Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 - nearly over?

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah / Joyous Kwanzaa / Happy Festivus!  No matter how you celebrate, we hope it was time well spent with family and friends.

Hooligan Motorsports is pleased to have had a successful 2011 rookie Legends season.  Matt finished 9th in NELCAR points and took home the US Legends NH Masters Championship.  We'd like to thank all of our family, friends and fans for the wonderful support over the past year.  We are currently in the process of making repairs and improvements to the #8 in preparation for the 2012 season.  At this time, we are also looking to add to our wonderful list of sponsors.  If you are interested, please contact us ASAP at HooliganLegends8@aol.com.  You can check out the tentative 2012 NELCAR Schedule here.

We wish everyone a Happy New Year and are looking forward
to the 2012 season!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

NHMS ~ 10/15/11

reprinted from nelcar.net

Bourgoine Wins Road Course, Beaulieu and Buffington Crowned Champions

As the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour season came to a close this past Saturday, you could feel the energy in the pit area as the drivers were preparing for one last shot at a victory before retiring their vehicles for the winter. This time however, the tour was back on the road course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Shaun Buffington, who came into this race undefeated on the road course, was quickest in practice. The field was realigned after the top eight drivers were inverted and the 18 car Legends field took the track for the final time of the 2011 season.

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The 99 of Mike Alton led the field to the green flag with the 399 of Bob Weymouth on his outside. As the field went through the first few corners, debris on the track brought out the first yellow flag. The field realigned and went green for the second time. Alton got a good jump but it was Weymouth who got the lead after the first few corners. On the second lap, the 23 of Shawn Buffington lost his brakes heading into turn four, which lead him to make contact with the 56 of Evan Beaulieu. Beaulieu was able to continue on, but Buffington saw his day end early.

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On the restart, Weymouth led the field to the green, but it didn’t take long before the 38 of Matt Bourgoine overtook him for the race lead. Around the halfway point the 20 of Taylor Martin spun in the downhill section of the track and was stuck in the grass, forcing the full course yellow.

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On the final restart of the race, Bourgoine once again got the jump and took off. However, the 79 of Max Zachem was right on him in the race for the win. At the end, it was all Bourgoine as he showed his skill on the road course and pulled away to take the victory. Beaulieu raced his way from the rear of the field to finish second in a thrilling race with Zachem who settled for third. Rookie Reid Lanpher and Tom Gray rounded out the top five.

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Ironically enough, even after their incident, both Beaulieu and Buffington were crowned champions after the event. Evan Beaulieu solidified the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour championship in his fourth full season of racing Legend Cars. Shawn Buffington captured the NHMS championship with his dominating season on both the quarter mile oval and the 1.6 mile road course. This was a season to remember, as many drivers found victory lane, and it was one of the most competitive in the tour’s history. The tour would like to thank its competitors, fans, and sponsors for a successful 2011 season, and to keep updated over the offseason, and how to get involved before opening day in 2012, visit Nelcar.net.

Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Last Race of 2011 This Saturday!

Don't miss the last NELCAR Legends race of 2011 as the cars take to the road course at NHMS on Saturday afternoon, October 15th!

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Photos by Chris Roy, rpm photography

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

STAR Race Postponed to October 8th


Due to Mother Nature, the NELCAR Legends race at Star Speedway has been postponed to Saturday night, October 8th! Come out to support the #8 Hooligan Motorsports team, as well as our fellow Legends drivers. Please sign in at the Legends window, as this is how the track will know how many fans and friends the series brings to the track -- and hopefully get the NELCAR series on the regular schedule for 2012!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

NHMS ~ 9/27/11

reprinted from nelcar.net

Buffington Takes Sylvania 300 Pre Race Victory!

