Jun 3, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
Phil Richardson of Hermon picked up his first feature win of the season in the Dysart’s Late Models at Speedway 95 Saturday night after passing pole sitter Andy Saunders of Ellsworth on lap 5 of the 35 lap event. Deane Smart of Bradley passed Saunders on the 22nd lap when Saunders was held up momentarily while overlapping slower traffic to take the second spot with Saunders finishing in third. Winterport’s Ryan Deane finished in fourth with Hermon’s Dale Swoboda coming across the stripe in fifth.
In Maine State Lottery Sportsman action, Shane Tatro of Holden returned to the winner’s circle after missing two weeks while waiting for a new motor to be built. Tatro’s win wasn’t easy as he had to fight off a determined Steve Moulton of Holden who finished a close second. D.J. Moody of Prospect finished third, followed by Derek Mingo of Lamoine in fourth and fifth place finisher Mike Overlock of Franklin. (more…)
May 27, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
John Kalel II of Orrington led the Dysart’s Late Model feature from the green to the checkers Saturday night at Speedway 95, but never led by more than a car length in the caution free 35 lap event. Kalel started from the pole by winning a qualifier earlier in the program and had Winterport’s Ryan Deane behind or beside him for the entire distance. Deane tried running the inside several times attempting to take the lead from Kalel, but Kalel kept his cool and fought off each challenge. Deane finished second with Hermon’s Mike Hopkins finishing third after coming from his 12th place starting position in the 14 car field. Once Hopkins got to the leaders, he couldn’t advance past them as they were running side by side for the final 5 laps, with Kalel winning by less than a car length. Phil Richardson of Hermon finished in fourth with Bangor’s Donny Blanchard picking up his first top five of the season. Andy Saunders of Ellsworth won the first qualifier, but had to start near the rear of the field because of his top three finish the week before.
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May 20, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
Cherryfield’s Ryan Beal took the lead for good on the 7th lap of the 35 lap Pepsi Beverage Company series event at Speedway 95 Saturday night becoming the first two time winner in the division in 2012. The lead swapped three times in the first 6 laps as water spilling from a car near the back of the field caused the track to become slippery for the first few laps, but dried up quickly enough so a caution was’nt deemed necessary. Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington started from the pole after winning the qualifier earlier in the program and led the first 6 laps until Shelby Kimball of Cornville was able to take the point when McLaughlin slipped in the water. Kimball’s lead was short-lived though as she, too, had to slow momentarily, allowing Beale to take the lead for good on lap 7. McLaughlin then got back by Kimball but was unable to catch Beale in the caution free race. Beale maintained a three car length advantage for most of the distance, with McLaughlin closing at times as the leaders lapped slower traffic, but was unable to make a challenge for the lead. McLaughlin finished second with Kimball finishing third, about three car lengths behind McLaughlin. Jim Carr of Clifton and Cody Brassbridge of Frankfort rounded out the top five in that order.
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May 14, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
Nate Weston of Norridgewock survived an early duel with Shane Tatro of Holden as they battled for the lead through 5 restarts early in the Gardner Construction Enterprises 50 lap feature event for the Maine State Lottery Sportsman Division. Weston went on to hold the lead through 4 more cautions to win his first feature race of the young season. Tatro brought out the 6th caution on lap 31 when his motor blew up on the front stretch while slowly fading from the leaders as the motor went bad. D.J. Moody of Prospect came from the rear of the field following the last caution of the race on lap 42 to place second, with Mike Overlock of Franklin finishing third after having caused caution number 2 when a tire went flat, forcing him to pit for repairs. Kris Matchett of Skowhegan ended up fourth after being the only car other than Weston to make all 50 laps without pitting. Steve Moulton finished fifth after running with the leaders early, but having mechanical problems slow his car in the late stages of the event. Only five of the 11 starters were on the lead lap when the race ended. Tatro had won the evening’s qualifier, placing him on the pole for the start. Weston started outside pole by finishing second in the preliminary event.
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May 7, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
Hermon’s Mike Hopkins made it two for two for 2012 in the Speedway 95 Dysart’s Late Models Saturday night when he went from the outside pole to victory lane in the caution free Sinclair Towing Service 50 lap feature event. Ryan Deane of Winterport started on the pole but was no match for Hopkins, who had the lead coming out of turn two on the first lap. Andy Saunders of Ellsworth wasted no time getting past Deane as he quickly moved into the second spot, but that’s as far as he could go. Saunders, and Deane who finished third, went the entire 50 laps nose to tail, but no change in the running order was ever made. Brenton Parritt of Steuben moved through the pack and finished in the fourth spot with Winterport’s Shane Clark finishing fifth. Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs finished sixth, the last car on the lead lap at the finish. Hermon’s Greg Ellis, Deane Smart of Milford, John Kalel II of Orrington and Dale Swoboda of Hermon, rounded out the top ten. Fifteen Late Models took the green flag for the race, with only Hermon’s Phil Richardson falling out and not completing the entire distance. Hopkins and Deane won the qualifiers, placing them on the front row for the start.
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Apr 30, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
Mike Hopkins of Hermon kept his streak of opening day wins in tact Saturday night at Speedway 95 when he won the season opener for the third year in a row. Starting third in the 16 car Dysart’s Late Model field, Hopkins was in the lead by the backstretch of the first lap, and kept that lead for the entire 35 lap distance. Andy Saunders of Ellsworth caught Hopkins following a lap 7 yellow, but was unable to pass for the lead, although he ran close behind at the end of the event. A caution flag on lap 30 gave Saunders one more chance at the lead, but Hopkins was simply too fast on the outside for Saunders to match. The race turned bad for several drivers on the final lap when, after Hopkins and Saunders took the white flag, third and fourth place runners Phil Richardson of Hermon and John Kalel II of Orrington came together just past the flag stand, scattering the field when Kalel came to a rest in the middle of the track. Hopkins and Saunders continued around to take the checkers in first and second respectively, but the rest of the field was so scattered that Dale Swoboda, who was running eighth under the white flag managed to cross the finish line third. Fourth went to Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs with Richardson salvaging a fifth place finish. The remainder of the finishing order was not immediately available. Phil Richardson of Hermon and George Dunn of Eastbrook won the qualifiers and started the feature from the front row.
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