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Sargent Leads Flag To Flag For First Win

Race number seven of the New England Legends Sales & Service Legends Car division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway’s “Thursday Thunder” program was one of the most interesting and points shaking races the series has had in the 2010 campaign. Going into the event, the top three in points, Bob Weymouth, Evan Beaulieu and Bobby Timmons had just seven points between them. With Weymouth starting in the rear after his win last week, and Beaulieu and Timmons starting towards the front, it would be an interesting mix for the points with just four races left going into tonight’s race.

Chris Sargent in the 21 car had the pole for the feature, with the 29 of Tyler Jordan on his outside. Sargent had been close for the last few weeks to getting that win, but had yet to seal the deal. When the field went green, he got a great jump on Jordan and took off to the early race lead, with the 48 of Kendall Curit following right behind to take second. Not long after the green flag however, the 72 of Kevin Hutchens went around in turn one, bringing out the caution flag.

The field re aligned with Sargent in the lead and Curit to his outside, with Beaulieu and Timmons right behind. Sargent once again got out to the lead, but Beaulieu stayed right in his tracks. After some good hard racing between the two, Beaulieu was able to get a run on the inside of Sargent, and the two went side by side into turn one for the race lead. Coming out of two though, the two cars made contact, cutting Beaulieu’s right front tire and taking him out of contention for the win. Just a few laps later however, the 13 of Carl Blandina and the 33 of Alan Smith got together off turn two, sending both cars spinning and Smith hard into the backstretch wall. Luckily, both drivers were okay after the incident, as the field set up for a six lap run to the finish.

Sargent once again got out to the lead on the restart, as Timmons lurked in second. Timmons made a few bids for the lead, but had to be defensive as well as the 10 of Ed Getty was right behind in third. Neither could deny Sargent from his first win however, as he took the checkered flag! Timmons held off Getty for second, as the 0 of Dustin Reynolds finished fourth and the 48 of Kendall Curit rounded out the top five.

With the second place run, Timmons was able to grab the points lead in the New England Legends Sales & Service Beech Ridge Series with just three races remaining. Weymouth, who had a seventh place run coming from the rear, drops to second, but still six points back. Beaulieu however with his misfortune, falls 27 points behind in third. There’s still plenty of racing to go though, and the points are bound to shake up between now and the end of the season. Be there next Thursday, August 5th when the Legends Cars take to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway once again, racing starts at 7 PM and tickets are just $4. The next race for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour will be this Saturday, July 31st at the Riverside Speedway alongside the Pro All Stars Series Tour, racing starts at 5 PM. For more info, news and how you could get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Jamie Williams
 

Weymouth Completes Week Sweep At Unity

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour made their tenth stop of the 2010 season at “Maine’s Toughest Track,” Unity Raceway. The rough and tough track takes it’s toll on both the cars and the drivers, but it offers a unique challenge, with the outside groove being the smooth and fast groove, while the inside groove is rough but offers the shortest distance around the oval, and sometimes the only place to make passes.

The heat race showed the 48 of Kendall Curit and the 72 of Kevin Hutchens on the front row. Curit was able to jump out to the lead as the green flag flew, but it didn’t last long as the 31 of Bobby Timmons took over as the field went down the backstretch. However, on the next lap, the axle split on Timmons’ car, putting Curit back in the race lead. The point’s leader though, the 399 of Bob Weymouth, was fighting hard on the inside though to take the race lead, but couldn’t make it stick as Hutchens dove down to try as the 56 of Evan Beaulieu moved into third. Curit was able to hang though, and took his first heat win over Hutchens and Beaulieu.

For the feature race, Curit was back on the front row with the 29 of Tyler Jordan to his outside. Picking up right where he left off with the heat win, Curit jumped out to a sizeable lead early on, but Weymouth, who started third wasn’t letting him get away, as he started to close in on the first year driver. Coming from the rear of the field were Beaulieu, Hutchens and Timmons, and they were wasting no time on their way to the front. Back at the front, Weymouth was putting the pressure on Curit, and was able to sneak his way around and take the lead. As Weymouth pulled away, the battle was on for the second spot, as both Timmons and Beaulieu both took turns trying to get around Curit on the inside. At the finish though, Weymouth took the win and completed a sweep after his win at Beech Ridge just two days earlier. Curit was able to hang on to take his best finish of second, as Timmons settled for third, Beaulieu in fourth and Hutchens rounding out the top five.

