Portland, Maine — Maine’s four most successful, most historic oval tracks will join the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, several regional touring series and a handful of other Northern New England racetracks to display several dozen racecars from past and present this Friday and Saturday at the Portland Expo’s 18th annual Racin’ Preview 2011 show.
Better than six decades have passed since the first green flag waved at three of these historic Maine short tracks: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (Scarborough), Oxford Plains Speedway (Oxford) and Unity Raceway (Unity). The baby of the quartet is Hermon’s Speedway 95, rapidly approaching their 50th season.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway racers always present a spectacular display representing their NASCAR Nites Saturday night Whelen All-American Series racing program, under the direction of the tracks Customer Service Manager, Bruce Wainwright. Several 2010 track champions will be on hand, including Pro Series king Dan McKeage, Wiildcat division titlist David Vaughn, and Roadrunner champ Matt Dow, displaying his new ride in the second-tier Sport Series division.
Notably absent from this year’s Beech Ridge stock car display roster is Wildcat division competitor Lewis Anderson, entering his 25th season of stock car racing competition at the Scarborough oval. Busy preparing for this important anniversary season while also preparing family member’s racecars for the track’s entry-level Thursday Thunder series, Anderson nevertheless plans to be on hand for most, if not all, of the show’s hours.
While the Oxford Plains Speedway booth will feature Late Models to be campaigned by Jimmy Childs and Ben Ashline in Championship Series competition at the Route 26 oval track this year, the most popular vehicle is sure to be the new Strictly Stock ride for Vanna Brackett, a 35-time feature winner and two-time champion in the entry-level OPS Acceleration Series action, contested primarily on Wednesday nights.
The popular, young driver cheered on her father, veteran racer Timmy Brackett, as he raced to the 2010 track championship in the premiere Late Model division competing on the predominantly Saturday night Championship Series racing card at Oxford. This season, young Vanna’s popularity with the grandstand faithful will undoubtedly rival that of the top dog at the track during the 2010 season, her proud father, as she moves up to prime time night racing at OPS this year.
Unity Raceway will be well represented at the expo with eight drivers and their cars scheduled to appear. David Folsom and David “Deuce” Folsom II, both of Skowhegan, compete in the track’s premiere division, and the elder Folsom’s new Late Model was an award-winner at January’s Northeast Mototrsports Expo in Augusta, Maine.
Enduro division champion Alex Fernald is moving up to the Late Model Pro Four class and will be on hand, along with nearly-perennial Monsta Mini champion Mike Wilson and his on-track rival/wife, Carol. A half-dozen other weekly competitors will fill out the Unity Raceway display.
Multi-time, multi-division Speedway 96 champion Duane Seekins anchors the Speedway 95 booth, where he’ll be talking up the track’s newest Saturday night division, the Bombers. Strictly Street champion Jim Carr will be on hand, along with his chief championship rival, Shawn Hamel, with his good-looking stocker.
Racin’ Preview 2011 is Northern New England’s largest wintertime stock car racing showcase, featuring displays from tracks and regional touring series throughout the region, including several tracks from New Hampshire and Vermont.
Several dozen stock cars will be on display, and several autograph sessions featuring local and regional racers will take place throughout the weekend. An extensive display by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association salutes the history of stock car racing throughout the state. Hundreds of door prizes, including dozens of free tickets to summer racing events, will be handed out throughout the weekend.
Doors are open from 4-10 p.m. this Friday, February 25, with Saturday’s display open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. The Portland Expo is located adjacent to Hadlock Field on Park Avenue (US Route 1) in Portland. For more information please call (603) 662-8902.