Timmons takes milestone Star Classic checkers in Dennis McKennedy Memorial

Star Speedway has been Ground Zero for Bobby Timmons’ greatest frustrations in 2024.

But in the course of 75 circuits around “The Place to Race,” Timmons’ forgettable year turned into one to remember.

The third-generation Supermodified ace scored a bucket list victory Saturday night, outrunning Jeffrey Battle in the final laps to capture the Dennis McKennedy Memorial Star Classic 75.

And as he promised earlier in the week, Timmons climbed atop the roof wing of his car in victory lane, casting off the chains of a challenging season and reveling in a milestone win.

“I might have folded up the wing,” the Windham, Me. native said of his cathartic celebration. “I don’t know, I’ll build another one.”

After a year as the main event of the Epping, N.H. quarter-mile’s Star Classic Weekend, New England’s most iconic race for small-block crate-engine Supermodifieds was relegated to a supporting event for the evening’s Bob Webber, Sr. Memorial Star Classic feature.

But Saturday’s undercard was still charged with the energy and enthusiasm and respect and rivalry that Star Speedway’s flagship weekly division is known for.

One of the Northeast’s most visible Supermodified racers, Timmons has had more than his share of drama in only a limited run at Star this year. A first-lap crash took Timmons out of the season opener. A week later, Timmons never even took the green flag when a push truck dealt terminal damage to the car under pace laps in an event that went viral. After a mid-summer wreck precipitated an outburst of emotion, Timmons pushed his small-block program aside, instead pouring himself into his big-block New England Supermodified Series entry.

Timmons fielded the small-block car in August’s Little Webb’s 350 Super Series feature at Oxford Plains Speedway with friend Keith Morrill at the wheel, but so intense was his frustration that he joked he had welded jackstands under the car to eliminate any temptation of racing it himself.

Those frustrations were shelved for Star Classic Weekend, and with good cause. Timmons clocked in second in time trials behind veteran Eddie Witkum, Jr., but redrew eighth for the start of the feature. Defending Star Classic winner Ryan Battle drew the pole, bringing the field to green alongside Scott Watts.

Battle, a rising star in older brother Jeffrey’s mold, set the early pace as Ben Tinker and Ryan Locke charged to the front. Third-place starter Witkum fell off the pace early, with Tinker slipping past Watts for second. Timmons had taken over third when the first caution flag of the night waved for Mike Murphy’s skid through the frontstretch grass.

Jeffrey Battle, who started seventh, pulled into the pits under yellow, with Ryan gridding alongside Tinker for the restart. The field completed one lap before Tommy Tombarello went around in turn four, bunching up the leaders again.

Ryan Battle took charge on the restart, but Timmons was on the warpath, getting past Tinker to chase down the younger Battle. Timmons shaved time off the lead as Battle negotiated lapped traffic, closing in on Battle’s bumper, but Tombarello’s slow car provided a chicane to let Battle break free from Timmons’ pursuit. Battle’s advantage evaporated a few laps later as Murphy went for a second frontstretch slide on lap 53, putting Timmons to his outside for a restart with 22 laps to go.

Timmons took advantage of the restart, clearing Battle for the lead and finally showing the pace he had yet to demonstrate in his Star appearances in 2024.  Jeffrey Battle, however, was on the climb after his lap-18 pit stop, picking off traffic and breaking into the top five. Another caution would put the multi-time Star track champion in the catbird’s seat.

And with seven laps left on the scoreboard, a spinning car in turn two brought out the yellow Jeffrey Battle needed, freezing the field with the open-wheel phenom fourth in the running order.

Ryan Battle lined up to Timmons’ outside for the restart. As they came to the line for the green flag, the two made slight contact, with Timmons sliding up the track and into the lead. Battle bobbled in second, and when the tires found purchase, his car shot hard into the frontstretch wall.

With a skid and a spin into the first-turn lawn, Ryan Battle’s bid for a second consecutive Star Classic was finished.

That elevated Ryan Locke to second. Locke nearly got the better of Timmons on the restart, but contact behind them sent cars scattering to the infield, including outside polesitter Watts, Friday night PASS winner Rusty Poland, James Witkum and Jim Storace.

Locke took another run at Timmons on the restart, but this time Timmons launched across the line first, vaulting into the lead and leaving Locke to defend second against Jeffrey Battle. Locke’s defense lasted two turns as the remaining Battle swept under the red car down the backstretch and into turn three, taking second place with six laps to go.

With no mirror or radio, Timmons could only watch Battle’s #14 ascend the scoreboard, wondering over the final six laps if he held enough of a margin to win.

But Battle could draw no closer, and Timmons powered home to a redemptive and meaningful victory as part of the 59th running of Star Speedway’s signature weekend.

“Had a terrible year here,” he said after some time to reflect on the day. “You guys know that.”

Of course, a monumental win for Timmons could not come without some measure of controversy. Timmons was contrite for the contact that ended Ryan Battle’s evening early.

“I feel bad about wrecking the 21,” he said. “Obviously it wasn’t my intention. The best I can do is say sorry. I wrecked him. It wasn’t intentional, but I wrecked him. He’s got a wrecked race car, and I won.”

It was the latest chapter in a rivalry between the Battles, scions to the Witkum family that was instrumental in the adoption of the 350 Supermodified platform in the Northeast, and the third-generation Timmons. “I do feel bad,” he continued. “I like Ryan a lot. There’s no lack of bad blood between the Battles and the Timmonses here.

“We all get along good, but we race hard, and I fully expect them guys to be mad.”

Runner-up Jeffrey Battle was cordial in victory lane, but third-place Ryan Locke was less so, sharing words with Timmons after the race.

No amount of frayed nerves or flared tempers, though, could deflate Timmons’ satisfaction, especially after driving his barely-back-together big block car to a third-place finish in the Bob Webber, Sr. Memorial Star Classic 100, the main event of the evening.

It was a welcome resolution to a season that has tested the mettle of a driver who wears his heart on his sleeve, for whom racing a Supermodified is exactly what he has wanted to do all his life.

“Everything bad that’s happened to me this year,” he said, “I’ll trade it to win the Star Classic. Even though it’s a 350 race, it’s still a big deal. One thing I’ve wanted to check off on my bucket list was to win a Supermodified race at the Star Classic, and we did it tonight, and I was obviously elated.”

Timmons’ season is far from over, with several events remaining on the New England Supermodified Series schedule, where Timmons remains in the points race despite a few stumbling blocks through the season. Dates remain on the Little Webb’s 350 Super Series touring schedule as well, but with direct conflicts in two of them, Timmons will have to favor the NESS itinerary.

A championship could cap off a once-forgettable season in a memorable way.

But Timmons’ Star Classic performance already has.

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