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour made a return to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Sylvania 300 Nascar Sprint Cup Series event. This race was huge not only because it had only the best of the best in New England in this invitational only event, but also because it marked a year since the first event for Legends Cars at “The Magic Mile.” Although the racing is much different than most drivers in the North East are used too, they have adapted well and put on a great show for the thousands who packed into the seats. Those fans were treated to a spectacular race as the drivers took to the quarter mile as the pre race for the Sylvania 300.

The 25 lap feature lineup was determined from practice speeds, and the 18 of Tom Gray took the top spot with his teammate Shawn Buffington in the 23 on the outside. On the start, the two drove side by side for the first few laps, with Buffington able to get the lead around the outside with Gray, the 38 of Matt Bourgoine and the 56 of Evan Beaulieu right behind. The drivers at the front were dicing it out for the race lead before Beaulieu went for a solo spin in turn three, bringing out the first and only caution of the race. During the caution period, Gray, running in second had to pull off with an oil leak, ending his hopes of winning early.

For the start with 14 laps remaining, Buffington got the jump on Bourgoine. While there was a mad dash for the second spot, Buffington was able to pull away just a bit over that battle between Bourgoine and the 79 of Max Zachem. As the final laps ran incident free, Buffington once again added to his dominance at NHMS, taking the win on Sylvania 300 weekend! Zachem was able to wrestle his way to second after starting deep in the field. Bourgoine ended up in third while the 59 of Reid Lanpher and the 20 of Taylor Martin rounded out the top five.

After post race inspection, Martin did not pass, handing the top five position to Beaulieu in the final rundown. While this race was not a NHMS or Nelcar points race, it was the final points race for the National Legends Points, which many drivers in the race were gunning for. The next race comes in just a week as the Tour will make it’s debut at Star Speedway on Saturday, October 1st. Racing starts at 6PM. For more info, news and how you can get into the fast and fun racing that Legends has to offer, visit Nelcar.net

Monday, September 26, 2011

NELCAR Race added at Star Speedway!

Don't miss the NELCAR Legends as we take to the track at Star Speedway on Saturday night, October 1st!  This race was just added to the schedule with plans to possibly bring the series to the track for 2012.  Come out to support the #8 Hooligan Motorsports team, as well as our fellow Legends drivers.  Please sign in at the Legends window, as this is how the track will know how many fans and friends the series brings to the track -- and hopefully get the NELCAR series on the regular schedule for 2012!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

We're at The Healthy Buffalo Today!

Stop by our sponsor, The Healthy Buffalo and see us today, September 24th!  Come by and see the #8 NELCAR Legends car up close, get your photos and pick up some swag.  Don't forget to get all of your healthy meats and eats as well!  Then come see us race at NHMS tomorrow morning at 9:00am before the NASCAR Cup race!

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Beech Ridge ~ 9/17/11

reprinted from nelcar.net

Bourgoine Fights Back For 50 Lap Win At Beech Ridge

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for what is one of the biggest races on the Tour. 50 laps and $400 to win on the Pro All Stars Series PASS 400 weekend, it was set to be a great race as it always is. With drivers from as far away as New Jersey, the 23 car field took to the track knowing there was just two races remaining and time was running out to make a statement before the 2011 season is over.

Heat race number one started with the 10 of Ed Getty on the pole with the 8 of Matt Chagnot starting on the outside. Getty got the jump while the 88 of Steve Fox followed through to second. Just a few laps in, the 56 of Evan Beaulieu, the defending race winner, jumped to the outside and with a few laps remaining he grabbed the lead from Getty. Beaulieu took the heat win, with the 14 of Trevor Sanborn finishing second and the 38 of Matt Bourgoine finished third.

Shawn Buffington, who has dominated at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this season, started on the pole for the second heat race with the 25 of Larry Poirier on the outside. At the start, Buffington got the jump with the 51 of Todd McCollum finding his way to second. Just a few laps into the event, the 48 of Kendall Curit and Poirier made contact, resulting in a pile up of cars, but everyone continued on. For the restart, Buffington was able to get away and take the heat win over McCollum and the 27 of Kevin Hutchens.

