Canadian racer comes from 11th for entertaining victory
PLATTSBURGH, New York (August 12, 2024) – Jordan Poirier taught a master class in traffic at Airborne Park Speedway on Saturday, August 10, winning the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) Tour’s 25-lap A-Main feature race. The two-time Empire Super Sprints (ESS) champion crossed the international border from his home in St-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Québec, outside Montréal to make a drive from his 11th starting position to post the first SCoNE win of his career.
It was not The Jordan Poirier Show for the whole race, though – far from it, in fact. SCoNE rookie Tyler Chartrand began to put together what would’ve been a massive upset with his CRSA-legal 305-cubic-inch engine, which runs at a 250-horsepower disadvantage to most of the 360 c.i. powerplants in SCoNE. The Johnsonville, N.Y., racer took the lead from polesitter Jason Goff at the drop of the green flag and sailed away. While Poirier was passing cars at a rate of two per lap from mid-field, Matt Tanner began to reel Chartrand in at the front. But Chartrand pulled away again until the race’s lone caution period with eight laps complete, for Nick Kruger’s blown engine.
At the Delaware double-file restart, Chartrand maintained his lead ahead of Tanner and Poirier, who had just taken third place from Floyd Billington before the yellow flag. Chartrand led for another four circuits before Tanner was able to power past at lap 12. Reaching lapped cars late in the race forced Tanner to choose his moves and allowed Poirier to catch him. After a couple laps of close-quarters action, Tanner chose the outside in traffic on the 20th lap and Poirier darted underneath him exiting Turn 4 to take the lead. From there, Poirier kept his nose clean and was able to scoot away for the victory.
Tanner crossed the finish line second with Billington in tow, but Tanner received a penalty in post-race technical inspection for not having the required mufflers on his exhaust and he was placed last in the finish order.
That moved Billington up the runner-up position officially, while SCoNE point leader Matt Hoyt drove from 13th to take third with a last-lap pass. Chartrand held on for fourth and Will Hull was fifth. Kadyn Berry finished sixth, followed by Dylan Menditto, Travis Billington, rookie Caiden Herbert, and Caleb Lamson.
RACE NOTES:
• A field of 21 cars attended the Devil’s Bowl Speedway event. Three Canadian drivers – Jordan Poirier, Dale Gosselin, and Alex Therrien – each made their first SCoNE appearance of the season.
• Jordan Poirier’s victory makes him the 49th different driver to earn a Sprint Cars of New England victory. He is just the second Canadian to win, joining his uncle, Steve Poirier, who won an ESS/SCoNE combination race at Airborne in 2018.
• The three qualifying heat races were won by Jason Goff, Tyler Chartrand, and Dylan Menditto, 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 Jordan Poirier, who originally started 11th and finished first to gain 10 positions.
• Tyler Chartrand won a $50 bonus from Dave Bowser Motorsports as the top-finishing registered rookie in fourth place; fellow rookie Caiden Herbert was eighth and Nick Kruger finished 20th.
• Through the first eight events of the 12-race McGee Automotive Family SCoNE Tour schedule, Matt Hoyt is the championship leader with 372 points. Will Hull is second at 343, followed by Floyd Billington (335), Kadyn Berry (331), and Jake Williams (323).
The McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour is in action at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vermont, on Saturday, August 17, for the fourth round of the five-race Green Mountain Gear-Heads Championship Series presented by Hull Motorsports. Racing begins at 6:00 p.m.
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
Airborne Park Speedway – Plattsburgh, New York
Saturday, August 10, 2024
A-Main Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(#) - denotes rookie
- (11) Jordan Poirier, St-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Que.
- (4) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
- (13) Matt Hoyt, Campton, N.H.
- (2) # Tyler Chartrand, Johnsonville, N.Y.
- (8) Will Hull, Plainfield, Vt.
- (6) Kadyn Berry, Goffstown, N.H.
- (3) Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn, Conn.
- (15) Travis Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
- (5) # Caiden Herbert, New Hampton, N.H.
- (7) Caleb Lamson, Moretown, Vt.
- (10) Dale Gosselin, St-Pie. Que.
- (12) Alex Therrien, Victoriaville, Que.
- (17) Jake Williams, Tuftonboro, N.H.
- (18) Wayne Stearns, Bradford, Vt.
- (16) Troy Comeau, Wentworth, N.H.
- (14) Nick Comeau, Hebron, N.H.
- (1) Jason Goff, Preston Hollow, N.Y.
- (19) Ron Davis Jr., Moultonborough, N.H.
- (20) Mark Reynolds, Hudson Falls, N.Y.
- (21) # Nick Kruger, Rupert, Vt.
- (9) Matt Tanner, Stephentown, N.Y.
Lap Leaders (3 lead changes among 4 drivers): Jason Goff, grid; Tyler Chartrand, 1-11; Matt Tanner, 12-19; Jordan Poirier, 20-25.
Cautions (1): Lap 8.
Contingency Award Winners:
• CK & Sons Trucking Heat Winners: Jason Goff, Tyler Chartrand, Dylan Menditto
• Karen’s Shirt Barn “Hard Charger” Award: Jordan Poirier (+10 positions)
• Highside Racewear Award: Floyd Billington (2nd)
• 802 Print Award: Matt Hoyt (3rd)
• VT Fire Award: Tyler Chartrand (4th)
• Venom Choppers Award: Will Hull (5th)
• Bill McGaffin Photos/Showstopper Photos Award: Kadyn Berry (6th)
• Waddell Communications & Repairs Award: Dylan Menditto (7th)
• 87Speed Award: Travis Billington (8th)
• Dave Bowser Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Tyler Chartrand (4th)
• Whitcomb Excavation & Landscaping Awards: Jake Williams, Nick Comeau
Upcoming Events:
• Saturday, August 17 – Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, Vt.
• Saturday, September 14 – Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, Vt.
(Photos by Bill McGaffin)