After ten races, Weymouth increases his points lead by 12 over Beaulieu, and 24 of Timmons. There are still eleven races still left in the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour season, and plenty of time for the points to shake up and many drivers to break into victory lane. The next race will be at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on July 29th, tickets are just $4 and racing starts at 7 PM. After that the tour will be having double features, after the race at Lee USA Speedway was rained out, at the Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire alongside the PASS Tour, racing starts at 5 PM. For more info, news and how you could get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer
 

Weymouth Fights Back With Win In Round Six of Thursday Thunder

The New England Legends Sales & Service Legends Car division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway’s “Thursday Thunder” program made their sixth start at the famed track, reaching the halfway point of their separate points for the races held at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. Going into the event, Evan Beaulieu held just a slight one point advantage over Bobby Timmons in the points race, with former champion and series veteran Bob Weymouth sitting third in the points. With the points race that close, it’s certain it will go right to the final race, slated for August 19th.

The 21 of Chris Sargent, who grabbed a season best of third just two weeks ago, started on the pole with the 29 of Tyler Jordan on the outside of the front row. When the green flag waved, Sargent was able to get out to the lead with Forest Boucher in the 22 and Bob Weymouth in the 399 following. Weymouth was able to make his way to second and on lap five took the lead, leaving Sargent back in third in front of the 72 of Kevin Hutchens and the 56 of Evan Beaulieu. On lap 15 of the 25 lap feature, the 70 of Tylar Braunschweig went for a spin in turn two, bringing on the caution.

Weymouth was looking for his second Beech Ridge win of the season in hopes of closing in on Beaulieu and Timmons in the points race, and when the green flag flew again he got himself out to a pretty comfortable lead. Hutchens and Beaulieu were battling behind for the runner up position, when the 71 of Reggie Leeman and Timmons started to put on the pressure as well. At the finish, Weymouth was able to take his second Beech Ridge win of the season in dominating fashion. Hutchens held on to finish second, while Leeman got around Beaulieu for the third spot, with last weeks winner Timmons rounding out the top five.

With the victory, Weymouth took control of the points lead, holding a three point advantage over Beaulieu, and seven points ahead of Timmons. The points lead has changed hands the past three weeks, and the excitement will continue next week, July 29th at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, tickets are only $4 and the racing starts at 7 PM and ends at 9 PM. The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour hits the road once again this weekend for a stop at the Unity Raceway for the tenth race of the season. Racing starts at 2 PM. For more info, news and how you could get in to Legends racing, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Jamie Williams
 

Timmons Grabs Third Win of 2010

Round number five of the New England Legends Sales & Service Beech Ridge Series was another great race. The points standings were close going into the event, with Bob Weymouth leading last week's winner Evan Beaulieu by only six points, as both drivers would have to start at the rear due to their top three finishes last week. Also in the field was defending champion, Max Zachem, who was involved in an incident at his last race at Unity, taking him out of contention to win. Combine that with the best drivers that New England has, it was set to be another great race in front of the Thursday night crowd.

When the 10 of Ed Getty and the 72 of Kevin Huthens brought the field to the green flag and the 19 car Legends Car field came screaming down the frontstretch, the battles were on. From his sixth place starting spot, the 31 of Bobby Timmons was making quick work on his way to the front, as he had the 71 of Reggie Leeman and the 5 of Gary Modugno in tow as those three pulled a little bit of a distance on the rest of the field. Coming through the field was the 0 of Dustin Reynolds, Zachem and Beaulieu, as those three did battle on their way to the front. With just a handful of laps to go, Weymouth and Hutchens made contact midpack and brought out the caution, setting up for a green-white-checker finish.

