This season R.J. Austin has shown the meaning of the expression “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. The Smithfield driver who turned in four straight runner-up finishes starting the 2007 season finally picked up his first Wiscasset win by taking the Hight Chevrolet Super Street 100 at Wiscasset Raceway. To back up the win he also picked up another 2nd place trophy later in the evening in the 25 lap regularly scheduled Super Street feature. The regularly scheduled program, sponsored by Route 17 Auto Sales, turned out additional winners Bill Pinkham of Wiscasset in the Late Model Sportsman division; Steve Peirpont of Cushing in the Strictly Streets; Kevin Douglas of Sidney in the Stock Mini’s; and Thomas True of Wiscasset in the Teen Division. Kristy Millay of Palermo was the winner of the 25 lap Ladies Division main event. Wiscasset Raceway returns to action Saturday June 16 th at 6:00pm with Double Points round #3 featuring action in all six weekly divisions plus the NELCAR Legends. For more information, check the Wiscasset Raceway website at www.wiscassetraceway.us.
The makeup 100 lap race for the Super Streets started the show Saturday evening at Maine’s fastest track and it didn’t take long to see that it was a two man race. Defending division champ Adam Chadbourne of Woolwich started outside the front row and took the early lead from Chelsea’s Dan Trask while Austin and Freeport’s Tom Young quickly picked there way up from 6thand 7th. Trask spent several laps trying to hold onto the second position, but following a lap 16 restart; he would fade back in the back in the pack and out of contention. Over the next 15 laps Young and Austin waged a good battle for 2nd while Chadbourne rode comfortably three car lengths ahead of them. On lap 32 Austin managed to get Young loose heading into turn three and had the lead by the time they hit the front stretch. The race remained under a long green flag run with Chadbourne and Austin building up a full straightaway lead over Young and a half-track advantage over the 4th place car of Trask. Former champ Will Collins started to make a move along the outside as he picked his way into 5th. As the lead pair reached a large group of cars trying to stay on the lead lap, the 5th caution of the race came out on lap 51 for Appleton’s Jeremy Glasier with a broken tie rod. A lap after the restart the race would take a major turn as Collins came out of the pits and across the track in front of the leaders causing Chadbourne to hit the brakes and turn the lead over to Austin. Again the race would settle into a long green flag run and again Austin and Chadbourne set the pace. Chadbourne didn’t let Austin get more than three car lengths ahead while Young rode alone in 3 rd a full straight behind them. The next caution of the race would deal another major twist on lap 78. What started as a caution for Chelsea’s Barry Wright turned into curtains for Chadbourne as his ignition shut the car down and he coasted to a stop in turn two. On the ensuing restart Austin pulled away to quickly re-establish his lead, this time pulling point leader Bernie Dinsmore with him into the 2nd position. Austin would survive one final restart on lap 88 and cruise to the $1200 payoff for the biggest win of his career and first at Wiscasset Raceway in his #51 Hight Motorsports / Paint it Right Painters sponsored Chevy Camaro. Dinsmore held off Young for the runner-up trophy. AJ Picard took 4th away from Mac Hannan Jr on the final lap. Hannan would settle for 5th.
In the regularly scheduled program Kristy Millay of Palermo was a wire to wire winner in the 25 lap Ladies Division main event. It was her 5th win of 2007. Cassandra St Clair turned point leader Marje Albert near the halfway point of the race and drove onto finish 2nd. Albert gave chase, but settled for 3rd. Just one caution slowed the action as Chelsea Young went off turn three early in the race. Wiscasset’s Bill Pinkham turned around some early season tough luck and cashed in with his first win of the season in the 30 lap Late Model feature. Pinkham became the 7th different LMS winner in seven races this season at Wiscasset. He was chased across the line by former champs Mike Orr and Duane Love. In the 25 lap Super Street feature Tom Young picked up his 2nd win of the season out running RJ Austin and Barry Wright to the checkers. Young was the opening day winner in the Super Streets. For Austin it was his 6 th top two finish in six races this season. The Strictly Street 20 lap feature saw Steve Peirpont lead wire to wire, Durham’s Mike Stewart picked up his best Wiscasset finish in nearly 10 years by barely holding off a late charge by point leader Maurice Young of Chelsea. The 20 lap Stock Mini feature saw Chelsea’s Mike Wilson turn in a strong win on the track, but what looked like his first victory in 4 years was taken away as his Toyota failed post race inspection. The win would go to Sidney’s Kevin Douglas for his 2nd of the season. Former champ Brent Roy of Vassalboro moved up to claim the 2nd place trophy and Pittston’s Frank Brown was awarded his first trophy of the year in 3rd. Wiscasset’s Thomas True continued his rapid improvement and turned it into his first career win in the 10 lap Teen Division feature. He took the lead from Cody Sleeper with two laps to go to secure the win. Point leader Tyler Tibbetts finished 2nd and Sleeper held on for 3rd.
