JOSH ST. CLAIR WINS 111-LAPLATE MODEL SPECIAL AT UNITY RACEWAY
Track champions Mo Young, Zach Audet also big winners on Long John Weekend
Unity, Maine – Josh St. Clair of Liberty prevailed in the 111-lap Late Model main event, topping the racing card on Long John Weekend Sunday at Unity Raceway.
St. Clair took over the lead shortly after newly-crowned track champion Jeff Burgess of East Madison spun after the rear end apparently failed on his car after he’d patiently driven from ninth starting position to the front of the pack.
Brian Whitney of Burnham controlled the pace early in the race, leading most of the first forty laps while battling Freedom’s Dylan Turner, St. Clair and David ‘Deuce’ Folsom II of Skowhegan for the frontrunner’s role while Burgess picked his way up through the running order.
Burgess finally got to the front and looked like a good bet to land in victory lane when the rear end woes cropped up, resulting in a spin in front of the field exiting turn four that sent all of the contenders scrambling to avoid major damage.
Once in front St. Clair survived a couple of challenges by Justin Drake of Burnham on late-race restarts to claim the checkered flag.
Drake finished in the runner-up position in his first drive aboard a recently-acquired car, with Turner bouncing back from several pit stops to finish third. Will Collins of Waldoboro crossed the line in fourth position, with Deuce Folsom rounding out the top five. Sixth through tenth-place finishes were posted by Ryan Deane of Winterport, Dale Swoboda of Hermon, Rowland Robinson, Jr. of Steuben, Ben Clark of Clinton and Buxton’s Danny Smart.
Saturday afternoon heat race victories went to Turner, Deuce Folsom and Drake.
Mo Young of Chelsea wrapped up his 2011 championship season in the Wildcat division in winning fashion, leading the entire distance in the extended, 75-lap Long John special.
Behind Young, Oxford Plains Speedway invader and former champion Skip Tripp of South Paris turned back several challengers to earn runner-up honors, with newly-crowned Speedway 95 champion Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington claiming third-place hardware.
Skowhegan racers Kris Matchett and Ed Gilblair rounded out the top five, followed by Mike Moore of Smithfield, Shawn Hamel II of Bangor, Jim Carr, Jr. of Clifton, Todd Rollins of St. Albans and Glenburn’s Woody Davis.
Saturday Wildcat division heat races were won by Moore and Young.
Like Young, Zach Audet completed his championship campaign with a big victory, dominating the Allen Fletcher Memorial Mini Stock 50-lapper to claim a $1000 top prize.
Audet did lose the lead briefly to friend and chief rival Mike Mason, but clearly was the superior car after the green flag was displayed for a couple of laps.
Justin Trombley of Winter Harbor made a rare 2011 start and drove to a third-place finish, in front of Ellsworth’s Ben Ashmore and John Fortin of Vassalboro. Speedway 95 champion Brad Norris of Ellsworth was sixth, followe by Hudson’s Donny Silva, Keith Ogden of Holden, Becky Elston of Carmel and Old Town’s Brent Fletcher, brother of the late driver honored in this Memorial Race.
Saturday afternoon Mini Stock heat race victories were posted by Audet and Tim Robinson of Clinton, who looked fast in the early stages of the 50-lapper before being sidelined by mechanical woes.
Jimmy Dennis of Benton, who’d sat out much of the past two years due to health issues, returned to the cockpit and scored a popular victory in the 25-lap main event for Late Model Pro Four division competitors.
Dennis held off Ben Clark of Clinton throughout the event to claim the checkered flag. Skowhegan brothers Bryan and Dylan Lancaster were next across the stripe. Kevin Douglass of Sidney won the heat race.
Jayson Bosworth of Cornville cruised to victory in the Flyin’ 4 feature race, but the star of the show was young Glenburn racer Emma Libby, who proved she wouldn’t be intimidated by aggressive moves by her rivals en route to an impressive runner-up finish. Jamie Leavitt of Minot ended up in third position, with Justin Larsen of Peru and Vassalboro’s Bob Gerard fourth and fifth, respectively. Bosworth won the heat race.
