Thursday Thunder - Round 9

Source: nelcar.net

Matt Grant Victorious Again, Claims Checkers at Thursday Thunder Round 9 (August 6, 2015)

Scarborough, ME – After being rained out last week, Thursday Thunder legends competitors made their way to the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on a sunny afternoon, all hoping to post a good result at round 9 of the 10 race series. Points battles have really taken shape for some of the higher positions, as well as for those looking to crack the top 10. Kevin Girard Jr. came in with a 52 point lead over Bob Weymouth, who holds 30 points over Alan Smith. Smith leads a tie for 4th place, between Tylar Braunschweig and Joe Pastore, by just a single point, and 6th place driver Steve Benincasa sits 42 points behind the final trophy position.

On the front row for the 25 lap feature was the 8 of Hooligan Motorsports pilot Matt Chagnot, alongside the Racin’ Realtor, Ed Getty in the 10. Chagnot, who has run very strong in the past few weeks particularly, proved his ability once again by taking hold of the race lead early on. Some good battles took place in the midst of the field while Chagnot showed the way, in what was one of the most evenly matched group of cars seen all year.

Tylar Braunschweig in the 70 looked to back up his runner up finish at Wiscasset last Saturday night, as he set to the outside of Chagnot, prevailing with the top spot on lap 10. The next 9 laps ran clean and green, as Braunschweig started to open up a bit of a gap over Chagnot and Getty, while some of the perennial front runners inched their way towards the top 5.

The race’s first caution came out on lap 19, when the Puzzled Racing 96 of Richard Humphrey spun, after incidental contact with the 92 of Colby Meserve. Braunschweig led the field back to the green, as the drivers on the inside line began to roll, which saw a stout lineup of cars, including the 59 of Reid Lanpher and the 19 of Kevin Girard Jr., who found themselves with an opportunity to win the race. Matt Grant in the 84 restarted in 6th place, but quickly dropped to the inside line to overtake Getty and Chagnot. He would not stop there though, as he jumped back to the outside and made the passes on Girard, Lanpher, and finally Braunschweig, to take over the race lead. Grant led lap 22, just before the caution came out again when the engine on the 72 of Mike Humphrey expired in turn 3, ensuing in a lengthy cleanup.

Due to time constraints, the field would get one more shot at a green flag finish. Grant took off on the restart as Braunschweig tried his best to navigate off of turn 4, which was now covered in speedy dry. Unfortunately the fans would not see a green flag finish, as the 80 of Dylan Varney went for a spin right off the get-go, ending up backwards in the frontstretch wall, ultimately ending the race. Varney walked away unhurt, and will repair the G&K Motors coupe to race again next week.

Matt Grant earned his second consecutive feature win, his third of the year, in what has been a breakout season for the 21 year old Windham driver, Reid Lanpher battled to a solid 2nd place effort after starting 11th in his Team EJP coupe, Bob Weymouth in the 399 ran in the middle of the pack nearly the entire race, but made some swift moves in the end to grab a 3rd place finish, Tylar Braunschweig was oh so close to tasting victory once again in the Jim’s Auto/Ring’s Auto Body coupe, but will still walk away with a strong 4th place result, and Kevin Girard Jr. posted another top 5, as he will likely only need to start next week’s race in order to be crowned the 2015 Thursday Thunder Champion.

On Saturday, the Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour will make their first appearance of the season to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a combination race with the Granite State Legends Cars. After this race, next Thursday will be Championship night for Thursday Thunder, as the 25 lap feature event will be followed by Autograph Hour and the final points awards presentation!

2014 Off to A Great Start - Race Recap!

The 2014 season is off to a great start for Hooligan Motorsports!

We began the season at Lee USA Speedway with a 10th place finish on April 13th.  The following weekend, the #8 finished 7th at Wiscasett Speedway and we finished out April with a 10th place finish at Oxford Plains Speedway.





