Spencer Davis had Saturday’s Easter Bunny 150 well in hand when a late-race caution brought Joey Doiron back into the mix.
But the duel to the finish had Doiron singing the blues.
Davis moved Doiron out of the way with the white flag in sight, leading the final two laps around Hickory Motor Speedway to take home his first-ever Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model victory.
And while Davis and his Ben Kennedy Racing team were proud of the outcome, runner-up Doiron felt he was given a bit more than some lovin’.
Saturday night’s tilt wrapped up PASS’ preseason opening weekend with the 20th edition of one of its cornerstone events. The first Easter Bunny 150, held in 2006, launched PASS’ presence in the Southeast by establishing the PASS South Super Late Model Series. Maine legend Mike Rowe won the first Easter Bunny 150 and the inaugural title, but the series would go on to crown such champions as Preston Peltier, Matt Craig, and even 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champ Ryan Blaney before being disbanded at the end of 2018 due to waning interest.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the 2020 Easter Bunny 150, breaking its annual streak, but a makeup race in 2021 established the event’s current doubleheader format as a preseason shakedown for PASS’ New England-centric driver base.
Davis, in his first PASS start since 2017, led early and finished fourth in Friday night’s St. Patrick’s Day 150. The Dawsonville, Ga. native wrested the lead from Garrett Hall on lap 49 in Saturday’s race, then build an unassailable advantage under green. Doiron, despite taking a heat win earlier in the afternoon, had to carve through traffic courtesy of the race winner’s handicap.
Doiron had climbed to second when rookie Mark Henderson lost control with 11 laps remaining, bringing out the first caution flag of either Super Late Model feature. Doiron lined up alongside Davis for the restart, getting a stellar launch to take the lead.
But Davis was not to be denied, running down Doiron and forcing Friday night’s winner to the high line. Doiron held his own up top, closing the door on Davis, but Davis slipped ahead with four laps to go. With the lapped car of Travis Stearns in his mirror, Doiron tagged Davis off turn two, but pulled up on the reins to let Davis gather it up before working him over again.
Doiron took the lead back with two laps left on the scoreboard. Davis gave Doiron another shot off turn two. Then, diving into turn three, Davis shipped Doiron to the outside, powering past and taking the white flag. Doiron kept it running, but with Hall on his tail, he had to play defense before pursuing Davis.
With only four corners left, Doiron was out of time.
After leading most of the way, Davis came home with his first PASS Super Late Model win and his first touring triumph at Hickory.
Doiron held off a hard-charging Hall, clinging to second after the contact. Sylas Ripley was fourth following his own heat race win, with Caden Kvapil rounding out the top five.
Brandon Varney racked up a second sixth-place finish for the weekend, with Evan McKnight the only other driver to finish on the lead lap. Stearns, Cory Casagrande and Jeremy Sorel completed the top ten. Eighteen drivers took the green flag, with only McKnight not racing in Friday’s St. Patrick’s Day 150.
After the race, Doiron voiced his displeasure to Davis. In his post-race interview, Davis was unrepentant for the late-race contact, justifying it as an “eye for an eye” response to how Doiron raced him in the closing laps.
But Davis’ winning move reinforced the perception, right or wrong, that racers in the Northeast abide by a different code of ethics from those in the Southeast.
And of all drivers to reinforce that belief, Davis is an interesting case. Originally from Georgia and now in the Carolinas, Davis is no pure outsider. He ran multiple races in New England while competing with PASS in the early 2010s, including a third-place finish in the series’ 2015 debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Davis’ design company produces wraps for racers like Gabe Brown, whose father lent sponsorship support to Davis’ effort at Hickory. Davis’ spotter, Keith Lord, is a Vermonter who spotted for years for Mini Stock standout Cody LeBlanc before moving south to chase national-level opportunities.
The fan reaction to Davis’ punt, particularly on social media, recalled Cole Butcher’s back-to-back Oxford 250 wins, one of which came down to late-race contact with Doiron, as well as Butcher’s eventful Easter Bunny weekend last year.
Davis’ conduct in one race is hardly equivalent. But it illustrates how the “I did what I had to do” approach espoused by national talent is not a welcome excuse for the Northeast’s fans and racers.
How the two racers handle the contact going forward is more a question of “if” than “when.” Realistically, Davis’ schedule of Pro Late Model and Modified races is not likely to intersect with Doiron’s path for a while. And Doiron does not have a reputation of on-track aggression or payback.
But for Davis, who already has a win this year in New Smyrna Speedway’s World Series in February, Saturday’s win is one to build on.
Unofficial Results
PASS Super Late Model | Easter Bunny 150
Hickory Motor Speedway, Hickory, N.C.
1. (96) Spencer Davis
2. (73D) Joey Doiron
3. (94) Garrett Hall
4. (09) Sylas Ripley
5. (35) Caden Kvapil
6. (12V) Brandon Varney
7. (6) Evan McKnight
8. (153) Travis Stearns
9. (7CT) Cory Casagrande
10. (7) Jeremy Sorel
11. (88) Brandon Barker
12. (5P) Troy Patterson
13. (21QC) Alexendre Tardif
14. (2) Nick Cusack
15. (32Q) Dale Quarterley
16. (24) J.P. Josiasse
17. (5VT) Pat Corbett
18. (21H) Mark Henderson
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