Trading the lead back and forth inside the final laps, the pair never made contact, but never seperated by more than a half car length. The third and final caution would set up an exciting green-white-checker finish and Colby would stay strong on the outside and take the win by just a foot at the line over Smith. For Smith it was his best finish of the year at the Center of Speed, as he never trailed in the race by more than a car length against three different challengers. Freedom's Randy Turner would retake the division point leader with his 3rd place finish. In the evening's co-main event, Pete McCollet held off challenges from Shawn Kimball, Ryan Ripley, and Dylan Lancaster to pick up the win in the 30 lap qualifier for the Aable Autoparts Mini Stocks. With the victory he secured himself a guarenteed starting position in the $1000 to win Real Stock Mini Stock Nationals to be held at Wiscasset in early October. Kimball was the winner of the first qualifier in June. Brother's Dylan and Bryan Lancaster started on the front row and brought the pack to the green flag, but a caution just a lap into the race would bunch them back up. McCollet took over the lead on lap five by racing under Dylan Lancaster through turn one and two, bringing Kimball with him to 2nd. As the race proceeded Kimball provided relentless pressure to the leader as Ryan Ripley moved into the picture from his 8th starting spot. Just two other cautions for minor spins would slow the action, but the final caution, like the Prostocks, set up a green-white-checker finish for them. Six cars stayed wrapped up tight for the three podium positions in victory lane. McCollet took the win by just a carlength in his #20 Ladd Plumbing & Heating sponsored V.W. Golf. Coming out of turn four to the checkers Ripley pulled to the inside of both the front runners and took away second. Kimball, who spent the last ten laps of the race on McCollet's outside door had to settle for 3rd. Dylan Lancaster, the division point leader took fourth, followed by defending champ Kevin Douglass in 5th.
COLBY AND MCCOLLET ARE BIG WINNERS SATURDAY NIGHT AT WISCASSET
Saturday night at Wiscasset Raceway Chuck Colby and Pete McCollet each picked up their third victory of 2008 in their respective divisions. In doing so, they helped put in two of the most exciting races of the season at "Maine's Center of Speed". Colby ran door to door with Bangor's Gary Smith for the final nine laps of the 50 lap feature for the Clark's Car Crushing Prostocks and the pair put on a show for the fans. Smith started from the pole position and held the early lead over Jeff Burgess through the first 19 laps until a flat tire and bad right front wheel bearing would send Burgess into the tire wall in turn two. Charlie Colby (Chuck's father) would move up to the 2nd position for the restart. The next five laps Smith and Colby would trade the lead back and forth while Chuck Colby moved up to third from his 8th starting position. The next caution wouldn't come out until lap 42 when Charlie Colby would loose his hold on the race track coming out of turn four and go spinning down the front stretch to the infield. The lap 42 restart would bring the younger Colby up to challenge Smith on the outside.
In other action on the evening, sponsored by Peaslee's Mountain Hunting Park and J.C. Stone Company of Jefferson, Chris Thorne outraced Daren Ripley and then took advantage of a caution-checkers finish to pick up his 4th win of the season in the 30 lap Smith Conctruction Late Models feature. On the final lap as Ripley slowed to avoid cars that had spun in turn three, rookie Adam Chadbourne and Ajay Piccard would slip by him to grab the 2nd and 3rd place trophies. In victory lane Thorne gave his father Gary all the credit for the win. "This is just the second time we've used radios this year and my dad was the one who reminded me to race back to the checkers on the last lap caution" said the winner chuckling, "if it wasnt for him I probably would have been passed". Maurice young continued his dominance of the Keystone Automotive Strictly Streets, leading wire to wire in the 20 lap feature and picking up his career high and track high 9th win of the season. He was joined in victory lane by Ed Peirpont of Jefferson and Ian Bresnahan of Bath. With his 2nd place finish, Peirpont jumped past Bobby Mesimer into 2nd in the point standings. In the 25 lap feature for the Unicel / Budwieser Super Streets, Smithfield's RJ Austin survived a wreck filled race to pick up his 2nd win of the season. Mike Landry of Oakland and Shawn Austin of Norrodgewock joined him in victory lane. Chris Doucette of Sebego was once again a winner in the 15 lap feature for the White & Bradstreet Mini Trucks. He took advantage of two early race cautions and then held off Jason Giggey to grab his 5th win of the season. Russ Anderson of Portsmouth, NH joined the the pair in victory lane to claim the 3rd place trophy. Wiscasset Raceway returns to action Saturday August 30th at 5:00pm with a big show highlighted by the NAPA Autoparts Twin 100's. The annual Labor Day weekend show will feature 100 lap co-main events for the Smith Construction Late Models and the Unicel / Budwieser Super Streets. Wiscasset's other weekly racing series divisions will also be in action with regular points racing. For more information, call the Wiscasset Raceway office at (207) 882-4271 or check the track website at www.wiscassetraceway.info.
