Corey Hutchings celebrates victory in the Open Street Stock feature Saturday at the New England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
LOUDON, N.H. – The accomplishment list for Corey Hutchings on the short tracks of Connecticut is bountiful.
During his illustrious career the Salem driver has won races and championships at Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway and the New London-Waterford Speebdowl.
On Saturday though Hutchings got to take his habit for finding victory lane to a stage the size of which he had never seen before.
Hutchings was the dominant force on the way to victory in the 30-lap Open Street Stock feature at the inaugural New England Short Track Showdown Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“Words can’t describe how happy I am right now,” Hutchings said. “Just to have a chance to run at Loudon, I can’t thank the crew [from the New England Short Track Showdown] enough for putting on a Street Stock race at [New Hampshire Motor Speedway]. Whoever thought we would be up here racing. It’s awesome.”
Frank L’Etoile of Wethersfield was second and John Hanafin of Quincy, Mass. third.
It was Hutchings’ first time competing at the 1.058-mile oval.
“The speed doesn’t bother me,” Hutchings said. “When you get loose and you get crossed up a bit that’s when you know how fast you’re really going. But when you’ve got a good handling race car that makes my job real easy.”
Hutchings was up to the task over a rash of late race cautions that left L’Etoile, Hanafin and Danielson’s Ryan Waterman battling for second time after time.
“I was just hoping I could get away a couple car lengths on every restart and just have nobody on my back bumper and go from there,” Hutchings said. “I just had a great handling car, great horsepower, a great crew and what a great day here.”
Said L’Etoile: [Hutchings] was getting real good restarts. Every time I was outside of him I would say ‘I’m going to get him this time’ and every time he’d leave just a tick earlier than me. He’s got more experience than I do. … It’s a blast whenever everybody is up tight like that. We got three-wide action with these cars because everybody is good in certain areas of the track. … We were all kind of chasing [Hutchings].”
Justin Trombley of Winter Harbor, Me. won the 30-lap North East Mini Stock Tour feature.
Woody Pitkat of Stafford, subbing for series regular Jamie Heath, finished second. Cody LeBlanc of Waterville, Me.
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