For the 50 lap feature event, Beaulieu was on the pole with Buffington on the outside. On the start, Beaulieu got the jump with Sanborn following him into second spot. Those two got a healthy distance on the rest of the field as they dueled it out for the race lead. The first yellow came out 32 laps into the event for the 46 of Chad Harrington spinning after contact with Bourgoine. On the following restart, Beaulieu got the jump once again, and pulled away with the race lead as McCollum got around Sanborn for second with Hutchens and Bourgoine in tow. Beaulieu looked like he was cruising to another win when the yellow flag changed everything with just two laps to go for McCollum and Hutchens getting together with the 17 of Terry Kirk getting collected as well.

Beaulieu and Bourgoine were on the front row with a green, white, checkered finish before them. Beaulieu once again got the jump on the start, but Bourgoine drove the 38 car hard into the first turn and held strong on the outside. The two ran side by side, and Bourgoine was able to get enough of a run to take the checkered flag on the outside, his first win at Beech Ridge. Beaulieu, who dominated the race, had to settle for second with Sanborn finishing third. The 399 of Bob Weymouth quietly worked his way to fourth at the finish while McCollum finished fifth.

With the second place finish, Beaulieu is 119 points ahead of Bourgoine with just one points race left to go in the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour season. The next time the Tour hits the track though will not be for points, but it will be in front of a big crowd. Sunday, September 25th the Tour will be at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as the pre race event for the Nascar Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300. The invitational only event will be a great race as the action starts at 10 AM. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Unity ~ 9/10/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Beaulieu Holds Off Hard Charging Bourgoine To Win At Unity Raceway!

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour returned to the Unity Raceway for the final time of the 2011 season this past weekend. With many of the newcomers in the tour who run very well at the rough track, they were going to do all they could to make their mark in the final race at Unity. For the series veterans however, they were just as competitive and ready for victory as well.

The 81 of Dan Winter was on the pole with the 49 of Pete Cannel on the outside of the front row for the first heat race. At the start, Cannel, who ran at Unity when it was a dirt track in the 70s, got the lead early and lead the first lap. The 27 of Kevin Hutchens however came from his midpack starting spot and took the race lead on lap two, and didn’t look back as he took the win. Matt Chagnot finished second with Winter rounding out the top three. After the win, a problem in Hutchen’s motor would end his night, keeping him from going for another Unity feature win.

For the second heat race, it was the 10 of Ed Getty on the pole with the 2 of Ryan Hammar on the outside. Hammar got the early race lead while Matt Bourgoine in the 38 made quick work of the traffic and got the lead at the halfway point. Going into turn one with a handful of laps left, the motor in Getty’s car expired, bringing out the yellow flag. On the next start, there was still oil on the track in the second corner, which resulted in Hammar spinning, collecting the 56 of Evan Beaulieu and the 17 of Terry Kirk. The safety crews got the mess cleaned up and Bourgoine was able to pull away with the win after the final restart. Weymouth finished second and Kirk rallied back to third.

Two of the tour’s top rookies, Winter and Hammar, paced the field to the green flag for the feature event. Hammar took off with the early lead, but Kirk was right on his tail trying to take the lead. The first yellow flew when the 25 of Larry Poirier went for a spin. On the restart, Hammar got the jump on Kirk and took the lead. The field wasn’t green for long however, as the 46 of Chad Harrington and the 33 of Alan Smith got together off turn two, collecting Winter. This restart, it was Beaulieu on the outside of Hammar. After slight contact off turn two, Beaulieu came out with the race lead. Just a few laps later, Poirier went for another spin off turn four, bringing out the yellow once again. On the restart, Beaulieu got the jump over the 399 of Bob Weymouth, but the yellow immediately flew as Hammar and the 59 of Reid Lanpher went for a spin in turn three. For what would be the final restart, Beaulieu got the jump once again on Weymouth, and pulled out with the lead off turn two. Bourgoine got second from Weymouth with a handful of laps left, and ran Beaulieu down for the lead. He made a few bids, but it wasn’t enough as Beaulieu took the win. Bourgoine finished second, with Weymouth in third and Kirk and Harrington rounding out the top five.

