PHOTO: Brian Hoar used the outside lane at Twin State Speedway to earn his third win in six starts on Saturday. (Eric LaFleche/VLFPhotos.com photo)

–by T.J. Ingerson

CLAREMONT, N.H. — John Donahue may have entered the American-Canadian Tour event at Twin State Speedway on a hot streak, but Brian Hoar went out and proved that his streak is just as hot. Hoar, who’s last finish outside the top five came in last year’s Labor Day Classic at Thunder Road, won the Jim’s Captown 100 at Twin State on Saturday night.

Starting in the sixth position, Hoar quickly worked his way into the top five, and then used patience as the top five cars rode around for the majority of the first half. Randy Potter dominated the first two-thirds of the race. At times, Potter had a comfortable lead over second-place runner Brent Dragon, and later Hoar.

A lap 68 caution changed all that, putting Hoar’s No. 37 GossCars.com/RPM Racing Engines Dodge directly on the outside of Potter for the restart. Hoar was able to get the slight jump on the restart, battling side-by-side with Potter for five laps before checking out and cruising to his third ACT victory in six starts.

“That was a lot of fun,” said Hoar, of Williston, Vt., about his battle with Potter. “Kudos to Randy. A lot of guys wouldn’t have been that clean. There is such a disadvantage on the outside here [at Twin State]. We had such a good race car and I think Randy knew that. We have a lot of respect for Randy and vice versa. I’ll certainly remember that.”

Hoar said that respect plays a bigger role on the quirky Twin State configuration than most other tracks.

“It’s so easy [to move people out of the way here], even in the heat race when Donahue moved me out of the way,” Hoar said. “Last year I was running fourth, third place car moved me up, then I was racing hard for fifth and that guy moved me up, and I finished eighth. It’s so easy to have that happen. We were wheel to wheel there. It was real close. I just about cleared him, almost went down. As clean as Randy is, he isn’t a guy you chop for the lead. I tried another lap and got back up there. It was fun.”

Hoar knew the key to winning was passing Brent Dragon, allowing him to set up on the outside of Potter on the last restart.

“Brent was starting having trouble getting down into Turn 1 and 2,” Hoar explained. “I was certainly getting in better than he was, he was really slowing up. I don’t think he realized at first how badly I was closing in on him and getting under him, he was leaving it wide open. I’d get in there and I’d have to back out, I didn’t want to take him out. Finally, I set him up again, got up to his tire, and thankfully he didn’t come down. I wasn’t planning on backing out. But that was the key though. That was the pass for the win. That allowed me to get on the outside of Randy. From behind Randy to pass Randy, that’s tough.”

Dragon’s No. 55 Beverage Mart/R.R. Charlebois Freightliner Chevrolet was able to pass Potter in the closing stages to finish second.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Dragon, of Milton, Vermont. “I knew Brian had to be around. I just got tight. Randy really slowed up at the end, though. He opened up a hole, and finally I slipped in there. Brian, by far, was the class of the field.”

Potter, of Groveton, N.H., was able to hang on for third, holding off hometown racer Luke Hinkley, who finished an ACT career-best fourth.

Joey Polewarczyk, of Hudson, N.H., turned in an impressive run from the 26th starting position to finish fifth. Early in qualifying, Polewarczyk cut a right front tire after contact and hit the Turn 4 wall, destroying the right front suspension.

John Donahue, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Todd Davis, Guy Caron, and Mark Lamberton completed the unofficial top ten.

The ACT Late Model Tour’s next championship event is July 30 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Me., but ACT is expected to have a large presence at the TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains (Me.) Speedway on July 24.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Jim’s Captown 100
American Canadian Tour — Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H.
Saturday July 9, 2011

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)

1. (6) Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
2. (4) Brent Dragon, Milton, Vt.
3. (1) Randy Potter, Groveton, N.H.
4. (2) Luke Hinkley, Claremont, N.H.
5. (26) Joey Polewarczyk, Hudson, N.H.
6. (5) John Donahue, Graniteville, Vt.
7. (11) Wayne Helliwell, Dover, N.H.
8. (14) Todd Davis, Claremont, N.H.
9. (4) Guy Caron, Lempster, N.H.
10. (7) Mark Lamberton, Mooers Forks, N.Y.
11. (21) Jean Paul Cyr, Milton, Vt.
12. (10) Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Me.
13. (17) Ray Parent, Tiverton, R.I.
14. (22) Chris Curtis, Rutland, Mass.
15. (23) # Ben Ashline, Pittston, Me.
16. (15) Dallas Trombley, Rutland, Vt.
17. (9) Tom Carey, Jr., New Salem, Mass.
18. (13) Brad Babb, Windham, Me.
19. (27) Jeffrey Labrecque, Jr., Rochester, N.H.
20. (12) # Pete Yetman, Peru, Mass.
21. (8) Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township, Me.
22. (23) Dennis Spencer, Oxford, Me.
23. (20) Bryon Baker, Claremont, N.H.
24. (24) Dennis Stange, Athol, Mass.
25. (28) # Dave Farrington, Jr., Jay, Me.
26. (16) Glen Luce, Turner, Me.
27. (18) Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier, Vt.
28. (19) Kyle Welch, Newport, N.H.