Timmons led the field to the green flag, and took off as he got a few car length lead while Zachem was able to move up to second place as the white flag flew. Zachem set up to the outside as they went down the backstretch, but it wasn't enough as Timmons was able to hold him off and grab his third win of the season. Zachem was second, Modugno third, Leeman fourth and Beaulieu rounded out the top five.

With five races in the books in the New England Legends Sales & Service Beech Ridge Series, Beaulieu takes over the points lead by just one point over Bobby Timmons, as former champion Weymouth sits third, just six points behind. The next race at Beech Ridge will be next Thursday, July 22nd, racing starts at 7 PM. The next race for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour will be at Unity Raceway on Saturday, July 24th. For more info, news and how you could get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Jamie Williams and Chris Roy
 

Beaulieu Gets First Win In Round Four of Thursday Thunder

Race number seven for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour took place once again at the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the fourth race of the New England Legends Sales & Service Thursday Thunder Series. Coming into the event, there had been three different winners in the first three races, and they all held the top three spots in points as Bobby Timmons held a slight point’s lead over Bob Weymouth and Forest Boucher. The race was set to be another interesting one as it always is with the Legends Cars.

On the pole for the 25 lap feature event was the 21 of Beech Ridge veteran Chris Sargent. On his outside was the 29 of Tyler Jordan, who unfortunately blew a motor in last week’s race, but got another in just in time to compete this week. The green flag flew and Sargent jumped out to the early race lead with Jordan in second and the 48 of Kendall Curit in third. Coming from the fourth and fifth starting spots were Evan Beaulieu and Bob Weymouth however, as they were both able to get around Sargent on lap seven and started to battle for the lead at the front when there was trouble behind them. On lap nine, Jordan and Timmons made contact mid pack and Timmons pounded the backstretch wall, collecting the 25 of Jim Manchester as well, both drivers retired from the event.

After the cleanup, the field went back to green flag racing with 15 laps remaining. Weymouth was able to pull out to the lead as Sargent overtook Beaulieu for the second spot. Beaulieu was not backing down however, as he got back around Sargent and started to hunt down Weymouth. On lap 17, Beaulieu was able to get his nose under Weymouth, as the two ran hard for the race lead. At the finish, Beaulieu was able to get a bit of distance on Weymouth, and picked up his first Legends Car victory. Weymouth held on to finish second, as the rest of the top five got their best finishes of the season, with Sargent in third, Ed Getty in fourth and Carl Blandina rounding out the top five.

With Timmons’ misfortunes, Weymouth takes the points lead in the New England Legends Sales & Service Thursday Thunder Series, as Beaulieu moved up to second with the win, only six points behind as Timmons dropped to a tie for third with Boucher, both within 19 points of the lead. The next race for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour will be this Tuesday, July 13th at Lee USA Speedway, a companion race with the Pro All Stars Series Tour, racing starts at 7 PM. The tour will be back in action at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway next Thursday, July 15th, tickets are only $4 and racing starts at 7 PM. For more info, news and how you could get in a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Jamie Williams and Chris Roy
 

Boucher Wins Round Three of Thursday Thunder

After a rainstorm that came last week just minutes before the New England Legends Sales & Service Legends went on the track, the racing was called off and the teams had to wait more week for race number six on the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour. This past Thursday, after a few light rain showers the sun came out and the Legends Cars took the track once again. For their 25 lap feature, it was set to be an interesting night with both Thursday Thunder points leader Bobby Timmons and second place Bob Weymouth coming from the rear.

The start of the race would see the 33 of Alan Smith was on the pole with the 48 of Kendall Curit on the outside. When the field went green the two cars were side by side for the lead. On the third lap however, the 29 of Tyler Jordan blew a motor coming off turn four running in the fourth position, bringing out caution and putting Curit on the pole this time. On the restart, Curit got the jump and took the early race lead, but he had company with the 22 of Forest Boucher right behind him. As the field was three wide and jockeying for position behind them, Boucher was able to take the race lead with the 72 of Kevin Hutchens right behind to take second from Curit. Coming from the rear was Timmons and the 0 of Dustin Reynolds, as they had caught the front of the field. However, Boucher had already set sail and had a straightaway lead in front of Hutchens. With just three laps to go, the 25 of Jim Manchester and Smith made contact, sending Smith for a spin. The field stayed green though, as Boucher rode to his first win of the season over Hutchens, Timmons, Curit and Reynolds.

