WISCASSET RACEWAY PRESS RELEASE 5/18/08
Johnny Clark gave a stellar repeat performance Sunday afternoon at Wiscasset Raceway on his way to a wire to wire win, a big paycheck and an extra bonus in the process. Clark, the opening day winner at Wiscasset just a week earlier, held off a late race charge from Travis Benjamin in the closing laps to win the Ray Haskell Ford 125 for the Pro All Stars Series by just a half car length. The win was Clark's first of the year in the PASS tour but his 5th win in his last six trips to the Center of Speed going back through the 2007 season. For the second week in a row Benjamin was the only driver to challenge Clark's dominance and he continually hounded the leader throughout the second half of the race. But with the race slowed by nine cautions, Benjamin was never able to settle into a long green flag run that his car needed. 5-time PASS North champ Ben Rowe held 3rd throughout much of the race and joined the pair in victory lane.
Adam Baits and DJ Shaw filled out the top five. With the win Clark guaranteed himself a starting position in the $30,000 to win N.E. Toyota Tundra 250 on August 17th. Sunday's Ray Haskell Ford 125 highlighted day two of a doubleheader weekend at Maine's fastest track. In other action on the afternoon Mark Lucas of Harpswell took the lead from Pownal's Kenny Harrison with five laps to go and drove away to the win in the 40 lap PASS Modified feature. They were joined in victory lane by Tom Oliver. Wiscasset's White & Bradstreet Mini Trucks filled out Sunday's program with Don Giggey of Athens taking the 15 lap feature with Kevin Oliver of Gray and James Swan III joining him in victory lane. A complete rundown of Sunday's PASS action and official finishing order can be found on the PASS website at www.racewithpass.com.
On the Saturday afternoon program, Sidney's Chris Thorne outlasted a trio of contenders to pick up an exciting win in the annual Bruce Kane Memorial for the Smith Construction Late Model Sportsman class. Thorne took the lead from Daren Ripley following a lap 7 restart and then traded the lead back and forth with Steve Reny over the second half of the race to take the 30 lap feature. It was his first win of the season and second straight year he has won the race that honors #68 Bruce Kane who lost his life in a racing accident at Wiscasset in the early 90's. Both Thorne and Reny said that their cars we too loose to keep on the bottom groove which led to the multiple lead changes. Oxford Plains regular Ricky Rolfe came down to Wiscasset for a test run leading up to the Coastal 200 and the trip paid off with a run from the back of the field to finish 3rd. He took the position from Ripley on the final turn of the race. In support action Shawn Austin of Norridgewock took advantage of an early race caution involving the leaders and then ran away to pick up his first career win in the 25 lap Unicel Super Street feature. Nate Weston worked the traffic to move into 2nd but wasn't able to chase down Austin who took the win by a half straightaway. R.J. Austin snuck by Mike Landry on the final turn of the race to join his younger brother in victory lane and pick up the 3rd place trophy. 5-time Keystone Automotive Strictly Street champ Maurice Young of Chelsea rebounded from a dissapointing 14th place finish on opening day to lead the 20 lap Strictly feature wire to wire for the win. Steve Peirpont of Cushing was the only driver to keep Young in his sights and would follow the defending champ for the 2nd place finish. Jeff Merrill of Mexico withstood a great race-long battle with former champ Dave Brannon to take the final spot in victory lane. In the 20 lap feature for the Aable Auto Parts Mini Stocks Readfield's Pete McCollet picked up his first win since 2005. Mac Hannan Jr of Union and Dylan Lancaster of Skowhegan took the 2nd and 3rd place trophies for the second straight week. Hannan took the lead from McCollet on lap 16 but Pete retook the lead a lap later when Hannan got caught behind a lapped car. Jason Giggy of Unity used a late race pick to grab the lead from Opie Allard to pick up the win in the 15 lap feature for the White & Bradstreet Mini Trucks. James Swan III took 3rd. With the Clark Car Crushing Prostocks taking Saturday off, the NELCAR Legends filled their spot on the program. Max Zachem of Preston, CT turned in a dominating run to secure his first Wiscasset win. Bob Weymouth of Topsham made it up to 2nd but wasn't able to chase down the winner. Charlie Buxton of Windham filled out the top three in victory lane.
Wiscasset Raceway returns to action Sunday May 25th at 1:00pm for the annual Coastal 200 presented by Operation Recognition. All six weekly racing series divisions will be in action for this special show highlighted by the $10,000 to win main event for the Smith Construction Late Models and a 50 lap qualifier for the Keystone Automotive Strictly Streets with drivers racing for $500 to win and a starting spot in the 100 lap Street Stock Nationals at Wiscasset October 4th and 5th. Sunday's show will begin at 1:00pm with special ceremonies to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend including presentations by special guest dignitaries and members of Operation Recognition who will honor our military men and women serving our country. As a welcome and special thankyou, Wiscasset Raceway is extending an invitation to all active duty military personel and their families to see Sunday's show free of charge. Members of the military are only required to show up in uniform and present their military I.D. at the main gate. Sunday's Coastal 200 is the first of five dates Wiscasset Raceway will extend this special invitation. For more information, call the Wiscasset Raceway office at (207) 882-4271 or check the raceway website at www.wiscassetraceway,info.
