The weather gods did not dare to interfere with Penny Picard and Dan Sampson "Getting Hitched" at Unity Raceway. Mark Dodge and Rosemary Pillsbury stood in attendance as Track Announcer, Gary Bellefleur, did the honors. With the Sportsman cars of Mike Landry, Brad Bellows, and Mark Dodge in the background, the pair was married on the start/finish line. Family, friends, and fans wished the two a long and happy life together. The crowd was treated to wedding cake delivered by the Jr. Fan Club members.
The Late Model Pro 4 division was the extended race of the night. It proved to be a rough one as many drivers were unable to make the show due to mechanical problems. Corey Walker, Bill Ellis, and Mr. Call all watched the race from the stands. Ben Clark used the Monsta Mini of Duane Dunifer to keep up his points. Cary Davis took his pole position to the front and never looked back. He took the heat race win over Jimmy Dennis. Norm Cummings Jr. jumped to the early lead. The pair of Jimmy Dennis and Steve Rackliff freight trained past Cummings on the inside for the lead. Rackliff is trying the inside line to take the lead from Dennis. While these two are racing side by side, Cary Davis has caught them from his last place starting position. Rackliff and Dennis are still side by side with Rackliff having a slight advantage. Rackliff is able to take the lead as Dennis drifts high. Davis tries to follow Rackliff through on the inside. These two go side by side with Dennis never giving up. Rackliff pulls away for the win. Dennis follows in second with Davis a close third. Norm Cummings Jr. continues his streak of top five finishes in fourth. Greg Cumming shakes his bad luck monkey to complete his second race of the season in fifth.
The Monsta Mini division has proved to be very competitive over the last few weeks. The heat race saw Mike Wilson and Richard Jackson go nose to tail and side by side for many laps. The Wilson machine was able to take advantage of a last lap slip up to take the win. Mike Wilson would jump to the lead from his pole position bringing Markus Lowe in tow. This pair would start checking out from the field until the caution flew for a pile up in turn two. The pair would again take the lead after the caution pulling Chad Elkins in on the action. Elkins is returning to the track after a few weeks of fine tuning his machine. Lowe is keeping Wilson in his sights. Wilson has problems with lapped traffic allowing Lowe to catch his back bumper. A caution on lap 15 would bring the fine run of Chad Elkins to an end. Elkins and the 04X of Matt Picard would meet in turn four. Both cars would be taken to the pit on the hook. Wilson would get the quick jump on this restart for the lead. Lewis Batchelder has recovered from the lap one crash to challenge Duane Dunifer for third. Batchelder takes the inside groove and moves to third. Wilson is pulling away from the field. Batchelder catches Lowe. The two touch going into turn three sending both cars spinning. Wilson starts August off with a win. Dunifer follows in second. Richard Jackson recovers from the first lap crash for third. Derick Terrill crosses the line in fourth. Roy Hathorn makes his Unity Raceway debut in fifth.
Jordan Hawes took his machine to the front of the Geo & Son Teen Thunder heat race. Ricky Palmer put Hawes in his sights and reeled him in. Palmer used the inside groove to make the pass and take the heat race win. Ricky Palmer jumped from his pole position into the lead. Jeremy Ludden follows in second. Last weeks winner, Ben Nile, catches Ludden and makes the pass on the inside for second. Shelby Kimball follows the front group for fourth. Brooke Getchell is having a career best night in fifth. Laps are winding down for Nile to catch Palmer. Getchell's fine run comes up one lap short as a right front flat forces her to the pits. Palmer crosses the line first. Nile follows in second. Ludden follows the pair in third. Kimball continues her consist top five finishes in fourth. Jordan Hawes finishes out the top five.
The Limited division saw last weeks winner, Joey Doyon, take the early heat race lead. Frank Moulton would catch Doyon on the inside. Nobody is giving an inch as the pair go door to door for the entire race. Moulton is able to get the jump out of turn four to take the heat race win. The competitors found that three wide on the first lap doesn't always work at Maine's Toughest Oval. Josh St Clair was the loser as he ended up in the turn one bank. Frank Moulton jumps to the lead, but caution would fly again one lap later as Josh St Clair spins again this time in turn four. Moulton and Dave St Clair take the restart side by side. Moulton fights back to again take the lead. Joey Doyon has caught the lead pair and sits patiently for someone to make a mistake. Joe Allard is having another fine run in fourth. Newcomer, Shane Clark, is following Allard in fifth. Clark drives deep in turn three taking over fourth. The top four cars have bunched together and fighting for the lead. Dave St Clair takes advantage for the outside groove to take the lead. Clark takes over third from Doyon. Moulton and Clark are battling for second when they catch the slowing Dave St Clair machine. Moulton and Clark collect each other sending Moulton down over the back stretch. Dave St Clair takes a trip to the pits with a flat right front tire. Moulton is done for the night. Doyon takes the lead pulling Jerry Robbins with him. Caution would fly again as the machines of Dustin Hubbard and Joe Allard spin in turn three. Doyon takes the lead and his second straight feature win in a row. Dave St Clair recovers from his flat tire for second. Jerry Robbins has a fine run in third. Joe Allard recovers from his spin in fourth. Hubbard finishes out the top five.
