THORNE EARNS SECOND LATE MODEL WIN OF SEASON AT WISCASSET
Chris Thorne shook off his recent spate of bad luck to win the 30-lap Late Model Sportsman feature at Wiscasset Raceway on Saturday night. Thorne, the reigning track champion from Sidney, survived a restart with nine laps remaining and led the final 13 laps of the night for his second win of the season to extend his slim points lead atop the division. Coastal 200 champion Bill Whorff Jr. of Topsham finished second to Thorne, while rookie competitor Adam Chadbourne of Woolwich rounded out the top-3. Darren Ripley started on the outside pole and held off heavy pressure from Thorne before his car expired on lap 18, surrendering the lead to Thorne's No. 17 as he pulled his own car onto the pit lane. From there, Thorne opened up a nearly full-straightaway lead on Whorff. When Josh St. Clair spun on the fronstretch to bring out the third and final caution of the event, Whorff lined up to the outside of Thorne on the restart but could not capitalize. After winning the Bruce Kane Memorial on May 17th, Thorne scored a DNF at the Coastal 200 and then finished out of the top-5 on June 7.
With a second-place finish to Ripley in his heat race, Thorne proved that his car is back in form by running strong on both the high and low sides of the track in the feature. Nick Reno of West Bath and Peter Oakes of Boothbay finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The Strictly Street division opened the night's feature racing with their regular 20-lap main event, and it was Maurice Young of Windsor who took down his third win of the season. Young started third in the 14-car field and wasted little time getting to the point. Young took the lead from eventual runner-up Ed Pierpont of Jefferson on lap 6 and was never challenged again. Bob Mesimer of Woolwich, Steve Pierpont of Cushing and Bath's Ian Bresnahan rounded out the top-5 in the caution-free event. The Super Streets followed the Strictly racers for their 25-lap feature, and the brother tandem of R.J. and Shawn Austin swept the top two spots. R.J. Austin led all but the first two laps to earn his first victory of the season. Younger brother Shawn Austin, a feature winner already this season, was second. Pole-sitter Jason Gaboury was third. R.J. Austin, who won six races in 2007, including a 100-lap main event, won by a full straightaway in the caution-free race. Division point leader Mike Landry of Oakland took a big blow on lap 7, slowing on the frontstretch and crawling all the way to pit road. The former Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Sport Series champion was credited with a 12th-place finish after his car overheated. Keeping with the family theme, Opie Allard of Cundy's Harbor beat his father, Roger Allard, to the line in the 15-lap Mini Truck feature. Portsmouth, N.H.'s, Russ Anderson finished third. In the 20-lap Mini Stock feature, Pete McCollett of Readfield was declared the winner after Mike Wilson failed post-race technical inspection. Dylan Lancaster of Skowhegan was granted second spot behind McCollett, who won for the second time this year.
Day two of the scheduled double header weekend at "Maine's Center of Speed" was rained out. The Sunday afternoon show was to include the second appearance of the year for the Pro All Stars Series, including a 125 lap qualifier for the PASS Super Late Models. As of press time, Wiscasset Raceway and PASS officials have not announced a makeup date for the program. Wiscasset Raceway will next return to action Saturday June 21st at 5:00pm with all six weekly racing series divisions in action. The headliner for that program will be a 30 lap qualifier for the Just Right Auto Repair of Warren – Real Stock Mini Stock Nationals in to be held at the track in October. For information call the Wiscasset Raceway office at (207) 882-4271 or check the raceway website at www.wiscassetraceway.info.
******
OFFICIAL FINISHES 6/14/08
SMITH CONSTRUCTION LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (30 LAPS)
1. Chris Thorne, Sidney; 2. Bill Whorff Jr., Topsham; 3. Adam Chadbourne, Woolwich; 4. Nick Reno, West Bath; 5. Peter Oakes, Boothbay; 6. Jason Witts, Dixmont; 7. Casey Nash, Richmond; 8. Puncin St. Clair, Liberty; 9. Tyler Robbins, Montville; 10. Seth Raven, Waldo; 11. Will Collins, Appleton; 12. Josh St. Clair, Liberty; 13. Nick Hinkley, Wiscasset; 14. Scott Pooler, Vassalboro; 15. Danny Smart, Buxton; 16. Duane Love, West Gardiner; 17. Richard Jordan, Kingfield; 18. Darren Ripley, Appleton; 19. T.J. Watson, Harpswell; 20. Ajay Picard, Palmyra; 21. Mike Orr, Wiscasset; 22. Jeff Burgess, East Madison.
UNICEL / BUDWIESER SUPER STREETS (25 LAPS)
1. R.J. Austin, Smithfield; 2. Shawn Austin, Norridgewock; 3. Jason Gaboury, Readfield; 4. Allen Moeller Sr., Dresden; 5. Jeremy Glasier, Appleton; 6. Brian Fortin, South China; 7. Nate Weston, Madison; 8. Josh Bailey, Wiscasset; 9. Frank Brown, Pittston; 10. Kevin Douglass, Sidney; 11. Ryan St. Clair, Liberty; 12. Mike Landry, Oakland; 13. James Osmond, Gardiner (DQ).
KEYSTONE AUTOMOTIVE STRICTLY STREETS (20 LAPS)
1. Maurice Young, Windsor; 2. Ed Pierpont, Jefferson; 3. Bob Mesimer, Woolwich; 4. Steve Pierpont, Cushing; 5. Ian Bresnahan, Bath; 6. Jamie Henderson, Litchfield; 7. Gerry Burgess, Buckfield; 8. Dave Brannon, Lisbon; 9. Jeff Merrill, Rumford; 10. Zac Creamer, Bath; 11. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 12. Matt Stuart, Pittston; 13. Glen Henderson, n/a; 14. Jeff Davis, Woolwich.
AABLE AUTOPARTS MINI STOCKS (20 LAPS)
1. Pete McCollett, Readfield; 2. Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 3. Robbie Greenleaf, West Bath; 4. Ryan Ripley, Waldoboro; 5. Shawn Kimball, Pittston; 6. Mike Dulaney, Richmond; 7. Natasha Dyer, Arrowsic; 8. Cody Sleeper, Chelsea; 9. Bob Grady, n/a; 10. Ryan Hayes, Jefferson; 11. Barry Poulin, Clinton; 12. Ken Edgecomb, Readfield; 13. Chelsea Young, Winterport; 14. Alex Cromwell, Woolwich; 15. Tim Collins, Farmingdale; 16. Thomas True, Wiscasset; 17. Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 18. Shane Smith, Sidney; 19. Bruce Orne, Wiscasset; 20. Scott Theriault, China; 21. Mike Wilson, Chelsea (DQ).
WHITE & BRADSTREET MINI TRUCKS (15 LAPS)
1. Opie Allard, Cundy's Harbor; 2. Roger Allard, Cundy's Harbor; 3. Russ Anderson, Portsmouth, N.H.; 4. James Howland, Rye, N.H; 5. Kevin Oliver, Gray; 6. James Swan Jr., Clinton; 7. Jessica Norris, Portsmouth, N.H.; 8. Peter Bourque, Portsmouth, N.H.; 9. Josh Harjula, Boothbay; 10. Don Giggey, Athens; 11. Rick Sirois, Norridgewock; 12. Josh Kaufmann, Unity; 13. Jason Giggey, Unity; 14. Jamie Foster, Benton; 15. Chris Doucette, Sebago.