Ben Byrne, of Deerfield, won his second New Hampshire Short Track Racing Association Modified race, topping a 21-car field at the quarter-mile oval Saturday at Monadnock Speedway, in Winchester, New Hampshire.
A crowd filled the social-distance-spaced grandstands to take in the night’s fireworks display and six divisions of racing.
Dave Greenslit won the Street Stock Battle of The Belt series 50-lapper, Aaron Fellows stayed undefeated in Late Model Sportsmen, Pure Stocker Dave Aiken earned his second victory and Tim Leblanc topped the Mini Stocks during Monadnock’s fourth night of racing.
Rob Richardi and second-generation hot shoe Matt Kimball brought the Modifieds to the green, with Richardi leading by less than a wheel on the first two go-rounds and then setting a fast pace as Kimball and Brian Chapin went to war behind him.
Close behind them, Trevor Bleau, firing from row four, and Byrne, from row six, were charging forward with four others. Byrne had almost passed Richardi when the caution waved on lap 21, and then completed the task a lap later.
Bleau, on a rail, ran second as lap 28 went in the books, but could advance no further. Richardi held strong to hit the stripe third, just ahead of Kimball and Brian Robie.
Greenslit, the winner of the Battle of The Belt Series’ first event of the summer at Hudson, duplicated that run Friday.
Firing from row two, the defending track Street Stock champ immediately took control, inching past Chris Buffone on lap one, and never looked back.
Buffone’s uncle, former Pro Stock ace Tommy O’Sullivan, got up for second on lap 18 but it was Greenslit in a runaway, taking the checkers far ahead of O’Sullivan and Buffone.
Cam Curtis, then Justin Littlewood, led the Late Model Sportsmen over the stripe the first four laps, with Fellows inching under Littlewood, taking charge and driving away. Littlewood was strong in second and Robert Hagar came home third.
Tim LeBlanc, firing from row two, led every lap of the Mini Stock 25-lapper to score his first win of the season. Nathan Wenzel came from row four of the 17-car field to claim second with Andy Harman nudging past two-time winner Gordon Farnum to earn the three spot.
In the Pure Stocks, defending track champ Chris Davis was in charge with only two laps to go. Davis though dropped suddenly off pace as Dave Aiken stormed past to score his second win of the summer.
Mike Douglas took the checkers just behind Aiken, with Brandon Lavoie, Kodi Sabins and Nolan McClay rounding out the top five. Davis coasted to a 10th-place finish. In a post race inspection, Lavoie was disqualified.
Justin Harris took charge on lap 20 of the Northeast Classic Lites 30-lapper, then sped off to victory ahead of Joey Deguio and Cody Hodgdon, respectively.
Racing returns Saturday when the Mini Stock Battle of The Belt Series comes to Monadnock, along with a full card of weekly series events.
Saturday’s results
NHSRA MODIFIEDS: Ben Byrne, Trevor Bleau, Rob Richardi, Matt Kimball, Brian Robie, Stewart McCormick, Cameron Houle, Brian Chapin, Cory Plummer, Keith Carzello, Kim Rivet, Kevin Pittsinger, Eric Leclair, Zach Leone, Anthony Bello, Jerry Gomarlo, Solomon Brow, Brad Zahensky, Scott MacMichael, Jason Houle, Todd Patnode
LATE MODEL SPORTSMEN: Aaron Fellows, Justin Littlewood, Robert Hagar, Camdyn Curtis, Willie Kuhn, Cole Littlewood, Scott Beck
STREET STOCK (50-lap Battle of The Belt): Dave Greenslit, Tommy O’Sullivan, Chris Buffone, Chase Curtis, Jaret Curtis, Brian Robie, Tim Wenzel, Nathan Wenzel, Mike Radzuik, Hillary Renaud, Ed Lofland, Randy Rameau, Joe Tetreault, Paul Barnard, Robbie Streeter, Steven Dubois, Kenny Thompson, Troy Waterman, Chris Riendeau, Chris Curtis
MINI STOCK: Tim Leblanc, Nathan Wenzel, Andrew Harmon, Gordon Farnum, Hayden Grenier, Jared Roy, Ethan Marsh, Ray King, Bill Chaffee, Shelby Avery, Jake Puchalski, Kevin Mcknight, Joshua Hubbard, Jeff Asselin, Kevin Russell, Kevin Clayton, Bobby Kirker
PURE STOCK: Dave Aiken, Mike Douglas, Kodi Sabens, Nolan McClay, JD Stockwell, Jason Leray, Cory Lofland, Chris Davis, Amy Jaycox, Jimmy Zellman, Carter Chamberlain, Conor Jencik, Nick Houle, Damon Roy, Regan Buffum
July 5 results
NHSTRA MODIFIED: Ben Byrne, Todd Patnode, Brian Robie, Trevor Bleau, Cameron Houle, Solomon Brow, Anthony Bello, Cory Plummer, Jason Houle, Keith Carzello, Kevin Pittsinger, Kim Rivet, Rob Richardi, Jerry Gomarlo, Bryan Crunden, Eric LeClair, JT Cloutier, Andy Major, Brian Chapin, Matt Kimball, Scott Bourn, Brad Zahensky
STREET STOCK: Jaret Curtis, Dave Greenslit, Chase Curtis, Jimmy Renfrew, Kyle Buck, Chris Buffone, Ed Lofland, Tim Wenzel, Mike Radzuik, Paul Barnard, Chris Riendeau, Robbie Streeter, Bryan Granger, Jon Porter, Eric LeBlond, Hillary Renaud, Troy Waterman, Chris Curtis
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Aaron Fellows, Robert Hagar, Ryan Bell, Cole Littlewood, Justin Littlewood, Matt Winter, Scott Beck, Camdyn Curtis
MINI STOCK: Nathan Wenzel, Louis Maher II, Shelby Avery, Kevin Clayton, Ethan Marsh, Jared Roy, Tommy Silva, Gordon Farnum, Kevin McKnight, Pat Houle, Ray King, Jeff Assselin, Jake Puchalski, Tim Leblanc