Season Comes to a Close at White Mountain

Eagle Times Staff
N. WOODSTOCK, NH — While Kasey Beattie clinched the Foley Oil & Propane Late Model King of the Mountain track championship at the beginning of the month with Kristian Switser having similar luck in the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Minis that same event, the fight was on in the remaining divisions to crown their respective champions. Fight they did, right to the final lap to close out the 2023 White Mountain Motorsports Park season in style Saturday.

The Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Kid’s Division started off the 2023 season finale with Khloe Goodbout and McKenzi Sicard at the helm. Goodbout got the jump, just as she had during their 8-lap heat race, and led the majority of the feature with pressure mounting from behind. A loose-handling car sent Goodbout headlong into the frontstretch wall with three laps remaining, ending her strongest run to date in the Kid’s Division. Walker Fitch and Bentley Robbins were left to work out the finish and in the final laps Fitch stretched his way to a first career White Mountain win with Robbins and Kylee Potter rounding out the podium.

With a championship tied between Dave Gyger and Jason Wyman leading into championship night, all eyes were on the Wayne’s Market Dwarf Cars. Daniel Brofman’s spin in turn two stalled Wyman’s advantage with just in Segment One but was still able to walk away with the first win to start shotgun on the field for the second segment. Gyger dug deep for every last bit of speed his No. 93 could muster in the caution-free second segment but it wasn’t enough to nab the championship. Jason Wyman mustered all his might to take the lead from Luke Shannon on lap five and never looked back in his clean, two-segment sweep to win the night and the 2023 Dwarf Car championship. Dave Gyger would come home second on the night and in the season standings with Luke Shannon rounding out the podium.

Aiden Young and Scott Senecal led the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Minis to green with Senecal grabbing the advantage out front. Behind him, rookie of the year McKenna Merchant muscled her way under Donnie Baumgardner to take second on lap 8 and set her sights on Senecal. Digging on the low-side, Merchant swiped away the lead under the halfway crossed flags with 2023 Strictly Mini track champion Kristian Switser on her tail.

The lone caution flag flew on lap 21 as Chris Moulton slammed into the turn four tire barrier leaving Merchant to battle Switser with four-to-go. McKenna Merchant slammed her foot on the throttle and took down her first career Strictly Mini win over 2023 track champion Kristian Switser and Donnie Baumgardner.

Polesitter Frankie Sweeney took charge of the Fisher Auto Parts Flying Tiger field at the onset of their 35-lap championship event as Brandon Gray went to work underneath rookie of the year Luke Peters in the battle for second. With Sweeney checked out from the field, Gray began the long haul of stalking him down as Matt Potter, Shane Sicard and Jason Woodard followed. John Donahue’s power-steering let go on lap 16, sending a gaggle of cars sideways through turn four and called out the lone caution.

Sweeney got the jump on Gray at the restart with a rear-view mirror full of Matt Potter before Potter took a three-wide move on the backstretch to lead lap 18. Matt Potter kept the throttle down with championship caliber teams bearing down from behind to take his second win in a part-time 2023 season followed by multi-time champion Shane Sicard and 2023 track champion Brandon Gray.

Dick Lamotte and Matt LeBlanc led the Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Models to green with Cody LeBlanc holding a 13-point advantage over Nick Anderson going into the 40-lap feature event. Matt LeBlanc led off the outside groove with Kevin Boucher following behind him. By lap 10, Cody LeBlanc had taken the lead away from his brother Matt with Boucher and Garrett LaBounty keeping him honest in second and third. LaBounty and a hard-charging Dustin Jackson flew around Boucher with fifteen remaining, both hoping to catch LeBlanc at the head but time was not in their favor. Cody LeBlanc took down the championship night win and the 2023 track championship with Garrett LaBounty and Kevin Boucher rounding out the top three.

Rookie of the Year Kyle Goodbout and Matt Anderson brought the Foley Oil & Propane Late Model field to green with Goodbout getting the opening advantage. Ben Belanger took over the lead on lap 5 and began to extend it as mid-pack got physical behind him. Quinny Welch moved into second underneath Goodbout just before the halfway point as Belanger kept up his torrid pace at the front. Welch later overtook the lead from Belanger on lap 40 amid a pile of lap cars while Belanger kept his nose in the fight. A lap 45 caution for the stalled Bobby Therrien in the infield gave Belanger one final shot against Welch.

Welch chose the outside lane on the restart with Belanger to his inside and 2023 track champion Kasey Beattie directly behind him. Quinny Welch grabbed the advantage over Belanger to win the final event of the 2023 White Mountain Motorsports Park season with Pat Patten and Ben Belander rounding out the podium. Patten would be stripped of the finish, all points for the 2023 season and given a $1,000 fine for violating the ACT sealed-engine rules in post-race inspection giving Kasey Beattie third and Belanger second.

White Mountain Motorsports Park has wrapped up the 2023 stock car racing season. The annual Banquet of Champions to celebrate our top runners of the 2023 season will be held at the Littleton Elks Club on Saturday, Dec. 2, with the 2024 WMMP Schedule of Events expected to be out around Thanksgiving.

For more information, contact the White Mountain Motorsports Park offices at 802-244-6963, [email protected] or visit whitemountainmotorsports.com.