Unity, Maine – Jeff Burgess of East Madison scored his sixth Late Model feature race victory of the season Saturday night at Unity Raceway on a stock car racing program that saw both Steve Rackliff of Starks (Late Model Pro Four) and Jayson Bosworth of Cornville (Flyin’ 4) pull off last-lap triumphs in their main events.
Burgess, locked in a tight battle for the track championship with Skowhegan’s David Folsom, charged past his championship rival’s son, David ‘Deuce’ Folsom II, to take command of the Late Model 35-lapper. In the closing laps the elder Folsom made his way into second position, but he could not catch the high-flying Burgess.
It was the second consecutive feature win for Burgess, who clings to a three-point lead with just two point-counting events remaining on the Unity Raceway schedule. It was the 50th feature race score of his stock car racing career.
Deuce Folsom hung on to claim the final podium finishing position in the Late Model feature event, with the top five filled out by early race leader Tyler Robbins of Montville and Freedom’s Dylan Turner. Deuce Folsom and Will Collins of Waldoboro claimed heat race victories.
Steve Rackliff of Starks also claimed his second straight feature event triumph in the Late Model Pro Four class, but the multi-time division champion needed every inch of the 20-lap event to narrowly beat race-long leader Tim Robinson of Clinton to the checkered flag. Point leadr Lance Chapman of Benton raced to a third-place finish, in front of Skowhegan’s Bryan Lancaster and Norm Cummings, Jr. of Augusta. Rackliff also scored a victory in the heat race.
Cornville teenager Jayson Bosworth prevailed by inches in a paint-swapping battle with Vassalboro’s Bob Gerard to claim victory in the 20-lap main event for Flyin’ 4 division competitors. Bosworth had to restart the race at the rear of the field after his involvement in an early race altercation, but swiftly moved through traffic to stalk Gerard, who had led from the start, seeking his first win in the class. Point leader Kyle Robinson of Clinton grabbed the third-pace trophy, barely holding off a late charge by Pittston’s Nate Tribbett, who was seeking a third-straight podium finish. Bruce Nickerson of Norridgewock rounded out the top five. Gerard won the heat race with ease.
Durham’s Evan Beaulieu prevailed in an exciting climax to the 25-lap main event for the visiting NELCAR Legends Cars Tour, holding off hard-charging Newport teen Mathew Burgoine before flying off of turn one after the checkered flag aboard his winning mount. Beaulieu started in the middle of the pack and beat four-time series champion Bobby Weymouth of Topsham in a race to get by early race leader Ryan Hammar. Burgoine, who lined up dead last on the starting grid, continued his impressive rookie campaign with his runner-up finish, with Weymouth crossing the finish line third under the checkered flag. Durham’s Terry Kirk ended up in fourth position, with Chad Harrington of Richmond rounding out the top five. Kevin Hutchens of East Waterboro and Burgoine won the heat races.
Maurice Young of Chelsea padded his lead in the Keystone Automotive Wildcat division’s championship standings with another feature event triumph. There was plenty of action and position swapping behind Young throughout the 25-lapper, with Burnham’s Carl McAlpine eventually crossing the line in second position, just ahead of Norridgewock’s Shaun Austin, making his first start of the season in the class. Skowhegan’s Kris Matchett led several laps early in the race before posting a fourth-place finish. Ed Sleeper, who finished fifth, also spent some time in front of the feature event. McAlpine won the heat race.
Mike Mason of Madison romped to victory in the 20-lap Monster Mini feature race, outdistancing point leader Zach Audet of Skowhegan to claim the checkered flag. Clinton’s Tim Robinson was the third-place finisher, followed by Cornville’s Brad Bosworth and Greg Cummings of Augusta. Mason also scored in the heat race.
Chad Folsom of Skowhegan continued to dominate six-cylinder Challenger division competition, where he’s finished no worse than second-place this season while winning all but two races. Unity’s David Aldrich was closing in on Folsom as the checkered flag waved after 20 laps, crossing the line in second position. Benton’s Samantha Farnham led over half of the main event and held on to finish third, earning her first trophy in the class. Jackson Aldrich and Mike Stowe, both from Waterville, rounded out the top five. Folsom won the heat race.
April McAlpine of Burnham led wire-to-wire in the Teen Thunder feature event, outrunning her big sister, and second-place points finisher, Emily McAlpine to the checkered flag. Montville’s Cody Robbins earned the third-place trophy.
