Derek Griffith went back-to-back with Easter Bunny 150 wins over the weekend for the PASS Super Late Model Series at Hickory Motor Speedway. Photo: PASS Media
Derek Griffith dominated the PASS Super Late Model race weekend at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway to record back-to-back Easter Bunny 150 victories.
On Friday night, the Hudson, New Hampshire driver took the lead on lap 28, and led the rest of the way for the win.
“I can’t thank my guys enough, this thing was a rocket ship from the start,” said Griffith. “I’m just so happy, we’ve started the season off strong. D.J. (Shaw) made me work for it. He did a better job of saving his stuff and made it hard on me at the end.”
After just edging out Shaw in qualifying, Griffith started the 150-lap race in fifth while Carson Hocevar moved to the pole. Hocevar jumped out to the lead over Shaw at the start, but Griffith was wasting no time as he made his way toward the front. By lap 20 Griffith was in second and just eight laps later moved around Hocevar for the lead.
The first caution of the night did not wave until lap 63 for a spin by Jeremy Sorrell in turn four. The next caution would not wave until lap105 when 11th place runner Joey Doiron spun in turn four as he tried to avoid contact with Kyle Desouza. Just six laps later, Nick Loden spun exiting turn four after a bump from Trevor Bleau.
Through it all, Griffith continued to maintain a slight lead over Shaw. Griffith’s biggest challenge from Shaw came after a restart with 20 laps to go. The two battled side-by-side for several laps before Griffith finally separated himself from Shaw in turn one. Griffith led the rest of the way to take the win over Shaw in second, with Mike Hopkins in third, Travis Stearns in fourth, and Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. in fifth.
On Saturday night, Griffith withstood a race-long battle with Joey Polewarcyzk, Jr. to take the wi , becoming the first driver since Preston Peltier to score back-to-back Easter Bunny 150 wins.
“They definitely made me work harder for it tonight, I knew Joey (Polewarcyzk) was on rails and he would be tough to beat,” said Griffith. “I was trying to save my stuff a little, better than I did last night, and bide my time but Joey was tough, and luckily I had enough at the end.”
Griffith started the 150-lap race in fourth after having the fastest lap in qualifying and like Friday night, Carson Hocevar jumped out to the lead from the pole position. But, by lap 17, Polewarcyzk had reeled in Hocevar to take the lead. Hocevar’s night would end shortly after when his car came to a stop on lap 59 with engine problems.
On the restart, Griffith would get the advantage from the outside of row one to take the lead away from Polewarcyzk for the first time. They ran nose-to-tail for the next several laps, joined by D.J. Shaw and Mike Hopkins. On lap 97, Polewarcyzk challenged Griffith for the lead in turn one, but in turn three Shaw would poke the nose of his Ford to the inside of Polewarcyzk. The two made contact, causing Shaw to spin and bring out the second caution of the race.
Following a backstretch spin by Jeremy Miller on lap 112, Polewarcyzk was able to wrestle the lead away from Griffith. The hardest crash of the night waved just two laps later when Evan Hallstrom broke something in the rear end of his car entering turn three. Hallstrom spun and collected Trevor Sanborn, while Ben Rowe slammed hard into the outside wall as he tried to avoid the spinning cars.
On the restart, Griffith powered back by Polewarcyzk and would never look back. Griffith led the rest of the way to take the win over Polewarcyzk, with Hopkins, Shaw, and Jake Matheson rounding out the top five
The next PASS National Championship Super Late Model race will be on Saturday, April 10 at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. For more information, visit ProAllStarsSeries.com.
PASS Super Late Model Series
Hickory Motor Speedway – Hickory, NC
Easter Bunny 150* – April 2, 2021
1. 12g – Derek Griffith
2. 60 – D.J. Shaw
3. 15h – Mike Hopkins
4. 85 – Travis Stearns
5. 97 – Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.
6. 1 – Kyle Desouza
7. 72 – Ryan Kuhn
8. 47b – Gabe Brown
9. 4 – Ben Rowe
10. 90 – Derek Kneeland
11. 1vt – Evan Hallstrom
12. 14 – Carson Hocevar
13. 7 – Travis Banjamin
14. 43 – Devin O’Connell
15. 29 – Trevor Sanborn
16. 4nh – Trevor Bleau
17. 52 – Jake Matheson
18. 7ct – Cory Casagrande
19. 10 – Kate Re
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21. 1s – Charlie Sanborn
22. 7c – Tyler Church
23. 99 – Ben Ashline
24. 43l – Nick Loden
25. 38 – Joey Doyon
26. 40 – Jordan Miller
27. 12 – Dennis Spencer
28. 21 – Joey Doiron
29. 5 – Jerry Artuso
30. 77 – Jeremy Sorrell
31. 66vt – Jason Corliss
32. 14me – Anthony Constantino
DNS: 12c – Annabeth Crum
PASS Super Late Model Series
Hickory Motor Speedway – Hickory, NC
Easter Bunny 150* – April 3, 2021
1.12g – Derek Griffith
2. 97 – Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.
3. 15H – Mike Hopkins
4. 60 – D.J. Shaw
5. 52 – Jake Matheson
6. 7ct – Cory Casagrande
7. 17 – Lucas Ransome
8. 72 – Ryan Kuhn
9. 7 – Travis Benjamin
10. 47b – Gabe Brown
11. 10 – Kate Re
12. 1 – Kyle Desouza
13. 90 – Derek Kneeland
14. 12 – Dennis Spencer
15. 7x – Justin Crider
16. 85 – Travis Stearns
17. 38 – Joey Doyon
18. 40 – Jordan Miller
19. 1vt – Evan Hallstrom
20. 29 – Trevor Sanborn
21. 4 – Ben Rowe
22. 12c – Annabeth Crum
23. 4nh – Trevor Bleau
24. 43 – Devin O’Connell
25. 14 – Carson Hocevar
26. 21 – Joey Doiron
27. 14me – Anthony Constantino
*Unofficial Race Results
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