Pilotte Wires the Field at WMMP in Strictly Stock Mini Special

N. Woodstock, NH -- Jefferson, NH's Nick Pilotte went wire-to-to wire to win the Woodville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini Special at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, May 22. Pilotte grabbed the lead right at the start from polesitter Jillian Baumgardner and handled a late challenge from rookie Luke Shannon to win the 50-lap main event in the first half of a doubleheader weekend.

Pilotte, who was running his first event of the year at White Mountain, earned the second starting position in qualifying. After a caution came out on the initial start for Jack Hayes' crash, Pilotte blew past Baumgardner for the top spot.

Behind Pilotte, the action was scorching hot. Point leader Tyler Thompson of Littleton, NH worked his way to second on lap 12, leading a pack that including Jillian, her father Donnie, last week's winner Tim Corey, Shannon, and reigning champion Brett Jackson.

As the field sorted itself out, Shannon knifed his way through and got to Thompson's bumper. One teenager dogged the other until Thompson got crossed up in lapped traffic with 18 to go, allowing both Shannon and Donnie Baumgardner to slip past. All the while, Pilotte continued to pull away.

Two circuits later, the second and final caution came out for Brendan Clark's encounter with the turn-four tire barrier, ending a 34-lap green flag run. Although the yellow erased Pilotte's big lead, he still had a cushion of two lapped cars between himself and Shannon for the restart.

Even so, Shannon needed just one lap to pass the lapped cars before setting his sights on Pilotte. But try as he might, the rookie couldn't find a way around the veteran, as the former Thunder Road Street Stock champion took the biggest Strictly Stock Mini event of the year.

Shannon finished second in another impressive showing. Thompson got back around Donnie Baumgardner with four laps to go for third place. Jillian Baumgardner, Jackson, Corey, rookie Chris Moulton, Mike Smith, and Rick Shifflett completed the top-10.

Groveton, NH's Quinny Welch snapped a winless drought by topping a 27-car field in the Foley Oil & Propane Late Model feature. The eight-time champion, who was shut out of Victory Lane in 2020, started seventh in the 50-lap feature. He got an early boost five laps in when John Donahue and Jamie Swallow Jr. tangled racing for the second spot to bring out the caution. Mike Foster, Stephen Donahue, and others piled up in turn-two as the field stacked up behind the initial spin.

Two more yellows flew on lap seven for separate spins by rookies Laci Potter and Tom Sheehan. Then six circuits later, caution number four flew for a multi-car knot in turn three. By this time, reigning champion Stacy Cahoon had gotten to the lead, with Christian Laflamme and Welch on his tail for the restart.

Cahoon continued to pace the field through another yellow on lap 21. For 16 laps following the restart, the 14 combined track championships of Cahoon and Welch went tooth-and-nail for the lead. Welch finally got the advantage with 37 complete -- and three laps later, Cahoon was forced to pit with a deflating right-front tire.

That left Welch all alone at the front. A final yellow with two laps to go for a solo spin gave Laflamme and Alby Ovitt one more chance at Welch. The champ had them covered, though, and cruised to an overdue win.

Whitefield, NH's Laflamme finally climbed out of a rough start to the year with a runner-up finish. Candia, NH's Ovitt came from the 27th starting position to take third. Joey Laquerre, Jeff Marshall, Mark Patten, Oren Remick, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Mike Bailey, and Tyler Cahoon rounded out the top-10.

Bow, NH's Jack Walker was both fast and lucky to win the 35-lap GoMotorsportsShop.com NELCAR Legends Tour feature. Walker started on the outside pole after winning the second qualifying heat. A few hundred feet was all he needed to snatch the lead from polesitter Devin Deshaies.

However, Deshaies wasn't done, as he took the top spot back from Walker on lap-10. Walker remain on his heels as David Cassie, Josh Parsons, Trevor Krouse, and others slugged it out in their rear-view mirrors.

A caution came out on lap 20 when Roy Ingram crashed into the turn-2 wall, putting Deshaies and Walker side-by-side for the restart. Coming into turn one, Deshaies lost it and went around, bringing the yellow flag back out and handing Walker the lead. The 20-year-old put the hammer down from there for his first win of the season.

A pair of Maine drivers, Trevor Krouse and Colby Meserve, completed the podium. Parsons, Cassie, Frankie Sweeney, Nate Alexander, Connor Holderbach, Eric Williams, and Nick Lascuola finished fourth through 10th.

Marshfield, VT's Matt Potter took the winner's trophy in the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers. Potter started alongside Woodbury, VT's Hunter King on the front row. The initial start was aborted when Waterbury Center, VT's Jason Woodard and Barton, VT's Shane Sicard, the top-two in the point standings, got together and crashed. Woodard was able to make it back for the restart, but Sicard spent 14 laps in the garage before finally returning.

Potter seized the lead from King on the second start attempt. Littleton, NH's Ryan Ware kept Potter honest most of the event. However, Woodard charged back through the field and got to racing with Ware in the closing laps, allowing Potter to escape for the victory.

Woodard edged Ware by inches at the line for the second-place trophy. Rookie Brandon Gray came from last on the field to finish fourth. Jody Sicard completed the top-five.

