Johnny Clark Goes Two-for-Two at White Mountain

Eagle Times Staff
North Woodstock, N.H. — Once again, rain showed up to mess with a gracing at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday.

Four touring divisions filled the pit area with the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model and Modified divisions making their second trip over the Mountain for the 2023 season alongside the New England Supermodified Series and the debut of the 350 SMAC Tour at New Hampshire’s Favorite Short Track to boot!

The PASS Modified division started out evening of feature events with their 40-lap dash. Chanler Harrison took the early jump on Zach Nicholson to grab the lead as the pressure mounted from behind. With the top-7 plugged up behind Harrison on the bottom, Ryan Hewins and Brandon Varney jumped topside for some breathing room. The first of two cautions would see Nicholson go into the spin cycle in turn one while leader Harrison went sliding off the backstretch prompting the yellow flag on lap 19.

Hewins would lead Spencer Morse under the restart green and grow a six-car-length lead before the final caution came out on lap 32 for Spencer Vaughn’s slide in turn four. The final restart saw Hewins face point leader Brandon Varney as Varney slid back with an ill-handling ride. While the pack stalked him, time ran out. Less than a week after his first career win in the PASS Modifieds, Ryan Hewins returned victorious to the winner’s circle with Brandon Varney taking second and June winner Ryan Ripley coming home third.

It was Dave Duggan versus Russ Wood at the front of the New England Supermodified feature event as the Big Blocks took the green flag. Duggan would set the blistering pace up front early with Bobby Timmons in tow. Wood got the early shuffle back on the outside lane, later ending his day on lap 17. Just two laps later Duggan slid high rolling out of turn two and allowed Timmons to steal the lead. An aggressive battle for second would ensue between Duggan, Dan Bowles and Jeffrey Battle before the second and final caution for Ryan Battle’s hit into the tire barrier in turn three.

Timmons and Bowles lined-up side-by-side on the restart with Timmons taking the edge but Bowles was not afraid to use the outside lane. Much in the vein of his June victory at Barre’s Thunder Road, Bowles took advantage of the outside lane banking to launch around Timmons for the lead on lap 41. With laps winding down, Jeffrey Battles would work the back bumper of Timmons, pulling up alongside under the white flag. Under the checkers, Dan Bowles would take his second NESS win of the 2023 season followed by Jeffrey Battle who just edged Bobby Timmons at the line for second.

The PASS Super Late Model 150 came to green under the leadership of D.J. Shaw and Joey Doiron with Garrett Hall keeping on their rear bumper. Doiron would catch the urge on lap 9 and jumped to the outside to take on Shaw, stealing the lead in the process. Meanwhile, Gabe Brown charged up into the top-5 and began looking for more before the lap 17 caution saw front-runners Shaw and Hall tangle in turn one. Doiron and Jimmy Renfrew Jr. would restart the show before the calamity of the event saw Andy Shaw slip-slide across turn four and collect a host of drivers to bring out the second caution. Under clean-up, rains moved in to stall the show for forty minutes while the track was dried.

Renfrew and Doiron would pick up the field once again under the short-lived return to green as the yellow flew once again for a stalled Gabe Brown as his drivetrain failed on the restart. As the field stretched out behind them, Renfrew, Johnny Clark and Doiron ran the gambit nose-to-tail at the front of the field with Clark psyching out Renfrew. After switching lanes a dozen times, Clark finally took charge on the outside to lead lap 58 over Renfrew and spread himself from his competitors out front.

The final caution on lap 128 for a stalled Renfrew in turn four stacked the field one final time but it was Johnny Clark who prevailed for his second PASS win-in-a-row at White Mountain Motorsports Park following June’s Father’s Day Special. Joey Doiron took home second with Jeremy Davis staying clean and green all the way through to round out the top-three.

The clouds opened up once again following Pro All Stars Series victory lane. With heavy rain and another cell on the way, officials closed the night. White Mountain Motorsports Park officials and 350 SMAC officials are currently working on a return date for the open-wheeled series.

Racing returns to the Mountains on Saturday.

For more information, visit www.whitemountainmotorsports.com.

Results

PASS Super Late Models – (150 Laps)

1. Johnny Clark of Hallowell, ME

2. Joey Doiron of Berwick, ME

3. Jeremy Davis of Tamworth, NH

4. Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, VT

5. Max Cookson of Pittsfield, ME

6. Brian Whalley of Laconia, NH

7. D.J. Shaw Center of Conway, NH

8. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. of Candia, NH

9. Garrett Lamb of Windham, ME

10. Shawn Knight of S. Paris, ME

11. Miller Buzzell of E. Baldwin, ME

12. Garrett Hall of Scarborough, ME

13. Gabe Brown of Center Conway, NH

14. Trevor Sanborn of E. Parsonsfield, ME

15. Andy Shaw Center of Conway, NH

16. Dennis Spencer Jr. of Oxford, ME

New England Supermodified Series – (50 Laps)

1. Dan Bowles of Epping, NH

2. Jeffrey Battle of Dunstable, MA

3. Bobby Timmons of Windham, ME

4. Rob Summers Manchester, CT

5. Ben Seitz of Bourne, MA

6. Dave Duggan of Mason, NH

7. Vern Romanoski of Strong, ME

8. Mike Mayberry of Naples, ME

9. Ryan Battle of Dunstable, MA

10. Russ Wood of Pelham, NH

PASS Modifieds – (40 Laps)

1. Ryan Hewins of Oxford, ME

2. Brandon Varney of Canton, ME

3. Ryan Ripley of Thomaston, ME

4. Spencer Morse of Naples, ME

5. Alex Ricker of Tamworth, NH

6. Colby Benjamin of Belmont, ME

7. Chanler Harrison of Freeport, ME

8. Kevin Oliver of Gray, ME

9. Drew Morse of Auburn, ME

10. Jacoby Maines of Buxton, ME

11. Evan Roy of Turner, ME

12. Kevin Varney of Mechanic Falls, ME

13. Spencer Vaughn of Canton, ME

14. Zach Nicholson of Ctr. Ossipee, NH