NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — Tom Carey III became the 81st different winner in ACT Late Model Tour history by taking the Caron Fabrication Spring Green at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday night.
Carey snuck past eight-time track champion Quinny Welch in lapped traffic just before the halfway mark of the 121-lap event and then hung on in a checkered-and-yellow finish to get his first American-Canadian Tour victory.
Welch started on the pole thanks to a +3 in qualifying under ACT’s “plus-minus” system with Carey to his outside. After calamity struck on lap 10, with Dillon Moltz and Dylan Payea getting torn up in an accordion effect from Joey Laquerre’s spin, Welch spent the next several laps fighting for his racing life. Carey hung with him on the initial restart before Mike Hopkins dove inside both of them entering turn three on lap 13. Hopkins couldn’t make it stuck against Welch, though, and settled in behind the local hero as Carey made a smart move to hold third.
Welch then opened a gap on Hopkins, Carey, and Jeff Marshall as the field sorted itself out for a long green-flag run. As lapped traffic began to get thick, Carey swung back around Hopkins for second on lap 43, then reeled in Welch as the leader struggled with a pack of cars.
Carey got his chance when Welch tried to go inside Matthew Morrill in turn three on the 55th circuit. However, Welch broke loose off turn four, and the lost momentum allowed Carey to get to his outside. The sophomore ACT campaigner made the most of the opportunity and powered past to take the lead on lap 56.
The lead duo then knifed their way through traffic until Peyton Lanphear spun to bring out the second caution with 81 laps complete. What happened during the caution was the big story, though, as reigning ACT and Spring Green champion Jimmy Hebert shut down from the seventh position. Hebert spent nearly 30 laps in the pits diagnosing a fuel pickup problem, suffering another crushing blow in a rough stretch of races.
Carey chose the outside line for the restart and made it stick as Hopkins followed him around Welch for second. The lead trio spent the next 25 laps racing like they were stuck together with magnets. Hopkins tried the inside multiple times, but Carey stayed glued to the preferred outside line.
As the laps wound down, Carey began to pull away. But just as his victory seemed assured, Reilly Lanphear spun at the top of turn three coming to the white flag. The caution flew after most of the field had taken the one-to-go, meaning they had to race home to the checkered flag under ACT procedures. Lanphear held the brakes on the high side and the field was able to snake past without further incident as Carey sealed the deal.
Hopkins fended off Welch for the second spot. Marshall, the White Mountain point leader, took fourth followed by five-time PASS Champion D.J. Shaw.
Jason Woodard nabbed his second Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tiger win of the year and third overall at White Mountain. Woodard finished second in the first of two 25-lap segments as three-time defending champion Shane Sicard ran away with a caution-free victory.
After the field was inverted for the second segment, Woodard slashed his way from the back the field like he has so many times before. Even without a caution flag to help him catch up, Woodard ran down Eric Messier the take the lead on lap 17. Sicard could only get up to third, giving Woodard the overall victory with a score of three points.
Sicard finished second overall with four total points. Ryan Ward used fourth- and second-place segment finishes to get the third overall position. Matthew Potter and Messier completed the top five.
Luke Shannon captured the third victory of his rookie season in the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s.
McKenna Merchant took her second career victory in the Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks. Logan Farnsworth led the first two circuits of the 15-lap feature from the pole before Merchant powered past on the outside. She then rolled to an uncontested victory.
The finish:
Tom Carey III, Mike Hopkins, Quinten Welch, Jeff Marshall, D.J. Shaw, Shawn Swallow, Bryan Mason, Ben Rowe, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Derek Gluchacki, Joey Polewarcyk Jr., Stephen Donahue, Ryan Olsen, Peyton Lanphear, Erick Sands, Ben Belanger, Matthew Morrill, Matt Anderson, Kris Matchett, Reilly Lanphear, David MacDonald, Jimmy Hebert, Jesse Switser, Joey Laquerre, Jake Johnson, Dylan Payea, Dillon Moltz.