Matt kept his momentum going for the month of May, beginning the month with a 6th place finish at Beechridge Motor Speedway.  After taking his first US Legends career heat win at Speedway 95 on May 10, Matt took home 7th place in the feature.  We took advantage of a day off from the tour on May 17 and visited the New Hampshire Motor Speedway / Granite State Legends Oval, taking home 6th place.  The NELCAR tour rounded out May with 3 races in 7 days... the #8 took home 5th at Wiscasset, 10th at Oxford and 6th at our "home track," Star Speedway!









June has approached quickly and brings about the start of the Thursday Thunder series at Beechridge, where Matt started off with an 8th place finish last week.  The NELCAR tour visited Speedway 95 for the last time in 2014 on Saturday June 14, giving Matt another 5th place finish.





We are excited for what's to come in 2014!  The #8 Hooligan Motorsports car currently sits in 3rd place overall for the NELCAR Tour and 8th place for Thursday Thunder.

This weekend brings us back "home" to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a combined Granite State Legends & NELCAR race... hope to see YOU there!

Catching Up

Catching up on the past month in racing... in pictures!  Be sure to "LIKE" our Facebook page to keep up to date on everything!

**All photos by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports except for the Beech Ridge shot by Jamie Williams and the last two shots by Bobby Hayden Photography



VIP Thursday Thunder Series

The VIP Thursday Thunder series is well underway at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway!  Every Thursday night, you'll get 2 full hours of racing action for just $4! 

We kicked it off on June 13th by starting on the pole and finishing with a Top Ten!  The rain began to fall and things got a little hairy on track before they finally called the race complete, a few laps short.  Matt finished 8th.

A week later, Matt finished 11th on June 20th in a green to checkers, caution free race.

June 27th was another Top Ten, with the #8 coming home in 9th...

We're looking forward to getting back to the Ridge on Thursday for a special 4th of July early show.  Racing starts an hour early this week, at 6:00 pm! 

Beech Ridge PASS Weekend ~ 5/4/13

The NELCAR tour hit Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the first time in 2013 as part of the Pro All Stars Series North on Saturday, May 4.  The sun was shining and it was a great day for racing!

photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

 

photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

 

 

The #8 was loose all day, which was not helped by a hectic hurry-up pace between the heat and feature races.  We finished p17, which was certainly not the result we had hoped for.  We'll get 'em next time...

Beech Ridge PASS Weekend ~ 9/15/12

The NELCAR Legends were back at Beech Ridge this past Saturday for a 50 Lap National Qualifier Feature as part of the PASS 400 weekend!  The Hooligan Motorsports #8 finished 6th in our heat and 12th in the feature race. 

reprinted from nelcar.net
photos by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

Evan Beaulieu Outlasts Field in 50 Lap National Qualifier

 

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was back at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway this past weekend for the final time of the 2012 season. It was one of the biggest weekends in short track racing, the PASS 400 weekend, featuring many of the top divisions in New England. The Legends drivers were up for a big prize, not only racing in front of the huge crowd, but the race was a 50 lap National Qualifier, and whoever won their division would get a provisional into the A-Main at the Legends Nationals at Atlanta Motor Speedway later this year. With tight point’s racing and just three races remaining , the race was set to be a thriller for the crowd.

The first heat race rolled onto the track with point’s leader Matt Bourgoine on the pole with the 4 of Peter Craig on the outside. At the start, Bourgoine was able to get away from the field and lead while it was a tight battle behind him for second. The 12 car of Charlie Buxton worked his way through and took the runner up spot with Alan Smith in the 33 right behind. That’s how it finished as the heat ran clean and green with Bourgoine taking the win with Buxton and Smith rounding out the podium.

Heat race number two rolled out and ironically enough the pole sitter was the driver chasing Bourgoine in the points, Evan Beaulieu in car 56. On his outside was Beech Ridge regular Tylar Braunschweig in the 70 car. At the start, Beaulieu was able to pull away with the lead while once again the field was getting sorted out for the second spot. It was another clean and green heat race, with Beaulieu taking the win over the 2 of Ryan Hammar and the 399 of Bob Weymouth.

