By Dan Walker
Bub Bilodeau secured the 2008 Pro Series championship by winning the final 40 lap feature race on Sunday afternoon at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. Bilodeau moved to the front after a spirited duel for the lead involving Steven Jones, Keith McKinnon and Mike Fowler early on.
Bilodeau moved around Fowler on lap 34 and led the final 6 laps for the victory and the championship. David Oliver finished in the second position with championship contender Bobby Babb third. Aaron Ricker and Mike Fowler were fourth and fifth at the finish.
The Sport Series championship was all but sewn up before the day began as Sally Gherardi entered the final race with a 42 point lead. The 35 lap feature race was hotly contested early on with Kelsey Babb leading the first 13 laps before fellow rookie Dalton Gagnon took over.
Gagnon set the pace until Robert Emery challenged him for the top spot on lap 24 but the 2 drivers made contact with Emery spinning down the front stretch and Andy Field shooting into the lead. Field would have to hold off a hard charging Gagnon and Scott Dorr for his first win in 2008 as Travis Buzzell and Russ Morse took the fourth and fifth positions.
Gary Babineau entered the day with a 20 point lead in the Wildcat division and when that 30 lap feature was done Babineau had secured his first title. Dan Bean led the start of the race but as has been the case the past few weeks, things got rough. Bean stayed in front until 28 when Richard Randall went to the front.
Things got ugly on the final lap as the second, third and fourth place cars all crashed together giving Randall the win and Lyman McKeage second place. The field scattered around the wreck and Ron Corbeil crossed the line third with Shawn Gilpatrick and Paul Lund fourth and fifth.
Shawn Brackett clinched the Road Runner title weeks ago but there was 1 more feature race to run. David Palmer would take the lead from Dave Cameron on lap 17 and never look back in taking the win. Ed Connolly was second with Cameron third. Jamie Heath made a visit and finished fourth with David Turner fifth.