Young New Yorker earns Hard Charger Award, takes over point lead
BRADFORD, Vt. (July 1, 2024) – It seemed like only a matter time before Chase Moran would break into victory lane with the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) Tour. The Fultonville, N.Y., youngster did it in style on Sunday, June 30 at Bear Ridge Speedway, charging from 10th on the starting grid to take the lead late in the A-Main and score the first Sprint Car win of his young career.
The race – which was delayed one day by rain – was the second round of the Green Mountain Gear-Heads Championship Series presented by Hull Motorsports, a mini-series comprised of the five SCoNE Tour events at Bear Ridge Speedway in 2024. Twenty-year-old Moran’s performance was good enough for him to take over the point lead for not only the Gear-Heads standings, but also the overall 12-race McGee SCoNE Tour.
The 25-lap A-Main feature race started off by looking like a potential upset, as inaugural SCoNE champion Mark Cole set the pace early. Cole was searching for his first victory in a decade, but his car spun out of the top spot with 10 laps complete, directly in the path of second place running Will Hull. Following the yellow flag for Cole, Hull inherited the lead and jumped out to a big advantage until Troy Comeau crashed six laps later to cause another caution period.
Using mostly the outside lane, Moran had sliced his way through traffic during the green-flag runs to reach the lead pack, and he pounced at the restart to grab second place and track Hull down. Moran made his move with five circuits remaining and pulled into the lead, but he had anything but clear sailing in the final moments. Heavy lapped traffic caused Moran to hold his breath more than once, and major contact with one car caused an audible gasp from the healthy holiday grandstand crowd.
Moran was able to get out of trouble, though, and he cruised to his first win ahead of Hull and a quiet-but-solid Matt Hoyt. Jake Williams finished fourth with Scott Holcomb marching forward into the top five. Rookie Caiden Herbert was sixth, followed by Kadyn Berry, Caleb Lamson, Jason Goff, and rookie Nick Kruger, who scored his first-ever top-10 finish.
RACE NOTES:
• A field of 19 cars made the haul to Bear Ridge Speedway to compete with SCoNE.
• Chase Moran’s victory was the first of his SCoNE career. He is the 47th different driver to win a SCoNE Tour race since the series began in 2004.
• The three qualifying heat races were won by Matt Hoyt, Will Hull, and Kadyn Berry, with each grabbing a $100 bonus from CK & Sons Trucking of Barnstead, New Hampshire.
• Karen’s Shirt Barn, also of Barnstead, N.H., presented the Hard Charger Award, with a $50 bonus going to Chase Moran, who originally started 10th and finished 1st to gain nine positions.
• Nick Comeau received a free 55-gallon drum of racing fuel from the McPhail Racing Team for finishing 12th; it was Comeau’s second time receiving the award in as many races.
• Caiden Herbert of New Hampton, N.H., won a $50 bonus from Dave Bowser Motorsports as the top-finishing registered rookie in sixth place; Nick Kruger was 10th and Donnie Ottati was unable to start the A-Main.
• Doug McPhail, who was running in the top 10 on the final lap, had a violent flip in the last corner of the race that sent his car slamming into the outside retaining wall. Sam Comeau had a flip in his qualifying heat that forced him to the sidelines for the A-Main. Neither McPhail nor Comeau were injured.
• Through the first two events of the overall 12-race McGee Automotive Family SCoNE Tour schedule, Chase Moran leads Scott Holcomb by 16 points, 207-191. Matt Hoyt (188), Jake Williams (183), and Caleb Lamson (178) round out the top five.
• The point standings in the Green Mountain Gear-Heads Championship Series presented by Hull Motorsports are very similar, with Moran leading Holcomb, Hoyt, Williams, and Will Hull; a total of just 20 points separates first place and fifth place.
The McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour has a weekend off before making the haul up Interstate 95 to Maine’s Unity Raceway on Friday, July 12. To learn more about the Sprint Cars of New England, visit www.nesprintcars.com or find the “SCoNE – Sprint Cars of New England” page on Facebook.
OFFICIAL RESULTS – McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England
Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, Vt.
Green Mountain Gear-Heads Championship Series presented by Hull Motorsports – Race #2 of 5
Sunday, June 30, 2024
A-Main Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(#) - denotes rookie
- (5) Chase Moran, Fultonville, N.Y.
- (11) Will Hull, Plainfield, Vt.
- (8) Matt Hoyt, Campton, N.H.
- (2) Jake Williams, Tuftonboro, N.H.
- (1) Scott Holcomb, Granby, Conn.
- (13) # Caiden Herbert, New Hampton, N.H.
- (10) Kadyn Berry, Goffstown, N.H.
- (6) Caleb Lamson, Moretown, Vt.
- (14) Jason Goff, Preston Hollow, N.Y.
- (14) # Nick Kruger, Rupert, Vt.
- (4) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
- (16) Nick Comeau, Hebron, N.H.
- (15) Mark Reynolds, Hudson Falls, N.Y.
- (12) Doug McPhail, Tilton, N.H.
- (17) Ron Davis Jr., Moultonborough, N.H.
- (1) Mark Cole, Lebanon, N.H.
- (16) Troy Comeau, Wentworth, N.H.
Did Not Start: # Donnie Ottati, Rumney, N.H.; Sam Comeau, Hebron, N.H.
Lap Leaders (2 lead changes among 3 drivers): Mark Cole, 1-10; Will Hulls, 11-19; Chase Moran, 20-25.
Cautions (2): Laps 10, 16 [red].
Contingency Award Winners:
• CK & Sons Trucking Heat Winners: Matt Hoyt, Will Hull, Kadyn Berry
• Karen’s Shirt Barn “Hard Charger” Award: Chase Moran (+9 positions)
• Green Mountain Gear-Heads Award: Chase Moran (1st)
• Highside Racewear Award: Will Hull (2nd)
• 802 Print Award: Matt Hoyt (3rd)
• VT Fire Award: Jake Williams (4th)
• Venom Choppers Award: Scott Holcomb (5th)
• Big Al’s Photos Award: Caiden Herbert (6th)
• Waddell Communications & Repairs Award: Kadyn Berry (7th)
• 87Speed Award: Caleb Lamson (8th)
• McPhail Racing Team Award: Nick Comeau (12th)
• Dave Bowser Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Caiden Herbert (6th)
Upcoming Events:
• Friday, July 12 – Unity Raceway – Unity, Maine
• Saturday, July 20 – Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, Vt.
(Photos by Alan Ward/Big Al's Photos)
- Justin St. Louis on Jul 02, 2024
- Article Date: 7/2/2024