Brian Whitney of Burnham became the first two-time feature race winner of the season in the top-tier Late Model division Saturday at Unity Raceway.
Whitney led the 35-lap event from wire-to-wire, holding off challenges from reigning track champion Jeff Burgess of Fairfield on a late-race restart to seal the victory. Burgess earned runner-up honors, and remains atop the championship standings.
Palmyra’s Ajay Picard finished an eventful day that included a wet, off-track excursion into the backstretch “moat” during the main event, and a heat race crash, with a third-place finish. Burnham’s Frank Moulton rebounded from several pit stops to claim a fourth-place finish in front of Unity’s Mark Dodge. Whitney also won the heat race.
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Brent “Poochie” Chase of Burnham cruised to a comfortable victory in the 20-lap Wildcat division main event. Skowhegan’s Ed Gilblair was the best of the rest, with Liberty’s Joe Harriman rounding out the podium finishing positions. George Fernald III made his Wildcat division debut and posted a fourth-place finish. Clinton’s Ryan Robinson was credited with a fifth-place finish. Chase won the heat race.
Tim Robinson of Clinton made his first start of the season aboard the Jimmy Dennis 38 and drove from dead last on the starting grid to victory lane in the 20-lap Late Model Pro Four division feature race. Steve Rackliff of Starks rebounded from a mid-race spin to cross the finish line in second position, with Alex Fernald of Benton grabbing the third-place trophy. Bill Ellis of Parkman and Benton rookie Scott Horne rounded out the top five. Norm Cummings, Jr. of Augusta won the heat race but fell victim to mechanical gremlins in the main event.
Defending champion Zach Audet of Skowhegan romped to victory in the 20-lap Monster Mini feature race after mechanical woes sidelined him about 200 feet from victory in the previous event which he had also dominated. Cornville teenager Jayson Bosworth held off hard-charging veteran Tim Collins of Farmington for runner-up honors. Brent Roy of Vassalboro raced from the back of the pack to a fourth-place finish. Clinton’s Kyle Robinson rounded out the top five. Audet won the heat race.
Cody Robbins of Oakland charged through the pack and made a last-lap move by Richmond’s Mike Dulaney to earn a trip to victory lane following a thrilling, 20-lap Flyin’ 4 division main event. Dulaney, who led most of the race, had to settle for runner-up honors. Waterville’s Paul Shorette charged through traffic to earn his first trophy in a while with a third-place performance. Early race leader Mika Stover of Augusta ended up in fourth position, followed by Clinton’s Alica Goodwin. Stover and Paul Jackson of Fairfield won heat races.
Challenger division teammates Robert MacDonald of Oakland and Ken Lord of Waterville dominated the 25-lap Challenger feature, swapping the lead throughout the event with MacDonald nipping Lord at the checkered flag to nail down his second victory of the season. Skowhegan’s Christie Foster was the best of the rest, earning a third-place finish in front of Skowhegan’s Ed Archer and Mike Flagg of Montville. Lord won the heat race.
The final Saturday afternoon racing card of the Unity Raceway Spring season is set for May 19 at 2:00 p.m. Weekly Saturday night competition kicks off at 6:00 p.m. on May 26, kicking off a doubleheader weekend highlighted by the Butch Burgess Memorial Race on Sunday, May 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Unity Raceway os located on School Street (Route 139) in Unity, Maine. For more information visit unityraceway.info or call (207) 453-2021.
Late Model (35 laps) 1. 18 Brian Whitney, Burnham; 2. X Jeff Burgess, Fairfield; 3. 99 Ajay Picard, Palmyra; 4. 15 Frank Moulton, Burnham; 5. 73 Mark Dodge, Unity; 6. 09 Justin Drake, Burnham; 7. 25 Will Collins, Waldoboro.
Wildcat (20 laps) 1. 31 Brent Chase, Burnham; 2. 24 Ed Gilblair, Skowhegan; 3. 20 Joe Harriman, Liberty; 4. 91 George Fernald III Benton; 5. 2 Ryan Robinson, Clinton.
Late Model Pro Four (20 laps) 1. 38 Tim Robinson, Clinton; 2. 94 Steve Rackliff, Starks; 3. 91 Alex Fernald, Benton; 4. 5 Bill Ellis, Parkman; 5. 3 Scott Horne, Benton; 6. 26 Norm Cumings, Jr., Augusta.
Monster Mini (20 laps) 1. 19 Zach Audet, Skowhegan; 2. 51 Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 3. 18 Tim Collins, Farmington; 4. 26 Brent Roy, Vassalboro; 5. 62 Kyle Robinson, Clinton; 6. 09 Matt Shaw, Burnham; 7. 84 Michael Bolduc, Windsor; 8. 61 Cole Robinson, Clinton; DNS 92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea; DNS 15 Brad Bosworth, Cornville.
Flyin’ 4 (20 laps) 1. 15 Cody Robbins, Oakland; 2. 10 Mike Dulaney, Richmond; 3. 0x Paul Shorette, Waterville; 4. 11 Mika Stover, Augusta; 5. 00 Alica Goodwin, Clinton; 6. 20 Daymon Dodge, Troy, 7. 35 Kerlsyl Santos, Waterville; 8. 96 Samantha Farnham, Benton; 9. 88 Henry Boudreau, Benton; 10. 64 Jesse Glidden, Swanville; 11. 8 Mike Mathieu, Oakland; 12. 16 Kayla Allen, Penobscot; 13. 01 Paul Jackson, Fairfield; 14. 04 Nate Tribbety, Richmond.
Challenger (25 laps) 1. 84 Robert MacDonald, Oakland; 2. 28 Ken Lord, Waterville; 3. 19 Christie Foster, Skowhegan; 4. 81 Ed Archer, Skowhegan; 5. 5 Mike Flagg, Montville; 6. 88 Bob Corson, Benton; 7. 7 Troy Rusconi, Clinton.
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