Unity, Maine – Brian Whitney is proving to be an extra-distance specialist in the Late Model division at Unity Raceway. The Burnham racer followed up a Father’s Day 100-lap victory with a 75-lap score on Independence Day weekend in the top-tier class last Saturday night.
Whitney swapped the lead with point leader Jeff Burgess of East Madison during the early stages of the event, then raced side-by-side with Freedom’s Dylan Turner for several laps before he was booted from contention.
Late in the race Whitney outran Skowhegan veteran David Folsom I to the checkered flag. Will Collins raced with the top-five throughout the event and claimed a third-place finish. Turner charged from the rear of the field on a late-race restart to finish fourth, with the top-five filled out by Tyler Robbins of Montville.
Burgess and Whitney won heat races. Folsom I claimed the unofficial point lead after late-race trouble relegated Burgess to a ninth-place finish.
Justin Drake of Burnham inherited the lead in a caution-filled 40-lap race for the Late Model Pro Four race after then-leaders Lance Chapman and Sean Johnson crashed while battling for the top position, then cruised to victory in his first start this season aboard the Clark 21.
Chapman, of Benton, climbed back up to second position behind Drake after several pit stops during the caution-filled affair. Rookie Alex Fernald of Benton claimed the final podium finishing position, followed by Augusta’s Norm Cummings, Jr. and Bill Ellis of Parkman. Chapman won the heat race.
Though short on entries, the Super Street main event featured a healthy dose of entertaining racing for the lead, with Nate Weston of Madison coming out on top. Brad Bellows of China Village got back in the “Barney” ride for the first time this season and finished in second position. Winslow’s Andy Turbovsky was third under the checkered flag, followed by Kris Huff or Orrington and Allen Morller, Jr. of Dresden. Weston claimed victory in the heat race.
Ricky Burgess, Jr. took Anthony Milano’s 04 to victory lane following a dominant performance in the Keystone Automotive Wildcat division main event. Multi-time division champion Carl McAlpine followed up a heat race victory with a runner-up performance in the 20-lap main event. Point leader Mo Young of Chelsea was third across the line, followed by reigning champion Chris King of Burnham and Kris Matchett of Skowhegan.
John Fortin of Vassalboro was declared the winner of the 20-lap Monsta Mini feature race after apparent victor Mike Mason was disqualified in post-race inspection. Point leader Zach Audet of New Sharon ended up as the runner-up, with Augusta’s Greg Cummings scoring in third position. Reigning division champion Mike Wilson of Chelsea and Richard Jackson of Hudson rounded out the top-five. Audet won the heat race.
Bruce Nickerson led wire-to-wire in the 20-lap Flyin’ 4 division main event. Brad Bosworth of Cornville charged from the back of the pack to claim runner-up honors in front of Clinton’s Kyle Robinson. Donny Silva finished fourth aboard Amanda Batchelder’s 23, with the top-five rundown completed by Mike Dulaney of Richmond. Nickerson also scored a heat race triumph.
Ricky Pease of Detroit romped to an easy, wire-to-wire win in the Teen Thunder 15-lapper. Montville’s Colby Robbins was the best of the rest, posting a career-best second-place finish. Austin Clemons of Norridgewock was third, followed by Derrick Pariseau of Brooks and Robert Dyer of Canaan. Pease also was victorious in the heat race.
Mike Moore of Madison prevailed in the 15-lap feature event for the new-and-growing Challenger division. Chad Folsom of Skowhegan, undefeated in the class entering the night and the heat race winner, had to settle for a second-place finish. Kenny Lord of Sidney ended a long hiatus from racing with a third-place finish, in front of Skowhegan’s Shadow Folsom and Samantha Farnham of Benton.
