Unity, Maine — Jeff Burgess snapped Frank Moulton’s five-race win streak in the 35-lap Late Model main event Saturday night at Unity Raceway.
Burgess, of Fairfield, briefly lost the lead on a couple of occasions after starting from the pole, but controlled most of the Late Model 35-lapper. It was a turnabout of sort for Burgess, who had a two-race win streak broken by the first of Moulton’s five recent victories.
Evan Beaulieu (Durham), Nate Weston (Madison), Carl McAlpine (Burnham), Ben Clark (Clinton), Pete McCollett (Readfield), Justin Moore, Becky Elston and Daymon Dodge (Troy) were also triumphant in feature events at the third-mile oval.
Justin Drake provided the stiffest challenge to the eventual Late Model winner Burgess, but shortly after the two leaders made contact Drake dropped off the pace. Freedom high schooler Dylan Turner provided a late charge to Burgess, claiming runner-up honors in front of reigning champion, and current point leader, Moulton, of Burnham.
Seth Raven challenged the leader briefly and ended up in fourth position under the checkered flag. Skowhegan’s David Folsom grabbed fifth spot on the final lap, by inches in front of Chelsea’s Poncho Darveau. Will Collins of Appleton, Dave Farrington, Jr. of Jay, Markus Lowe of Jackson and Ricky Morse of St. Albans rounded out the top ten. Burgess and Darveau won heat races.
Evan Beaulieu made a late-race move past longtime buddy Bobby Timmons of Windham and drove on to victory in a special, 30-lap feature for the touring NELCAR Legends Cars class. Veteran Bobby Weymouth of Topsham chased the two teenagers throughout the race and under the checkered flag. Matthew Burgoine of Newport claimed fourth position, with Kevin Hutchens of East Waterboro charging back into fifth position after spinning twice during the race. Ed Getty of Gray and Timmons won heat races.
Nate Weston turned back a stiff challenge by Brad Bellows of China to earn a trip to victory lane following the Racin’ Paper Super Street feature. Weston and Bellows kept it close up front throughout the 25-lapper, while third-place finisher Ricky Burgess, Jr. of Waterville came from the back twice to earn the final podium position. Allan Moeller of Dresden was fourth under the checkered flag, followed by Orrington’s Nick Huff, who won the heat race.
Carl McAlpine led wire-to-wire to claim victory in the 20-lap main event for Keystone Automotive Wildcat division competitors. Ryan Robinson of Waterville chased down McAlpine in the closing laps, but ran out of time to mount a serious challenge. The previous week’s winner, Chris King of Burnham, worked his way from the back of the starting line-up into a third-place finish. Ed Sleeper of Vassalboro and Andy Turbovsky of Winslow rounded out the top five. Robinson won the heat race.
Ben Clark of Clinton cruised to an easy victory the Uncle Henry’s Late Model Pro Four division. Division point leader Corey Walker of Augusta added to his slim advantage atop the ranking with a runner-up finish. Walker’s closest rival for the title, three-time kingpin Steve Rackliff of Starks, picked up third-place points driving Brent Chase’s 08. Norm Cummings, Jr. of Augusta and Skowhegan’s Bryan Lancaster completed the finishing order. Clark also won the heat race.
After a rash of penalties and a scoring re-check, Pete McCollett was declared the winner of the Monster Energy Drink Monsta Mini feature. Vassalboro’s John Fortin ended up as the second-place finisher, with point leader and reigning champion Mike Wilson of Chelsea placed third. Lance Chapman of Benton and Augusta’s Greg Cummings were fourth and fifth, respectively. Wilson was the heat race victor.
Justin Moore of Madison extended his healthy point lead with a convincing win in the 20-lap Aable Auto Parts Flyin’ 4 feature. Wilton’s Derek Cook was clearly the best of the rest after second-place point man Zach Audet of New Sharon wrecked and returned only to suffer a third flat tire. Brad Bosworth claimed the third-place trophy. Cook won the heat race.
Becky Elston won a championship at Hermon’s Speedway 95 without the benefit of a feature win, but she outran the Waterville Oaks Ladies competitors Saturday in a rare visit to Unity Raceway. Benton’s Samantha Letourneau bounced back from a scary spin to easily claim runner-up honors, well in front of third-place finisher Amanda Batchelder of Fairfield. Fourth-place finisher Mika Wilson of Chelsea was the heat race winner.
Daymon Dodge of Troy started deep in the field, chased down Skowhegan’s Shadow Folsom and grabbed the checkered flag in victory lane following the 25-lap Enduro race. Hudson’s Donny Silva continued a recent run of good finishes with a third-place run, with Alex Fernald of Benton fourth and Zach Gagnon of Clinton rounding out the top five.
