Airborne Park Speedway

Nick Heywood Punches His Ticket to the Vermont 200, Two Straight for Mahaney

8/23/2025

Airborne Park Speedway

Nick Heywood Punches His Ticket to the Vermont 200, Two Straight for Mahaney

Plattsburgh, NY-Nick Heywood was supposed to work next Sunday. He may have to call in sick. The hometown campaigner drew the pole position and went on to completely dominate the “Win and You’re In the Vermont 200,” Sportsman Modified Special Thursday night at Airborne Park Speedway. Heywood led 49 out of 50 laps to punch his ticket to the biggest Crate race in the Northeast, scheduled for Labor Day weekend with $10,067 plus lap money on the line.

It was the third win of the season for Heywood, who came in as the points leader in the J&S Steel Sportsman Division, the first time in 2025 that someone other than Donovan Lussier has sat at the top of the standings. Lussier fired from the 10th position on the grid, but had to visit pit lane after an issue on lap 15. Heywood was running away from the field while Travis Bruno, Evan Roberts, and Vince Quenneville put on an entertaining battle for second. Caution flew to restack the field on lap 35. Bruno made an all-or-nothing move on the restart and briefly held the point, but Heywood regained the lead a lap later. Quenneville wrestled second away from Bruno, but his late bid came up short. Bruno held on for third, followed by Roberts, who had his best run of the season, and Jamy Begor. Lussier recovered to come from the back of the pack to place sixth.

Mike Mahaney stayed red hot since the birth of his son Emjay, who has become a good luck charm as he stormed through the field to win his second Hartson Total Opening DirtCar 358 Modified main event. Mahaney fired from the 10th spot, but it was evident quickly that he had a rocket ship as he rode the outside line to pick off car after car. Tanner Siemons set the pace in the opening laps before a mechanical issue ended his evening. Jordan Fornwalt nabbed the lead on lap nine and seemed to be in an advantageous situation, but little did he know that Mahaney was lurking. Fornwalt secured the top spot until lap 19 when Mahaney, the defending track champion, seized control and drove off for the win. Felix Roy started slowly, but kicked things into high gear in the final stage to challenge Mahaney, even attempting to slide underneath the eventual winner. Still, Mahaney found another gear to fend off the challenge and pull away in the waning laps. “Smooth Shoe” and “Hollywood” are locked into an intense championship battle, entering the night dead even, and it seems destined to remain that way until “Championship Night” in September. Fornwalt crossed the line third. Thomas Cook and Tim Fuller rounded out the top five.

If David Johnson were a baseball hitter, his stats would put him among the all-time greats. Johnson is batting .500 early in his career as he claimed his second Limited Sportsman win in just four starts. Johnson, who’s only experience piloting a race car, has been in an Enduro car is settling into open-wheel racing just fine. As he did in his inaugural victory a couple of weeks ago, Johnson started in the fourth shoot, but quickly disposed of Parker Dermody, Adam LaFountain, and Garin Thompson. Once Johson went to the front, it was all over but the shouting as he pulled away to a straightaway advantage and placed the No. 14 machine on cruise control from there. LaFountain was a distant second, followed by Dermody, Kobe Hernandez, and Brogan Roberts.

If fans didn’t know better, they may have thought there was a full moon over “The Big A” during the 9th State Cannabis feature. A series of unusual events not often witnessed hovered over the speedway. When the checkered flag finally flew, Shawn Duquette had captured his fourth victory of the season. Early in the race, points leader Tylor Terry, who rarely suffers any issues, saw his car lose power and come to a rest in the infield. More than one competitor spun out, which normally wouldn't be alarming, except it happened under caution. Tyler Irwin in the No. 54 truck, who has been strong all season, seemed to potentially be on his way to his elusive first win of the season, before contact with Brad Bushey set off a turn one incident that also collected Josh Terry and Shawn Fountain. Roland Guay inherited the lead after the restart and was looking to back up his brother Nataniel’s winning performance of a week ago, but Duquette had other plans. The defending track champion survived a door handle to door handle drag race in the closing stages to deny Guay the win. Guay settled for the second spot, with Josh Terry third, Nate Guay fourth, and Billy Thwaits fifth.

The mini stock feature started with a bang, literally, as several cars were involved in an early turn one melee in their 20-lap event. After things calmed down, Jake Fountain staved off a late charge from Ryan Senecal to win for the second time this season in the evening finale. Jeremiah King and Haiden Bordeau squared off in the opening laps, with King eventually rising to the point, but weekly contenders Fountain and Senecal were on the move. Fountain would reel in King and overtake him for the lead. Senecal made a late bid, also passing King, but couldn’t get around Fountain. King held on for third, followed by Junior LaPorte and Tyler Bell.

The action moves to a special night next week, as racing at Airborne Park will be contested on Wednesday, featuring the annual “Kids Backpack Giveaway” as schools are getting ready to return to session. The 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, Limited Sportsman, Renegades, and Mini Stocks will all be on the card. Admission is $15. Kids 12 and under are free. Pit passes are $30 for members and $40 for non-members. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Official Results-"Sportsman Special" Win & You're in Vermont 200

August 21st, 2025

J&S Steel Sportsman Modified Feature (50 Laps)

Pos. (start) Driver, Hometown