Dustin Switzer of Waterville raced to victory in wire-to-wire fashion in the 15-lap four-cylinder enduro raceJeff Feyler of Windsor claimed runner-up honors and Kersey Santos of Waterville picked up the third-place trophy after John McCarron was penalized for rough driving tactics.
Stock car racing action continues every Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. throughout September, with the annual Long John Weekend set for October 8-9. For more information call (207) 453-2021 or visit unityraceway.info
Late Model (35 laps) 1. X Jeff Burgess, East Madison; 2. 15 David Folsom I, Skowhegan; 3. 75 David ‘Deuce’ Folsom II, Skowhegan; 4. 51 Tyler Robbins, Montville; 5. 9 Dylan Turner, Freedom; 6. 21 Ben Clark, Clinton; 7. 7x Danny Smart, Buxton; 8. 21x Nick Huff, Orrington; 9. 7 Brian Gullifer, Farmington; 10. 09 Ed Drake, Vassalboro; 11. 50 Scott Pooler, Vassalboro; 12. 25 Will Collins, Waldoboro; 12. 28 Brad Bellows, China Village.
Keystone Automotive Wildcat (25 laps) 1. 03 Maurice Young, Chelsea; 2. 18 Carl McAlpine, Burnham; 3. 0 Shaun Austin, Norridgwock; 4. 17 Kris Matchett, Skowhegan; 5. 22 Ed Sleeper, Vassalboro; 6. 20 Joe Harriman, Pittston; 7. 29 Chris King, Burnham; DNS: 9 Wayne Ripley, Warren; 82 Mike Moore, Smithfield.
NELCAR Legends Cars (25 laps) 1. 56 Evan Beaulieu, Durham; 2. 38 Mathew Burgoine, Newport; 3. 399 Bobby Weymouth, Topsham; 4. 17 Terry Krik, Durham; 5. 46 Chad Harrington, Richmond; 6. 10 Ed Getty, Gray; 7. 59 Reid Lanpher, Manchester; 8. 33 Alan Smith, Lincoln; 9. 2 Ryan Hammar, Pembroke, NH; 10. 81 Dan Winter, Windham, NH; 11. 8 Matt Chagnot, Derry, NH; 12. 25 Larry Poirier, Minot; 13. 49 Pete Cannell, South Berwick.
Late Model Pro Four (20 laps) 1. 94 Steve Rackliff, Starks; 2. 38 Tim Robinson, Clinton; 3. 64 Lance Chapman, Benton; 4. 81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan; 5. 26 Norm Cummings, Jr., Augusta; 6. 91 Alex Fernald, Benton; 7. 1 Dylan Lancaster, Skowhegan.
Monster Mini (20 laps) 1. 51 Mike Mason, Skowhegan; 2. 19 Zach Audet, Skowhegan; 3. 23 Tim Robinson, Clinton; 4. 15 Brad Bosworth, Cornville; 5. 2 Greg Cummings, Augusta; 6. 53 Richard Jackson, Charleston; 7. 26 Brent Roy, Vassalboro; 8. 18 Tim Collins, Farmingdale; 9. 81 Paul Shorette, Waterville.
Flyin’ 4 (20 laps) 1. 51 Jayson Bosworth, Cornville; 2. 22 Bob Gerard, Vassalboro; 3. 62 Kyle Robinson, Clinton; 4. 04 Nate Tribbett, Pittston; 5. 11 Bruce Nickerson, Norridgewock; 6. 10 Mike Dulaney, Richmond; 7. 61 Cole Robinson, Clinton.
Challenger (20 laps) 1. 15 Chad Folsom, Skowhegan; 2. 16 Jackson Aldrich, Waterville; 3. 96 Samantha Farnham, Benton; 4. 24 Jackson Aldrich, Unity; 5. 45 Mike Stowe, Waterville; 6. Louie Stillman, Clinton; 7. 7 Troy Rusconi, Clinton; 8. 88 Henry Boudreau, Bristol; 9. 84 Ken Lord, Waterville; 10. 45x Nick Kackson, Waterville; DNS Eric Peavey, Clinton.
Enduro (15 laps) 1. 95 Dustin Switzer, Waterville; 2. 4x Jeff Feyler, Windsor; 3. 35 Kersley Santos, Waterville; 4. 4 Josh Spencer, Unity; 5. 45 Nick Stowe, Waterville; 6. 5 Judson Colby, Searsport; 7. 43 Josh Switzer, Waterville; 8. 56 Brandi Jackson, Fairfield; 9. 18 John McCarron, Newport.