Just two more Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour races and the 2011 champion will be decided. Beaulieu currently holds a 70 point lead over Weymouth. Next weekend, the Tour heads to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for one of their biggest races of the season. The 50 lap National Qualifier, taking place on one of the biggest weekends in racing, the PASS 400 weekend. Racing will start Saturday, September 17th, at 5:45 PM. For more news, info and how you can get behind the wheel of a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Friday, September 9, 2011

NHMS ~ 9/3/11

reprinted from www.nelcar.net

Buffington Back On Top At NHMS

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour headed to the final regular season oval race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. The last time the series raced the oval, it was Tom Gray who found himself being the first driver not named Shaun Buffington, to find victory lane this season. Buffington however, was ready to go for another win here today. He also had points leader Evan Beaulieu and former Nelcar champion Max Zachem to compete with as well. It was set to be another exciting day for racing as the 17 car field roared to life on the quarter mile oval.

For the first heat, Buffington once again found himself on the pole after morning time trials. He was able to get the jump on Matt Bourgoine as Beaulieu followed him through. The heat race was incident free as once again, Buffington took the heat victory. Beaulieu and Bourgoine had a great race going with Beaulieu finishing second and Bourgoine in third.

Tom Gray was on the pole for heat race number two with the 79 of Max Zachem on his outside. Gray was able to get the jump, and with Zachem right on his bumper, the two ran each other hard throughout the heat. Gray was victorious in another incident free heat race, with Zachem finishing second and the 399 of Bob Weymouth in third.


Buffington started the feature on the pole with Gray on his outside. However, Gray’s car would not fire on the start and he was forced an early exit. Zachem moved to the outside of row one as the green flag flew. Buffington was able to grab the early lead, leaving Zachem and Beaulieu to fight for the second spot. Around the midpoint of the race, Zachem and Weymouth made contact in turn two, sending the 79 car for a spin and the first caution of the afternoon. The next restart had Buffington with a new challenger to his outside in Beaulieu. The two were able to distance themselves from the rest of the field, and just a few laps into this run, Bourgoine went for a spin in turn two running in the top five. The race had reached it’s halfway point and another restart was coming. This time however, the 33 of Alan Smith found the wall and ended his day early. At the final restart, Buffington was able to distance himself from Beaulieu, and get himself back into victory lane at the finish! Beaulieu finished second and Bourgoine was able to make his way up to third at the finish. Zachem and Weymouth rounded out the top five.

All Buffington needs to do when the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour heads to the next points race at NHMS, is start and he will be crowned the NHMS Legends Champion. Before that however, the Tour will be at NHMS for the Nascar Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300, once again the pre race for the big race on Sunday, September 25th. The next time the Tour races will be at Unity Raceway this coming Saturday, September 10th. Racing action starts at 6PM! For more info, news and how you can get behind the wheel of a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.
Photos by Chris Roy, official Nelcar photographer

Thursday, August 25, 2011

NHMS ~ 8/20/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/


Tom Gray Takes Over At NHMS


The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was back in the Granite State this past weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway once again for another exciting race on the quarter mile. With its tight turns and hard braking, it is without a doubt a very challenging track for the drivers to get accustom too. With 20 cars on the track things will get crowded in a hurry. Practice times as always determined the starting line up for the heat races and it was a few familiar faces at the front of the field.

Shaun Buffington in car 23 started on the pole with the 3 of Nick Ladyga on his outside for the first heat race. Buffington took off with the lead, but Ladyga was staying right on his bumper as he wanted the lead and the 56 of Evan Beaulieu right behind in third. Buffington and Ladyga swapped paint a few times in their battle for the win, but at the finish it was Buffington once again on top with Ladyga in second and Beaulieu in third.