The Wicked Good Vintage Race Car Association was on hand Saturday afternoon, with Hal Clark, Keith Smalley, Kris Watson and Joe Legere earning trips to victory lane.
Clark, of Bridgton, outran Dick McPhail of Fairfield for the Wicked Good Modified division victory.
Smalley, of Warren, held off Bob Symonds of Casco and Jamie Henderson of Litchfield to score the Wicked Good Early Late Model win.
Watson, a former Unity Raceway Super Street champion, took top honors in the Early Modified class, in front of East Machias racer Kenny Rocinson and Mike Millett of Eddington.
Legere drove John Rice’s Ford Torino to victory lane in the late Model race. Shawn Racilla of Dover-Foxcroft and Hermon’s Duane Dunifer rounded out the podium finishing positions.
Challenger and Enduro competitors had a pair of main events on Long John Weekend.
On Saturday Challenger regular Mike Stowe of Waterville outran division champion Chad Folsom of Skowhegan to the checkered flag. Ken Lord of Waterville was third, followed by George Fernald III of Benton and Fairfield’s Paul Jackson.
Folsom returned to form on Sunday, topping the official order of finish with Fernald second and Stowe third. Bobby Sgeer of Frankfort and Windsor’s Jeff Feyler rounded out the top five.
A 100-lap enduro race tops the card at the lone event remaining on the 2011 Unity Raceway schedule on Fernald Frenzy Fun Day, set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 22. Several other fun and novelty races will also be presented. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info
Sunday Unity Raceway Long John results
Late Model (111 laps) 1. Josh St. Clair, Liberty; 2. 20 Justin Drake, Burnham; 3. 9 Dylan Turner, Freedom; 4. 25 Will Collins, Waldoboro; 5. 75 David ‘Deuce’ Folsom II, Skowhegan; 6. 54 Ryan Deane, Winterport; 7. 05 Dale Swoboda, Hermon; 8. 28 Rowland Robinson, Jr., Steuben; 9. 21 Ben Clark, Clinton; 10. 7x Danny Smart, Buxton; 11. 99 Ajay Picard, Palmyra; 12. 56 Jason Forbes, Castle Hill; 13. 18 Brian Whitney, Burnham; 14. 15 David Folsom I, Skowhegan; 15. 50 Joey Doyon, Winterport; 16. 11 Ryan St. Clair, Liberty; 17. 10 Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 18. 28x Pete Silva, Florida; 19. X Jeff Burgess, East Madison; 20. 04x Chad Dow, Fairfield; 21. 17 Gary Thorne, Sidney; 22. 10 Glenn Curtis, Hudson; 23. 3 Randy Turner, Unity; 24. 01 Andy Saunders, Ellsworth.
Wildcat (75 laps) 1. Maurice Young, Chelsea; 2. 12 Skip Tripp, South Paris; 3. 26 Andrew McLaughlin, Harrington; 4. 17 Kris Matchett, Skowhegan; 5. 24 Ed Gilblair, Skowhegan; 6. 82 Mike Moore, Smithfield; 7. 55 Shawn Hamel II, Bangor; 8. 3 Jim Carr, Jr., Clifton; 9. 98 Todd Rollins, St. Albans; 10. 00 Woody Davis, Glenburn; 11. 777 Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 12. 20 Joe Harriman, Pittston; 13. 16 Mike Shaw, Troy; 14. 22 Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 15. 29 Chris King, Burnham; 16. 31 Brandon Bourne, Wakefield NH; 17. 83 Dan Brown, Peru; 18. 4 Chuck Harmon, Amity; 19. 99 Al Libby, Brooks; 20. 18 Brent Chase, Byrnham; 21. 67 Brad Finnemore, Dover-Foxcroft; 22. 2 Jim Shorey, Kingston NH; 23. 9 Wayne Ripley, Warren; 24. 07 Cody Brassbridge, Frankfort.
