AUSTIN HILL AND RANDY MacDONALD GO FLAG TO FLAG FOR K&N AND ACT WINS AT NEW
SMYRNA WORLD SERIES
I did not have access to the internet last night and with NASCAR and ACT
running the show, opted just to watch the show and visit with friends… Here
are the race recaps and results courtesy of our partner speed51.com…
By Kevin Ramsell and Brandon Paul (speed51.com)
Austin Hill ended his 2014 season with victories at Greenville-Pickens (SC)
Speedway and at Dover (DE) International Speedway, which provided him great
momentum leading into the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season. On Sunday
night, he continued showing his strength by winning the Hart to Heart Breast
Cancer Foundation 150 at New Smyrna Speedway during night three of the 49th
World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
Hill was dominating all day long from winning the pole earlier in the day to
leading every lap around the famous half-mile oval.
“We were worried during practice, every change we made didn’t make a
difference,” Hill said after the race. “About 20 minutes to go in the
final practice, we hit on something and we started working here and there and
we were able to get the pole, which is my first in this series, and its pretty
awesome. To be able to sit on the pole, lead all of the laps and get the win
is awesome. I can’t thank these guys enough. We are a small family owned
team trying to make it here in NASCAR" he said.
The 20-year-old from Winston, Georgia led qualifying with a speed of 93.491
mph over Kaz Grala and William Byron.
Hill would get the lead at the start holding off an early challenge from Scott
Heckert. Dalton Sargeant, who started ninth, had a long day after he missed
the first practice due to an engine change. He methodically worked his way up
through the field. Heckert had a bad restart on lap 110 allowing Sargeant to
battle for the runner-up spot. Sargeant would go into second spot a lap later
and, although Sargeant would make a couple of challenges, Hill was just too
strong.
The caution flew with five laps to go when Ronnie Bassett spun between turns
one and two. On the restart, Sargeant spun his tires allowing Hill to get
away and pick up his third win in a row.
“You just get pinched down here and we spun the tires a little bit where if
you are up high, you can roll with the momentum and definitely get better gear
shifts,” Sargeant said after the race. “I think if it stayed green I could
have gotten by him. I was definitely trying to save everything I could have
for that last restart and it looked like I was going to get him in three, but
the caution came out. But, it is what it is,” he said.
Gray Gaulding took advantage of the last restart to finish third. “We
struggled a little bit with the car. We were free through the middle and it
was getting tighter in the end. The car when up and down all night long, but
my guys never quit working on it,” Gaulding said. “We knew we didn’t
have the best car and I knew I was going to have to make something happen and
that is what we did. I never gave up. It’s a good day to get a top three
finish because I don’t think we had a top-eight car. Overall, it was a good
night and we can now look forward to Greenville-Pickens,” he said.
Heckert finished fourth with Kyle Benjamin rounding out the top-five.
Eddie MacDonald continued to show his strength in major American-Canadian Tour
Late Model races on Sunday night at New Smyrna. The Rowley, MA driver, who
has wins in the ACT Invitational, Milk Bowl and Oxford 250, added another big
race to his win list after starting on the pole and leading wire-to-wire to
win the first leg of the ACT American Racer Challenge.
“It’s great,” MacDonald told Speed51.com powered by JEGS in victory
lane. “We struggled here the last time we came down, so it’s great to
come down here with a different car and get a win for (car owners) Freddie and
Sheila Peterson. I used to come down here and watch Speedweeks and always
wanted to come down here and race. I never thought I’d be able to come
down here and race, never mind come down here and win. I just can’t thank
these guys enough,” said MacDonald.
MacDonald started on the pole after recording an impressive plus-seven during
his qualifying heat race. From the moment the green flag waved, those in
attendance knew that “The Outlaw” was going to be tough to beat.
Starting from the 14th position, Patrick Laperle would make a strong charge
through the field during the early stages. He was able to sneak up to
MacDonald’s back bumper on a few occasions during the later stages of the
race, but was never able to challenge for the lead during the caution-free
even that was run in less than 45 minutes.
“I think I killed the right rear. I was so hard on the tire,” Laperle
said after the race. “Eddie started first and I started 14th, so I knew
there was a good car starting up front. I figured there would not be too many
yellows, but none? We did a great job, so hopefully come back tomorrow and get
the win,” he said
Although MacDonald wasn’t ever challenged for the lead, on a few occasions
throughout the race he had to really get up on the wheel when he saw Laperle
charging. “A few times Patrick looked like he was coming and I saw him in
my mirror and had to get going,” said MacDonald. “It was a tough race
dealing with lapped traffic and those guys catching us. It was a lot of fun
out there,” he said.
For Laperle, his first event of the 2015 ACT season is a great improvement
over his final event of the 2014 season. Following a below-standards
performance during qualifying for the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road Int’l
Speedbowl in Vermont, Laperle made the decision to load up and go home before
Sunday’s race. But on Sunday afternoon, Laperle has someone there that was
not with him at the Milk Bowl. “My brother (Eric) was not there (at the
Milk Bowl), so I was so happy he was coming for Speedweeks,” said Laperle.
“Hopefully he will stay with us more often. It’s the same car, actually.
We did some stupid thing on the car and it didn’t work, that’s why.”
The American-Canadian Tour will resume action on Monday night with the second
leg of the American Racer Challenge during night three of the World Series at
New Smyrna Speedway. Also on tap will be features for the Tour-Type Modifieds
and the Florida/IMCA Modifieds.
OFFICIAL RESULTS - NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY WORLD SERIES NIGHT 3 - 2/15/15:
NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES EAST (150 Laps):
- Austin Hill #22
- Dalton Sargeant #51
- Gray Gaulding #20
- Scott Heckert #34
- Kyle Benjamin #27
- Dillon Bassett #44
- William Byron #9
- Nick Drake #15
- Sergio Pena #1
- Kenzie Ruston #4
- Dalton Zehr #36
- Dave Garbo, Jr. #31
- Codie Rohrbaugh #7
- Anthony Kumpen #99
- Collin Cabre #2
- Ronnie Bassett, Jr. #04
- Rico Abreu #98
- Kaz Grala #3
- Christian Celaya #45
- John Holleman #49
- J.J. Haley #5
- J.P. Morgan #23
- Devon Amos #6
- Jared Irvan #28
- Jay Beasley #42
ACT LATE MODELS (100 Laps)
- Eddie MacDonald #17 MA
- Patrick Laperle #91 QC
- Wayne Helliwell, Jr. #27 NH
- Travis Stearns #16 ME
- Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. #97 NH
- Alex Labbe #48 QC
- Aaron Fellows #29 NH
- Ray Parent #17 RI
- Luke Hinkley #31 NH
- Bradley Babb #15 VT
- Nick Sweet #40 VT
- Tom Carey, Jr. #10 MA
- Rowland Robinson #28 ME
- Brandon Atkins #4 NY
- Jimmy Hebert #58 VT
- Josh Demers #10 VT
- Pete Yetman #21 MA
- Jeff Rocco #68 CT
- Keith Rocco #1 CT
- Daniel Descoste #2 QC
- Donald Theetge #80 QC
- Dylan Smith #40 NC
- Brandon White #96 QC
- Kyle Welch #9 NH
- Eddie Leclerc #14 MA
- Jean-Pierre Ouimet #07 QC
Photos (Courtesy Speed51.com):
- K&N East winner Austin Hill
- ACT Late Model winner Randy MacDonald