For the second heat race, Tom Gray started on the pole with the 38 of Matt Bourgoine starting from second. The race went virtually incident free, as Gray pulled away with the win and Bourgoine finished second with the 59 of Reid Lanpher in third.

It was Buffington and Gray once again in the top spots for the feature, as they have been solid all season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finishing in the top two spots in each race ran on the oval so far this year. The first caution flew on lap three when Lanpher went for a spin off turn four. Buffington was able to get back out to the lead on the next restart as he and Ladyga challenged each other hard as Gray, Beaulieu and Bourgoine were right in tow. At the halfway point, contact between Ladyga and Buffington sent the undefeated driver at NHMS for a spin, and Ladyga a penalty to the rear, giving opportunity to Gray, who inherited the race lead. After a few challenges from Beaulieu, Gray was able to hold him off and take his first win at NHMS! Beaulieu finished right behind in second, with Buffington coming from the rear of the field with just 12 laps left to finish third. Bourgoine and Ladyga rounded out the top five.

With the second place run, Beaulieu is able to grow his points lead to 61 points over Bob Weymouth in the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour points, and Buffington still holds a 65 point lead over Gray. The Tour is off next weekend but will return to NHMS in two weeks on September 3rd. For more news, info, and how you can race at NHMS in one of the most fun cars to drive, visit Nelcar.net.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Beech Ridge ~ 8/18/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Sanborn Picks Up Win, Beaulieu Takes Thursday Thunder Championship

The Thursday Thunder series came to a close this past week at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. With just three points separating leader Kevin Hutchens and second place Evan Beaulieu, this was one of the closest battles for the championship that the series has ever seen. Along with the points battle, there was plenty of drivers who were looking for a win before the season ended. For the final time in 2011, the Legends took the track for what was set to be a fantastic close to the season.

For the feature, the 17 of Terry Kirk started on the pole with the 87 of Anthony Pagliarulo on his outside. Points leader Hutchens started from fourth with Beaulieu in thirteenth. At the start, Kirk took off with Hutchens right behind and the 05 of Jacob Dore running third. Kirk was holding his own on the inside keeping the field at bay while Hutchens was doing all he could on the outside to take the lead. The drivers up front were having a great battle for the lead when Hutchens and Dore made contact racing for second, sending them both in a spin and collecting the 2 of Ryan Hammar as well.

On the final restart, Kirk held the lead over new second place runner, Trevor Sanborn in the 14. The two ran each other hard side by side with Sanborn able to get his car out front. The Beech Ridge Pro Series regular was able to make his first trip to Legends victory lane as he took the win in the final night of Thursday Thunder. Kirk finished runner up, with the 88 of Steve Fox in third. Bob Weymouth finished fourth after a hard charge from his 21st starting spot. The championship fight wasn’t over until the checkered flag fell, as Hutchens drove back to the seventh spot at the end, but it wasn’t enough as Beaulieu got fifth with a handful of laps to go to secure the Thursday Thunder championship by just one point.

Another Thursday Thunder year has come to a close with another intense battle for the championship that showed two young drivers, who were just rookies in this division a few years ago, show off their talent in front of thousands of fans, and through ten races it came right down to the last lap. Another young up and coming driver was honored after Thursday’s race as well with Ryan Hammar being presented as Thursday Thunder rookie of the year. Now, the titles still left up for grabs are the overall Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour championship and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway championship, with their next event coming this Saturday, August 20th. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Unity Raceway ~ 8/6/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Bourgoine Dominates For First Win At Unity


As the season heads into its final run to decide the champion, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends tour was back at Unity Raceway this past weekend for another thrilling event. As many of the top drivers in the series were set to start from the rear of the field, others who have yet to win were running out of time to do so, and tonight was a perfect opportunity to shine in the Unity lights. With 14 Legends Cars taking to the rough and tough track, the fans were treated to another great race.