Next up was the 50 lap feature. While the Tour is used to running 25 lap features, this race doubled that distance and being able to make it through 50 laps around Beech Ridge is no easy task in the hard to handle Legends Cars. On the start, it was pole sitter Bourgoine who jumped out to the lead over Beaulieu who started second. It didn’t take long for a lead change however, as Beaulieu made his move early and took the lead on lap three, taking his team mate Buxton with him to second spot as Bourgoine was caught on the outside. Just a couple laps into the feature the 84 of Matt Grant went for a spin after contact with the 81 of Dan Winter, but the drivers were able to continue on without a caution flag being thrown. The race ran clean with Beaulieu up front and Bourgoine fighting his way to second with Hammar in third until with seven laps to go, the right front fender on Beaulieu’s car ripped off, forcing a caution for the debris.

The field was realigned, and just like the year before, it was Beaulieu in the first spot with Bourgoine to his outside ready to settle this race between them. As the green flag came out, the two drivers drew even into turn one, but Beaulieu was able to pull away once again, and hang on to take the win! Bourgoine crossed the line in second with Hammar in third. Buxton and Smith rounded out the top five.

Beaulieu is not going down without a fight, as he took his third win in the last four races, but Bourgoine is doing what he has to do as well and is right there behind him in all the races and able to keep the points lead. This battle will come down to the final race in three weeks at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After all was said done, five $100 checks were given away to teams as part of the Amsoil “Green to Checkered” program, which says if the race runs incident free there will be a random draw for money. Amsoil the series sponsor was able to send the checks home to very deserving teams at the end of the night. The next race for the Tour will be Saturday, September 22^nd at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as part of the Nascar weekend. The race is slated to start at 5:45 PM, right after the ACT Late Model Invitational race. Be sure to come to NHMS for a thrilling day of short track racing on the big stage and root on your favorite Legends driver that night! Adult tickets start at $35 with youth tickets (12-16) just $5 and kids 11 and under get in for free. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 8/16/12

 

 

reprinted from nelcar.net
photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

 

Buxton Closes Thursday Thunder With Win, Bourgoine Crowned Champion

After nine races, the VIP Thursday Thunder Series at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway was coming to a close. The Thursday Thunder campaign has been at it’s best this season, as in the first nine races, there had been seven different winners. By far one of the most competitive seasons to date was coming to a close under the lights atMaine’s most popular short track on Mainely Motorsports’ night.

On the pole was the third place point’s driver Charlie Buxton in the 12 car, with the 2 of Ryan Hammar on his outside. On the start, Buxton was able to get out to the lead, but it didn’t take long for the first incident to occur. On lap two, the 10 of Ed Getty and the 84 of Matt Grant got together in the middle of the pack and the field stacked up behind them. After the smoke cleared, the 33 of Alan Smith, the 98 of Dean Dezak, the 88 of Steve Fox and the points leader Evan Beaulieu in the 56 were all wrecked on the backstretch. After a long hard season, Beaulieu saw his chances to win his second straight VIP Thursday Thunder title took a hit.

As the race went back green, Buxton took off with the lead again while the runner up in point’s going into the night Matt Bourgoine saw the door to take the championship open, and began to make his run to the front from the rear of the field. As Buxton lead the field, Bourgoine worked his way through the traffic on his way to a championship. Buxton would lead the field flag to flag, and in convincing style ended the VIP Thursday Thunder Series with his second win of the season! Hammar finished second and Bourgoine drove his way to third to claim the VIP Thursday Thunder championship! Bob Weymouth and Terry Kirk rounded out the top five.

After a long ten week stretch, VIP Thursday Thunder at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway had concluded after the race, proudly sponsored by Mainely Motorsports. With an autograph session after the race, the fans were able to meet and socialize with all their favorite drivers. The fans are what makes short track racing what it is and they were treated to ten great races. Congratulations to Matt Bourgoine, the 2012 VIP Thursday Thunder Champion and all the competitors on another great season at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. While the Thursday Thunder campaign is over, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour continues on with races just about every weekend into October. The schedule, along with news and how you can get into a Legends Car, is available on Nelcar.net!

