Mark McKeon
05-31-2009, 10:46 PM
Two In A Row for Kyle Spencer
at Whip City Speedway
By Mark McKeon
Westfield, MA - Despite the fact that Whip City Speedway handicaps its most successful drivers to the rear of the starting grid, 6 drivers won their second feature of the year on Saturday night, led by Kyle Spencer who won the 750 cc Mini Sprint feature for the second week n a row, after starting 11th. “Everything just fell into place this week,” said Spencer. “The car was set up so that it would go where I needed it to go, the cautions came when I wanted them, and we hit lapped traffic at just the right time.”
The most exciting race of the night, if not the fledgling season, saw young Tyler Jackson, beat veteran Flyin’ Phil Bessette to the 750 Sportsman finish line by less than half a car, with a last lap, last turn, dive bomb. The pair had swapped the lead 4 times in the final 5 laps, before Jackson closed the sale on the second win of his rookie season.
In a 270cc feature which contained 2 yellows flags, 2 red flags, and an 8 car pile up, Brain Boudreau never lost his momentum, handling each restart as calmly as the one before it. “I try to stay as consistent as possible with my restarts,” Boudreau said after his win. “I know some people try to mix them up to fool the other drivers, but I just concentrate on keeping my motor cleaned out and when I get to the cone, I go. I tried to run a higher line this week and with the set-up we had, it was like we were on rails. I knew Brain Hurd was right behind me and I knew he came all the way from ninth, but I tried to keep that out of my mind and just concentrate on hitting my marks.”
After dropping out of his heat race with a mechanical problem, Doug Norrie came roaring back to win his second 1200cc Mini Sprint feature, passing 5 cars on the first lap to take the lead.
Ryan Nicewicz won his second Modified Lite feature after a spirited battle with Eric Bacon. Nicewicz also won his heat race.
Dan D’Addario picked up his second win with a wire-to wire triumph in the 4 Cyl Street Stocks.
Defending 600cc champ Anthony Nocella used a late race pass on Ryan Bigelow to notch his first win of the year.
Joe Krawiec is a former Quarter Midget racer with just a few starts in Modified Lites and Late Models. In only his second race in a Midget and only his second race on dirt, Krawiec captured a dark horse victory in the Quad 4 Midget feature. Wheeling the Skip Matczak entry, he handled the restarts and changing track conditions like a veteran.
270cc: BRIAN BOUDREAU, Brian Hurd, Joe Scanlon, Matt Galko, Grant Sabo, Seth Carlson, Kendall Segar, Frank Russo, Kelly McCarthy, Shayne Prucker, Jim Santa Maria, Alex Curley, Scott Franqueza, Wayne Ibitz, Kyle Abbott, Kurt Conklin, Bryan Russo, Cody Chick.
600cc: ANTHONY NOCELLA, Ryan Bigelow, Rich Crooker, Greg Smith, Jim DeCambra, Matt Seymour, Paul Bigelow, Chris Lennox, Ricci Hirth, Susan Lescynski, Luke Greenwood.
750cc: KYLE SPENCER, John Virgilio, Mike King, Kristen Phillips, Dan Schaubert, Michael Parolo, Ed Adametz, Matt Brown, Mark Taylor, Rob Walendy, Rick Stone, John Cole, Walt Feldman, Joe Platt, Chris Haskell.
750 Sportsman: TYLER JACKSON, Phil Bessette, Shelby Klekotka, Jack Fogarty, Makayla, Lucia, Nikki Oullette, David Williamson, Mark McKeon, John Missale.
1200cc: DOUG NORRIE, Charlie Pease, R.J. Tufano, Chris Haskell, Paul Rose, Jamie Beaudry, Peter Dance, Justin Phillips, Joe Szczapa
Quad 4 Midget: JOE KRAWIEC, Tad Uzzle, Kevin Tefft, Kelly Ferrell, Carlos Gray, Jack McKeon, Jamie Spalding, Scott Viets.
Modified Lite: RYAN NICEWICZ, Tim Johnson, Joe Anselmo, Bob La Forge, Roger Angers, Jr, Rick Ashlaw, Jake Latkofsky, Casey Oullette, Eric Bacon, Bill Carter, Bob Poloski, Tom O’Malley.
4 Cyl Street Stocks: DAN D’ADDARIO, Mike Tkacz, Keith Holtman, Jamie Beaudry, Stephanie Banach.
250cc Youth: KARA FRANQUEZA
Novice: RICKY ARMSTRONG, Kacie Heath, Spencer Brockman
Turquoise: DYLAN IRISH, Ryan Irish, Corey Lemelin, Jeffery Champagne, E.J. Adametz, Nora Lemelin.
Junior: KAT LAFRENIERE, Kyle Smith, Cullen Pike, Mike Hauser, Anna Coons, Ryan Fujimoto.
Lite: KARA FRANQUEZA, Dylan Campbell, Josh Galatro, Anna Coons, Dylan Dexter, Mike Dulac, Will Coons.
