N. WOODSTOCK, N.H. — Scott Payea showed the heart of a two-time defending ACT champion on Saturday by taking his first win of the season in the Caron Fabrication Spring Green at White Mountain Motosports Park.

Payea took the lead for good on lap 66 of the 119-lap event and held strong over the second half of the event for his 16^th career ACT Late Model Tour victory.

Combined with his heat race victory and lap leader bonuses, Payea earned the maximum amount of points possible at an ACT event. The big day was sorely needed by Payea and his RPM Racing team after they stunningly failed to make the main event at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road just six days before.

Wayne Helliwell started on the pole by virtue of earning a +8 in qualifying under ACT’s “plus-minus” system. But after a caution came out for a multi-car tangle just one lap into the event, it was Christopher Pelkey sticking his nose out front. The sophomore ACT runner led the next 10 laps before Helliwell regained the top spot.

The three-time ACT champion continued to pace the field until the third caution came out on lap 28 for Mike Kenison’s spin. Rich Dubeau had started to challenge Helliwell prior to the caution, and when the green flag flew again, Dubeau swept around the outside into the lead.

All the while, Payea had been following Dubeau to the front from his seventh starting spot. Payea got around Helliwell for second on lap 35 and had Dubeau in his sights when the fourth yellow flag flew on lap 48 for Trent Goodrow’s accident. Helliwell was forced to retire from the event during the same caution for personal reasons.

The outside proved the fast way once again on the restart with Payea moving into the lead for the first time. Three laps later, seven-time White Mountain Motorsports Park Champion Quinny Welch took over the second spot.

After the fifth and final caution on lap 63 for Jesse Switser’s spin, Welch was able to poke his bumper in front for two laps before Payea moved back on top. Welch gave it everything he had over the final 54 laps, but Payea hung steady through traffic and eventually took the win by six car lengths.

Welch’s second-place finish matched the best result ever by a WMMP regular in an ACT event at the track. Dubeau took third and unofficially moved into the points lead by three over Jimmy Hebert, who came from 18^th to finish fourth.

Patrick Laperle, rookie Ryan Kuhn, Pelkey, Tyler Cahoon, Mathieu Kingsbury and Stacy Cahoon rounded out the top 10.

In the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, defending champion Shane Sicard picked up where he left off with a season-opening win. Sicard crossed the line second in the caution-free 35-lap feature but inherited the win when Christian Laflamme was disqualified for a suspension infraction.

Apparent third-place finisher Nathaniel Parkin was also disqualified for a chassis infraction. This handed the second spot to Colin Cornell with Dwayne Lanphear completing the podium.

Adam Sicard also got his title defense off on the right foot by beating out a huge Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini field for the win. A rough start to the event played into Sicard’s hands as he sliced from the 14^th starting position to grab the lead on lap five of the 25-lap event. He then survived one more caution and cruised to the victory.

Dustin Jackson finished second with Jason Fallman third.

Norman Forest lucked into a season-opening victory in the WMMP Dwarf Cars. Forest was running third with two laps left in the 20-lap feature when Andy Hill got into the back of Bobby Brown in turn four, sending Brown for a spin and earning both drivers a trip to the rear. Forest held off Dave Gyger on the green-white-checkered sprint to the finish.

Ethan Tyrrell got his first podium finish in third.

Owen Bouche grabbed the lead on lap six of the 15-lap Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Truck feature and sailed off to the win. Luke Peters came in second.

The finish:

1. ( 7 ) Scott Payea ( 37VT ) , Colchester, VT , 119 Laps
2. ( 12 ) Quinten Welch ( 78NH ) , Groveton, NH , 119 Laps
3. ( 6 ) Rich Dubeau ( 30NH ) , Plainfield, NH , 119 Laps
4. ( 18 ) Jimmy Hebert ( 58VT ) , Williamstown, VT , 119 Laps
5. ( 13 ) Patrick Laperle ( 91QC ) , St-Denis, QC , 119 Laps
6. ( 5 ) #Ryan Kuhn ( 72MA ) , E. Bridgewater, MA , 119 Laps
7. ( 2 ) Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 119 Laps
8. ( 17 ) Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) , Danville, VT , 119 Laps
9. ( 11 ) Mathieu Kingsbury ( 9QC ) , Blainville, QC , 119 Laps
10. ( 10 ) Stacy Cahoon ( 83VT ) , St. Johnsbury, VT , 119 Laps
11. ( 23 ) Jean-Francois Dery ( 21QC ) , Quebec, QC , 119 Laps
12. ( 20 ) #Stephen Donahue ( 2VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 119 Laps
13. ( 25 ) Jeff Marshall ( 32NH ) , Gilman, VT , 119 Laps
14. ( 19 ) Joel Hodgdon ( 36VT ) , Craftsbury Common, VT , 119 Laps
15. ( 21 ) Claude Leclerc ( 11QC ) , Lanoraie, QC , 118 Laps
16. ( 4 ) Oren Remick ( 21NH ) , Monroe, NH , 118 Laps
17. ( 24 ) Corey Mason ( 1NH ) , Groveton, NH , 118 Laps
18. ( 9 ) Dylan Payea ( 7NH ) , Milton, VT , 118 Laps
19. ( 28 ) Peyton Lanphear ( 22VT ) , Waterbury, VT , 116 Laps
20. ( 27 ) Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) , Barre, VT , 116 Laps
21. ( 29 ) David LaBrecque ( 57NH ) , Thornton, NH , 116 Laps
22. ( 15 ) Chip Grenier ( 9VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 85 Laps
23. ( 30 ) Reilly Lanphear ( 21VT ) , Waterbury, VT , 71 Laps
24. ( 3 ) Jesse Switser ( 10ME ) , Whitfield, NH , 63 Laps
25. ( 14 ) Scott Corey ( 22NH ) , Lyndonville, VT , 63 Laps
26. ( 26 ) #Trent Goodrow ( 31MA ) , Carver, MA , 63 Laps
27. ( 1 ) Wayne Helliwell Jr. ( 27NH ) , Dover, NH , 48 Laps
28. ( 8 ) Mike Kenison ( 3NH ) , Lancaster, NH , 28 Laps
29. ( 16 ) Craig Bushey ( 05VT ) , Fairfax, VT , 1 Laps
30. ( 22 ) Jonathan Bouvrette ( 41QC ) , Blainville, QC , 1 Laps