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 8/9/12

reprinted from nelcar.net
photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

Steve Fox Back In Beech Ridge Victory Lane!

 

 

With just two weeks remaining in the VIP Thursday Thunder Series for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour, many different drivers were still looking to break intoVictory Laneand time was running out. The driver victorious tonight however has had his share of victories and championships in his career. The 21 car field took to the racetrack as the final event of another exciting night at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, and another great show was in the making.

On the pole was another veteran of the Tour, Chad Harrington behind the wheel of car 46 with the 2 of sophomore driver Ryan Hammar on the outside of the front row. On the start, Hammar was able to use the outside line and vault himself to the lead with Harrington in second. Just a few laps into the race however, the 17 of Terry Kirk and the 81 of Dan Winter made contact through turns one and two, which resulted in Winter going for a spin and snapping his rear axle, ending his night early after limping back to the pits. The race would stay green however. Making his way closer to the leader was former champion Steve Fox in the 88 car. He had been very close toVictory Lanethe past couple of seasons and hadn’t been able to seal the deal. He was closing in on Hammar as the laps were winding down. Closing in behind them however were the top two in TNT points, Evan Beaulieu in the 56 and Matt Bourgoine in the 38, looking to steal the show. As Hammar and Fox got racing for the lead, Beaulieu made a run on the outside for the lead and the shuffling was on from there for the race. Fox was able to get a nose underneath Hammar with two laps to go, and wrestle the race lead away. Fox was able to keep his car up front and take home his first win of the 2012 season! Beaulieu crossed the line in second with Bourgoine in third. Hammar was fourth with Harrington rounding out the top five.

After nice races, Beaulieu was able to stretch his points lead in the VIP Thursday Thunder to 21 points over Bourgoine and 42 over Charlie Buxton in third with just one race remaining. However, anything can happen in these races and the championship isn’t settled until the final checkered flag is waved. The next race for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour is Saturday, August 11^th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on the quarter mile oval, racing starts at 5 PM! Be sure to get to the track next week for the final VIP Thursday Thunder race of the season, followed by an autograph session with all the drivers after the races! Tickets are just $4 and racing starts at 7PM. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 8/2/12

After a career best finish at Beech Ridge last week, the #8 suffered a DNF when a coil wire came unattached on Lap 3.

reprinted from nelcar.net
photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

Jacob Dore Is Back To Winning Ways at Beech Ridge

While there have been many new drivers on the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour since Jacob Dore won his last series title in 2007, he hasn’t forgotten how to get the job done in a Legends Car. Now running a Modified full time, he runs occasionally in the Legends Car, and can always put up good results. He was able to pick up the win on Re/Max night of VIP Thursday Thunder in front of a packed house at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. The 19 car Legends field took to the track as the last race of the evening for their feature event, and put on a show as they always do.

On the pole for Re/Max night was the “racing realtor” Ed Getty in car 10, on the outside was Dore in car 05. On the start, the two drove side by side through the first two corners, before Dore was able to edge his blue machine out in front and pace the field around as the leader. The racing behind them got very dicey on lap three as an ignition problem on the 8 of Matt Chagnot bunched up the second half of the field and had many drivers scrambling for position. Back to the race for the lead, right behind Dore was longtime rival Bob Weymouth in the 399. Those two would pull away from the rest of the pack as they dueled it out for the race lead. Behind them however was some intense three and sometimes four wide action behind them as the field sorted itself out. At the finish, Jacob Dore was able to hold off Weymouth, and take the victory! Weymouth was second while Matt Bourgoine continued his late season charge and finished third. Matt Grant continued his impressive rookie season with a fourth place run while Peter Craig had his best finish as he rounded out the top five.

