“Survivor: Redemption Island” contestant, former Miss Maine USA and U-Maine basketball star to appear at stock car event
Unity, ME – Stock car racing action roars to life for the first time in 2011 Sunday afternoon at Unity Raceway, and the chief survivor gets $1111 for getting to the checkered flag first after 111 opening day racing laps in the top-tier Late Model division.
Another Maine “Survivor” will share the spotlight at the Waldo County oval, as Ashley Underwood of Benton visits the track to sign autographs and meet with fans after her recent fourth-place performance in the television reality series “Survivor: Redemption Island,” the twenty-second edition of the popular show.
Underwood starred in basketball at Cony High School in Augusta, where she was a finalist for 2003 Miss Maine Basketball award, a two-time All-State honoree, and two-time Eastern Maine All-Tournament Team selection. She led Cony to the Class A Eastern Maine title in 2002 and Eastern Maine runner-up on three other occasions.
She went to the University of Maine on a full-ride basketball scholarship where during her senior season, she led the team in scoring while finishing third in the American East Conference in scoring, earning all-conference honors in the process. She closed out her career with 1,195 points, ranking her in the top ten all-time scorers for the Black Bear woman’s basketball program.
After graduating in 2007 with a degree in nursing, Underwood played a season of professional basketball in Switzerland. Returning to Maine after that season, she decided to enter the Miss Maine USA contest, her first pageant, and was triumphant.
She went on to represent Maine in the nationally televised Miss USA 2009 pageant. Underwood has worked full time as a nurse for School Administrative District 49, which serves her hometown of Benton, as well as Albion, Clinton and Fairfield.
Joining Underwood will be a full program of exciting short track stock car racing action, highlighted by a 111-lap Late Model main event. Competition in the Super Street, Wildcat, Late Model Pro Four, Monster Mini, Flyin’ 4, Ladies and Teen Thunder divisions will also be presented.
Grandstand gates open at 12 noon, with the show getting under way at 1:30 p.m. Unity Raceway is located on School Street (Route 139) in Unity, Maine. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info