The track was wet, the air was chilly, but the racing was hot this weekend as the Loudon Road Race Series kicked off the 2019 season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The riders are excited to be back on-track and are focused on working hard this season, all the while, having fun.
"As long as it's still fun, I'm still here," said 2018 Expert Track Champion, Rick Doucette after placing second in Saturday's Expert Dash for Cash. "Days like today definitely test that fun with the rain and the cold, but after you get through it, you know you still had fun."
While seasoned expert riders like Doucette continue to work hard to maintain their skills, riders whose 2018 achievements in the amateur class earned them a spot in this year's expert class, are determined to find their place among the experts.
"I'm going up against some very stiff competition," said Robert S. Briody, 2018 Amateur Achievement Award winner who made the jump to the expert class this season. "I'm just trying to keep it sunny side up, rubber down. My goal is to run a really good clean program all season long and see where we can finish up at the end of the year."
Younger riders such as Benjamin Gloddy, the 14-year-old 2018 Vanson Leathers Rookie of the Year, are confident and focused on learning from other riders and working hard to improve their skills and achieve personal goals this season.
"Last year, I was nervous going out on the track and crashing," said Gloddy, who took first in this weekend's Combined 500 Superbike. "It feels pretty good knowing I could come into this season being an expert and just focus on dropping my lap times a little bit and keeping up with the faster guys."
The highlight of any Loudon Road Race Series weekend is the Dash for Cash, which is run as two Middleweight Grands Prix - one for the expert class, which awards the top eight with cash prizes ranging from $25 - $500, and one for the amateur class, which awards $100 to the winner.
Veteran rider and former Track Champion, Scott Greenwood, took an early lead in Saturday's Expert Dash for Cash, which he never gave up, while Alexander Guilbeault and Doucette battled for second. Ultimately, it was Doucette who ended up in the second place spot, but Guilbeault held on strong, finishing in third.
Vicente Frontinan took the checkered flag in the Amateur Dash for Cash while Daniel Zimmer and Nick Leighton rounded out the top three.
Round two of the Loudon Road Race Series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway May 18-19.
Check out the full results from all races: https://trackintel.com/ti/lrrs/ajax2014/results/index.html
Stay up-to-date with the Loudon Road Race Series:
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/LRRSNHMS/
- Website: http://www.NHMS.com/Racing/LRRS/
For ticket information for events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including the June 8-16 Motorcycle Week at NHMS, the July 19-21 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race weekend and the September 20-21 Full Throttle Fall Weekend, visit the speedway website at NHMS.com or call Fan Relations at (603) 783-4931.
Round One Results (Top Three):
Expert |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Formula 40 Lights |
Charles Sandoz |
Rick Doucette |
Steven Heider |
Formula 40 Unlimited |
Eric Wood |
David Dayon |
Charles Sandoz |
Formula 50 Lights |
Rick Doucette |
Gerald Randall |
John Grush |
GTL |
Bill Coolahan |
Fred McCullough |
Gerald Randall |
GTO |
Tyler Wasserbauer |
Roger Ealy Jr. |
N/A |
GTU |
Scott Greenwood |
Paul Duval |
Robert S. Briody |
Heavyweight Superbike |
Scott Greenwood |
Rick Doucette |
Alexander Guilbeault |
Heavyweight Supersport |
Scott Greenwood |
Daniel Weems |
Kip Peterson |
Lightweight Grand Prix |
Rick Doucette |
John Grush |
Robert Pease Jr. |
Lightweight Sportsman |
Brett Guyer |
Bill Morey |
Charles Sandoz |
Lightweight Superbike |
Charles Sandoz |
Steven Heider |
Thomas Welch |
Lightweight Supersport |
Thomas Welch |
Steven Heider |