White Mountain Motorsports Park celebrates the Memorial Day holiday with Sanel NAPA Night on Saturday, May 29 at 6:00pm. The Foley Oil & Propane Late Models go 100 laps in the annual Spring Board 100. The Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, Woodville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks round out the card. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and $30 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

For more information, contact the White Mountain Motorsports Park offices at (802) 244-6963 or media@acttour.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at @WhiteMtnMotorsports.

Pos., Car #, Driver, Hometown

1. Nick Pillotte ( 52 ) Jefferson, NH

2. #Luke Shannon ( 13 ) Groveton, NH

3. Tyler Thompson ( 51 ) Littleton, NH

4. #Donnie Baumgardner ( 4 ) N. Woodstock, NH

5. Jillian Baumgardner ( 14 ) N. Woodstock, NH

6. Brett Jackson ( 31 ) Bethlehem, NH

7. Tim Corey ( 10x ) Whitefield, NH

8. #Chris Moulton ( 15 ) Pepperell, MA

9. Michael M. Smith Jr. ( 22x ) West Burke, VT

10. Rick Shifflett ( 51x ) Littleton, NH

11. Gavin McGinnis ( 10 ) St. Johnsbury, VT

12. #Brendan Clark ( 22 ) Dalton, NH

13. Andy Kachmarik ( 94 ) Maidstone, VT

14. Keri Driscoll ( 91 ) Gilmanton, NH

15. #Jason Potter ( 55 ) Whitefield , NH

16. Todd Derrington ( 57 ) Bethlehem, NH

17. Kevin Kendall ( 99 ) Barnet, VT

18. Cody Smith ( 18 ) St.Johnsbury,VT

19. Les Washburn ( 17 ) Bethlehem, NH

20. Joe Giddings ( 41 ) Waterford, VT

21. #James Knights ( 02 ) Littleton, NH

22. Jack Hayes ( 09 ) Littleton, NH

FOLEY OIL & PROPANE LATE MODELS

Pos., Car #, Driver, Hometown

1. Quinten Welch ( 78nh ) Groveton, NH

2. Christian Laflamme ( 10me ) Whitefield, NH

3. Alby Ovitt ( 35nh ) Candia, NH

4. Joey Laquerre ( 15vt ) E. Montpelier, VT

5. Jeff Marshall ( 32nh ) Gilman, VT

6. Mark Patten ( 07nh ) Belmont, NH

7. Oren Remick ( 21nh ) Monroe, NH

8. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. ( 00nh ) Candia, NH

9. Mike Bailey ( 1me ) S. Barre, VT

10. Tyler Cahoon ( 38vt ) Danville, VT

11. Jamie Swallow Jr. ( 4nh ) Stark, NH

12. Mike Jurkowski ( 42nh ) Claremont, NH

13. #Kasey Beattie ( 45nh ) St. Johnsbury, VT

14. Jamie Aube ( 41vt ) Bow, NH

15. Matt Anderson ( 49nh ) Franklin, NH

16. #Dennis L. Dumas ( 15nh ) Raymond, NH

17. Will Avery ( 92nh ) Campton, NH

18. #Laci Potter ( 55nh ) West Danville, VT

19. David LaBrecque ( 57nh ) Thornton, NH

20. Matthew Morrill ( 9nh ) Moultonborough, NH

21. #Tom Sheehan ( 65nh ) Bow, NH

22. Stacy Cahoon ( 83vt ) St. Johnsbury, VT

23. #Zacary Fraser ( 02nh ) Dorchester, NH

24. Ryan Olsen ( 61nh ) Bath, NH

25. Mike Foster ( 39vt ) Williston, VT

26. John Donahue ( 26vt ) Graniteville, VT

27. Stephen Donahue ( 31nh ) Graniteville, VT

WELLS RIVER CHEVROLET FLYING TIGERS

Pos., Car #, Driver, Hometown

1. Matthew Potter ( 23vt ) Marshfield, VT

2. Jason Woodard ( 68vt ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

3. Ryan Ware ( 32vt ) East Burke, VT

4. Brandon Gray ( 00vt ) Thetford, VT

5. Jody Sicard ( 49nh ) Gilmanton, NH

6. #Tanner Woodard ( 68nh ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

7. Michael Clark ( 2vt ) Littleton, NH

8. Travis Patnoe ( 22vt ) Wolcott, VT

9. Hunter King ( 62vt ) Woodbury, VT

10. Shane Sicard ( 4nh ) Barton, VT

11. Kaiden Fisher ( 18vt ) Shelburne, VT

12. David Ofsuryk ( 73ct ) Holland, VT

GOMOTORSPORTSSHOP.COM
NELCAR LEGENDS TOURPos., Car #, Driver
1. ( 95J ) Jack Walker
2. ( 15 ) Trevor Krause
3. ( 92 ) Colby Meserve
4. ( 09 ) Joshua Parsons
5. ( 31 ) unknown
6. ( 82 ) Frankie Sweeney
7. ( 17 ) Nate Alexander
8. ( 38 ) Connor Holderbach
9. ( 16 ) Eric Williams
10. ( 39 ) Nick Lascuola
11. ( 14ma ) Aliyah Neale
12. ( 35 ) Ryan Rice
13. ( 85 ) Jake Kelley
14. ( 18 ) Noah Alexander
15. ( 57 ) Mike Dellavecchia
16. ( 53 ) Cody Rice
17. ( 64 ) Devin Deshaies