For the first heat race, it was the 2 of Ryan Hammar on the pole with the 10 of Ed Getty to his outside. On the start, Getty used the preferred high line to his advantage as he grabbed from Hammar. As Getty pulled away, the 27 of Kevin Hutchens was on a march to the front and he took second from Hammar with just a handful of laps to go. He got to the back bumper of Getty and made a bid for the lead with one to go, but it wasn’t enough as Getty held on and took the first heat victory. Hutchens was second at the line with Hammar rounding out the top three.

In the second heat race, the 33 of Alan Smith was on the pole with the 38 of Matt Bourgoine on the outside. Once again the outside groove was the place to be, as Bourgoine drove to the lead with the 56 of Evan Beaulieu right behind. Bourgoine was able to drive away with the second heat win as Beaulieu finished second with the 30 of Ed Field in third.

As the sun set over the 3/8th mile track, the field took to the track for their feature event. It was an all rookie front row with the 81 of Dan Winter starting on pole with Ryan Hammar on his outside. As the field went green, Hammar got the early lead, but Bourgoine came from his fifth starting spot to take the lead early as he began to pull away from the field. As he was pulling away, Hutchens lead Beaulieu, Field and the 399 of Bob Weymouth on their way up through the field from the rear. When they got into the top five the first caution fell around the half way point for a solo spin from the 59 of Reid Lanpher in turn four.

When the field got back to racing, Bourgoine got just enough of a jump on Hutchens to clear him going into turn one and took the outside groove. It was a spectacular race up front as Bourgoine tried to hold off both Hutchens and Field as Weymouth and Beaulieu sat behind ready to pounce on a mistake from the top three. As Hutchens worked the bottom groove, Bourgoine was able to use the outside line and fend off the challenges, as he took the checkered flag for the first time in his Legends Car career. Hutchens made him earn it and wound up second, with Field in third, Weymouth fourth and Beaulieu in fifth. Bourgoine’s first victory comes after finishing right behind the drivers he was racing with tonight many times at Unity, as he had been so close to victory lane, making his first win just that much more special.

The points race is very tight with as the season is now in its closing stages and there are not many opportunities left to come out and see the best racing in New England with the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour. The next stop for the tour will be at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Thursday, August 11th. Hutchens and Beaulieu are locked in a heated point’s battle for the Thursday Thunder championship and with five points separating them with two races left, it is set to go right down to the final lap to decide the champion. For more news, info and how you can get into the fun atmosphere of Legends racing, visit Nelcar.net.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Beech Ridge ~ 8/4/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Jacob Dore Takes First Win of 2011 At The Ridge


With just three Thursday night races left to go, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was back at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for round seven of Thursday Thunder. As the season is in its final stages, the racing on the track and the competition has never been better. With the first eight Beech Ridge races provided only two repeat winners, and many great finishes, tonight was set to be another great event. For just $4 to get in the stands, the fans were treated with yet another thrilling race.

The 13 of Connecticutt driver Carl Blandina was on the pole with the 70 of Tylar Braunschweig on his outside. At the start, Blandina got the lead. The action didn’t go long before the first yellow was flown on lap two for Braunschweig going for a spin in turn two, collecting the 1 of Aaron Lewis, and ending his night early.

On the next restart, Blandina was able to break away from the field but the 10 of Ed Getty was breathing down his neck in second spot. The front two got away while the 27 of Kevin Hutchens and the 05 of Jacob Dore were able to get up to the front and joined the fight for the lead while the 59 of Bob Weymouth, the 56 of Evan Beaulieu and the 30 of Ed Field worked their way from the rear as well right behind. With just a handful of laps to go, Getty was able to work his way under Blandina for the race lead, but his lead didn’t last long as Dore forced a hole on the final lap and got around Getty in turn three on the white flag lap. Dore beat Hutchens by inches at the finish to grab the Modified regular his first Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour win since his last full time season in 2007. Hutchens was second while Beaulieu snuck into third. Getty fell to fourth at the finish with Field rounding out the top five.