With the third New England Legends Sales & Service Thursday Thunder race completed, Timmons now holds a 13 point advantage over Weymouth, with Boucher in third only 15 points behind. The next race for the Legends will be July 8th at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the fourth race of the New England Legends Sales & Service Thursday Thunder Legends. The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour is off until July 13th, when they will compete with the Pro All Stars Series at Lee USA Speedway. For more information, news and how you could get in a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Jamie Williams
 

Legends Once Again At NHMS, Plans Of New Track Unfold

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Car Tour was back at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway again this weekend for Nascar weekend at the track.  The series top drivers talked to thousands of race fans to spread the interest of Legends Car racing, and hopefully put some more people in race cars!  There is also talks about the new Legends track that will be at the speedway in the coming months, for more information on what's being planned, keep checking back to Nelcar.net!  Right now is a great time to get into Legends Car racing, one of the most affordable and fun divisions in all of New England racing.  Call New England Legends Sales & Service today to get behind the wheel.

To view full size click on image.

Photos by Chris Roy and Evan Beaulieu
 

Weymouth Wins On Wild Night At Unity

Race number five for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour took place alongside the Pro All Stars Series Tour at Unity Raceway this past Sunday. Throughout practice, it was the normal front runners who were fast, including Max Zachem, the defending champion, who found some time off from his modified to come race the Legends Car again. After practice however, the rains came. A rough thunderstorm blew through the Unity area, leaving the cars under wraps for three hours. When the rains finally let up, the track drying began, leading way to the two Legends Car heat races.

In the first of the two heat races, it was the 33 of Alan Smith and the 20 of Max Zachem on the front row. When the green flew, Zachem was able to get the advantage on the outside, the preferred groove at Unity. With about three laps to go in the heat race, it appeared that Zachem was going to be able to get the win, but his car developed an ignition problem, allowing Smith to drive by and take the win. Zachem was able to hold on to second over the 56 of Evan Beaulieu.

In the second heat race, the 72 of Kevin Hutchens was on the pole, with point’s leader Bobby Timmons on his outside. On the start, Timmons was able to make the outside work and take the lead from Hutchens. Hutchens was driving hard though, and was doing all he could to get around Timmons as the two had a great race for the heat win. At the finish, Timmons was the winner, with Hutchens right in tow and the 48 of Kendall Curit right behind in third.

With the delay of rain, the feature race was shortened to 30 laps. Smith and Timmons started from the front row, and when the green came out, Timmons was quick and got out to the early lead. Zachem was able to get his way to second and started to run down Timmons when the first caution of the day came out on lap eight for Smith, running third at the time, spinning off turn for. The 46 of Chad Harrington and the 17 of Terry Kirk were also involved. On the next restart with Timmons on the inside and Zachem on the outside, the two made contact going into turn one. Sending Zachem airborne and landing on the 10 of Ed Getty, with Beaulieu also being involved. Zachem and Getty’s days were done, while Timmons and Beaulieu were able to get their cars fixed and back in the race. On the restart it was Hutchens and the 399 of Bob Weymouth on the front row. Weymouth was able to get out to the race lead while the 38 of rookie Matt Bourgoine spun on the backstretch from his third place spot. With the field getting re aligned again, Weymouth was on the pole with Hutchens to his outside. Weymouth took the lead on the start with Hutchens right behind trying to get by. With eight laps to go, Hutchens got loose off turn four and spun down to the infield, bringing out the caution once again. This time it was Weymouth and Curit on the front row, and when the green flew, Timmons was able to get himself to second behind Weymouth as the two dueled for the lead in the final laps. With three laps to go, Timmons got himself loose off turn two, but was able to save it after going off the backstretch, but fell back to fifth spot, leaving Weymouth clear sailing to his third victory of the 2010 season. Smith was able to finish second and Beaulieu beat Hutchens by a foot for the third spot.

