PHOTO: Teddy Salomaa (#8) races with Mike McGinley (#7) in Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupe action. Salomaa took his first career win. (Alan Ward photo)

Sunn repeats in DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds

(From track press release)

BRADFORD — Sophomore Sprint Car driver Matt Robie and fellow second-year Sportsman Coupe stock car driver Teddy Salomaa grabbed the first victories of their careers at Bear Ridge Speedway on J&A Lawn Care/Boudreault Septic Night on Saturday. Other winners in the 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series program included repeaters Josh Sunn, Jordan Fornwalt, Danny Doyle, and Eric Lang.

Robie, of Hill, NH, is in his second season with the WYKR Sprint Cars of New England and was on his game all night, beginning with his first qualifying heat win of the year in the No. 75 J.W. Moses Construction-sponsored Maxim car. He backed it up in the 25-lap main event, fending off home track stars Will Hull and Kevin Chaffee for his first-ever Sprint Car victory. Hull, of East Montpelier, VT came up one position shy of becoming the first repeat winner of the year on the traveling SCoNE circuit, and Fairlee, VT driver Chaffee posted his best Sprint Car finish of 2012.

Rookie Chris Downs of Moultonboro, NH was a career-best fourth, and defending SCoNE champion Dan Douville of Bridgewater, NH was fifth. Chris Donnelly, Bob Giuliani, Clay Dow, Tyler Rich, and Andy Seuss completed the top ten.

Josh Sunn of White River Junction, VT won the highly competitive 40-lap Bond Auto Parts DIRTcar Sportsman Modified feature for his second win of the season. Sunn started ninth on the 20-car grid and drove into contention after the race’s lone caution period on lap 28. Young front-runner Jeff Elliott of Benton, NH led from the pole position, but veteran Bob Shepard of Topsham, VT grabbed the lead after the restart. Sunn nosed ahead two laps later before Shepard led laps 32 and 33, but Sunn’s No. 11 Audsley Plumbing & Heating mount was too strong and took over for good with six laps remaining.

Shepard held on to the runner-up spot for his best result of the year, while defending track champion Adam Pierson of Fairlee, VT got up for third. Derek Graham of Woodsville, NH was fourth with Middlebury, VT’s Justin Comes fifth, while Elliott slipped back to sixth at the finish. Veterans Gary Siemons, Chris Donnelly, Bryan King, and Jack Cook completed the top ten.

Hometown Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupe driver Teddy Salomaa finally knocked off his first career victory, six weeks after having what would have been his first win slip through his fingers on the final lap due to a mechanical failure. Salomaa jumped out to the early lead and was never headed in the 30-lap J&A Lawn Care/Boudreault Septic feature. Steve Ellsworth of Corinth, VT was the runner-up, and sophomore Tim Hodge of Vershire, VT continued a recent string of success with third place. Josh Harrington and Gene Pierson, Jr., were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Jeremy Beckley of Woodsville, NH was treated and released from a local hospital with a hairline fracture to his right leg and ankle following qualifying. Beckley’s car suffered a broken driveshaft that injured his leg; he returned to the track later in the evening bandaged and on crutches but did not compete.

Jordan Fornwalt of Bradford, VT ran to win #6 in the 20-lap A Notch Above Automotive Limited Late Model event. The 15 year-old outran Brian Chaffee, Mike Greene, Jr., rookie Sam Comeau, and Matt Ellsworth for the win. Danny Doyle of Roxbury, VT won the 15-lap Weglarz Property Service Fast Four feature over Tim Martin, with Billy Simmons a season-best third. Eric Lang of Groton,VT posted his fifth win of the year in the 20-lap KDD NAPA Auto Parts Hornet feature with rookie Brandon Gray second and Mike Stender third.

Bear Ridge Speedway’s 45th season of stock car racing continues with the annual Mid-Season Championship event sponsored by Freihofer’s and the Harrington family on Saturday, July 14. Double championship points will be on the line as the USAC Dirt Midget Association returns along with the 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series Modifieds, Coupes, Late Models, Fast Fours, Hornets, and Hornet Queens. Regular general admission is $10 for adults (age 18-61), $8 for teens (12-17) and seniors (62+), and $2 for children; Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Racing begins at the famous “6:00-ish” start time.

Bear Ridge Speedway is located on Kidder Road in Bradford, VT, just off Exit 16 on Interstate 91. For more information, call (802) 222-4052 or visit www.bearridgespeedway.com.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — J&A Lawn Care/Boudreault Septic Night
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford, Vt.
Saturday, July 7, 2012

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

WYKR Sprint Cars of New England (25 laps)

1. Matt Robie, Hill, N.H.
2. Will Hull, East Montpelier
3. Kevin Chaffee, Fairlee
4. #Chris Downs, Moultonboro, N.H.
5. Dan Douville, Bridgewater, N.H.
6. Chris Donnelly, Piermont, N.H.
7. Bob Giuliani, Middleton, N.H.
8. Clay Dow, Barnstead, N.H.
9. Tyler Rich, Lyme, N.H.
10. Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H.

Bond Auto DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Feature (40 laps)
1. Josh Sunn, White River Junction
2. Bob Shepard, West Topsham
3. Adam Pierson, Fairlee
4. Derek Graham, Woodsville, N.H.
5. Justin Comes, Middlebury,
6. Jeff Elliott, Benton, N.H.
7. Gary Siemons, Orford, N.H.
8. Chris Donnelly, Piermont, N.H.
9. Bryan King, Corinth
10. Jack Cook, Moultonboro, N.H.

Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupe Feature (30 laps)
1. Teddy Salomaa, Bradford
2. Steve Ellsworth, Corinth
3. Tim Hodge, Vershire
4. Josh Harrington, Topsham
5. Gene Pierson, Jr., East Corinth
6. Jason Horniak, Bradford
7. #Jesse Smith, Topsham
8. Jeff Robbins, Jr., Woodsville, N.H.
9. Jason Colbeth, Newbury
10. # Tom Placey, Bradford

A Notch Above Automotive Limited Late Model Feature (20 laps)
1. Jordan Fornwalt, Bradford
2. Brian Chaffee, West Topsham
3. Mike Greene, Jr., Pike, N.H.
4. # Sam Comeau, Hebron, N.H.
5. Matt Ellsworth, Corinth

Weglarz Property Service Fast Four Feature (15 laps)
1. Danny Doyle, Roxbury
2. Tim Martin, White River Junction
3. Billy Simmons, Bradford
4. Kevin Harran, St. Johnsbury
5. Chuck Simmons, Bradford

KDD NAPA Auto Parts Hornet Feature (20 laps)
1. Eric Lang, Groton
2. # Brandon Gray, East Thetford
3. Mike Stender, South Strafford
4. # Ryan Farnham, Fairlee
5. Eric Post, Royalton