Jul 21, 2017 | Amy's Racing Corner, Beech Ridge, Maine Race Tracks
photo By: Amy Harrop
At the young age of 15, Zach Nicholson of Ossipee, New Hampshire is continuing to surprise everyone as he rises to the top of the Wildcat division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine. As a lot of drivers do, Zach made his start at Beech Ridge in the “Whiz Kids” division at the speedway, a division where kids between the ages of 8-15 race expedition races before the NASCAR Nite competition begins on Saturday nights. This non-points division allows kids to get a feel of the racetrack and their cars before stepping into a competitive division at the speedway. Although he’s new to the Wildcat division and fresh out of the Whiz Kids, Zach Nicholson is wise beyond his years.
Zach continues to impress fans and fellow competitors each and every week, continuously being a top-5 contender every Saturday night of competition. Earlier this season, he even received his first checkered flag on NASCAR Nite; his prize for winning a qualifying heat race. Although he’s the youngest contender in his series, he continues to compete with Beech Ridge greats like Lewis Anderson; of who he personally idolizes and looks to for advice. Zach jokes that it’s a family atmosphere in the pits, but “All bets are off when we put on our helmets.” In terms of NASCAR drivers that he looks up to, Zach likes watching Ryan Blaney, another young gun, continuously prove himself among veterans of the sport. He also says that’s part of the reason why his number is 21 on his car, but it’s “…more or less because I couldn’t get my number.” His previous car number is 22, so 21 is the closest that he could get. In addition to looking up to other drivers from all levels of the sport, Zach draws influence from his family and friends.
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Jul 21, 2017 | Amy's Racing Corner, Beech Ridge, Maine Race Tracks
Photo Credit to: Ali Pennell (AP Photography)
Written By: Amy Harrop
Ryan Villacci of Falmouth, Maine may only be in his second Sport Series season at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, but he’s continuously impressing everyone at the track as he runs up front every week. Before trying his hand in a Sport Series car, Villacci was a weekly contender in the #10 Wildcat on Saturday nights. Last year, he made the big step up into the #08 car, and he hasn’t looked back since. After struggling with a string of bad luck all season, Villacci got his first Sport Series win of the ’17 season just two weeks ago. This was his second career win in the Sport Series, and a follow-up to his fifth place finish in the points standings last season. This win, to Villacci, felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “It felt amazing, not just to get the win, but to finally be running better. It was getting to a point where I felt like just giving up. We had tried everything we could think of and nothing seemed to make us any faster. I had started to think that maybe I forgot how to drive a race car. But, over the past few weeks, we had some people lending a helping hand and it made all the difference.” he says, expressing gratitude toward all those that have helped him achieve his goals. Villacci has a very small team, but never falls short of expressing how extremely thankful he is for them.
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Jul 17, 2017 | Maine Race Tracks, Wiscasset Speedway
by Ken Minott
When people talk about the best prostock drivers to turn laps in the history of Wiscasset Speedway, the names Ripley & Chubbuck are the ones you’ll hear more often than not. The pair has thrilled fans and battled each other on the high banks of Maine’s fastest track for the past 25 years. Chubbuck has claimed 70+ wins and 5 division titles while Ripley has amassed nearly 100 career wins. They would battle it out once again Saturday night as the Serv Pro of Biddeford-Saco Prostocks had a pair of feature races to highlight the Group 2 program. Along with prostocks, there was also action in the Super Streets, Thunder 4 Minis, and 4-Cylinder Pros, plus the Senior Tour Auto Racers (S.T.A.R. Tour) made their annual trek up from Massachusets.
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Jul 12, 2017 | Maine Race Tracks, Wiscasset Speedway
by Ken Minott
Fans and Fun were the name of the game this past weekend at Wiscasset Speedway with Group 2 Fan Appreciation Night. Another large crowd packed into Maine’s fastest track Saturday night for exciting racing action, plus a driver meet & greet session and kid’s bike races. The race program was highlighted by the 3rd annual running of Outlaw Mini Madness for the Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Mini’s. Despite a lower car count that anticipated, there was no shortage of action as two of the division’s best slugged it out to lay claim to the title. In the end, it was former champ Jimmy Childs of Leeds holding the big trophy winning the 75 lap race for the second time. Other winners on the night included Shane Clark of Winterport in the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Models; Joe Williams of Woolwich in the Midcoast Region Napa Mods; and Bryan Robbins of Montville in the Norms Used Cars Strictly Streets. Before the green flag flew, fans were able to go down onto the track to meet all of the group 2 drivers. Then the kids took over in enthusiastic and energetic bike races in three different age groups, along with an appearance by Santa Claus and Christmas in July fun with the C&D Laundry Kids Club.
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Jul 9, 2017 | Maine Race Tracks, NE Racing News, PASS, Touring Series News
photo by Norm Marx
Scarborough, Maine – Joey Pole, Jr. of Hudson, New Hampshire outgunned reigning Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model National Champion Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine on a pair of late-race restarts to claim victory in the PASS 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine on Saturday night.
After taking the lead on the 105th lap restart, Pole held off the current track champion of the oval they were racing on, Curtis Gerry of Waterboro, and a determined Mike Hopkins of Hermon to seal the deal. For Pole it was his first win of the season after winning three times on the PASS North trail last year, snapping a bad luck spell this year that has seen him fail to finish at least four races he was leading or had led due to equipment failure.
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Jul 8, 2017 | Maine Race Tracks, Oxford Plains Speedway
Shawn Martin races to Super Late Model victory at Oxford Plains Speedway
Oxford, Maine – Multi-time track champion Shawn Martin of Turner earned his first win of the season Saturday night in the 50-lap Super Late Model main event, topping the Budweiser Championship Series racing card at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Martin built a healthy lead early in the non-stop race, which took a tick less than 13-1/2 minutes to complete, then coasted to victory lane by a hair over 2-1/2 seconds in front of Super Late Model freshman Ryan Robbins of Dixfield.
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