NEWS-The Speedway Line Report

By Mark McKeon
WENTWORTH, NH – Sure, he’s earned a handful of championships over the past several years; sure, he’s got multiple Modified wins at multiple tracks this season and sure, he’s got a USAC Dirt Midget Association win and he’s leading in points, but the one thing Vermonter Kevin Chaffee didn’t have until Sunday night was a Sprint Car victory. “The Fairlee Flier” scratched that one off his to-do-list with a solid run in the 25 lap Sprint Cars of New England feature at Legion Speedway. Chaffee’s win makes him the eighth different SCoNE winner this season and the fourth driver to score a career-first Sprint Car win.

After finishing second in his heat, Chaffee started tenth in the feature, wheeling a Heritage chassis owned by Bruce Clattenburg and sponsored by Fornwalt Excavation, Belknap Tire and JTB Towing. Threading his way through a parcel of early race wrecks, he became the third and final leader when he went by Chris Downs on lap 20. Downs had wrestled the top spot from polesitter Shawn Berry on lap 17.

Once in the lead, Chaffee did whatever he could to make his car as wide as possible to thwart Chris Donnelly, who had raced from 14th to Chaffee’s back bumper.

“I think I only could have pushed him up about another four inches before I put him in the concrete,” a jubilant Chaffee laughed in victory lane. “It’s a lot of fun racing Chris. In my first year racing Sprint Cars, he robbed his first win from me coming off turn four on the last lap and I did everything I could do to prevent that tonight. I tried using the top, the bottom, any place that I thought he might go to pass me. This time it worked out, but I think if he had a couple of more laps he might have got by me... thank God he didn’t.”

Ever the diplomat, Donnelly played true to type in his post-race interview. “It was a lot of fun racing with Kevin, he’s been having a tough time in these things and it’s really great to see him get his first win. He was throwing everything he had to try to slow me up and I was trying to second guess him but I just didn’t do it quick enough so congratulations to him.”

Making only his eight start in a Sprint Car, former Mini Sprinter Chris Downs was elated with his third place finish. A pair of Shawns, Berry and Lawler, each a feature winner earlier this season, finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The Fastest Dirt Track Cars in New England are right back at it this Friday night at the Canaan Dirt Speedway. Adam Pierson, a multi time track Champ at the Bear Ridge Speedway who invaded Canaan to carry off a carload of cash for winning a Midweek Special earlier this season, will make his Sprint Car debut in the SCoNE Guest Car. Don’t miss it.

SCoNE Feature (25 laps) 1. Kevin Chaffee, 2. Chris Donnelly, 3. Chris Downs, 4. Shawn Berry, 5. Shawn Lawler, 6. Matt Robie, 7. Will Hull, 8. Bob Giuliani, 9. Dan Douville, 10. Clay Dow, 11. Butch Valley, Jr. 12. Jake Williams, 13. Tunk Berry, 14. Bruce Kimball, 15. Lacey Hanson, 16. Jim Lowrey, 17. Robbie Bodwell, 18. Tyler Rich. DNQ: Mark Cole, Brandon Valley. Heat Winners: Downs, S. Berry. B-Main: Rich.