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9/21/09 HAYNIE SURVIVES NEW HAMPSHIRE SLUGFEST AS CHASE BEGINS!
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As The Chase started, Ray Chandonnet took the pole by a .320 margin and drove off at the start in the #61 Mohegan Sun Chevy, followed closely by Gordon Carter in the #77. After a good opening run, Carter bobbled just enough for Haynie in the #57 to get by. Haynie set sights on the 61 and was able to take the lead just a few laps before the first yellow flag flew on lap 19. On the pit stop, Haynie lost nine seconds on repairs, and the order was reset, with Ray up front once again. Chandonnet and Carter would run away from the field on this stint, but on lap 43, Chandonnet lost his rear brakes. Haynie lost his on lap 45. Others may have had issues also, as race officials later discovered a bad set of rotors had been distributed to all the drivers. No one is sure how long Carter's rear brakes lasted, but he managed to lead the field by more than eight seconds at several points in the race. Under a mid-race caution period, all drivers were able to apply some much needed adjustments and repairs to their vehicles. After another long green run, Haynie managed to stay out for five more laps than Carter, and the gap was closed to within a few car lengths when Haynie emerged from the pits. Carter must have had brake issues just before his pit stop, as his car made moderate contact with the wall. But on what would be his final stop, Haynie was able to nurse his tires for the final 40 laps, stealing the first race of The Chase from a tough field! Events of note were a strong showing from Simon Gregoire in the Fender Guitar Special, and a meltdown in the pits fro beleaguered driver Kevin Adamson. Bob Chandonnet also had a tough time in Loudon and was forced to retire mid-race.  Next stop on The Chase is Dover. See you there!
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