WISCASSET RACEWAY PRESS RELEASE 7/29/07
NEW ERA BEGINS AT WISCASSET RACEWAY
Saturday July 28th 2007 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Maine’s fastest asphalt oval racetrack. In a pre-race ceremony, outgoing owner David St Clair officially handed over the keys of Wiscasset Raceway to incoming owner Doug White. To show appreciation to the fans and drivers alike, everyone got in the gate for half price packing the grandstands on a warm summer evening for the show sponsored by Ames True Value Supply of Wiscasset.
Fans were welcomed to the new look facility with a pre-race television program and a live band at the main entrance. On the track, five of six weekly divisions and the NELCAR Legends managed to get in their portion of the race program before thick fog rolled into the area prompting track officials to postpone the 30 lap Late Model feature until the following weekend. Smithfield’s RJ Austin continued his dominance of the Super Street division, holding off Allen Moeller Sr to pick up his 4th win of the season. Other winners on the evening included Steve Pierpont of Cushing in the Strictly Streets; Kevin Douglas of Sidney in the Stock Mini’s; Ricky Palmer in the Teen Division; Marje Albert of Chelsea in the Ladies Division and Jacob Dore of Sanford in the NELCAR Legends. Wiscasset Raceway returns to action Saturday August 4th at 5:00pm. The show will begin with the makeup of the 30-lap Late Model feature, followed by a full show sponsored by the Woolfington Group which will include a 75 lap Strictly Street main event and the return of Prostock to Wiscasset. The Clark’s Car Crushing Prostocks will run a 50 lap feature. For more information check the raceway website at www.wiscassetraceway.us.
RJ Austin has been nearly unstoppable this season in Super Street competition. The 24 year old has finished no worse than 3rd all season, coming into the weekend with 11 top three finishes. Due to the fact that he had missed the Memorial Day weekend doubleheader, Austin came in the weekend second in the points behind veteran Bernie Dinsmore of Hope. He would once again cut into Dinsmore’s 60-point lead with a strong win Saturday night. Starting 10th in the grid for the 25 lap Super Street feature Austin worked the outside lane early with previous week’s winner Allen Moeller on his heals coming up from 11th. That charge to the front nearly came to an end for the pair on lap three as pole sitter Mac Hannan Jr cut down a right rear tire in turn four directly in front of them, sending several cars scrambling and Austin nearly off the track. Just two laps later Austin would drive around defending champ Adam Chadbourne to take the lead. While Austin pulled away from Chadbourne, he was not able to shake Moeller, who never trailed him by more than a car length. With two laps to go Moeller tried the outside once again for the lead but could make it stick. Austin would take the win with Moeller trailing by a foot at the line. In victory lane Moeller, a 17-year Wiscasset veteran said, “I tried everything I had to catch him, he ran a strong race”. Austin was equally complimentary to Moeller. “He knows every inch of this track, probably better than anybody. It’s a pretty big deal to beat him”. Chadbourne joined the two in victory lane to claim the 3rd place trophy.
Steve Pierpont was a wire-to-wire winner in the 20 lap Strictly Street feature. He would hold off a late race charge from Chelsea’s Maurice Young to secure his 3rd checkered flag of the year. Young patiently worked his way through traffic during the first half of the race and then began to reel in Pierpont’s half straightaway advantage over the final ten laps. Young reached Pierpont’s back bumper with two laps to go, but was not able to find a way around. 2006 Rookie of the Year Zac Creamer of Bath started alongside Pierpont on the front row and held on for 3rd, matching his best finish this season. In the 20 lap Stock Mini feature Sidney’s Kevin Douglas back up his previous week’s win with another strong run from back in the pack. In what has become a weekly ritual, Douglas used the second and third groove to drive up from his 14th starting position and grab the lead by the mid point of the race. Chelsea’s Mike Wilson held the point through the first half until Douglas got by him. Douglas would survive a pair of restarts to post his second consecutive win and 4th of the season. Wilson crossed the line 2nd ahead of Dylan Lancaster, but his car would fail post race inspection, giving the runner-up trophy to Lancaster. Vassalboro’s Brent Roy would move up in the order to claim the 3rd place trophy. The 10 lap Teen Division feature would be declared official with 6 laps complete following a multi-car accident in turn two. With half the field involved in the wreck and the 20 minute time limit reached after the cleanup, the official finish was determined by the running order at the last completed green flag lap. Ricky Palmer would take his first Wiscasset win in just his second appearance, making him the 7th different teen winner this season. Ed Sleeper of Vassalboro finished second, just ahead of his brother Cody Sleeper who came into the weekend as the Teen Division’s new point leader. Defending Ladies Division champ Marje Albert of Chelsea turned in a convincing win in the 10 lap Ladies race. She took the lead from Elaine Alexander on lap two and ran away to her 3rd win of the season. Albert now has a track high 14 top three finishes in 14 races. Alexander briefly handed over second to previous week’s winner Cassandra St Clair, but regained it after St Clair lost control and nearly spun into the front stretch wall. For Alexander, it matched her career best finish. With her 3rd place finish, Kayla Albert joined her mother Marje in victory lane for the 6th time this season. In the 25 lap NELCAR Legend feature Sanford’s Jacob Dore out dueled Windham’s Chris Seavey on three separate restarts to pick up his 5th win of the season. Seavey once again battled electrical problems on his ride but held on for second. Bob Weymouth had a shot at the lead on the third and final restart, but settled for third.