After the wild race at Unity, Weymouth, who was unable to make any of the practices earlier in the day and got to the track just in time for the heat races, was able to take over the points lead from Timmons and holds the lead by two points. The next race for the Legends Cars will be this Thursday at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. The next scheduled race for the tour isn’t until July 13th at Lee USA Speedway. For more info, news and how you could get in a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer
 

Weymouth Wins Round One of Thursday Thunder

Round number one of the popular New England Legends Sales and Service Thursday Thunder Series presented by ZMax took place this past week, and as always did not disappoint. After their first race at Beech Ridge in May, the Legends Cars already had points established for the “Beech Ridge Series,” which includes the first race from May, and all ten of the Thursday Thunder races as well. The New England Legends Sales and Service Thursday Thunder Series is also a part of the Amsoil Nelcar Tour as well, as the points gathered in the TNT Series go towards the overall tour championship.

This week’s races saw many storylines, between whether Bobby Timmons could come from the rear to get his second Beech Ridge win in a row, or if past TNT Champion Bob Weymouth would add another victory to his impressive Legends resume. Dustin Reynolds was making his return to Legends after a year off, and is always a factor at Beech Ridge. As the 19 car field got lined up for their 25 lap duel, only time would tell who would come out on top.

On the pole was the 25 of Jim Manchester and on the outside was the 33 of Alan Smith. When the green flag flew, Manchester was able to get out to the lead. Going into turn three on the first lap however, the 10 of Ed Getty and the 87 of Anthony Pagliarulo got together and spun up the track, bringing out the caution flag.

When the race was restarted, Manchester got back out to the lead once again, with the 48 of Kendall Curit and the 72 of Kevin Hutchens close behind. On lap three, Hutchens and Curit made slight contact, and Hutchens had to pit with a flat tire, relegating him to an 18th place finish. Manchester was able to open up some distance on the field, but Weymouth was coming in a hurry from his sixth place starting position. On lap seven, Weymouth was able to grab the lead from Manchester and started to pull away, while Manchester held on to second over the 29 of Tyler Jordan. Coming through the field from the 16th starting spot was Timmons however, as he made his way up to third and was fighting with Manchester for the second spot. When the checkered flag flew, Weymouth was able to take the win, with Manchester finishing a season high second, Timmons taking third, Jordan in fourth and Curit rounded out the top five.

After two races in the New England Legends Sales and Service Thursday Thunder Series presented by ZMax for the Legends Cars, Timmons now has a six point advantage over Weymouth, while Evan Beaulieu is 14 points back in third after his sixth place finish. The series next race will be Sunday, June 20th at Unity Raceway, a 35 lap feature as part of the PASS race weekend. The series is back at Beech Ridge next Thursday for round two of Thursday Thunder. Racing Sunday will begin at 3 PM and next Thursday at 7 PM. For more info, news and how you could be in a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Jamie Williams
 

Timmons Takes Second Win of 2010

After last weekends races at Unity Raceway were rained out, the third stop on the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour had to wait until this past weekend. With the series points lead in a tie between the tour's two young guns, Bobby Timmons and Evan Beaulieu, the season is setting up to have quite a battle between those two, and the past champion Bob Weymouth who sat only three points back. Two weeks ago, it was Weymouth who crowned victorious over Beaulieu and Timmons, as all three would have to come from the rear in this race.

When the field went to the grid for the heat race, the track was having some technical difficulties with the lighting system, so it was announced that there would be features only so the field was re aligned and got ready for their feature event. On the pole was the 48 of Kendall Curit and on the outside was the 72 of Kevin Hutchens. When the green flew, the two ran door to door for the first lap before Hutchens was able to get the advantage on the outside, the preferred line at Unity. The 33 of Alan Smith and the 29 of Tyler Jordan were able to follow through and hold the top three positions. On the march however were Timmons and Beaulieu, and when the first caution flag flew on lap nine for a spin by the rookie in the 38, Matt Bourgoine, they were running second and third behind race leader Hutchens.