OFFICIAL FINISHES 6/9/07
SUPER STREETS – HIGHT CHEVROLET 100
1. RJ Austin – Smithfield; 2. Bernie Dinsmore – Hope; 3. Tom Young – Freeport; 4. Ajay Picard – Palmyra; 5. Mac Hannan Jr – Union; 6. Leon Burgess – Chelsea; 7. Allen Moeller Sr – Dresden; 8. Josh Bailey – Wiscasset; 9. Adam Chadbourne – Woolwich; 10. Barry Wright – Chelsea; 11. Dan Trask – Chelsea; 12. Will Collins – Appleton; 13. Jeremy Glasier – Appleton; 14. Micky Landry Jr – Anson; 15. Wally Henderson – Litchfield; 16. Ron Gibson – Appleton; 17. Brian Fortin – S.China; 18. Donnie Stuart – Pittston; DNS. John Kalel Jr – Orrington
LADIES DIVISION (25 LAPS)
1. Kristy Millay – Palermo; 2. Cassandra St Clair – Liberty; 3. Marje Albert – Chelsea; 4. Kayla Albert – Chelsea; 5. Chelsea Young – Winterport; 6. Elaine Alexander – Augusta; 7. Deb Brown – Pittston
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (30 LAPS)
1. Bill Pinkham – Wiscasset; 2. Mike Orr – Wiscasset; 3. Duane Love – West Gardiner; 4. Steve Reny – Boothbay; 5. Puncin St Clair- Liberty; 6. Kurt Hewins – Leeds; 7. Kevin Sherman – Wiscasset; 8. Chris Thorne – Sidney; 9. Jeff Burgess – Oakland; 10. Seth Raven – Waldo; 11. Josh St Clair – Liberty; 12. Dan Trask – Chelsea; 13. Fred Brown – Winterport; 14. Scott Pooler – Shawmut; 15. Bryan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 16. Ryan Gero – West Gardiner
SUPER STREETS (25 LAPS)
1. Tom Young – Freeport; 2. RJ Austin – Smithfield; 3. Barry Wright – Chelsea; 4. Jeremy Glasier – Appleton; 5. Ajay Picard – Palmyra; 6. Mickey Landry Jr – Anson; 7. Leon Burgess – Chelsea; 8. Bernie Dinsmore – Hope; 9. Mac Hannan Jr – Union; 10. Will Collins – Appleton; 11. Josh Bailey – Wiscasset; 12. Donnie Stuart – Pittston; 13. Allen Moeller Sr – Dresden
STRICTLY STREETS (20 LAPS)
1. Steve Peirpont – Cushing; 2. Mike Stewart – Durham; 3. Maurice Young – Chelsea; 4. Mike Moody – Bath; 5. Zac Creamer – Bath; 6. Ian Bresnahan – Bath; 7. Ed Peirpont – Jefferson; 8. Bobby Mesimer – Woolwich; 9. Derek Mingo – Ellsworth; 10. Adam Pratt – Dresden; 11. Dave Brannon – Lisbon; 12. Shawn Dumont – Chelsea
STOCK MINIS (20 LAPS)
1. Kevin Douglas – Sidney; 2. Brent Roy – Vassalboro; 3. Frank Brown – Pittston; 4. Gary Blackman – Boothbay; 5. Shawn Kimball – Pittston; 6. Dan Somes – Sidney; 7. Jeremy Douglas – Waterville; 8. Bryan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 9. Rob Greenleaf – West Bath; 10. Pete McCollat – Readfield; 11. Mike Dulaney – Richmond; 12. Shane Smith – Sidney; 13. Tim Grant – Augusta; 14. Jeff Minchin – Pittston; 15. James Henderson – Chelsea; 16. Tim Dumas – Chelsea; 17. Dylan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 18. Tom Minchin – Pittston; 19. Cody Raven – Waldo; 20. Shawn Rines – Wiscasset; 21. Mike Wallace – Alna; 22. Mike Wilson – Chelsea (DQ)
TEEN DIVISION (10 LAPS)
1. Thomas True – Wiscasset; 2. Tyler Tibbetts – Montville; 3. Cody Sleeper – Chelsea; 4. Ryan Hayes – Jefferson; 5. Kayla Albert – Chelsea; 6. Grace Pinkham – Wiscasset; 7. Nick Hinckley – Wiscasset; 8. Tyler Jordan – Scarborough; 9. Natasha Dyer – Arrowsic; 10. Ed Sleeper – Vassalboro