Unity, Maine — David Folsom of Skowhegan won the final battle, all that he could do in his effort to overtake East Madison’s Jeff Burgess for the Unity Raceway Late Model division championship.
Folsom was triumphant in the 35-lap main event on Saturday night, but a 21-point deficit entering the night proved to be too much to overcome, and Burgess comfortably claimed the crown with a fifth-pace finish after surviving a spin off of the backstretch durng the race.
Dylan Turner of Freedom cemented a third-place finish in the season-long rankings with a runner-up finish to Folsom in the main event. Ryan Deane of Hermon drove from the back of the pack to claim a third-place finish, with Waldoboro’s Will Collins crossing the line in fourth position, just in front of Burgess. Turner and Burgess won heat races.
Multi-time Keystone Automotive Wildcat division champion Carl McAlpine of Burnham outran his rivals to the checkered flag in the final point-counting race of the season, while Maurice Young of Chelsea wrapped up his first championship at Unity Raceway after scoring seven titles at Wiscasset Raceway.
McAlpine was untouchable during the 25-lapper, while Young prevailed in race-long battle for runner-up honors with last year’s Wildcat kingpin, Chris King of Burnham. Skowhegan racers Kris Matchett and Ed Gilblair rounded out the top five. McAlpine also won the heat race.
Tim Robinson of Clinton prevailed in the 20-lap feature race for the Late Model Pro Four class, while rookie Lance Chapman held on to claim the track title despite a ladt-lap crash that cost him a second-pace finish.
Robinson and Chapman swapped the lead several times until an errant lapped car cost Chapman a chance to cap off his title run with a victory. Skowhegan’s Bryan Lancaster ended up in second position, with Parkman’s Bill Ellis third under the checkered flag. Norm Cummings, Jr. of Augusta was the fourth-place finisher, with Chapman rounding out the top five. Robinson won the heat race.
Zach Audet had the most dominant of all 2011 seasons at Unity Raceway, and closed out his championship season with a main event victory in the Monster Mini class. Audet, the lone driver to enter the final points night with the championship already in hand, outran reigning track champion Mike Wilson to the checkered flag by a healthy margin. Hudson’s Donny Silva filled out the podium, with Farmindale’s Tim Collins and Brent Roy of Vassalboro rounding out the top five. Roy and Silva won heat races.
Brad Bosworth of Cornville scored the feature race victory in the Flyin’ 4 division. Pittston’s Nate Tribbett worked traffic nicely and ended up with a second-place finish. Clinton teen Kyle Robinson wrapped up the division championship with a third-place performance. Bruce Nickerson of Norridgewock and Clinton’s Cole Robinson rounded out the top five. Bosworth also won the heat race.
Chad Folsom of Skowhegan returned to victory lane in the Challenger division, wrapping up the championship in Unity Raceway’s newest class. But the story was really Louie Stillman’s second-place finish after leading the first laps of his career. Stillman, who may be the oldest first-time trophy winner at the raceway, held off Waterville’s Ken Lord, who moved into second place in the final standings with his third-place finish. The previous week’s winner, Mike Stowe of Waterville, ended up in fourth position. Samantha Farnham of Benton rounded out the top five. Lord won the heat race.
Emma Libby of Glenburn won her second straight Teen Thunder feature race, prevailing in a racelong battle with 2011 points runner-up Emily McAlpine of Burnham. April McAlpine of Burnham outran Kyle Jackson oif Fairfield for the third-place trophy, Libby won the heat race.
Andrew Crosby of Hermon made his first Unity Raceway appearance a dominant one, cruising to an easy win in the 20-lap four-cylinder enduro race. Fairfield’s Paul Jackson claimed runner-up honors, in front of Windsor’s Jeff Feyler. Waterville competitors Dustin Switzer and Kersley Santos filled out the top five.