It was another great night on Re/Max night at VIP Thursday Thunder as the fans were treated to another great show. With the third place run Bourgoine moved to just 18 points behind Beaulieu who finished seventh in the points standings. The next race for VIP Thursday Thunder is next Thursday, August 9^th at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. With just two races left and a close point’s race up front, anything can, and will happen at VIP Thursday Thunder. Racing starts at 7PM and tickets are only $4! For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net!

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 7/26/12

The #8 took home a 6th place finish in Round 7 of Thursday Night Thunder at the Ridge!!

reprinted from nelcar.net 
photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports
 

Bringing The Thunder, Buxton Wins at Beech Ridge!

While storms threatened much of the Maine region on Thursday night, that would not stop the show at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. After a few light showers during the day, the skies cleared just enough to get some racing in at round seven of VIP Thursday Thunder. The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour has seen a lot of new faces in victory lane and with familiar faces at the front. The 17 car Legends field took to the track, and a longtime Legends competitor was gearing up for his first trip to Beech Ridge victory lane.

Through the luck of the pill draw, point’s leader Evan Beaulieu in the familiar black 56 was on the pole, with his teammate Charlie Buxton in the 12 car to his outside. On the start, Beaulieu got out to the early race lead, as Buxton blended into second spot. The two would lead the 84 of Matt Grant and the 8 of Matt Chagnot through the first few laps. The field begun to string out quite a bit and the two teammates had opened up a straightaway lead on the field. At the race’s half way point, Buxton made his move off of turn four, and took the lead from Beaulieu. Beaulieu wasn’t going to go down without a fight however, as he would draw back to the outside of Buxton for the lead. Coming from the rear of the field though was the 38 of Matt Bourgoine, as he moved into third with a few laps remaining, and was able to drive to the leaders racing for the win. Both Beaulieu and Bourgoine made a few moves for the win, but Buxton would not be denied, as he took his first win at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway! Beaulieu would finish in second, as Bourgoine was third. Grant would complete his best career in his impressive rookie season in the fourth spot, with Matt Chagnot having his best career run as well in sixth in just his second season of Legends competition.

With the win, Buxton vaulted himself back into second place in the VIP Thursday Thunder points standings. Beaulieu still leads by 23 markers. The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour will be back in action at Star Speedway this Saturday, July 28th for race 21 of the season. Racing starts at 6PM. The VIP Thursday Thunder Series will continue next week, with just three weeks remaining, the championship battle is still wide open, as Beaulieu, Buxton and Bourgoine are all separated by just 28 points. Racing kicks off at 7PM at Beech Ridge. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

6th Place TNT Finish at Beech Ridge ~ 7/26/12

The #8 took home a 6th place finish last night at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway's Thursday Night Thunder!

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 7/12/12

The Amsoil NELCAR Legends tour hit the halfway point of Thursday Night Thunder at Beech Ridge on July 12.  Following a great night of racing, all drivers and cars hit the track for the first of two Autograph Hours for 2012!  We had a wonderful time meeting the fans up close and handed out nearly 200 hero cars, as well as Hooligan Motorsports and FOR (Friends of Retrievers Rescue) stickers!

reprinted from nelcar.net
photos by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

Beaulieu Takes Win at TNT Halfway Point

The VIP Thursday Thunder Series reached it’s halfway point this Thursday as round five was upon the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour. The popular series at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough,Maine had filled the stands every week, and this weekend was no different. With the event having some extra purse to the winner thanks to night sponsor Beaulieu Construction, the teams were getting anxious to either turn their season around or solidify their spot in the championship battle. After winning a week ago, Terry Kirk had moved his way up in the points battle with a big win last week. Kirk, former champion Bob Weymouth and current runner up in points, Charlie Buxton would all have to come from the rear of the field after being the top three from a week before. The Legends field hit the track to decide who would come away with the win at the season’s halfway point.

