NAPLES ME (8/18/08) A perfect mix of old and new equaled a $30,000.00 payday for Johnny Clark Sunday night as the Hallowell Maine Pro All Stars Series (PASS) star took his Clark’s Car Crushing Chevrolet to victory lane in the Toyota Tundra 250 at Wiscasset (ME) Raceway. Clark recaptured the lead from then-point man D.J. Shaw and survived a late race rash of yellow fever for the victory. It was the two time series champions’ third win of 2008 and pulls him squarely into contention for a third title. Clark was behind the wheel of an all new super late model that his team painstakingly constructed during the off season and the race car was everything the team hoped for. Clark’s first big super late model win came at Wiscasset at the age of 17, and his mastery of the fast old Wiscasset high banks has only grown as the years pass.
PASS South point leader Corey Williams made his return to home turf a successful one, finishing second after leading over 100 laps early on. Steve Knowlton ran near the front all day and battled down to the wire for a third place finish. Scott Chubbuck and Randy Turner completed the top five.
The five 15 lap heat races were a battle all unto themselves, with just four cars transferring to the feature from each. Fred Astle Jr. made a rare PASS North appearance and took the pole position for the 250 by winning heat number one. Steve Knowlton, Scott King and Randy Turner all earned transfer spots. Atlantic CAT 250 winner Travis Benjamin continued his winning ways in heat two, with Richie Dearborn, Chad Dow, and Paul White advancing to the feature. PASS South point leader Corey Williams made a successful homecoming in heat three, followed by Trevor Sanborn, Adam Bates and Kelly Moore. Derek Ramstrom earned the fourth starting position by wining heat number four, with Wiscasset master Johnny Clark second, Scott Chubbuck third and home track hero Charlie Colby in the final transfer spot. Another PASS veteran from seasons past, Chuck LaChance, took down heat five, with weekly racers Scott Moore and Ryan Deane second and third. Maine legend Stan “The Man” Meserve earned the final heat race transfer.
The next nine qualifiers came from three fifteen lap consolation rounds, and Mike Rowe earned the win in consi one, along with journeyman racer Eddie MacDonald and Steve Berry. Alan Tardiff took down consi number two with Donnie Whitten and John Flemming second and third. Consi three was D.J. Shaw’s with Wiscasset’s own weekly point leader “Big John” Phippen second and Joe Decker in the final qualifying spot.
The 30 lap Last Chance qualifier had its share of talent too; Cassius Clark, Ted Christopher, and the return of Ben Rowe after a thrash to get the RMR 4 back in racing shape after his excursion off turn three in his heat race. Cassius Clark put the nose under Dale Cullivan for the lead on lap five and led the rest of the way in a race filled with contact as sixteen drivers battled it out for the three qualifying spots. When the dust settled it was Cassius Clark, Gary Smith and Dale Cullivan in the final three transfer spots. Pass provisionals were awarded to Ben Rowe and Harry Olsen. Wiscasset Raceway provisionals went to Matt Lee, Richie Morse and T.J. Watson, who transferred via his win in a Late Model special the night before. Nova Scotian Marty Prevost received a promoter’s option for the longest haul to the Toyota Tundra 250.
When the green flag waved over the thirty eight car field Corey Williams jumped out to the lead. Williams looked tough in the early going, and so did Chuck LaChance. The Cushing Maine veteran had his familiar 38 dialed in and looked like he might challenge Williams for the point as the race passed the 100 lap mark. LaChance pitted for tires at lap 108, along with front runners Travis Benjamin, Scott Chubbuck, D.J. Shaw and Richie Dearborn. Williams and Adam Bates pitted from the lead ad second place for fresh rubber two laps later, handing the lead to Knowlton. Johnny Clark had raced his way up to second from thirteenth and he wasted little time taking the lead on lap 111. By lap 150 Clark had checked out on the field, but thirty laps later Trevor Sanborn and D.J. Shaw were slowly reeling him in.
By lap 185 Clark’s lead was down to six car lengths and both Trevor Sanborn and D.J. Shaw were coming. Shaw made his move on Sanborn at lap 187, and passed Clark for the lead on lap 192. Clark could see the big win slipping away and his team took action, bringing him to the pits on lap 198 for fresh rubber. But would there be enough time for Clark to race his way back to the lead?
The answer was a resounding yes. The last fifty laps could be considered the Johnny Clark Show, as the veteran sliced and diced his way through the field, sometimes three wide, to chase down the front runners. Clark was all the way up to fourth at lap 205; on lap 206 he drove around Adam Bates for third. Knowlton would be his next victim, taking away the second spot on lap 212. Five laps later he raced under D.J. Shaw for the lead, surviving four restarts and a green-white-checker finish to bank $30,000.00 plus yet to be tallied lap money, and a unique trophy in the form of a stylized race car steering wheel.
Clark’s Margin of victory was 705 hundredths of a second; Travis Benjamin was the last car on the lead lap in twelfth.
PASS North takes a well earned two week break before heading to White Mountain Motorsports Park on September 14th for the D-J Equipment 150.
PASS South has back to back events on tap, the Piedmont Pride 125 at Caraway Speedway on Saturday August 30th and their first trip to the Volunteer State on Saturday September 6th for the Daniel Boone Classic at Newport Speedway.
For the latest news on all five PASS touring series, visit www.racewithpass.com .
Unnofical Results- PASS orth super late model Toyota Tundra 250 – Wiscasset Raceway, Wiscasset ME – 08/17/08
1) 54 – Johnny Clark
2) 47S – Corey Williams
3) 10 – Steve Knowlton
4) 77 – Scott Chubbuck
5) 1 – Randy Turner
6) 98 – Adam Bates
7) 15X – Paul White
8) 38 – Chuck LaChance
9) 33 – Richie Dearborn
10) 75 – Gary Smith
11) 60 – DJ Shaw
12) 17 – Travis Benjamin
13) 44 – Trevor Sanborn
14) 47 – Kelley Moore
15) 2X – Charlie Colby
16) 97 – John Fleming
17) 2 – Mike Rowe
18) 4 – Ben Rowe
19) 01 – Joe Decker
20) 59 – John Phippen
21) 54X – Ryan Deane
22) 24 – Eddie McDonald
23) 88 – Fred Astle
24) 15 – Steve Berry
25) 03 – Scott Moore
26) 29M – Ricky Morse
27) 8 – Cassius Clark
28) 72 – Chad Dow
29) 88 – Allan Tardiff
30) 35 – Derek Ramstrom
31) 04 – TJ Watson
32) 12 – Stan Meserve
33) 22 – Harry Olson
34) 7W – Donnie Whitten
35) 25 – Dale Cullinan
36) 11X – Marty Prevost
37) 11 – Scott King
38) 00 – Matt Lee