Saturday, October 1 at 1:00p.m. is Fernald Frenzy Fun Day, with a 100-lap enduro and several novelty races and ramp events scheduled. The annual Long John Weekend, topped by special events for Late Models and Wildcats along with the 50-lap Allen Fletcher Memorial New England Mini Stock Classic, wraps up the 2011 Unity Raceway season on Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info
Late Model (35 laps) 1. 15 David Folsom I, Skowhegan; 2. 9 Dylan Turner, Vreedom; 3. 54 Ryan Deane, Hermon; 4. 25 Will Collins, Waldoboro; 5. X Jeff Burgess, East Madison; 6. 28 Brad Bellows, China Village; 7. 7x Danny Smart, Buxton; 8. 24 Deane Smart, Bradley; 9. 99 Ajay Picard, Palmyra; 10. 75 David ‘Deuce’ Folsom II, Skowhegan; 11. 51 Tyler Robbins, Montville; 12. 21 Nick Huff, Orrington; 13. 01 Andy Saunders, Ellsworth; 14. 7 Brian Gullifer, Farmington.
Keystone Automotive Wildcat (25 laps) 1. 18 Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 2. 03 Maurice Young, Chelsea; 3. 29 Chris King, Burnham; 4. 17 Kris Matchett, Skowhegan; 5. 24 Ed Gilblair, Skowhegan; 6. 4 Tim Hudson, Windsor; 7. 51 Brandon Bourne, Wakefield; 8. 20 Joe Harriman, Pittston; 9. 82 Mike Moore, Smithfield; 10. 22 Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 11. 00 Natasha Dyer, Arrowsic.
Monster Mini (20 laps) 1. 19 Zach Audet, Skwohegan; 2. 92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea; 3. 79 Donny Silva, Hudson; 4. 18 Tim Collins, Farmingdale; 5. 26 Brent Roy, Vasssalboro; 6. 23 Tim Robinson, Clinton; 7. 22 Fred Ashmore, Jr., Ellsworth; 8. 2 Greg Cummings, Augusta; 9. 46 John Fortin, Vassalboro; 10. 99 Bradley Norris, Ellsworth; 11. 09 Keith Ogden, Holden; 12. 53 Richard Jackson, Charleston; DNS 54 Ben Audet, Vienna.
Late Model Pro Four (20 laps) 1. 38 Tim Robinson, Clinton; 2. 81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 3. 5 Bill Ellis, Parkman; 4. 26 Norm Cummings, Jr., Augusta; 5. 64 Lance Chapman, Benton; 6. 21 Sonny Robinson, Clinton; 7. 22 Jamie Foster, Benton.
Flyin’ 4 (20 laps) 1. 15 Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 2. 04 Nate Tribbett, Pittston; 3. 62 Kyle Robinson, Clinton; 4. 11 Bruce Nickerson, Norridgewock; 5. 61 Cole Robinson, Clinton; 6. 24 Shadow Folsom, Skowhegan; 7. 22x Bob Gerard, Vassalboro; 8. 22 Lyle Gerow, Fairfield; 9. 91 George Fernald III, Benton; 10. 15x Devon Meserve, Lancer; 11. 51 Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 12. 21 Austin Clemons, Norridgewock; DQ 09 Matt Shaw, Burnham.
Challenger (20 laps) 1. 15 Chad Folsom, Skowhegan; 2. ? Louie Stillman, Clinton; 3. 84 Ken Lord, Waterville; 4. 45 Mike Stowe, Waterville; 5. 96 Samantha Farnham, Benton; 6. 1 Justin Switzer, Waterville; 7. 7 Troy Rusconi, Clinton; 8. 84x Bob Corson, Benton; 9. 88 Henry Boudreau, Bristol.
Teen Thunder (15 laps) 1. 23 Emma Libby, Glenbuen; 2. 18 Emily McAlpine, Burnham; 3. 11 April McAlpine, Burnham; 4. Kyle Jackson, Fairfield.
Four-cylinder enduro (20 Laps) 1. 69 Andrew Crosby, Hermon; 2. 56 Paul Jackson, Fairfield; 3. 4 Jeff Feyler, Windsor; 4. 95 Dustin Switzer, Waterville; 5. 35 Kersley Santos, Waterville; 6. 14 Kevin Seekins, Frankfort; 7. 19 Eddie Gilblair, Jr., Skowhegan; 8. 88 Jon Fortier, Oakland; 9. 99 Ted Ryder, Carmel; 10. 43 Josh Switzer, Waterville; 11 #82, N/A; 12. #81, N/A.