On the pole was longtime competitor Ed Getty in his familiar 10 car, with the 87 of Massachusetts’ driver Anthony Pagliarulo on the outside. At the start, Getty would take off with the lead but some scrambling behind him saw Matt Grant in the 84 go over the left rear fender of Tylar Braunschweig, but the two would sort it out and the green flag would stay out. In second spot was the 33 of Alan Smith as he was looking on the outside to get around Getty. It wasn’t long though until the 56 of current point’s leader Evan Beaulieu worked from his 11^th starting spot to the outside, as he drew side by side with Getty and after many laps of battling hard, Beaulieu would take the lead on lap seven. Following him through was Buxton and the 38 of Matt Bourgoine. The top three in the point’s standings were in control of the field as Beaulieu had opened up a bit of a lead on Bourgoine and Buxton. The race was clean and green until the 25 of Larry Poirer went for a spin in turn two with just four laps to go, bringing out the caution flag and bunching up the field for a final start. On the start, Beaulieu was able to get the jump but Bourgoine held strong on the outside. The two drivers stayed side by side for a while, but at the finish, Beaulieu was able to edge ahead, and grab his third win of the 2012 season! Bourgoine went across the line in second, with Buxton rounding out the podium. Ryan Hammar in the 2 car finished fourth with the 88 of Steve Fox rounding out the top five.

 

After the event, the drivers made their way onto the front stretch for the autograph hour portion of Thursday Thunder, a staple at the season’s halfway point. The Legends Cars are always one of the most popular divisions for the fans and it showed, as the drivers were swarmed with fans throughout the hour. With the win, Beaulieu was able to increase his points lead over his teammate Charlie Buxton by 24 points and 33 over Bourgoine. This weekend the Tour is back at it, this time for the big show of the season. The Tour will be the pre race event for the Nascar Sprint Cup Series’ Lenox 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The race will take place on the quarter mile track in turns one and two and will begin at 9AM Sunday morning. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 7/5/12

reprinted from nelcar.net
photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports

Terry Kirk Leads Flag to Flag To Win at Beech Ridge

 

The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was back at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway this past weekend for round four of VIP Thursday Thunder. It has been an interesting first three rounds to say the least. While the main player has been some big incidents on the track, the competition has never been closer throughout the field. Each week the field is separated by mere tenths on the track, and that has lead to some of the most exciting racing the fans have ever seen out of the Legends Cars. The Legends were ready to put on the finale once again on the fourth round of VIP Thursday Thunder.

It was an all senior citizens front row as the 38x of Terry Kirk was on the pole running fellow competitor Matt Bourgoine’s backup car while the former champion Bob Weymouth in the familiar 399 was on the outside. On the start the two ran side by side, before Kirk grabbed the lead withWeymouthright behind in second. The two longtime competitors were putting on a good show up at the front. At the races halfway point, contact in the middle of the pack between the 05 of Mike Ordway Jr. and the 8 of Matt Chagnot sent Chagnot for a spin in turn two, ending both drivers night (***we were spun out by the 05, but it did not end our night early... the #8 went on to a 14th place finish***). On the resulting restart, Kirk was once again able to get out to the lead, while the field behind them really bunched up looking for more positions. There was a new challenger at the front however, after the long trip back to Maine after running the Big Money 100 at Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier in the week, Ryan Hammar fought his way to the outside of Kirk, as the two ran side by side for the final laps before Kirk was able to clear himself of any challenge, and grab a very popular victory! Weymouthwas second while Charlie Buxton, Evan Beaulieu and Matt Bourgoine rounded out the top five after starting at the rear of the field.

