whip City Speedway
By Mark McKeon
Neither snow nor heat nor gloom of night can keep Marc Guerard from the swift completion of his appointed rounds. Guerard hadn’t visited victory lane since winning 12 features in the dead of winter during the indoor racing season at the now defunct Mototown USA Speedway. All that changed on Saturday night in the sweltering heat and humidity at Whip City Speedway as Guerard scored wins in both the 1200cc and 750cc Mini Sprint main events.
“I got lucky on the original starts,” Guerard understated. “I learned a lot from Richie Wood a couple weeks ago when he was running high and I couldn’t catch him. This week I ran as high as I could and didn’t worry about protecting the bottom and it worked,” he concluded.
Guerard, who skipped the second week of racing at Whip City Speedway just to remind himself that he isn’t running for points this year, started fifth in the 750cc feature and ninth in the 1200cc event. He also came from the seventh starting spot to win a 750cc heat, and sliced and diced for several laps with Jamie Beaudry while finishing second in a 1200cc heat.
The Quad 4 Midgets, which have blossomed this year like the first rose of summer, put on another great show. Tony Montesi won the feature by a few feet in Hully Bunn’s racer after a furious side by side battle with NEMA Midget points leader Randy Cabral. Randy’s father Glen, an infrequent competitor on dirt, finished sixth.
Putting aside a couple of frustrating finishes this season, Bran Peterson won all there was to win in his Modified Lite by scoring victories in both his heat and in the 20 lap feature. He took the lead from Joe Anselmo on the 13th lap and was followed across the line by Ryan Charland.
There were five lead changes before Dylan Menditto claimed his first 270cc victory. The race was plagued with a Paris Hilton-strength rash of yellow flags and only 10 of the 17 starters finished the race.
Greg Smith was victorious in the 600cc Mini Sprint feature which started 17 cars and went 17 laps before the sole caution flag was waved. Luke Greenwood was second and Lex Burritt charged from tenth to finish third.
John Missale was as hooked up as a body could be, scoring wire to wire 750cc Sportsman victories in both feature and the heat. Robby Spino finished second in the feature, followed by Charlie Pease, who came from eighth.
Fast and focused Tyler Chartrand picked up another win in the 250 Youth Mini Sprints, passing Wayne Ibitz Jr. with 5 laps to go. Jim Santa Maria was third.
270cc Mini Sprints: DYLAN MENDITTO, Kelly McCarthy, Phil Bessette, Frank Russo, Grant Sabo, Brayton Round III, Brian Boudreau, Tim Bertrand, Kevin Tefft, Andrew Howe, Todd Bertrand, Bryan Russo, Kendall Segar, Seth Carlson, Ryan Bigelow, Kurt Conklin, Joey Chick. Heats: Tim Bertrand, Russo.
600cc Mini Sprints: GREG SMITH, Luke Greenwood, Lex Burritt, Paul Bigelow, Jim DeCambra, Matt Pupello, Richard Crooker, Lowbed Johnson, Chris Lennox, Ricci Hirth, Kevin Heath, Arthur Marrero, Susan Lescynski, Matt Seymour, Sam Christie, Andy Shlatz, Anthony Nocella. Heats: Nocella, Seymour.
750cc Mini Sprints: MARC GUERARD, Mark Dupuis, Paul Rose, Rob Walendy, John Virgilio, Michael Parolo, Ken Hinckley, Peter Dance, Walt Feldman, Josh Woollam. DQ: Joe Platt, Kyle Spencer. Heats: Guerard, Walendy.
750 Sportsman: JOHN MISSALE, Robby Spino, Charlie Pease Kristen Phillips, Jack Fogarty, Derek Nappi, Matt Brown, Darren Peterson. Heat: Missale.
1200cc Mini Sprints: MARC GUERARD, Jon Moore, Mark Dupuis, Bob Dance, Chris Haskell, Jon Walts, Jamie Beaudry, R. J. Tufano, Justin Phillips. Heat: Beaudry.
Quad 4 Midgets: TONY MONTESI, Randy Cabral, Bethany Viets, David Rose, Vince Jacobs, Glen Cabral, Kelly Ferrell, Thom Ring, David Blaze. Heat: Montesi.
Modified Lites: BRIAN PETERSON, Ryan Charland, Joseph Anselmo, Brett Crowther, Rick Ashlaw, Ryan Nicewicz, William Carter, Brian Hohenstein, Walter Castings, Bob Charland, Bob LaForge, Bob Poloski, Roy Bacon. Heats: Peterson, Anselmo.
250 Youth Mini Sprints: TYLER CHARTRAND, Wayne Ibitz, Jr., Jim Santa Maria, Tyler Jackson, Cody Chick, Alex Curley. Heat: Ibitz.
Novice Karts: COREY LEMELIN, Dylan Irish, E.J. Adametz, Kacie Heath.
Turquoise: KYLE SMITH, Kate Lafreniere, Ryan Irish, Cullen Pike, Alex Blanco, Alex Adamsky, Kaitlyn Brice, Nora Lemelin, Michael Langevin, Jeffrey Champagne.
Junior: JUSTIN WALTS, Makayla Lucia, Dylan Dexter, Dylan Campbell, R.J. Currey, Elliot Daly, Anna Coons, Josh Wood, Kara Franqueza.
Lite: STEVE ROCKWOOD, Scott Kalber, Will Coons, Gary Sokoloski, Jr.
Heavy: JAKE SAPOWSKY, Justin Dube, Dan Murdzia, Tim Gallant, Rich Dulac, Gary Hublard, Eric Jorgensen, Shaun Fenner
2 Stroke: DONALD WOOD, Dan Card, Josh Woollam, Ernie Whidden.