–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor

NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. – Dillon Moltz earned his first career ACT Late Model Tour win on Sunday afternoon at White Mountain Motorsports Park.

The Waterford, Conn. driver used a lap 134 restart to get by race leader Eddie MacDonald and sailed to the win.

“This means the world to me,” Moltz said. “To win on two of the three full-bodied touring series means a lot to me. We’re having so much fun racing for ACT and Tom Curley.

Dillon Moltz does a celebratory burnout after his first career ACT Late Model Tour win. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)“That was fun racing with Eddie (MacDonald) and my guys gave me a great car. I couldn’t be more proud of them. We’ve been struggling here and there and we’ve had really good top-five, top-three finishes and we’ve been really fast, but we haven’t been able to put it together.

“I’m speechless. I’m just so excited for this team.”

Moltz first took the lead on a lap 22 restart from Bobby Therrien and led through a lap 67 restart over MacDonald. MacDonald would gain the lead on a lap 96 restart and held the top spot from lap 97 to lap 134, when the caution flew for Wayne Helliwell Jr., who had suffered a flat right-front tire.

“It meant everything,” Moltz said about being on the outside on the final restart. “Eddie and I were so equal that it was going to come down to whoever restarted on the outside.

“I was trying to play my cards right there at the end and just hold second and see what the cautions were going to do and make my move late in the race if it was going to go green.”

MacDonald, of Rowley, Mass., had a bounce back performance after being involved in an incident at Seekonk Speedway one week ago.

“The outside was the place to be,” MacDonald said. “I didn’t know how fast it was up there until we got going in the race. All practice long, I tried go out there a few times but it really wouldn’t go that good.

“After 50 laps in the race, that was the place to be. I was able to get (Moltz) on the earlier restart on the outside and then he was able to get me back. I knew I was worried about restarts late in the race.

“But it’s all right. It was a good points day for us, especially after last week.”

ACT Late Model Tour championship point leader Nick Sweet bounced back from an early race bobble to finish third. The finish for Sweet, of Barre, Vt. saw him extend his point lead, unofficially, by one point over Milton, Vt.’s Scott Payea, who finished fourth. Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, Vt. bounced back from an early race flat right-front tire to finish fifth.

Brandon Atkins finished sixth while Mike Ziter raced from a 23rd place starting spot to finish seventh. Rookie driver Devin O’Connell rebounded from an early race spin to finish eighth. Thompson Speedway Late Model champion Brian Tagg finished ninth while Rowland Robinson Jr. completed the top-ten finishers after he battled for the lead early in the event.

Three-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour champion Helliwell finished 16th after his flat right-front tire problem while running fourth. Helliwell saw his deficit increase from 42 points back of Sweet to 70, while Moltz jumped over

Unofficially, Sweet will lead Payea by 14 points with four races remaining, while MacDonald decreased his deficit from 38 points to 33 points and remains third. Moltz jumped from sixth to fourth in the standings, 66 points back of Sweet, while Helliwell dropped to fifth and go from 42 points back to 70 points back of Sweet. Therrien now sits in sixth, 93 points back of Sweet.

The ACT Late Model Tour will head to the State of Maine on Saturday, August 6 for a 100-lap race at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.

VMM will have more from the Foley Oil Co. Summer Showndown in the Mountains soon.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Foley Oil Co. Summer Showdown 150
ACT Late Model Tour
White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H.
Sunday, July 24, 2016

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

1. (3) Dillon Moltz, Waterford, Conn.
2. (6) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.
3. (8) Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt.
4. (5) Scott Payea, Milton, Vt.
5. (12) Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, Vt.
6. (10) Brandon Atkins, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
7. (23) Mike Ziter, Barre, Vt.
8. (20) Devin O’Connell, Madison, Conn.
9. (11) Brian Tagg, Oxford, Mass.
10. (16) Rowland Robinson Jr., Steuben, Maine
11. (9) # Ryan Olsen, North Haverhill, N.Y.
12. (14) Jonathan Bouvrette, Blainville, Que.
13. (1) Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, Vt.
14. (22) Luke Hinkley, Claremont, N.H.
15. (19) Kyle Welch, Newport, N.H.
16. (7) Wayne Helliwell Jr., Dover, N.H.
17. (15) Rich Dubeau, Lebanon, N.H.
18. (18) Tom Carey III, New Salem, Mass.
19. (24) Mark Jenison, Warwick, R.I.
20. (30) Jonathan Lemay, Weare, N.H.
21. (25) Jeff Marshall, Guildhall, Vt.
22. (21) Bill Helliwell, Salem, N.H.
23. (26) Matt Anderson, Franklin, N.H.
24. (4) Corey Mason, Groveton, N.H.
25. (13) Oren Remick, Warner, N.H.
26. (27) Miles Chipman, Nottingham, N.H.
27. (29) Mark Hudson, Norton, Mass.
28. (2) Quinny Welch, Lancaster, N.H.
29. (28) Todd Davis, Claremont, N.H.
30. (31) Jim Zullo III, Claremont, N.H.
31. (17) Russ Clark, Littleton, N.H.

PHOTOS:
1 – Dillon Moltz celebrates his first career ACT Late Model Tour win on Sunday afternoon at White Mountain Motorsports Park. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
2 – Dillon Moltz does a celebratory burnout after his first career ACT Late Model Tour win. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)