A weekend doiubleheader is up next at Unity Raceway, with NELCAR Legends joining the weekly racing classes for a 6:00 p.m. Saturday night card on July 9. Sunday, July 10 the raceway hosts a Fernald Frenzy card, with a 100-lap Enduro race and several novelty races scheduled. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info
Late Model (75 laps) 1. 18 Brian Whitney, Burnham; 2. 15 David Folsom I, Skowhegan; 3. 25 Will Collins, Waldoboro; 4. 9 Dylan Turner, Freedom; 5. 34 Tyler Robbins, Montville; 6. 12 Seth Raven, Waldo; 7. 75 David Folsom II, Skowhegan; 8. 94 Steve Rackliff, Starks; 9. X Jeff Burgess, East Madison; 10. 2 Ryan Robinson, Clinton; 11. 21 Ben Clark, Clinton; 12. 51 Bryan Robbins, Montville; DNS 20 Corey Walker, New Vineyard; DNS 7 Brian Gullifer, Farmington.
Late Model Pro Four (40 laps) 1. 21 Justin Drake, Burnham; 2. 64 Lance Chapman, Benton; 3. 91 Alex Fernald, Benton; 4. 26 Norm Cummings, Jr., Augusta; 5. 5 Bill Ellis, Parkman; 6. 81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 7. 9 Sean Johnson, Stockton Springs; 8. 56 Paul Jackson, Fairfield; 9. 38 Tim Robinson, Clinton.
Racin’ Paper Super Street (25 laps) 1. 47 Nate Weston, Madison; 2. 73 Brad Bellows, China Village; 3. 14 Andy Turbovsky, Winslow; 4. 21 Nick Huff, Orrington; 5. 04 Allen Moeller, Jr., Dresden; 6. 45 Dickie Byron, Madison; DNS Allen Moeller, Sr., Dresden.
Keystone Automotive Wildcat (20 laps) 1. 04 Ricky Burgess, Jr., Waterville; 2. 18 Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 3. 03 Maurice Young, Chelsea; 4. 29 Chris King, Burnham; 5. 17 Kris Matchett, Skowhegan; 6. 5x Bill Bowley, Jr., Canaan; 7. 14 Craig Robbins, Montville; 8. 51 Tyler ‘T-Bone’ Ring, Detroit; 9. 22 Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 10. 98 Todd Rollins, St. Albans.
Monsta Mini (20 laps) 1. 46 John Fortin, Vassalboro; 2. 19 Zach Audet, New Sharon; 3. 2 Greg Cummings, Augusta; 4. 92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea; 5. 53 Richard Jackson, Hudson; 6. 26 Brent Roy, Vassalboro; 7. 18 Tim Collins, Farmingdale; DQ 51 Mike Mason, Skowhegan.
Flyin 4 (20 laps) 1. 11 Bruce Nickerson, Norridgwock; 2. 15 Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 3. 62 Kyle Robinson, Clinton; 4. 23 Donny Silva, Hudson; 5. 10 Mike Dulaney, Richmond; 6. 61 Sonny Robinson, Clinton; 7. 94 Mika Wilson, Chelsea; 8. 06 Ryan Glover, Milton; 9. 60 Matt Glover, Rumford; DNS 09 Matt Shaw, Burnham.
Challenger (15 laps) 1. 16 Mike Moore, Madison; 2. 15 Chad Folsom, Skowhegan; 3. 84 Kenny Lord, Sidney; 4. 17 Shadow Folsom, Skowhegan; 5. 96 Samantha Farnham, Benton; 6. 45 Mike Stowe, Waterville; 7. 10 Freddy Landry; 8. 88 Henry Boudreau, Bristol; 9. 7 Troy Rusconi, Clinton; 10. 24 Dale Reynolds, Canaan.
Teen Thunder (15 laps) 1. 20 Ricky Rease, Detroit; 2. 15 Colby Robbins, Montville; 3. 21 Austin Clemons, Norridgewock; 4. 34 Derreck Pariseau, Brooks; 5. 70 Robert Dyer, Canaan; 6. 88 Wes Turner, Montville; 7. 51 Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 8. 11 April McAlpine, Burnham; 9. 20x Kamren Knowles, Readfield; 10. 18 Emily McAlpine, Burnham; 11. 01 Kyle Jackson, Fairfield; DNS 7 Kaleb Bernatchez, Vassalboro.