NAPLES, ME (April 30) – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, ME has long been one of the stalwarts on the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Model schedule. The facility has hosted PASS events since 2006 and provides some of the closest action seen anywhere on the circuit. And, much like the first event of the season at Oxford Plains Speedway, this weekend’s Southern Maine Motors 150 will serve as a precursor to one of the biggest races of the season, the PASS 400 weekend at Beech Ridge in September. In fact, the racing has been so competitive that in the last five PASS events at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, five different drivers have gone to victory lane. Among those drivers is Joey Doiron, who scored his first career PASS North victory in last year’s Southern Maine Motors 150. And, if last year’s races are any indication, Doiron believes there will be no substitution for a good setup.
“Well Beech Ridge over the last two years has become a one groove racetrack and the key to success there is to make sure your car can pass on the bottom because everyone else usually lines up on the outside,” said Doiron. (more…)
Oxford Championship Series: Chris Coolidge
Oxford Plains Speedway Race Report
OXFORD, Maine – Chris Coolidge of Norway, Maine, finished sixth in the season-opening Oxford Championship Series 40-lap Pro Late Model feature at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, on Sunday, April 28. Coolidge started eighth in the 14-car field and worked his way into the Top-5 by the midpoint of the event, but the No. 72 Bill’s Automotive/Lloyd’s Land Chevrolet tightened up over the closing laps of the first Pro Late Model event in track history as Coolidge settled for the sixth-place finish. Coolidge returns to the track next Sunday, May 5, for round two of the Oxford Championship Series at the track.
SAUNDERS AND DEANE DOMINATE SPEEDWAY 95 LATE MODELS
Andy Saunders of Ellsworth and Ryan Deane of Winterport showed they were the cars to beat in the early going in the Dysart’s Late Models at Speedway 95 Saturday night as the each picked up a win and a second place in the two features run. In the first race, a 40 lap event rescheduled from last week’s program due to the power failure, Deane took the checkers after grabbing the lead on a restart with 8 laps to go. Meanwhile, Saunders was working his way up from a last place start in the event. Saunders was scheduled to start in the sixth spot, but when the initial green flag flew, he was unable to start due to an issue with his transmission. After a quick trip to the pit following the caution he caused, Saunders rejoined the race at the rear of the 17 car field, still on the lead lap before the next green was waved. Saunders finished in second, followed by Shane Clark of Winterport in third. 2012 Strictly Street champion Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington finished fourth in his first ever Late Model start, and Donny Blanchard of Bangor was fifth.
In the regularly scheduled 50 lap Maine State Lottery series event, Saunders won his heat race, qualified on the pole and led the entire distance, maintaining the lead through three cautions. Deane also won a qualifier and started on the outside pole, keeping the heat on Saunders throughout the race, challenging him hard following the last caution on lap 42. Saunders had enough to hold Deane off, with Deane finishing a close second at the checkers. Wayne Parritt of Steuben finished the race in third, followed by John Kalel II in fourth and Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington in fifth. (more…)
Oxford, Maine – Dale Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire outgunned Buckfield’s T.J. Brackett on a mid-race restart, then held off both Brackett and Tommy Ricker of Poland on a couple of subsequent restarts to win the 40-lap Pro Late Model main event in the Championship Series points opener at Oxford Plains Speedway Sunday afternoon. Kurt Hewins of Leeds, Rob Greenleaf of Bath and Corey Morgan of Lewiston were also triumphant in feature events on the program’s undercard.
Brackett led the top-tier main event for more than half the distance, holding off Shaw and Ricker until the eventual winner made a bold, three-wide move pay off entering turn one. Ricker and, especially, Brackett kept the pressure on the former NASCAR Busch North Series champion until the checkered flag waved, but couldn’t get by the wily veteran once he was in command. (more…)