After four races, Beaulieu holds an 18 point advantage over his teammate Charlie Buxton in the VIP Thursday Thunder standings. The Tour will be back in action this Saturday, July 7^th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on the tough quarter mile oval. VIP Thursday Thunder continues next week at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the halfway point in the season, round five. The event will be sponsored by Beaulieu Construction and includes the autograph hour at the conclusion of the night’s events. Racing starts at 7PM and admission is only $4 with kids 12 and under getting in free! For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 6/21/12

reprinted from nelcar.net 
photo by Nichole, Hooligan Motorsports 

Back To The Front, Beaulieu Wins at Beech Ridge

Going into the second round of V.I.P. Thursday Night Thunder at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Evan Beaulieu was on the stretch of six straight second place finishes, and a win would be almost out of the question coming from the rear of the field, but with a track that had plenty of grip after a week of great New England weather, it could be anyone’s race. Last week’s winner Matt Bourgoine, Beaulieu and former Thursday Thunder champion Bob Weymouth would have to make something happen from the rear of the field after finishing in the top three last week. With the sun shining, the field was set for what many fans called, the best Legends race they had ever seen.

After the draw in the driver’s meeting, Kevin Hutchens put his 27 machine on the pole with the 84 of rookie Matt Grant on the outside. As the green flag flew, Hutchens held on to the lead, with the 17 of Terry Kirk following through into the second spot. It didn’t take long for the first caution to fly, as the 49 of Pete Cannell spun on the backstretch just three laps into the race. The field was reset after a few laps of yellow, and Hutchens was able to get away once again on the restart. Grant found his way into second spot with the rest of the field two by two behind him with the drivers coming from the rear of the field working three wide in traffic at times. About halfway through the race, Beaulieu was able to break through the traffic on the outside line and find the bottom of the track to try and reel in Hutchens. With just eight laps to go, the 05 of Super Modified driver Mike Ordway and the 10 of longtime competitor Ed Getty made contact, sending Getty for a spin and bringing out the caution flag.

Hutchens on the inside, Beaulieu on the outside, the two championship competitors from a year ago were set to battle for the win. The green flag flew and the two drivers stayed side by side down into turn one. Hutchens started to gain a bit of an advantage on Beaulieu, but Beaulieu wasn’t backing down as he got back to even with Hutchens with a few laps to go. With just two laps to go, the two leaders made contact out of turn two while running side by side, which sent Hutchens into a spin and causing a huge wreck in turn three, collecting Kirk, Getty, Steve Fox, Alan Smith, Bourgoine, Tylar Braunschweig and Ryan Hammar. Everyone involved was okay thankfully. At the finish, Beaulieu was able limp his car to the win with his teammate Charlie Buxton finishing second and Matt Grant in third, the first podium at Beech Ridge for both drivers.

With the win, Beaulieu moved into the points lead for V.I.P. Thursday Thunder as well as the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour title fight. The Tour will be back at Beech Ridge next Thursday night for round three of V.I.P Thursday Thunder at Beech Ridge, and with Beaulieu, Buxton and Grant coming from the rear of the field this time and the competition as good as it’s ever been, it will be yet another great race. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Beech Ridge TNT ~ 6/14/12

reprinted from nelcar.net
photos by Nichole/Hooligan Motorsports

Bourgoine Takes Round One of Thursday Thunder

VIP Thursday Night Thunder at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway is the most popular series in all of New England for Legends Car racing. With grandstand tickets costing just $4, a full card of racing that is finished in just two hours, and some of the most intense Legends Car racing that will bring out the best, or worse of the drivers. On any given night, half the field of the competitive Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour field can win, and it’s never predictable on what the outcome may bring. As the 21 car field drove onto the track as the final feature of the evening, it was set to be a very interesting opener to VIP Thursday Thunder.

The field was set by a random draw in the drivers meeting, just as it is every week in the Thursday Thunder Series, and Nelcar point’s leader Matt Bourgoine started on the pole with the 84 of rookie Matt Grant started on the outside. On the start, Bourgoine got the jump as the field bunched up behind him trying to make up ground before the field got strung out too early. Grant fell into the second spot while defending VIP Thursday Thunder Champion Evan Beaulieu moved his way into third with his main competition for all of last season, Kevin Hutchens closely behind. Early on, Beaulieu and the 05 of Modified driver Jacob Dore were able to work the outside and move their way into second and third, with the two swapping positions a few times before Beaulieu drove up to challenge Bourgoine for the lead. The two drivers ran bumper to bumper the entire race, and at the finish, Bourgoine was able to get the win in the opening round of Thursday Thunder, his third Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour victory of the season. Beaulieu finished second for the fifth straight race, and former track and tour champion Bob Weymouth rounded out the top three.