On the restart it would be Hutchens on the inside and Timmons on the outside, with a ten lap race to the finish. When the flag flew, Timmons was able to get the advantage on the outside and take over the top spot from Hutchens. As Beaulieu and Hutchens battled hard, Timmons was able to pull away to take his second victory of the season. Hutchens held on to take second, Beaulieu was in third and Weymouth was able to get around Smith for the fourth spot.

After just three races there has been plenty of action, and it will only get amped up this week as the series heads to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the first race of the popular Thursday Night Thunder season. This season, the TNT races are included in the Amsoil Nelcar Tour points as well, giving the tour guys a little something extra to race for, leading to much more excitement on the race track. After the Thursday night race the series will head back to Unity Raceway for a 35 lap feature with the Pro All Stars Series Tour. Come to the track to see the excitement the Legends Cars have to offer! For more information, news and how you can compete in the Legends Cars Series, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer
 

Weymouth Drives Off To Win At Unity

Points race number two for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour came at Unity Raceway on Saturday, May 29th. “Maine’s toughest track” always pushes the limits of both their drivers and their cars, as 15 of the best Legends car drivers were set to do battle at the rough and tough Unity Raceway.

The field was split into two heat races, as Alan Smith in the 33 and Anthony Pagliarulo in the 87 would bring the field to the green flag in the first heat. Smith was able to get a good jump, and lead wire to wire in the 10 lap heat race and take the win. Pagliarulo was second and Jim Manchester in the 25 was third.

In the second heat race, it was the 48 of Kendall Curit and the 72 of Kevin Hutchens on the front row. Curit was able to open a lead on Hutchens as the 56 of Evan Beaulieu and the 31 of Bobby Timmons were coming through the field. On lap five of the heat race, Hutchens went for a spin off turn two, bringing out the yellow flag. When the green came back out, Curit got a good jump on Beaulieu who was on the outside, but off of turn two Timmons dove to the inside of Curit, as the they went three wide into turn three. Beaulieu would come out with the advantage and take drive off with the heat win over Timmons and Curit.

For the feature race, it was once again Curit on the pole and Hutchens on the outside. Point’s leader Timmons, Beaulieu, and the 22 of Forest Boucher would have to start from the rear of the field due to being the top three in the first race at Beech Ridge. Curit was able to once again get a good start and took the early race lead. Coming from his fourth starting spot however, was series veteran Bob Weymouth behind the wheel of the 399 machine, as he took the lead over from Curit on the sixth lap and started to pull away. By the halfway point of the 30 lap feature, Weymouth had a good lead over second place Beaulieu and third place Timmons, who had come from the rear and were hunting down Weymouth. Through the lapped traffic, the two were able to make up ground on Weymouth, but it wasn’t enough as the 2008 Nelcar Champion took his first win of 2010 in another caution free race. Beaulieu was second at the line with Timmons third, and Curit was able to hold on to fourth over the 29 of Tyler Jordan to get his best Legends finish.

After two points races, Bobby Timmons and Evan Beaulieu are tied for the points lead with Bob Weymouth only three points behind. The next race is scheduled for June 5th once again at Unity Raceway, and with those three coming from the rear behind some of the best Legends drivers, it’s sure to be a good show. Be there June 5th to see all the action unfold in the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour. For more info, news and how you can be behind the wheel of the popular Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer
 

Buffington Wins First Ever Legends Race at NHMS

            When Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and US Legend Cars bought New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Directors Terry Kirk and Todd Beaulieu of Nelcar knew this could be their step in the door to get Legends at the most popular racetrack in New England, New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Through many talks with the Speedway and hosting a Legends booth during Nascar weekends, they were making progress into getting Legends on the famed racetrack.  Now, two years later, the goal has been accomplished with the first ever Legends Car race at NHMS.  It was held on the 1.6 mile road course during the popular Vintage Celebration weekend.  For 15 laps, 16 of the best Legends Car drivers in New England took to the course, many with no prior road racing experience.  With the difficulty of many shifting points and turning both left and right, the drivers quickly adapted to the challenges and put on a great show.

