Payea Holds Off Local Challengers as ACT Goes to Waterford By Amie Campbell
ACT Late Model Point Leader Scores His Second Victory of 2008
In the Northeast, it's not often these days when a Touring series comes to town that local drivers can compete strongly against the series regulars. There are naturally exceptions - drivers who call Riverhead Raceway home routinely win the pole award at NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events, and local drivers have won roughly half of the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) events held in recent season at Oxford Plains Speedway (ME). But when a series visits a track for the first time in 8 years, all bets are off, and such was the case when the ACT Late Models visited Waterford Speedbowl on June 7.
Scott Payea held off local driver Bruce Thomas, Jr. and former Busch (now Camping World) East regular Brad Leighton to capture the Nutmeg State 100 and take his second win of the season and his fourth overall. With the win, Payea extended his points lead over defending champion Jean-Paul Cyr to 39.
Thomas, the 2007 Speedbowl Late Model champion, put on a strong performance in his first career ACT event, but lost the race lead just prior to halfway point. Payea took the lead on a restart, and while this move was not without some controversy, Thomas shrugged it off.
“I thought I had something there for [Payea] but I don't know what happened,” said Thomas. “That's okay, I was digging as hard as I could and I'm very happy with second.”
Thomas was the highest finisher of several Speedbowl regulars in the field. Former
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regular Ron Yuhas, Jr. also finished in the top five, coming home in the fourth position. Several other Speedbowl regulars suffered misfortune during the race however, including the drivers who would eventually finish in the last three positions.
Fans in the stands seemed to feel that Payea jumped the restart where he would ultimately take the lead, but Payea explained that he was having a hard time getting a handle on how restarts were done at the Speedbowl.
“The weekly racers here, they restart differently than we do,” Payea indicated. “We were
just trying to get in sync. [Thomas] would go, then I would go, and it just wasn't together,
and we finally got it together there.”
In other Speedbowl action, former Whelen Modified Tour regular Doug Coby picked up his
first SK Modified win of the season, Lou Bellisle won for the first time in a decade by
taking home the Mini-Stock trophy, and Brandon Plemmons won the Sportsman feature.
ACT will return to action on Saturday, June 21st at Oxford Plains Speedway for the Dunkin'
Donuts 150.
Results
ACT Nutmeg State 100: 1. Scott Payea, Milton, VT., 2. Bruce Thomas Jr., Groton, CT.,
3. Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, N.H., 4. Ron Yuhas Jr., Groton, CT., 5. Nicholas Sweet,
Barre, VT., 6. Randy Potter, Groveton, NH, 7. Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME., 8. Jonathan
Urlin, London, ON., 9. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT., 10. Brent Dragon, Milton, VT. 11. Scott
Dragon, Milton, VT., 12. Patrick Laperle, St-Denis-sur-Richeliue QC., 13. Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT., 14. Glen Luce, Turner ME, 15. Pete Potvin III, Graniteville VT., 16. Eric Chase, Milton, VT., 17. John Donahue, Graniteville VT., 18. Rick Thompson Jr., Derby VT., 19.Leon Heckbert, Wilton, ME., 20. Joe Becker, Jeffosonville VT., 21. Don Theetge Boischatel, OC., 22. Steve Fisher, Shelburne VT., 23. Trampas Dermers, South Burlington, VT., 24. Joe Curioso, Pawcatuck, CT., 25. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury VT., 26. Rich Staskowski, Hope Valley RI., 27. Ricky Wolf Jr, Northwood NH., 28. Allen Coates, Ledyard, CT., 29. Tim Jordan, Jewett City, CT., 30. Ed Reed Jr., Groton, CT.
SK MODIFIED (35): 1. Doug Coby III, 2. Tyler Chadwick, 3. Dennis Gada, 4. Jeff Paul, 5. Keith Rocco, 6. Ron Yuhas Jr., 7. Jeff Pearl, 8. Shawn Monahan, 9. Rob Janovic Jr., 10. Justin Gaydosh, 11. Todd Ceravolo, 12. Wendell Dailey, 13. Frank Mucciacciaro Jr., 14. Don Fowler, 15. Jay Miller, 16. Ed Reed Jr., 17. Glen Pressell III, 18. Rich Hammann, 19. Bill Benoit, 20. Mile Sweeney.
SPORTSMAN (20): 1. Brandon Plemons, 2. Al Stone III, 3. Mark Cooper, 4.Ronnie Oldham Jr., 5. Josh Galvin, 6. Jack Aquilina, 7. Jim Procaccini, 8. John Puglisi, 9. Ed Lamb Jr., 10. Chuck Rogers, 11. Kevin Burr, 12. Walter Hovey Jr., 13. Kevin Talbot, 14. Nate Appell, 15. Joe Nogiec, 16. Ed Clark, 17. Chris Meyer.
MINI STOCK (20): 1. Lou Bellisle, 2. Randy Churchill Jr., 3. Phil Evans, 4. Chris Williams, 5. Ken Cassidy Jr., 6. Andrew Becker, 7. Ian Brew, 8. Jack Aquilina, 9. Ray Christian III, 10. Christina Cunliffe, 11. Sean Caron, 12. Jeff Mehlenbacher, 13. Mark Panaroni, 14. Jackie Wolfram, 15. Ryan Cipows, 16. Charles Canfield, 17. Bill Leonard, 18. Ben Bargnesi, 19. Jeff Miller, 20. Nick Pappacoda, 21. Jeff Civardi.
Scott Payea's #89 at Wateford. (Eric LaFlecher / VLF Photos)
Payea in victory lane.
