Wiscasset Speedway’s much-awaited 2023 season opener took place on April 22nd, and over 2,000 race fans flocked to the venue to witness the exciting racing program featuring four weekly divisions and the NELCAR Legends.
The Gosline Insurance Super Streets division kicked off the racing action, with Josh St. Clair winning the heat race and dominating the feature, building a comfortable lead and claiming the victory as the checkered flag waved. Ryan Ripley and David Greenleaf rounded out the top 3 finishers.
In the Brackett’s Market 4-Cylinder Pros division, Ben Burgess won the heat race but had to fight Josh Hall for the early lead in the feature race. However, Hall pulled ahead on lap 7 and extended his lead to win the race, with Burgess and rookie Reed Reno completing the top 3.
The NELCAR Legends feature saw Ty Leclerc take an early lead, but Jacob Burnes soon overtook Nick Bulkeley to move up to second place. Leclerc began to struggle with handling in the second half of the race, and Burnes took advantage of the situation, making a successful move to take the lead and claim the feature victory. Bulkeley followed in second place.
The Sweatt’s Concrete Thunder 4 Mini feature had a few early-race cautions, but once the field got rolling, Zach Audet charged ahead and held off last year’s division champion, Shane Webber, to take the checkered flag. Derek Cook finished third.
The Norm’s Used Cars Pro Stocks division witnessed some drama as rookie Daniel Harding and veterans Garrett Hall and Kevin Morse collided on the backstretch during the opening lap of the first heat race, causing severe damage to all three cars. Unfortunately, none of them were able to make it to the 40-lap feature.
Nick Hinkley started the feature strong but defending champion Kevin Douglass was close behind and eventually overtook him on lap 5 to take the lead. Josh St. Clair had to start from the back of the field due to a transponder issue, but he made a remarkable comeback to take third place, and then went on to challenge Hinkley for second. After making slight contact, St. Clair pulled ahead with ten laps to go, but Douglass had already built up a significant lead and took the victory, with Hinkley in second.
The season opener provided exciting racing action across all five divisions, and Wiscasset Speedway is all set to host its Group 2 season opener on Saturday, April 29th. The upcoming event will feature the Late Models, Modifieds, Strictly Streets, Outlaw Minis, and the flex Roadrunners division. The gates will open at 1:00 pm, and the racing will begin at 2:00 pm.
For the official season schedule, race results, track information, and more, fans can visit http://www.wiscassetspeedway.com. The speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset, ME.