Peter Gaboriault |
Motard |
Bill Morey |
Kevin Allen |
Lee Schmidt |
Moto 3 |
Shawn Spear |
Christopher Woodman |
Jake Vader |
Middleweight Formula 40 |
Scott Greenwood |
Paul Duval |
Kip Peterson |
Middleweight Grand Prix *Dash for Cash* |
Scott Greenwood |
Rick Doucette |
Alexander Guilbeault |
Middleweight Superbike |
Scott Greenwood |
Rick Doucette |
Alexander Guilbeault |
Middleweight Supersport |
Scott Greenwood |
Samuel Greenwood |
Kristopher Hopkins |
Super Singles |
Bill Morey |
Kevin Allen |
Charles Sandoz |
Super Twins |
Charles Sandoz |
Tim Hogan |
Cadman Fenton |
Thunderbike |
Charles Sandoz |
Tim Hogan |
Harlan Hildebrand |
Ultralight GP |
Brett Guyer |
Jake Vader |
N/A |
Ultralight Superbike |
Peter Gaboriault |
Thomas Welch |
Steven Heider |
Unlimited Grand Prix |
Eric Wood |
David Doyon |
Tyler Wasserbauer |
Unlimited Superbike |
Eric Wood |
Mike Clark |
David Doyon |
Unlimited Supersport |
Eric Wood |
Mike Clark |
Cory Hildebrand |
Amateur |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Formula 40 Lights |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Formula 40 Unlimited |
Vicente Frontinan |
Lloyd Palmer |
Ron Gimondo |
Formula 50 Lights |
Michael Dimond |
Stephen Biehl |
Bruce Marshall |
GTL |
Michael Zoner |
Johnathan Wood |
Robert Bettencourt |
GTO |
Thomas Hynes |
N/A |
N/A |
GTU |
Vicente Frontinan |
Nick Leighton |
Anthony DiCecca |
Heavyweight Superbike |
Daniel Zimmer |
Kevin Custer |
Anthony DiCecca |
Heavyweight Supersport |
Daniel Zimmer |
Kevin Custer |
Paul Hosue |
Lightweight Grand Prix |
Stephen Biehl |
Charles Blumberg |
Bruce Marshall |
Lightweight Sportsman |
Christopher Girard |
Brooks Saunders |
Kevin Wimble |
Lightweight Superbike |
Kevin Fogg |
Charles Blumberg |
Bruce Marshall |
Lightweight Supersport |
Charles Blumberg |
Stephen Biehl |
N/A |
Motard |
Daniel Zimmer |
Brooks Saunders |
Christopher Girard |
Moto 3 |
Jeff Vader |
N/A |
N/A |
Middleweight Formula 40 |
Vicente Frontinan |
Lloyd Palmer |
Carlos Hidrovo |
Middleweight Grand Prix *Dash for Cash* |
Vicente Frontinan |
Daniel Zimmer |
Nick Leighton |
Middleweight Superbike |
Brian Fernald |
Paul Hosue |
Jason Fairclough |
Middleweight Supersport |
Vicente Frontinan |
LeRoy Cort |
Daniel Zimmer |
Super Singles |
Daniel Zimmer |
Michael Dimond |
Christopher Girard |
Thunderbike |
Kevin Fogg |
Johnathan Wood |
N/A |
Ultralight GP |
John Lear |
Robert Vaughan |
Michael Zoner |
Ultralight Superbike |
Christopher Girard |
Stephen Biehl |
Brooks Saunders |
Unlimited Grand Prix |
Brian Fernald |
LeRoy Cort |
Anthony DiCecca |
Unlimited Superbike |
LeRoy Cort |
Nick Leighton |
Lincoln Gottier |
Unlimited Supersport |
Brian Fernald |
Paul Hosue |
Nick Leighton |
Combined (Expert & Amateur) |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
300 Superbike |
Rick Doucette |
Shawn Barron |
Gunnar Ouellette |
300 Supersport |
Shawn Barron |
Rick Doucette |
Gunnar Ouellete |
500 Superbike |
Benjamin Gloddy |
Rick Doucette |
Shane Lewis |
500 Supersport |
Daniel Rosato |
Benjamin Gloddy |
John Lear |
Novice |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Formula 1 |
Robert Lewis Jr. |
Christian Trudeau |
Josh Ziemski |
Formula 2 |
Josh Ziemski |
Frank Vollkommer |
Pierce Ballantyne |
Formula 3 |
Donald Allen |
Tsuyoshi Honjo |
Pierce Ballantyne |
Formula 4 |
Jonathan Tine |
N/A |
N/A |
Rookie 1 |
Joseph Gay |
Joe Maguire |
Josh Ziemski |
Rookie 2 |
Christian Trudeau |
Frank Vollkommer |
Pierce Ballantyne |
Rookie 3 |
Donald Allen |
Pierce Ballantyne |
Jonathan Tine |
Rookie 4 |
Tsuyoshi Honjo |
N/A |
N/A |
Starter 1 |
Josh Ziemski |
Joseph Gay |
N/A |
Starter 2 |
Frank Vollkommer |
N/A |
N/A |
Starter 3 |
Jonathan Tine |
N/A |
N/A |
Starter 4 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Rookie |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Heavyweight 1 & 2 |
Robert Lewis Jr. |
Christian Trudeau |
N/A |
Heavyweight 3 & 4 |
Pierce Ballantyne |
Tyrell Boudreau |
N/A |
Wave 1 |
Josh Ziemski |
Frank Vollkommer |
Tsuyoshi Honjo |