            During practice, which doubled as qualifying as well, for many drivers it was only their first time turning right in a race car.  While the tracks unique layout was tough on the drivers, there were only a few incidents throughout practice and the drivers were all confident that they were well enough adapted to the road racing to put on a good 15 lap show.  When the second round of practice was over, it was the 399 of Bob Weymouth who ran the quickest time through practice and would start his car from the pole position.  The 23 of Connecticut driver Shawn Buffington would start on his outside for the feature.  Both drivers had a history of road racing in their long careers of Legends Car racing.  2009 Nelcar Champion, Max Zachem would start from third with Tom Gray and Bobby Timmons rounding out the top five.

            When the green flag came out, the 16 car field screamed by and Weymouth beat the field to turn one.  Things got jumbled up quick though, as Buffington had to detour through the grass to avoid wrecking.  That didn't slow him down however, as he got around Weymouth and led the first lap.  Zachem was coming in a hurry as well, as he was putting the pressure on Buffington before the first caution flag flew on lap seven, when rookie driver Jake Spillers took a spin in his 6 car.  When the green flag came back out on lap nine, Buffington once again had the top spot and held it in front of Zachem.  However, on the next lap Zachem finally got a run on Buffington and took over the top spot.  Buffington was able to get the lead back the following lap however, as the two were battling hard for the win.  There were many battles going on the racetrack as well behind the two leaders, as the 15 of Jim Mayrand and the 56 of Evan Beaulieu were racing hard for the sixth spot, and the 46 of Chad Harrington was coming up through the field after losing ground on the restart.  When the checkered flag flew, it was Buffington who was able to hold off Zachem and take the win in the first ever Legends race at NHMS.  Weymouth was third, Timmons was fourth and Gray rounded out the top five.

            "The whole race control was going nuts over all the battles on the track," concluded Tom Blanchette, Director of Operations at the Speedway, and the one who put this show together, "There were three distinct battles going on spread out through the entire field, it was a real great race."  The first race at NHMS was in the books, and it was a successful one, with only one caution and many great battles and few incidents through the whole day.  There will be more details regarding the next race at NHMS in the coming weeks.  On behalf of Nelcar, we would like to thank Jerry Gappens, Tom Blanchette and the entire NHMS staff for having the Nelcar Legends as part of the Vintage Celebration week.  The next points race will be at the Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine, with Timmons, Beaulieu and Forest Boucher having to fight from the rear of the field under Nelcar's top three rule, it's got the potential to be a great race, as are many races at Unity Raceway.  For more info, news and points, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer
 

Timmons Wins Thrilling Season Opener

Race number one for the AmsOil Nelcar Tour was held at the series’ most prominent track, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. The series was set to go 35 laps around the 3/8s mile oval, part of the Pro All Stars Series weekend. Throughout practice, the early favorites were fast. Three time champion Bob Weymouth back behind the wheel of the 399, the hometown kid Bobby Timmons in the 31 and 2008 rookie of the year Evan Beaulieu in the 56. The tour's field of 18 cars would not disappoint the fans who packed in to Beech Ridge for a great day of racing.

First on the agenda were the ten lap heat races, split to nine cars in each. In the first heat race, it was series’ veteran Jim Manchester in the 25 and Chad Harrington, making his return to the series after a few years off, on the front row. When the green flag flew Manchester got off to a few car length lead before lap two when he got sideways and spun his car off the frontstretch, the field stayed under green and it was Beaulieu who took over the top spot. At the end of the first heat, it was Beaulieu taking the win with Weymouth in second and Timmons in third.

The second heat race showed the 87 of Anthony Pagliarulo and the 27 of Kevin Hutchens on the front row. The field ran green to checkers once again, as Kevin Hutchens took the win, with Forest Boucher in the 22 and Connecticut driver Tom Gray in the 18 right behind.

