Opening day at Wiscasset Raceway presented by Lester Morse Auto Sales was a great one. The sun was shining at the 2 p.m. start time, the fans packed the stands and the drivers packed the pit area. The U.S. Army reserves where there with their massive rock climbing wall. Operation Recognition was at the “Center of Speed” where they put on a parade around the track with the Patriot Guard motorcycle riders, Maine Bag Pipes and armed service men and woman. After the parade a ceremony took place in the infield to honor folks who have served for out country. After Late Model division drivers took to the stands to collect money for the good cause that is Operation recognition with Army boots and the National Anthem had been preformed we were ready for our feature events.

The first cars to hit the track for feature event action were the Wicked Good Vintage Racers. Unlike the rest of the cars racing at Wiscasset Raceway on opening day these cars were all from the 1970’s and earlier and didn’t they put on a show. Timmy Reynolds ended up holding off Johnny Rice to pick up the feature victory with Mike Milete crossing the line in 3rd, Keith Waterhouse 4th and Norris Willette 5th.
The Aable Auto Parts Mini Stock division had some good racing up front for 20 laps of their feature event as Thomas True of Wiscasset and Ryan Ripley of Waldoboro battled it out with Kevin Douglass several car length back as he made his move back into the Mini Stock ranks after a year successful year in the Super Street division. The two youngster up front made it interesting with True beating a fellow teenager Ripley to the checkered flag with Douglass 3rd, Pete McCollett 4th and Mike Dulany rounding out the top 5.
The U.S. Cellular Mini Trucks had some every exciting side by side racing. University of Maine Engineering student Kevin Oliver battled it over all 15 laps with Harpswell’s Opie Allard with Oliver just edging Allard out for the win. Another great battle was going on behind them between Josh Harjula and Ryan Hayes. Hayes would get the advantage in that one earning his first trophy of his career. Harjula would cross the stripe 4th with Michael Anderson 5th after getting into a wreck early on in the feature.
Wiscasset’s newest division the Soule’s Auto Supply Thunderstocks took to the track for the vary first time. In this class were everybody must run a 6 cylinder fuel injected engine there was an excellent battle for the lead over the first half of the race between Bill Grover and Donnie Stuart. Grover would eventually get the advantage and the win as something look to be going amiss on the Stuart’s car but he would hang in there for 2nd.
It was an exciting battle for the lead throughout the 20 lap New England Transmissions Strictly Street feature between Ian Bresnehan of Bath and Mike Moody of Woolwich. Bresnehan had the advantage through most of the race in his sharp looking Cadillac but with just a few laps to go Moody got to the inside of Bresnehan and ended up with Win. Bresnehan came home in 2nd with Matt Stuart joining the pair in victory lane after his tremendous battle with Jamie Henderson.
The Verizon Wireless Super Street division was a good one to watch. Bernie Dinsmore jumped out to the early lead but mechanical problems forced him to the pits. There was a lot of good racing going up front between Shawn Austin, Jeremy Glasier, Brian Fortin and Allen Moeller Jr. After a couple of good battles between the four that’s the way they finished with Shawn Austin picking up the feature victory and Jeremy Glasier holding off a hard charging Brian Fortin for second. Fortin would finish 3rd with Moeller Jr. 4th and Ryan St. Clair 5th.
The 35 lap Clarks Car Crushing Pro Stock feature had Jeff Burgess holding a commanding lead early on in the event before mechanical issues forced him to retire early. After one good pass for the lead Scott Moore was out in front and that’s where he stayed for the rest of the race and picked up the win. Charlie Colby would end up 2nd with Scott King 3rd. 4th would belong to Ryan Dean and 5th would go to Joe Creamer.
The Steel’s Real Rod’s and Custom’s Late Model division 30 lap feature was full of action as Duane Love jumped out to the early lead but a distributor problem put the kibosh to chances to win on opening day. Rookie R.J. Austin then took the lead and swapped it off a few times with some other drivers. 7 time track champion Maurice Young and the man who’s going for his 3rd straight Late Model championship Chris Throne ran up front most of the afternoon but in the end it was T.J. Watson out of Cundys Harbor picking up the feature victory. Young and Thorne would finish 2nd and 3rd with Adam Chadbourne 4th and Ajay Picard 5th. The Late model division was also the division in which the this weeks Army Stron driver of the week races in. The winner of that was Tyler Robbins.
Next week at Wiscasset Raceway it is fan appreciation day with a driver autograph session on the track and it is also the first round of the Linnehan’s Credit Now Late Model Triple Crown Series. The start time is at 5 p.m. “Be There!!!”