Racing continues every Saturday night through September at Unity Raceway, with special events in early October. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info
FEATURE RACE RESULTS
Late Model (35 laps): 1 X Jeff Burgess, Fairfield; 2. 9 Dylan Turner, Freedom; 3. 15 Frank Moulton, Burnham; 4. 12 Seth Raven, Waldo; 5. x15 David Folsom I, Skowhegan; 6. 03 Poncho Darveau, Chelsea; 7. 25 Will Collins, Appleton; 8. 23 Dave Farrington, Jr., Jay; 9. 10x Markus Lowe, Jackson; 10. 29 Ricky Morse, St. Albans; 11. 29e Ben Erskine, Solon; 12. 1 Willy Pelotte, Oakland; 13. 09 Justin Drake, Dover-Foxcroft; 14. 6 Kyle Turner, Freedom; 15. 51 Craig Robbins, Montville; 16. 15x Nick Hinckley, Wiscasset; DNS 94 Steve Rackliff, Starks.
Racin’ Paper Super Street (25 laps): 1. 47 Nate Weston, Madison; 2.73 Brad Bellows, China Village; 3. 34 Ricky Burgess, Jr., Waterville; 4. 4 Allan Moeller, Dresden; 5. 21 Nick Huff, Orrington; 6. 80 Steve Moulton, Holden; 7. 97 Dan Trask, Chelsea; 8. 94 Steve Rackliff, Starks; 9. 79 Rodney Turner, Montville; 10. 04 Allan Moeller, Jr., Dresden; 11. 48 Mike Lynch, Winterport.
Keystone Automotive Wildcat (20 laps): 1. 18 Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 2. 2 Ryan Robinson, Waterville; 3. 29 Chris King, Burnham; 4. 22 Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 5. 14 Andy Turbovsky, Winslow; 6. 03 Maurice Young, Chelsea; 7. 24 Ed Gilblair, Sr., Skowhegan; 8. 33 Eddie Gilblair, Jr., Skowhegan; 9. 48 Dan Nessmith, Wiscasset.
Uncle Henry’s Late Model Pro Four (20 laps): 1. 21 Ben Clark, Clinton; 2. 20 Corey Walker, Augusta; 3. 08 Steve Rackliff, Starks; 4. 26 Norm Cummings, Jr., Augusta; 5. 81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan.
Monster Energy Drink Monsta Mini (14 laps): 1.20 Pete McCollett, Readfield; 2. 46 John Fortin, Vassalboro; 3. 92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea; 4. 64 Lance Chapman, Benton; 5. 2 Greg Cummings, Augusta; 6. 1 Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan; DQ Tim Collins, Farmingdale.
Aable Auto Parts Flyin’ 4 (20 laps): 1. 5 Justin Moore, Madison; 2. 56 Derek Cook, Wilton; 3. 15 Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 4. 57 Brian Dickey, Madison; 5. 19 Zach Audet, New Sharon; 6. 09x Matt Shaw, Burnham.
Waterville Oaks Ladies (20 laps): 1. 97 Becky Elston, Carmel; 2. 21 Samantha Letourneau, Benton; 3. 23 Amanda Batchelder, Fairfield; 4. 92 Mika Wilson, Chelsea; 5. 25 Christie Foster, Norridgwock; 6. 00 Alica Goodwin, Clinton; 7. 18 Chelsea Young, Winterport.
Geo & Sons Teen Thunder (20 laps): 1. 51 Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 2. 62 Kyle Robinson, Clinton; 3. 88 Wesley Turner, Montville; 4. 61 Cole Robinson, Clinton; 5. 8 Mike Fernald, Benton; 6. 15 Colby Robbins, Montville, DNS 3 Kayla Chesley, Skowhegan.
Enduro (25 laps, top 5 of 18): 1. 16x Daymon Dodge, Troy; 2. 7 Shadow Folsom, Skowhegan; 3. 71 Donny Silva, Hudson; 4. 15 Alex Fernald, Benton; 5. 95 Zack Gagnon, Clinton.
NELCAR Legends (30 laps): 1. 56 Evan Beaulieu, Durham; 2. 31 Bobby Timmons, Windham; 3. 399 Bobby Weymouth, Topsham; 4. 38 Matthew Burgoine, Newport; 5. 72 Kevin Hutchens, East Waterboro; 6. 17 Terry Kirk, Durham; 7. 48 Kendall Curit, Windham; 8. 33 Alan Smith, Lincoln; 9. 10 Ed Getty, Gray; 10. 29 Tyler Jordan, Scarborough; 11. 49 Pete Cannell, South Berwick.