Heavy: GARY SOKOLOSKI, Rit Dulac, Bruce Dodge, Dan Murdzia, Tim Gallant, Shaun Fenner, Ron Fenner, Jake Sapowsky.
at Whip City Speedway
By Mark McKeon
Westfield, MA - Despite the fact that Whip City Speedway handicaps its most successful drivers to the rear of the starting grid, 6 drivers won their second feature of the year on Saturday night, led by Kyle Spencer who won the 750 cc Mini Sprint feature for the second week n a row, after starting 11th. “Everything just fell into place this week,” said Spencer. “The car was set up so that it would go where I needed it to go, the cautions came when I wanted them, and we hit lapped traffic at just the right time.”
The most exciting race of the night, if not the fledgling season, saw young Tyler Jackson, beat veteran Flyin’ Phil Bessette to the 750 Sportsman finish line by less than half a car, with a last lap, last turn, dive bomb. The pair had swapped the lead 4 times in the final 5 laps, before Jackson closed the sale on the second win of his rookie season.
In a 270cc feature which contained 2 yellows flags, 2 red flags, and an 8 car pile up, Brain Boudreau never lost his momentum, handling each restart as calmly as the one before it. “I try to stay as consistent as possible with my restarts,” Boudreau said after his win. “I know some people try to mix them up to fool the other drivers, but I just concentrate on keeping my motor cleaned out and when I get to the cone, I go. I tried to run a higher line this week and with the set-up we had, it was like we were on rails. I knew Brain Hurd was right behind me and I knew he came all the way from ninth, but I tried to keep that out of my mind and just concentrate on hitting my marks.”
After dropping out of his heat race with a mechanical problem, Doug Norrie came roaring back to win his second 1200cc Mini Sprint feature, passing 5 cars on the first lap to take the lead.
Ryan Nicewicz won his second Modified Lite feature after a spirited battle with Eric Bacon. Nicewicz also won his heat race.
Dan D’Addario picked up his second win with a wire-to wire triumph in the 4 Cyl Street Stocks.
Defending 600cc champ Anthony Nocella used a late race pass on Ryan Bigelow to notch his first win of the year.
Joe Krawiec is a former Quarter Midget racer with just a few starts in Modified Lites and Late Models. In only his second race in a Midget and only his second race on dirt, Krawiec captured a dark horse victory in the Quad 4 Midget feature. Wheeling the Skip Matczak entry, he handled the restarts and changing track conditions like a veteran.
270cc: BRIAN BOUDREAU, Brian Hurd, Joe Scanlon, Matt Galko, Grant Sabo, Seth Carlson, Kendall Segar, Frank Russo, Kelly McCarthy, Shayne Prucker, Jim Santa Maria, Alex Curley, Scott Franqueza, Wayne Ibitz, Kyle Abbott, Kurt Conklin, Bryan Russo, Cody Chick.
600cc: ANTHONY NOCELLA, Ryan Bigelow, Rich Crooker, Greg Smith, Jim DeCambra, Matt Seymour, Paul Bigelow, Chris Lennox, Ricci Hirth, Susan Lescynski, Luke Greenwood.
750cc: KYLE SPENCER, John Virgilio, Mike King, Kristen Phillips, Dan Schaubert, Michael Parolo, Ed Adametz, Matt Brown, Mark Taylor, Rob Walendy, Rick Stone, John Cole, Walt Feldman, Joe Platt, Chris Haskell.
750 Sportsman: TYLER JACKSON, Phil Bessette, Shelby Klekotka, Jack Fogarty, Makayla, Lucia, Nikki Oullette, David Williamson, Mark McKeon, John Missale.
1200cc: DOUG NORRIE, Charlie Pease, R.J. Tufano, Chris Haskell, Paul Rose, Jamie Beaudry, Peter Dance, Justin Phillips, Joe Szczapa
Quad 4 Midget: JOE KRAWIEC, Tad Uzzle, Kevin Tefft, Kelly Ferrell, Carlos Gray, Jack McKeon, Jamie Spalding, Scott Viets.
Modified Lite: RYAN NICEWICZ, Tim Johnson, Joe Anselmo, Bob La Forge, Roger Angers, Jr, Rick Ashlaw, Jake Latkofsky, Casey Oullette, Eric Bacon, Bill Carter, Bob Poloski, Tom O’Malley.
4 Cyl Street Stocks: DAN D’ADDARIO, Mike Tkacz, Keith Holtman, Jamie Beaudry, Stephanie Banach.
250cc Youth: KARA FRANQUEZA
Novice: RICKY ARMSTRONG, Kacie Heath, Spencer Brockman
Turquoise: DYLAN IRISH, Ryan Irish, Corey Lemelin, Jeffery Champagne, E.J. Adametz, Nora Lemelin.
Junior: KAT LAFRENIERE, Kyle Smith, Cullen Pike, Mike Hauser, Anna Coons, Ryan Fujimoto.
Lite: KARA FRANQUEZA, Dylan Campbell, Josh Galatro, Anna Coons, Dylan Dexter, Mike Dulac, Will Coons.
Heavy: GARY SOKOLOSKI, Rit Dulac, Bruce Dodge, Dan Murdzia, Tim Gallant, Shaun Fenner, Ron Fenner, Jake Sapowsky.