OFFICIAL FINISHES 7/28/07
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (30 LAPS) – POSTPONED (FOG)
(Race to be made up 8/4/07 at 5:00pm)
SUPER STREET (25 LAPS)
1. R.J. Austin – Smithfield; 2. Allen Moeller Sr – Dresden; 3. Adam Chadbourne – Woolwich; 4. Jeremy Glasier – Appleton; 5. Nate Weston – n/a; 6. Will Collins – Appleton; 7. Bernie Dinsmore – Hope; 8. Barry Wright – Chelsea; 9. Leon Burgess – Chelsea; 10. Josh Bailey – Wiscasset; 11. Jason Gaboury – Readfield; 12. Cory Fitzgerald – Wiscasset; 13. Mac Hannan Jr – Union; 14. Donnie Stuart – Pittston
STRICTLY STREET (20 LAPS)
1. Steve Pierpont – Cushing; 2. Maurice Young – Chelsea; 3. Zac Creamer – Bath; 4. Dave Brannon – Lisbon; 5. Mike Moody – Bath; 6. Bobby Mesimer – Woolwich; 7. Mike Stewart – Durham; 8. Mike St Germain – Auburn; 9. Adam Pratt – Dresden; 10. Ian Bresnahan – Bath; 11. Ed Pierpont – Jefferson
STOCK MINI (20 LAPS)
1. Kevin Douglas – Sidney; 2. Dylan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 3. Brent Roy – Vassalboro; 4. Jeremy Douglas – Waterville; 5. Shawn Kimball – Pittston; 6. Frank Brown – Pittston; 7. Bryan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 8. Jeff Minchin – Pittston; 9. David Green – Hamden; 10. James Swan Jr – n/a; 11. James Henderson – Chelsea; 12. Mike Dulaney – Richmond; 13. Joe Smith – Augusta; 14. Ken Edgecomb – Readfield; 15. Tom Minchin – Pittston; 16. Rob Greenleaf – West Bath; 17. Tim Dumas – Chelsea; 18. Mike Swanson – Winthrop; 19. Pete McCollat – Randolph (DQ); 20. Mike Wilson – Chelsea (DQ)
TEEN DIVISION (10 LAPS)
(race official after 6 laps complete)
1. Ricky Palmer – n/a; 2. Ed Sleeper – Vassalboro; 3. Cody Sleeper – Chelsea; 4. Nick Hinckley – Wiscasset; 5. Kayla Albert – Chelsea; 6. Tom True – Wiscasset; 7. Ryan Hayes – Jefferson; 8. Alex Cromwell – Woolwich; 9. Tyler Tibbetts – Montville (DQ)
LADIES DIVISION (10 LAPS)
1. Marje Albert – Chelsea; 2. Elaine Alexander – Augusta; 3. Kayla Albert – Chelsea; 4. Alicia Goodwin – n/a; 5. Carol Wilson – Chelsea; 6. Cassandra St Clair – Liberty; 7. Chelsea Young – Winterport
NELCAR LEGENDS (25 LAPS)
1. Jacob Dore – Sanford; 2. Chris Seavey – Windham; 3. Bob Weymouth – Topsham; 4. Ed Getty – Gray; 5. Terry Kirk – Durham; 6. Charlie Buxton – Windham; 7. Marc Fuchswanz – Vassalboro; 8. Mike Fuchswanz – Vassalboro; 9. Evan Beaulieu – Durham; 10. Josh Leach – Islesboro; 11. Dana Fox – Durham; 12. Anthony Pagliarulo – Groveland,MA