OFFICIAL FINISHES SATURDAY 5/17/08
SMITH CONSTRUCTION LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (30 LAP – BRUCE KANE MEMORIAL)
1. Chris Thorne – Sidney; 2. Steve Reny – Boothbay; 3. Ricky Rolfe – Albany Township; 4. Daren Ripley – Appleton; 5. Adam Chadbourne – Woolwich; 6. Bill Whorff Jr – West Bath; 7. Chuck Colby – Newcastle; 8. Mike Orr- Wiscasset; 9. Bill Pinkham – Wiscasset; 10. Josh St Clair – Liberty; 11. Nick Hinkley – Wiscasset; 12. Danny Smart – Buxton; 13. Duane Love – West Gardiner; 14. Seth Raven – Waldo; 15. Scott Pooler – Vassalboro; 16. Tyler Robbins – Montville; 17. Will Collins – Appleton; 18. Peter Oakes – Boothbay; 19. TJ Watson – Cundy's Harbor; 20. Ajay Piccard – Palmyra; 21. Frank Moulton – Unity; 22. John Soucy – South China; 23. Nick Reno – West Bath
UNICEL SUPER STREETS (25 LAPS)
1. Shawn Austin – Norridgewock; 2. Nate Weston – Madison; 3. R.J. Austin – Smithfield; 4. Mike Landry – Oakland; 5. Dan Trask – Chelsea; 6. Justin Karkos – Jay; 7. Kevin Douglass – Sidney; 8. Allen Moeller Sr – Dresden; 9. Frank Brown – Pittston; 10. Ryan St Clair – Liberty; 11. Zachary Hatch – Winthrop; 12. James Osmond – Gardiner; 13. J.J. Small – Fairfield; 14. Bryan Fortin – South China; 15. Ryan Robinson – Clinton; 16. Jeremy Glasier – Appleton; 17. Josh Bailey – Wiscasset; 18. Jason Gaboury – Augusta
KEYSTONE AUTOMOTIVE STRICTLY STREETS (20 LAPS)
1. Maurice Young – Chelsea; 2. Steve Peirpont – Cushing; 3. Jeff Merrill – Mexico; 4. Dave Brannon – Lisbon; 5. Bobby Mesimer – Wiscasset; 6. Ed Peirpont – Jefferson; 7. Zac Creamer – Bath; 8. John Smith – Augusta; 9. Derek Pearson – Glenburn; 10. Jamie Henderson – Litchfield; 11. Ken Carter – Winthrop; 12. Nate Yeaton – Bath; 13. Ian Bresnahan – Bath; 14. Mike St Germain – Auburn; 15. Matt Stuart – Pittston; 16. Jeff Davis – Woolwich; 17. Mike Stewart – Durham
AABLE AUTO PARTS MINI STOCKS (20 LAPS)
1. Pete McCollet – Readfield; 2. Mac Hannan Jr – Union; 3. Dylan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 4. Bryan Lancaster – Skowhegan; 5. Mike Wilson – Chelsea; 6. Brent Roy – Vassalboro; 7. Mike Dulaney – Richmond; 8. Shane Smith – Sidney; 9. Natasha Dyer – Arrowsic; 10. Ryan Ripley – Thomaston; 11. Ed Sleeper – Vassalboro; 12. Scott Theriault – China; 13. Jeff Minchin – Pittston; 14. Cody Sleeper – Chelsea; 15. Ryan Hayes – Jefferson; 16. Chelsea Young – Winterport; 17. Tim Collins – Farmingdale; 18. Cory Mullins – Wiscasset; 19. Alex Cromwell – Woolwich; 20. Tim Grant – Augusta; 21. Tom True – Wiscasset; 22. Ken Edgecomb – Readfield; 23. Shawn Kimball – Pittston; 24. Alica Goodwin – Waterville; 25. Steve Howard – Thomaston; 26. Donavan Dodge – Rockport
WHITE & BRADSTREET MINI TRUCKS (15 LAPS)
1. Jason Giggey – Unity; 2. Opie Allard – Cundy's Harbor; 3. James Swan – Clinton; 4. Don Giggey – Athens; 5. Rick Sirois – Noridgewock; 6. Kevin Oliver – Gray; 7. Jessica Norris – Portsmouth, NH; 8. Jeff Coughlin – Portsmouth, NH; 9. Josh Kauffman – Unity; 10. Josh Harjula – Boothbay; 11. James Howland – Rye, NH; DQ. Russ Anderson – Portsmouth, NH
NELCAR LEGENDS (25 LAPS)
1. Max Zachem – Preston, CT; 2. Bob Weymouth – Topsham; 3. Charlie Buxton – Windham; 4. Ed Getty – Gray; 5. Chris Seavey – Windham; 6. Terry Kirk – Durham; 7. Even Beaulieu – Durham; 8. Tyler Jordan – Scarborough; 9. Alan Smith – Lincoln; 10. Mike Fucshwanz – Vassalboro; 11. Marc Fucshwanz; – Vassalboro; 12. Anthony Pagliarulo – Groveland, MA 13. Kevin Hutchens – E. Waterboro;
OFFICIAL FINISH SUNDAY 5/18/08
WHITE & BRADSTREET MINI TRUCKS (15 LAPS)
1. Don Giggey – Athens; 2. Kevin Oliver – Gray; 3. James Swan III – Clinton; 4. Josh Kaufmann – Unity; 5. Russ Anderson – Portsmouth, NH; 6. Rick Sirois – Norridgewock; 7. Josh Harjula – Boothbay; 8. Jeff Coughlin – Portsmouth, NH; 9. Opie Allard – Cundys Harbor; 10. Jessica Norris – Portsmouth, NH; 11. Jason Giggey – Unity; 12. James Howland – Rye, NH