With his runner up finish, Hutchens gained just three points over Beaulieu in their tight points battle, leaving their gap at just five points with two races remaining. Terry Kirk sits just 53 points behind in third place, waiting for the top two to slip up. With just two races left, the racing action will only get better and with Hutchens and Beaulieu coming from the rear, you won’t want to miss next week. Tickets are just $4 and kids 12 and under get in for free, racing action starts at 7PM! For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Beech Ridge ~ 7/28/11

Photo by Jamie Williams

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Beaulieu Back Into Title Fight With Win At Beech Ridge
The sixth round of Thursday Night Thunder took place this past week for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour. Under the hot mid summer sun, 20 of the best Legends Car drivers New England has to offer took to the track and with the points race still very close, and the season past its midpoint, there is no room for error. Plenty of wrecks for the title contenders have plagued the past few weeks, but this was a new week, and another chance for somebody to get right back into the points race.

Veteran Steve Fox led the field to the green flag with the 70 of Tylar Braunschweig on his outside. Fox was able to get out to the race lead with the 56 of Evan Beaulieu and the 27 of Kevin Hutchens, both drivers at the top of the title contention, right behind him. Fox held the bottom groove as Beaulieu kept looking low to make something happen, but he couldn’t get under as Fox held strong at the front and the top four drivers pulled away with the 5 of Bob Weymouth sitting fourth. At the midpoint of the race, the 2 of Ryan Hammar got spun around in the middle of the pack and he climbed the dirt banking on the inside of the track, bringing out the first caution. Hammar was able to get out of the banking and continue on.

On the restart, Fox led the field but Beaulieu was strong in the outside groove. The duo lead the next six laps side by side, inches from each other and even touching at times. As the field rolled down the back straightaway with six laps to go, Beaulieu was able to take the lead. As the field continued to race hard behind him, Beaulieu checked out and took his second Thursday Thunder win of the season. Fox held on for second, Weymouth finished fourth with David Garbo in the 86 in fourth and Hutchens rounding out the top five.

Kevin Hutchens still has the points lead, but Beaulieu closed the gap to just two points with the win. Terry Kirk is sitting back in third, with another strong run from the rear to finish 8th, just 38 points behind. Anything can happen and with three races still remaining, it likely will happen. If you haven’t gotten to Beech Ridge yet this season, time is running out! The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour will be back next Thursday, August 4th for found seven of Thursday Thunder. Tickets are just $4 and the action starts at 7PM! For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Our First Big Wreck

The #8 Hooligan Motorsports machine was involved in our first big wreck at Beech Ridge Motorspeedway on July 21.  The wreck happened on Lap 2 and took out at leave 5 cars, including us.  Click here for the race recap here.  As the result of the damaged suffered to the front end of the car, we were unable to race at NHMS on July 23, but the #8 will be back on track at Beech Ridge this coming Thursday night!

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All photos above by Hooligan Motorsports.

Special thanks to Jamie at Finish Line Photography for these shots...

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NHMS ~ 7/23/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Buffington Goes Six Straight At NHMS

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was back at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway this past weekend for race number fourteen on the schedule. After a caution filled race last weekend, the Tour was much tamer this weekend. The goal for everyone was the same though, to unseat Shaun Buffington from the top spot, as he came in undefeated in NHMS Legends competition so far this season. As the sun set on the tight quarter mile, 20 of the best Legends Car drivers in New England took to the track for some more tight racing.

The heat races were determined through practice times, and by just one one-thousandths of a second, Shaun Buffington edged his team mate Tom Gray for the pole spot in the first heat. Lined up on his outside was the 3 of Nick Ladyga. At the start, Buffington took the early lead. He wasn’t really pressured for the lead, as he drove off with the win. Ladyga finished second with the 5 of Bob Weymouth finishing third.

