Pecore Stands Alone at the Top of All-Time Sportsman Wins List at Mohawk
Column By: Robert Hill Jr / MOHAWK RACEWAY – HOGANSBURG, NY – It was a night full of action at the Mohawk International Raceway as Action Race Parts presented our nightly program, featuring a full card of racing and a kids’ backpack giveaway event. This marked the first night of racing in a few weeks for some divisions after the Short Track Super Series Modifieds, Sportsman, and Mini-Stocks took center stage on August 5th.
Kobe Hernandez and Garin Thompson led the limited Sportsman feature to the green flag. Hernandez jumped out to an early lead, with a hard-charging Jackson Welling closing in. A yellow flag flew at the halfway point when Garin Thompson spun off turn two. On the restart, Hernandez launched strongly and held on for his 4th win of 2025.
Mathis Larose and CJ Lavair were the first two to fire in the mini-stock division, with Larose gaining the early advantage. Francis White rapidly approached from behind and made his way up to second, but he couldn’t close enough to challenge Lavair. Lavair held off the field to secure his second consecutive win and his third of the season. In victory lane, Lavair mentioned that he feels his car is dialed in perfectly at this point in the year after a tough middle section of the 2025 season.
Austin Ward and Burton Ward started on the front row for the 25-lap Pro Stock feature. Burton gained the early advantage, but Dakota Sharp quickly took over the race lead on lap 5. A yellow flag flew on lap 7 when Natasha Lebrun spun off turn four. On the restart, Sharp regained the lead, with B. Ward and Daniels right behind him for the remainder of the race. Ultimately, Sharp took the victory.
Cedric Gauvreau and Chris Raabe led the field to green in the Sportsman feature. Raabe, as he often does, pulled away from the field early on. Gauvreau, Brian McDonald, and Brianna Ladoucer battled for positions from second through fourth. The race remained clean and green until Gauvreau spun with six laps to go, bringing the field back together. During the restart, Ladoucer spun in turn two, collecting McDonald and Larry Welling. After an aborted start, the field retook their positions. With six laps remaining, Raabe launched perfectly and cruised to victory for the fourth time this season.
Joshua Jock and Skylar Ladoucer made up the front row for the Sportsman feature. Jock jumped out to an early lead, while Shane Pecore made a quick charge from fifth starting spot into the top three by turn two. As the race progressed, defending track champion Tristan Ladoucer worked his way into a fight for the podium with Jock and Pecore. When lapped traffic entered play, Pecore seized the opportunity and navigated his way to the top spot, narrowly holding on by a tenth of a second to take the win over Ladoucer. With his sixth victory of the season and 28th of his career, Pecore surpassed Dylan Evoy on the all-time win list—a record held by Evoy since August 28th, 2015.