The Ladies division saw the return of Molly Feeney to the track. She took over where she left off taking the heat race win. Alica Goodwin took her 00 machine to the early lead. The caution would fly early as point leader, Samantha Letourneau, would find herself in the turn two back. The race would go back to green for one lap before Mika Wilson would find herself almost in the same spot as Letourneau. Chelsea Young has taken advantage of the cautions to move into the lead. Mary Reed would not be denied as she moved to the outside and the lead. These two would go door to door with Young taking the lead. Molly Feeney cruises past Carol Wilson to take over third spot. Feeney puts her sights on the lead pair. Reed's machine is getting loose allowing Feeney to pass easily. Young returns to the winners circle with another checkered flag. Feeney finishes in second. Wilson joins the pair in victory lane in third. Goodwin has a 2008 best finish in fourth. Mary Reed finished out the top five.
The Men's Peanut division saw Chris Williams break his string of bad luck to jump to the early heat race lead. Ryan Ripley flew by cars from the rear of the field to take the heat race win. It didn't take long for the caution flag to fly as Tim Robinson got loose out of turn four and ended up in the dirt. Ryan Ripley uses the caution flag to jump to the lead. Cody Sleeper follows in a close second. Tony DeJulio uses the outside groove to take third. Robinson recovers from the crash and weaves through traffic towards the front. Ripley is driving away from the field. Lance Chapman, driving the #56 Paul Jackson machine, moves into the top five. Cody Sleeper trying to run down Ripley. The lead is too large. Ripley takes home the win. Cody Sleeper follows in second. Robinson limps his machine to third. Chapman and #4 finish out the top five.
The Sportsman race saw Donnie York and Kris Huff show just how close you can get without wrecking. The two raced side by side. The race was won by the outside groove power of York's machine. Bryan Robbins jumped to the early race lead. Robbin's machine started loosing grip. This is closing the field. Donnie York has moved to the front around the challenging Kris Watson. Kris Huff is following York to the front. Robbins is still hanging tough, but the pair pass as he goes wide. Bellows makes his presence known has he cracks the top five. Huff is trying the inside lane to make the move around York. York is hanging tough. Huff sneaks through for the lead. Bellows follows him into second. Caution flies on lap 22 as York spins in turn four. Bellows jumps to the lead on the restart. Huff remains tough keeping the pressure on Bellows on the last few laps. Bellows gains control and the win. Huff finishes in a very close second. Kris Watson takes home another trophy in third. Mike Landry makes his 2008 debut in fourth. Mark Dodge topped out the top five.
The eighteen car Enduro field saw the 88x of Troy Patterson shoot out to the lead. Shadow Folsom followed in second with Dominic Bailey in third. Patterson weaved in and out of the lapped traffic throughout the laps. Many of the cars in the field were many laps down. The red flag would fly on lap 13 as a car rolled on it's side. On the restart, Dominic Bailey catches Folsom sleeping and jumps into second. Folsom would fight back and take over second. Patterson cruises to another win. Folsom crosses the line in second but does not pass post race inspection. This moves Dominic Bailey to second. Young Robert Dyer has the race of his life taking home his first career trophy in third. Douglas Kus followed in a very close fourth. Nick Lizotte finishes out the top five.
The Unity Variety and Video Wildcat's saw Dustin Hubbard jump to the early heat race lead. Carl McAlpine takes advantage of lapped traffic to move into the lead. Troy Patterson moves past the battling pair to take the heat race win. Carl McAlpine uses his front row position to jump to the lead. Buddies, Troy Patterson and Dustin Hubbard, run side by side for a fine battle for second. Hubbard is able to take advantage of the slipping Patterson to move into second. McAlpine is walking away from Hubbard. McAlpine returns to victory lane with a victory. Hubbard follows in second. Patterson finishes a fine run in third. Mike Hodgkins returns from his mechanical woes of a week ago with a fourth place finish. Hurricane Hal Stratton completes the top five.
Unity Raceway returns to racing Friday night, August 8, with Fan Appreciation Day for the fans. The Wild Rampsters will return to the racing program for another race.