For the second heat race, it was Gray on the pole with the 56 of Evan Beaulieu on his outside. At the start, the two were even going into turn one, but Gray was able to pull ahead off turn two and take the lead. This heat was much like the first one, clean and green as Gray pulled away with the win over Beaulieu and the 11 of Stephen Miller.

For the feature event it was the team mates Buffington and Gray on the front row. That’s how it would stay for most of the race as the two long time Legends competitors took off and pulled away from a race for third between Ladyga and Beaulieu. This time however, Buffington was not able to get away from his team mate, as Gray was all over the rear bumper of Buffington for the race lead. Throughout the feature, the two drivers were neck and neck the whole time with Gray looking under Buffington multiple times. It wasn’t enough however, as the race ran clean with no cautions and Buffington held off his team mate for the victory. Gray was the runner up with Beaulieu in third rounding out the podium. Ladyga and Weymouth rounded out the top five.

After five NHMS points races, Buffington holds a 44 point lead over Bob Weymouth. The racing was great as always on the tight quarter mile and the drivers are getting well adapted to the track’s challenging conditions in preparation for their next big race there during the Nascar Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 weekend on September 25th. For more news, info and how you can get in a Legends Car at an affordable cost and have a fun time racing, visit Nelcar.net.

Beech Ridge ~ 7/21/11

reprinted from http://www.nelcar.net/

Garbo Becomes First Repeat Winner At Beech Ridge

Round five of Thursday Night Thunder at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway took place this past week on July 21st. Through the first four weeks, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour has seen four different winners, would there be a new face in victory lane once again tonight, or would we see a repeat winner? The points race is close as well, while both Kevin Hutchens and Evan Beaulieu have had one bad race each, there is no room for error as the season is at its halfway point. It was a hot day at the track and 20 Legend Cars took to the track for their feature event.

On the pole was the 1 of Aaron Lewis with the 48 of Kendall Curit on his outside. At the drop of the green flag, Lewis took off with the lead with Beaulieu moving into second and the 17 of Terry Kirk in third. It didn’t take long for the action to heat up on the track, on lap two the 30 of Ed Field and the 33 of Alan Smith made contact racing for fifth position. The contact resulted in Smith going for a spin and collecting the 399 of Bob Weymouth, the 05 of Jacob Dore, 8 of Matt Chagnot and the 29 of Charlie Buxton, ending their nights early.

On the next restart, Lewis got out to the lead once again with Beaulieu, Kirk and the 88 of Steve Fox right behind. Field however, was making the outside work on the slick race track and he was able to work his way into the top spot, and a few laps later, last weeks winner David Garbo in the 86 worked his way into second. Those two took off and settled the race on their own. At the finish of the 25 lap feature, Field was able to barely hold off Garbo for the win! Lewis was third with Kirk in fourth and Hutchens rounding out the top five.

Through post race tech, Field was disqualified from the event, giving Garbo his second straight win, the first repeat winner at Beech Ridge this season. After six Beech Ridge points races and just four to go, Kevin Hutchens gained another three points over Evan Beaulieu, as just 14 points separate the two long time competitors. Terry Kirk sits in third, just 23 out of the lead. The next Thursday Thunder is next Thursday, July 28th. Racing starts at 7PM and tickets are just $4. For more news, info and how you can get behind the wheel of a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

8th Place Finish in Nascar Invitational Race

The NELCAR Legends Tour hit the big stage on Sunday, July 17th when they were the opening event for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  It was an exciting race and the #8 Hooligan Motorsports machine took home an 8th place finish!  Click here for the race recap.

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All photos above by Hooligan Motorsports.

Special thanks to Chris at RPM Photography for these great on track shots...

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Friday, July 22, 2011

Autograph Hour at Beech Ridge

Hooligan Motorsports had a blast meeting all of the fans at our very first "Autograph Hour" at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on July 14th and we can't wait for the next one!  Don't miss the next one on August 18th!

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All photos above by Hooligan Motorsports