OFFICIAL FINISH 8/23/08
CLARK'S CAR CRUSHING PROSTOCKS (50 LAPS)
1. Chuck Colby – Wiscasset; 2. Gary Smith – Bangor; 3. Randy Turner – Freedom; 4. Chuck Lachance – Cushing; 5. Ryan Deane – Winterport; 6. Scott Moore – Anson; 7. Charlie Colby – Edgecomb; 8. David Farrington Jr – Jay; 9. Scott King – Livemore Falls; 10. John Phippen Jr – Bar Harbor; 11. Tim Turner – Freedom; 12. Ricky Morse – St Albans; 13. Bryan Robbins- Montville; 14. Jason Chicolas – Sulton, MA; 15. Dylan Turner – Freedom; 16. Scott Pooler – Portage; 17. Jeff Burgess – E. Madison;
SMITH CONSTRCUTION LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (30 LAPS)
1. Chris Thorne – Sidney; 2. Adam Chadbourne – Woolwich; 3. Ajay Piccard – Palmyra; 4. Daren Ripley – Appleton; 5. TJ Watson – Harpswell; 6. Jason Witts – Dixmont; 7. Bill Pinkham – Wiscasset; 8. Danny Smart – Buxton; 9. Duane Love – West Gardiner; 10. Seth Raven – Waldo; 11. Scott Pooler – Arundel; 12. Nick Hinkley – Wiscasset; 13. Steve Reno – West Bath; 14. Tyler Robbins- Montville; 15. Mike Orr – Wiscasset; 16. Will Collins – Appleton
UNICEL SUPER STREETS (25 LAPS)
1. R.J. Austin – Smithfield; 2. Mike Landry – Oakland; 3. Shawn Austin – Norridgewock; 4. James Osmond- Wiscasset; 5. Kevin Douglass – Sidney; 6. Allan Moeller – Dresden; 7. Jeremy Glasier – Appleton; 8. Nate Weston – Madison; 9. Sulo Burbank – Gorham; 10. Josh Bailey – Wiscasset; DQ. Brian Fortin – S. China; DQ. Jason Gaboury – Readfield
KEYSTONE AUTOMOTIVE STRICTLY STREETS (20 LAPS)
1. Maurice Young – Windsor; 2. Ed Peirpont – Jefferson; 3. Ian Bresnahan – Bath; 4. Dave Brannon – Lisbon; 5. Bobby Mesimer – Wiscasset; 6. Wally Henderson – Litchfield; 7. Matt Stuart – Pittston; 8. Vern Hodgkins – Lewiston; 9. Marc Fucshwanz – Augusta; DNS Steve Peirpont – Cushing; DNS Jamie Henderson – Litchfield
AABLE AUTOPARTS MINI STOCKS (30 LAPS – NATIONALS QUALIFIER)
1. Pete McCollet – Readfield; 2. Ryan Ripley – Thomaston; 3. Shawn Kimball – Pittston; 4. Dylan LAncaster – Skowhegan; 5. Kevin Douglass – Sidney; 6. Brian Lancaster – Skowhegan; 7. Mike Dulaney – Richmond; 8. Ed Sleeper – Vassalboro; 9. Mac Hannan Jr – Unionl; 10. Tom True – Wiscasset; 11. Rob Greeneleaf – West Bath; 12. Ryan Hayes – Jefferson; 13. David Hinkley – Pittston; 14. Tim Grant – Augusta; 15. Chelsea Young – Winterport; 16. Ken Edgecomb – Readfield; 17. Natasha Dyer – Arrowsic; 18. David Stone Jr – n/a; 19. David Stone Sr – n/a; 20. Leland Moore – n/a DNS Bruce Orne – Wiscasset
WHITE & BRADSTREET MINI TRUCKS (15 LAPS)
1. Chris Doucette – Sebego; 2. Jason Giggey – Unity; 3. Russ Anderson – Portsmouth, NH; 4. Rick Fountain – Rochester, NH; 5. Don Gigggey – Athens; 6. Jessica Norris – Portsmouth, NH; 7. Kevin Oliver – Gray; 8. Rick Sirois – Norridgewock; 9. Josh Kaufmann – Unity; 10. James Swan III – Clinton; 11. Mike Anderson – Portsmouth, NH; 12. Josh Harjula – Boothbay; 13. James Howland – Rye, NH