For the 35 lap feature, Beaulieu and Hutchens, both longtime karting veterans with many wins between the two, would pace the 18 car field of the best Legends drivers in New England. When the green flag flew, Beaulieu got a jump on Hutchens as he took the lead and Hutchens followed close behind. Beaulieu got himself a healthy lead in the early laps while Weymouth, Boucher, Timmons and the 23 of Shaun Buffington sorted their way through traffic behind him. At about a quarter of the way through the race, it looked as if any of the top six drivers had a chance to get the win. Timmons got up to second and set up a run on Beaulieu on the outside. The two would run side by side for many laps, fender to fender, as close as the two longtime rivals could push each other. With about ten laps to go Timmons got out in front off turn four and brought Boucher with him in traffic. Boucher made a run on Timmons, but it wasn't enough, as Timmons took home the first checkered flag of 2010. Beaulieu held on for third, while Weymouth and the 29 of Tyler Jordan rounded out the top five. The race got a great reaction from the fans, as they roared with applause while the top three climbed out on the start finish line after the caution free 35 lap feature, a great start of the 2010 season for the AmsOil Nelcar Legends Tour.

After the first race, Timmons holds a points lead while Boucher is four points behind and Beaulieu just six. The next stop for the tour is the 15 lap invitational at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on the road course, which will be the first ever race on the famed Nascar track. The race will showcase 24 of the best Legends drivers that the tour has to offer in a non points, winner take all event and will be a part of the Vintage Weekend Celebration at NHMS. The next scheduled points race for the tour will be at rough and tough Unity Raceway on May 29th. For more news, information and points, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer
 

Notes From The President

Hi guys
This month Terry bought Maine Legends dealership. The new name is New England Legends Sales & Service. Can be contacted either by email, or 207-353-2866. I plan to be at 600 the end of March so if anything is needed let me know, it will save on the shipping charge.

INEX has called me and has given NELCAR a sum of money for the points fund, there are a few requirements that need to be met, which we have covered. That means that if things go as previous years there will be $10,000.00 plus in the points fund.

The directors will be meeting soon along with drivers and members to update everyone; I will send date and would like a good meeting. As always input is welcome.

The wear bar rule on BFG’s has suspended as of now until new tires are in the system.

The new Federal Tires will be available to dealer’s on/about April 15th. The first shipment will be reserved for dealers only. Based on the dealer’s requirements, the second shipment may also reserved. The third (and perhaps part of the second) will be available to the public for sale. Shipments should be about 10 days apart.

We can reserve tires for you in our first order if you place your order now.

The good news is the Federals are slightly cheaper:
Retail
Federal 205/60R13 $95.00
Bear in mind that this can change!

Thanks, Terry Kirk

Nelcar announces Points Fund Increase, and more from Racin' Preview

The Nelcar Legends were once again back at the Racin' Preview show in Portland, Maine this past weekend.  The tour has announced that thanks to ZMax, the leader in Micro-Lubricants, the series will have an increased points fund, and the total will be up to $10,000 in the Nelcar fund.  More details will come soon.  Also new this weekend is the appearance of the series new dealer.  Longtime president, Terry Kirk will run "New England Legends Sales and Service" out of his garage in Durham, Maine.  More information coming soon as well.  The 2010 season is looking better as each day goes by for the Nelcar tour.  If you'd like to be behind the wheel of a Legend, please contact any of our directors, there are many good used cars around and they will point you in the right direction to get you on the track this season!

Photos From Racin' Preview 2010
By Chris Roy, official photographer of the Amzoil Nelcar Legends Tour

Nelcar at the 22nd Annual NorthEast Motorsports Expo

The Nelcar Legends were on hand at the NorthEast Motorsports Expo in Augusta, Maine this past weekend.  Not only were they displaying their cars, new tentative schedule and to help promote Legends Car racing, they were announcing the new series title sponsor, longtime series supporter AmsOil will move from Thursday Thunder sponsor to Nelcar tour sponsor in 2010.  There are plenty of other great things in the works as well for the series, including six races with the Pro All Stars Series Tour, twice at Beech Ridge, and Lee USA Speedway, Riverside Speedway, Speedway 95 and Unity Raceway at one a piece. Stay updated on Nelcar.net for the latest news and for more information about how to get behind the wheel of a Legends Car in 2010!

Photos From The Show
Photos by Evan Beaulieu and Chris Roy

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2009 Archived Race Reports
2008 Archived Race Reports

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