By Bill DaButler
(Hermon) With the prefect weather for racing as the back drop, Speedway 95 in Hermon had another exciting evening of action, Saturday, May 4th with a down to the wire side-by-side race in the Darlings Ford Sportsman series, and a full card of regular weekly divisions.
With just two cautions in the 25-lap Darlings Ford Sportsman series race (the first of three) Milford’s Joe Legere battled side-by-side in the closing laps with Kris Matchett of Skowhegan. The pair traded the top spot back-and-forth until the checkered flag favored Legere. Matchett told fans in victory lane that the car started to become loose in the closing laps, making his second place finish all the more intense. Kris Watson of Hermon was on the back bumper of the pair, to finish the race in a close third.
John Kalel of Orrington led all but 3 laps of the 40-lap Dysart’s Late Model Division, with Rookie Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington (who finished second) leading those other three laps. McLaughlin had a stronger car on the restarts, but it only too a lap or two for Kalel’s car to dominate the field, and earn him the top spot for that all-important final lap. Andrew Saunders of Ellsworth kept digging away at the second spot, by diving into the low groove, but ultimately settled for a well-earned third place finish.
In the Strictly Street division, Bryan Robbins of Montville took the lead on the restart of lap 19, after a competitor’s engine trouble caused a caution on the track. Robbins held that top spot until the checkered flag, followed by Alex Berry of Harrington in second, and Andrew Turbovchy of Winslow crossing the line for third.
Despite the distraction of two yellow flags (at laps 1 and 2), and two red flags (at laps 9 and 12), pole sitter Emma Libby of Glenburn led the field to the checkered flag in the Sport-Four division. Zack Audet of Skowhegan picked up the second spot, with Brad Bosworth of Cornville rounding out the top three.
There were a number of close calls that nearly led to additional caution flags, but the Bomber division managed to keep the total number of race stopping cautions down to just two (at laps 1 and 15). Dennis Burns from Carmel crossed the line first when the checkered flag was flown, with Chris Carroll of Alton in second, and Mark Lane of Newport third.
Speedway 95 returns to action Saturday Night May 11th at 5pm, for the Street Stock 35 lap Pepsi Beverage Company series race #1, plus racing all the regular divisions as well.
RESULTS (TOP 5)
Darling’s Ford Sportsman (Series 1 of 3)
Finish, Car, Driver, Town
1. 88, Joe Legere, Milford
2. 17, Kris Matchett, Skowhegan
3. 96, Kris Watson, Hermon
4. 9, Bradley Norris, Ellsworth
5. 7, D.C. Alexander, Glenburn
Dysart’s Late Models
Finish, Car, Driver, Town
1. 5, John Kalel II, Orrington
2. 26, Andrew McLaughlin, Harrington
3. 01, Andrew Saunders, Ellsworth
4. 18, Wayne Parritt, Steuben
5. 54, Ryan Deane, Winterport
Street
Finish, Car, Driver, Town
1. 51, Bryan Robbins, Montville
2. 67B, Alex Berry, Harrington
3. 14, Andy Turbovchy, Winslow
4. 09, Matthew Kimball, Cornville
5. 14p, Gerry Phillips, Hermon
Sport-Four
Finish, Car, Driver, Town
1. 23, Emma Libby, Glenburn
2. 19, Zach Audet, Skowhegan
3. 15b, Brad Bosworth, Cornville
4. 18x, JR Gray, Orrington
5. 51, Jayson Bosworth, Cornville
Bomber
Finish, Car, Driver, Town
1. 65, Dennis Burns, Carmel
2. 04, Chris Carroll, Alton
3. 70, Mark Lane, Newport
4. 19, Edward Archer, Skowhegan
5. 25, Jarrod Barnett, Alton