Allen Fletcher Memorial Mini Stock (50 laps) 1. Zach Audet, Skowhegan; 2. 51 Mike Mason, Skowhegan; 3. 34 Justin Trombley, Winter Harbor; 4. 22 Fred Ashmore, Ellsworth; 5. 46 John Fortin, Vassalboro; 6. 99 Bradley Norris, Ellsworth; 7. 79 Donny Silva, Hudson; 8. 09 Keith Ogden, Holden; 9. 97 Becky Elston, Carmel; 10. 23 Brent Fletcher, Old Town; 11. 9 Wayne Fox, Jr., Caribou; 12. 28 Rick Saucier, Wallagras; 13. 53 Richard Jackson, Charleston; 14. 20 Justin Larsen, Peru; 15. 10 Reggie Bickford, Oakland; 16. 18 Tim Collins, Farmingdale; 17. 23x Tim Robinson, Clinton; 18. 88x Wes Turner, Montville; 19. 32 Keith Thibeau, Fort Fairfield; 20. 92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea.
Challenger/Enduro (25 laps, top 10 of 19) 1. 15 Chad Folsom, Skowhegan; 2. 91 George Fernald III, Benton; 3. 45 Mike Stowe, Waterville; 4. 17 Bobby Seger, Frankfort; 5. 4x Jeff Feyler, Windsor; 6. 16 Daymon Dodge, Troy; 7. 84 Ken Lord, Waterville; 8. 19 Christie Foster, Norridgewock; 9. ? Louie Stillman, Clinton; 10. 96 Samantha Farnham, Benton.
Saturday Unity Raceway Long John results
Late Model Pro Four (25 laps): 1. 38 Jimmy Dennis, Benton; 2. 3 Ben Clark, Clinton; 3. 81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 4. 1 Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 5. 6 Kevin Douglass, Sidney.
Flyin 4 (25 laps): 1. 51 Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 2. 23 Emma Libby, Glenburn; 3. 93 Jamie Leavitt, Minot; 4. 20 Justin Larsen, Peru; 5. 22x Bob Gerard, Vassalboro; 6. 20x Kayla Allen, Bucksport; 7. 15 Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 8. 01 Paul Jackson, Fairfield; 9. 73 Adam Polvinen, Oxford.
Wicked Good Early Late Models (25 laps): 1. 420 Keith Smalley, Warren; 2. 82 Bob Symonds, Casco; 3. 52 Jamie Henderson, Litchfield; 4. 155 Wally Henderson, Litchfield; 5. 64 Scott Tucker, Winthrop; 6. 2 Kevin Waterhouse, South Paris; 7. 49 Roger Raymond, Hartland; 8. M16 Mark Thurlow, Lincolnville; 9. 151 Rosie Gerry, Lincolnville; 10. 60 Charlie Sheehan, Hermon.
Wicked Good Modified (25 laps): 1. 22 Hal Clark, Bridgton; 2. 61 Dick McPhail, Fairfield.
Wicked Good Early Modifieds (25 laps): 1. 06 Kris Watson, Hermon; 2. 83 Kenny Robinson, East Machias; 3. 15 Mike Millett, Eddington; 4. 13 Tim Reynolds, Bradley.
Wicked Good Late Models (25 laps): 1. 11 Joe Legere, Milford; 2. 3 Shawn Racilla, Dover-Foxcroft; 3. 27 Duane Dunifer, Hermon; 4. 15 Richard Jackson, Charleston.
Challenger/Enduro (25 laps): 1. 45 Mike Stowe, Waterville; 2. 15 Chad Folsom, Skowhegan; 3. 84 Ken Lorrd, Waterville; 4. 91 George Fernald III, Benton; 5. 56 Paul Jackson, Fairfield; 6. 96 Samantha Farnham, Benton; 7. 6 Geoff Lowe, Minot; 8. 16 Daymon Dodge, Troy; 8. 4 Jeff Feyler, Windsor; 9. 9 Jeff Walker, Falmouth; 10. ? Louie Stillman, Clinton.