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PASS North Media Services

Contact: Phil Whipple

Tel.: 207.782.0455

Joey Porciello captures PASS Outlaw Late Model 100 at Star Speedway

            EPPING, NH — (Oct. 7, 2006) There were 31 PASS Outlaw Late Model/Pro Stocks in the Star pits Saturday night along with over 100 other race cars. So many, in fact, that some had to pit out in the parking lot. It was a great turn out for the PASS Outlaw Late Model 100 and Round #2 of the PASS Northeast Super Stock/Sport Series/Limited Challenge Series.

Joey Porciello took the lead from polesitter Jimmy Rosenfield on lap 29, then held off a late-race charge from Jimmy Renfrew to claim the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Outlaw Late Model 100 Saturday night at Bob Webber’s Star Speedway. Porciello, of Lee, NH, started eighth on the grid and wasted little time getting to the front, taking command for the first time at lap 12. Porciello kept Renfrew, who started fifth, at bay during five restarts to claim top honors. His margin of victory was just over three-quarters of a second.

            Renfrew, of Candia, NH, had an impressive effort but settled for second, while Chuck Colby, of Newcastle, Maine, finished third. Colby won the 2005 LMS title at Oxford Plains Speedway, then competed in the now-defunct Pro Stock division there in 2006. Chuck’s father, Charlie, also had a strong car all evening and came home fourth, while young hotshoe Derek Ramstrom completed the top five. Ramstrom, who turned 15 last week and leads the overall Outlaw Late Model point standings, started 12th, struggled in traffic for much of the event but finally broke free when drivers in front of him got into trouble.  

            “This car was just awesome tonight,” said a jubilant Porciello in Victory Lane. “My crew has been working hard to get this thing going, and they’ve really hit the setup for this place. We didn’t want to see all those cautions, I knew Jimmy was fast but he ran me clean and we had enough left to hold him off. I’m happy to win on the PASS tour, we plan to run here full-time in 2007 and this victory builds momentum for that effort.”

            Renfrew was pleased with his performance and praised the competition surrounding him on this night.

            “We had a strong car but just not quite enough to get by Joey,” said Renfrew. “I was hoping to get a run off the corner up high and maybe drive by him, but he was rocket-fast down on the bottom. There are a lot of fast cars in this division, driven by talented drivers. To wind up second was a great night for us, now we’ll start getting ready for the finale at Unity.”

            After three quick cautions in the early going (at laps 21, 24, and 25) drivers settled in for a 44-lap green-flag run which allowed the front four cars to break away from the pack. Caution fever broke out again just before the three-quarter mark, as the cold asphalt made traction difficult at best. As the ambient air temperature dropped, passing became much more difficult.  

            Finishing sixth through 10th at Star Saturday were Rosenfield, Pete Fraser, Zig Geno, Jamie Swallow, and Rich Eaton. Eight of the 25 starters finished on the lead lap, while eight cautions slowed the pace. The final 12 laps were a wide-open sprint to the checkered flag. Heat winners were Rosenfield, Bobby Gahan, and Dan Bezanson.

            In other action Saturday night at Star, Mike Landry won the $1000 to win 75-lap  PASS Northeast Super Stock/Sport Series/Limited Challenge Series feature over Dan McKeage and Mitch Wendell. Landry and McKeage, who incidentally are cousins that race weekly at Beech Ridge, had the fans on their feet as they batted side-by-side for the top spot. Wendell, a Star Speedway regular, was ready to capitalize if the lead duo had trouble, but settled for third at the finish along with other Star regulars Ron Bolduc and Chuck Dehney who completed the top five.

            The 75-lap feature was Round #2 in the three-race PASS Northeast Super Stock/Sport Series/Limited Challenge Series. McKeage claimed Round #1 at Beech Ridge on Sept. 30, with the title to be decided on PASS Championship Weekend, Oct. 21-22, at Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine. For complete results from Star, go to www.proallstarsseries.com.

            The Pro All Stars Series now prepares for the debut of its Super Late Model/Pro Stock tour at the newly-reconfigured Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, NS this coming Saturday night, Oct. 14. With its high-banked, ribbon-smooth 3/8-mile layout, Riverside is being heralded as the “Bristol of the North.”

EPPING, NH - Results from Saturday's PASS Outlaw Late Model 100 at Star Speedway, with finishing position, Starting position in Parenthesis, car #, driver and hometown:

1. (8) #04 Joey Porciello, Lee, NH

2. (5) #55 Jimmy Renfrew, Candia, NH

3. (10) #87Chuck Colby, Newcastle, ME

4. (9) #2 Charlie Colby, Newcastle, ME

5. (12) #35 Derek Ramstrom, W. Boylston, MA

6. (1) #44 Jimmy Rosenfield, Middleboro, MA

7. (15) #37  Peter Fraser, Nottingham, NH

8. (4) #57 Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH

9. (16) #04 Jamie Swallow, Stark, NH

10. (11) #4 Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH

11. (7) #21G Bobby Gahan, Barrington, NH

12. (3) #22 Mike Harnish, Readfield, ME

13. (19) #27 Richard Pelton, Scarborough, ME

14. (25) #66X Mike Fowler, Scarborough, ME

15. (2) #43 Bill Kimball Jr., Bennnington, NH

16. (22) #97 Walt Hammond, Canaan, NH

17. (14) #39 Rodney Brooks, Hickory, NC

18. (26) #94 Dillon Moltz, Waterford, CT

19. (24) #36 Jay Sands, Seabrook, NH

20. (17) #25 Mike Thomas, Lewiston, ME

21. (6) #5X Billy Pinkham, Wiscasset, ME

22. (23) #12 Carey Heath, Essex, MA

23. (13) #64 Dan Bezanson, Plaistow, NH

24. (21) #55M Bobby MacArthur, Beverly, MA

25. (18) #7M George Baldwin, Lowell, MA