Joey Doiron Eyes Another Beech Ridge Win
Doiron Views SouthernMaineMotors.com 300 As An Opportunity
BERWICK, Maine – Joey Doiron has seen both ends of the spectrum at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway this season, and he’s hoping for another dose of success when the PASS North Series returns to the track this weekend.
After winning the PASS North Series season opener at Beech Ridge in May, Doiron struggled in the series’ return date in early July. He’s hoping the season’s longest and most lucrative regular-season race – this weekend’s SouthernMaineMotors.com 300 on Sunday afternoon – will help him close out 2012 the way it began.
With a trip to Victory Lane.
“I’m more excited to try and redeem myself from how poorly we ran the last race there in July than anything else,” said Doiron, who is seventh in the current PASS North standings with three races remaining. “Looking back, I don’t think it was a case where our setup went away – I think it was the track. Our baseline setup has always been pretty good at Beech Ridge, so we’re going to go back with that and try and get a good finish.”
The SouthernMaineMotors.com 300 is part of a three-day weekend at the track for Super Late Model teams. Open practice highlights the on-track action Friday, with qualifying beginning at 12:15 p.m. this Saturday, September 15, and the main event at approximately 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Doiron, of Berwick, Maine, dominated the PASS 150 at Beech Ridge in May for his first career win in the series and his second Super Late Model win at the track in as many seasons. The No. 73 JBJ Machine/Scarborough Downs Chevrolet won a 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series feature there in August 2011.
Now, Doiron said, this would be a good time to repeat the season-opening performance.
“This is definitely the big one on our schedule. It’s the longest race we have and it pays the post,” he said. “It doesn’t have the prestige that some other races around here have, but only because it hasn’t been around that long – it’s not even been held for 10 years yet – but it will probably get to that point.
“You have to go in with a little different mindset (in a 300-lap race). It’s probably not that big of a deal for the touring guys, not like the guys who are used to only running 40- or 45-lap features there weekly. Basically, you’re going to have a 200-lap race and a 100-lap race and you’re going to change your tires there at some point. It’s all about managing your car to get to the last 50 laps. A lot can happen in 300 laps – not just racing-wise, but mechanically, too. You’ve really got to make sure you have a car that will stay underneath you the whole time.”
Doiron has three Top-5 finishes in his last five PASS races at Beech Ridge, where he was the 2008 Sport Series Rookie of the Year.
He considers Beech Ridge his home track, a place where he’s been comfortable and has posted some of his best career finishes in the PASS North Series over the last three seasons.
“Over the last few years I haven’t thought that the track changed that much,” said Doiron, the 2010 PASS North Series Rookie of the Year. “Obviously, it will change some with all the rubber that’s being put on the track this weekend, but I don’t think it changes beyond that. If your car’s good for the long haul, it shouldn’t change very much. Granted, it was only 150 back in May, but I felt like I could have gone the pace I was going for 250 laps and not been a problem.
“Hopefully, we can do that again this weekend.”