With Bourgoine, Beaulieu and Weymouth all having to come from the rear next week, it will be an interesting as ever as the field is as competitive as it’s ever been, and coming from the rear of the field is never an easy task. With a host of both young talent and experienced veterans, the VIP Thursday Thunder is a must see event each week. Next Thursday night the racing will start at 7PM and you will not want to miss it. The next race for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Father’s Day, on the 1.6 mile Road Course. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

Beech Ridge ~ 5/5/12

reprinted from nelcar.net

Buffington Finally Gets Elusive Beech Ridge Win

For Shaun Buffington, success at one of the premier race tracks in New England has never come easy. Buffington has won races all over New England, but had never picked up a win at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. That all changed during the Pro All Stars Series, Southern Maine Motors 150 weekend. The Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour was one of many events on an action packed day of racing at “The Ridge,” and Shaun Buffington was finally able to get that monkey off his back when it came to racing on the fast 3/8s mile oval.

Constant rains throughout the week set the stage for a fresh track for the Legends Car on Saturday, and it all started with the first heat race that had the 81 of sophomore driver Dan Winter. On the start, Winter was able to get out to the lead, and held on for two laps until the 17 of Terry Kirk showed his experience at Beech Ridge and took over the lead. The 38 of Matt Bourgoine was on the move though, and it wasn’t long before he took the race lead and set sail. Bourgoine took the heat win over the 2 of Ryan Hammar and Winter rounded out the top three.

For the second heat race it was another sophomore driver on the pole, this time the 64 of Jim Karatsanos with defending champion, Evan Beaulieu on the outside. When the field took the green, Beaulieu was able to grab the lead into turn one, but behind him the 18 of Tom Gray and Karatsanos made contact racing for position, sending the 64 machine for a machine and collecting Buffington and the 33 of Alan Smith. On the next restart however, Buffington was wasting no time making his way back to the front, as he used the outside lane to his advantage. Beaulieu held on to the lead when with two laps to go, the rear gear blew in the car. Buffington was able to get by on the outside and take the heat win. Beaulieu was able to limp the car home in second while Gray rounded out the top three.

For the feature, it was Hammar on the pole with Buffington to his outside. When the green flag waved for the 35 lap feature, Buffington was able to continue to use the outside to his advantage, and took the lead early. On the second lap, there was contact in the middle of the field, sending the 8 of Matt Chagnot for a spin in turn one. He was able to continue on but not without bringing out the races first yellow flag. On the next restart, Buffington was able to pull away once again. Early on it was the 12 car of Charlie Buxton and the 1 of Bobby Timmons who were able to make their way to the front of the field as they filled into the top three spots trying to run down Buffington. Halfway through the race came the second yellow flag, when the 84 of Legends rookie Matt Grant went for a spin in turn three and couldn’t get back going, ending his day early. On the final restart, it was Buffington who once again was able to pull out to the lead, while Timmons and Buxton followed behind. Meanwhile coming from the rear of the field were the 27 of Kevin Hutchens and the 38 of Matt Bourgoine, who made their way through the field and were challenging for positions inside the top five. At the end of it all however, it was Buffington who was able to pick up that elusive Beech Ridge win. Timmons finished second with Hutchens in third. Tom Gray and Charlie Buxton rounded out the top five.

Three races in the books, and it’s been three different races as Bourgoine, Beaulieu and Buffington have showed early on this season that they have what it takes to take the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour championship. The next race for the Tour is at Seekonk Speedway on Sunday, May 6th, as the division is part of the first race for the Nick’s Pitstop Friday Night Legends Series. For ore information, news and how you can get in a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.

All photos by Hooligan Motorsports.

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.

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.

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.

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.