PHOTO: The SCoNE Guest Driving Series is one of the coolest promotional programs in recent memory, according to VMM Editor T.J. Ingerson, as guest drivers will have the opportunity to try to tame the winged monsters against top drivers Dan Douville (#7x), Clay Dow (#58), and Chris Donnelly (#17). (Alan Ward photo)

–by T.J. Ingerson
VMM Editor

The SCoNE Guest Driver Series program may be one of the coolest promotions any series has done recently, and solely because of the drivers they have attracted.

Phil Scott is one on of Vermont’s most recognizable names in racing, and not just because he is the Lieutenant Governor. The three-time Thunder Road champ will race the SCoNE guest car at Bear Ridge’s biggest race, the New England Dirt Track Championship. VMM is already planning on the NHMS-Bear Ridge double.

The other drivers SCoNE has attracted are no slouches either and some of the most recognizable names in their areas. Speedway Illustrated publisher Karl Frederickson is a racer true to the bone, and gets to publish stories on a national and international level about what local guys do. Donnie Lashua will pretty much race anything with an engine and tires — he races weekly at Canaan Fair Speedway in the Late Model and Pro Stock class, ran his Late Model at NHMS, ran a handful of races last year for Nils Lindstedt on the Valenti Modified Racing Series, and races on the Canaan Dirt track occasionally.

NEMA champion Randy Cabral will take to the dirt in a winged open wheel monster. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champ Bobby Santos and broadcaster Jack Arute have also expressed interest.

Those names will help promote their already good product to new fans — asphalt fans, open wheel pavement mod fans, and asphalt midget fans, among a few. Those fans will want to see how the driver they know does first hand. It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

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It’s unfortunate the Granite State Pro Stock Series are a victim of circumstance and will receive an unwarranted black-eye from a few for the cancellation of their race at Unity.

While VMM was unable to confirm an exact reason for the cancellation, the arrest of Unity track manager George Fernald, as reported by the Bangor Daily News, doesn’t help.

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Wayne Helliwell, Jr., currently sits just shy of the top ten in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series point standings in 11th. Helliwell has been dominant on the Canaan asphalt, winning eight races thus far. Helliwell also picked up his first win of the year at Lee USA Speedway last Friday night.

Helliwell sits 162 points out of first, but still does not have the maximum 18 races yet, while point leader Anthony Anders has already started 29 events. Helliwell has an opportunity to gain a maximum 270 points over his next six starts, based on car counts.

Ron Proctor remains out front in the State of Vermont, 24 points ahead of Vince Quenneville, Jr. Proctor is currently ranked 85th in the country at 224 points. Quenneville is ranked 116th. Leon Goyo and Alex Bell are third and fourth in Vermont, respectively.

The two-track, two-state racer Hunter Bates sits 60th in the country, scoring 168 points in Vermont while adding another 88 points in New Hampshire. Bates sits 5th in the state of Vermont.

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Rick Paya has had a pretty good seven days so far.

The owner of RPM Racing Engines began last Friday night by helping lead Brian Hoar to runner-up finish in the “I Am Vermont Strong 100” Vermont State Late Model Championship race. Paya has also teamed up with the G Stone Motorsports team of Todd Stone, and Stone won back-to-back Modified races on the Airborne asphalt — first on Saturday night and then again for the DIRTcar Asphalt 358-Modified Series event.

Paya helped lead Trampas Demers to a rebound victory on Thursday night at Thunder Road after Demers wrecked his Paya-built ride on Sunday. Demers drove his father’s familiar No. 86, which had to be changed completely over for the younger Demers to race.

I would say Rick is having a nice week, and it is a great side story as he will look to go three-for-three this week at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday with Hoar at the helm.