–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — Jimmy Hebert’s first ACT Late Model Tour win in nearly five years a few weeks ago was nearly uneventful. His second win was much more so.
The Williamstown, Vt. driver came out on top of a back-and-forth battle with Scott Payea following the final restart with nine laps remaining to claim the win in the Autosaver Group 150 on Sunday afternoon at White Mountain Motorsports Park.
Hebert first took the lead from Cody Blake following a lap 110 restart. From there, Hebert would stay out in front as he worked through lapped traffic, even as ACT Late Model Tour point leader Scott Payea moved into the second position.
A lap 141 caution flag, however, would erase Hebert’s advantage and put the defending champion Payea to Hebert’s outside. Payea would nose ahead at the start and clear Hebert, but the two would make contact and hand the lead back to Hebert for lap 142. Payea would then change lanes and move to the inside of Hebert to take the lead on lap 143.
The two drivers would then make contact and Hebert would regain the lead on lap 144, before Payea used a similar move to regain the lead on lap 145. Hebert would make one final move as he moved to back to the inside of Payea to take the lead for keeps on lap 146.
Hebert would then steer clear of the thrilling battle to claim his second straight win.
“I’ve pretty much come (to the conclusion) that the points championship is done, so I was willing to throw it away and spin out to not finish second,” Hebert said. “We’d touch and I’d rough him up, and then he’d rough me up, and then I’d go right back at him.
“I knew if I could clear him and get one corner where we were faster. It was hard to get away from someone as you could do a side job to get in front of him, kind of like on dirt. But once we did, my dad said ‘clear by one, clear by two’ and I said ‘this is ours.’
“It was fun.”
Payea, of Milton, Vt., earned his ninth straight top-five place finish on the ACT Late Model Tour after he settled for second.
“We threw everything at (Hebert),” Payea said. “It was just whoever got to the bottom. We rooted each other up out of the groove a little bit, just enough to get by.
“I just couldn’t get back to him at the end. Hats off to (Hebert). It was just a fun race.”
For Hebert, the win his his fourth career ACT Late Model Tour triumph and his second in as many races since his previous most recent win came after five years.
“They say the first one is the hardest, but the third one was (for me),” Hebert said. “I hope it would open the flood gates.
“They said we started third (at Speedway 51) and everyone else started at the back. This week we started behind (Payea and Eddie MacDonald). We drove right around them all on the outside.
“I say they know we’re here.”
MacDonald, of Rowley, Mass., made a late race charge to move from fifth to third on the race’s final restart to claim the final spot on the podium. Cody Blake of Barre, Vt. led much of the 150-lap event to finish fourth overall while early race damage didn’t slow Corey Mason down much as he ran inside the top-five for much of the 150-lap event and finished fifth.
Quinny Welch drove back from an early race pit stop to finish sixth while White Mountain regular Stephen Donahue finished seventh. Polesitter Josh Masterson finished eighth while Oren Remick fought from an 18th place starting position to finish ninth. Seekonk Speedway regular Ryan Kuhn completed the top-ten finishers.
The ACT Late Model Tour will continue their 2018 season on Saturday, August 25 at Oxford Plains Speedway as part of the famed Oxford 250 weekend.
VtMotorMag.com will have more from White Mountain Motorsports Park soon.
PHOTO: Jimmy Hebert earned his second straight ACT Late Model Tour win on Sunday afternoon at White Mountain Motorsports Park. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Autosaver Group 150
ACT Late Model Tour
White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (12) Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, Vt.
2. (11) Scott Payea, Milton, Vt.
3. (10) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.
4. (4) Cody Blake, Barre, Vt.
5. (6) Corey Mason, Groveton, N.H.
6. (8) Quinny Welch, Lancaster, N.H.
7. (15) Stephen Donahue, Graniteville, Vt.
8. (1) Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.
9. (18) Oren Remick, Monroe, N.H.
10. (5) Ryan Kuhn, East Bridgewater, Mass.
11. (21) Craig Bushey, Fairfax, Vt.
12. (26) Bryan Mason, Stark, N.H.
13. (7) Mike Kenison, Lancaster, N.H.
14. (9) # Dylan Payea, Milton, Vt.
15. (13) Scott Corey, Lyndonville, Vt.
16. (19) Jerry Lesage, Winooski, Vt.
17. (23) Claude Leclerc, Lanoarie, Que.
18. (29) Paul Newcomb Jr., Plymouth, Mass.
19. (22) Brian Tagg, Oxford, Mass.
20. (30) John Donahue, Graniteville, Vt.
21. (24) Jimmy Linardy, Somerville, Mass.
22. (2) Rich Dubeau, Lebanon, N.H.
23. (27) Shawn Swallow, Stark, N.H.
24. (17) Stacy Cahoon, St. Johnsbury
25. (16) Ryan Olsen, North Haverhill, N.H.
26. (25) Chip Grenier, Graniteville, Vt.
27. (3) Mark Jenison, Warwick, R.I.
28. (20) Matt Morrill, Moultonboro, N.H.
29. (14) Jesse Switser, West Burke, Vt.
30. (28) # Peyton Lanphear, Duxbury, Vt.