Wiscasset Speedway hosted dual Opening Days this past Saturday, featuring the Portland Glass Strictly Streets, Dale’s Cash Fuel Roadrunners, Creative Cleanouts Modifieds, and the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Models for their 2026 season opener.
The Strictly Streets took to the track first for their qualifying heat races, with Ray Dinsmore and Scott Eck leading the charge. Eck edged out Dinsmore for the early lead in the 35-lap feature while Tyler Jordan and Chris Burgess filed in behind him. A mid-race caution on lap 15 brought the field back together and Scott Eck maintained command on the restart.
Melee ensued in the closing laps of the race as Dan Morton and Tyler Dinsmore made hard contact on lap 17, resulting in a red flag. After a solid performance all day, Tyler Jordan lost a tire on the restart, leading to a pile-up with just 6 laps to go that collected Chris Burgess, Landon Tapley, Dale Lawrence, Mike Delano and others.
After a long and cold 6 months of hibernation, Wiscasset Speedway finally opened their doors again on Saturday afternoon for the track’s 2026 season opener featuring the T&L Automotive Pro Stocks, County Truss 4-Cylinder Pros, Davis Erector Group 207 Crate Modifieds, Thunder 4 Minis and the Darling’s Brunswick Ford Super Streets.
2025 Late Model champion Daniel Harding topped the leaderboard in practice for the Pro Stocks and pulled the #1 chip for the qualifying draw, starting on the pole in the heat race. Harding pulled away with the win while Wiscasset Speedway veteran Matt Beers took home the heat win in the second qualifier.
Matt Beers got a big jump over Daniel Harding in the spotlight 50-lap feature, pulling ahead with the early lead. Meanwhile, Nick Calvert got bent out of shape on lap 2 and went around, resulting in a caution. Daniel Harding got the upper hand on the restart, distancing himself from the competition. After a multi-lap side-by-side battle, Jamie Wright overtook third from Matt Beers on lap 13. Just as Wright was knocking on Josh St. Clair’s door for second, Kelly Moore joined the fray in the closing laps of the race, making a last-lap pass to close out the podium behind race winner Daniel Harding and multi-time track champion Josh St. Clair.
Thousands of fans rolled into Wiscasset Speedway on Sunday for the biggest Late Model race of the year, the Coastal 200. The $10,000 to win race, presented by Coldbrook Trailers and GT Overhead Doors, is one of the marquee events of the race season and always draws some of the biggest names in the Northeast. This year was no different as Eddie MacDonald, Mike Hopkins and 3-time Coastal 200 winner Ben Ashline were among those in the field.
The day also featured a partial Group 2 racing program, which kicked off with a 30-lap feature for the Portland Glass Strictly Streets. Ashton Reynolds took off with the early lead but trouble was brewing behind the leaders on lap 5 as Kurt Hewins went around in turn 4, collecting a handful of others. Reynolds maintained his advantage after multiple cautions halted the racing action but his cousin Josh St. Clair was on the move after starting at the tailend of the field, breaking the top 3 on lap 15. He made his way around Scott Eck for second two laps later and then set his sights on Reynolds, promptly taking over the top spot on lap 22. St. Clair took off from there, scoring the feature victory as Ashton Reynolds and Scott Eck rounded out the top 3.
NEMA Thrills large crowd at Wiscassetby Ken Minott
What do you get when you put the world’s fastest asphalt sprint cars on Maine’s fastest track? You get a jaw-dropping display of speed and skill and a constant assault on track records. After missing their visit during the shortened 2020 season, the stars and cars of the North Eastern Midget Association (NEMA) returned to Wiscasset Speedway and one of their favorite stops on their tour for “Ames True Value NEMA Night”. The threat of inclement weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the large contingent of fans packing the coastal Maine track. Brief bouts of light sprinkles throughout the evening kept race officials on edge, but thanks to the great work of the race teams and track staff, the show went on uninterrupted. A trio of Group 2 divisions added to the show, with Late Model Sportsman, Strictly Streets, and Modifieds also in action.
HARRISONS SHARE WISCASSET’S VICTORY LANE ON FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND
Fathers and sons are perhaps the tightest of bonds in the racing world. It’s a time-honored tradition for dads to pass along their knowledge of racing to their sons and someday “pass the torch”. It’s an extra special occasion when fathers and sons get to race together on the track head to head for a win. That opportunity came on Saturday night on Father’s Day weekend at Wiscasset Speedway when Michael and Kenny Harrison lined up side by side on the front row for a mid-race restart in the Maxwell’s Market Super Street feature. In the end, it was the student who beat the teacher as Michael took the checkered flag in the 30 lap feature and left his dad Kenny to claim third. It was the first time in Michael’s 8-year racing career that he shared victory lane with his dad – a veteran of nearly 30 years in the sport. Bobby Mesimer of Woolwich turned in his best performance of the season finishing in second, The Harrison family reunion wrapped up the Saturday night program that also saw action in the Pro Stocks, 4-Cylinder Pros, and Thunder 4 Minis, plus the first appearance of the year for the Nelcar Legends.
JOSH ST CLAIR CONTINUES HOT STREAK, WINS 2021 COASTAL 200 AT WISCASSETby Ken Minott
It’s a great time to be Josh St Clair. That could be the understatement of the year when it comes to the start of the 2021 season at Wiscasset Speedway. He only opened the season by winning four feature races over three different classes, leading the points in the track’s two “premier” divisions, and earned honors as the track’s May Driver of the Month. So, how could he possibly top that? By winning Wiscasset Speedway’s most prestigious race in exciting fashion no less. The Coastal 200 is a race that every Memorial Day weekend showcases the region’s top Late Model Sportsman drivers and their quest for the $5000 winner’s take of a (near) $30,000 purse. The race which was rained out from its original date was made up on Saturday evening in front of a large crowd of over 2,200 fans, including many veterans and active-duty military personnel who were welcomed to the event free of charge. Shortly after the sunset behind the backstretch of the 3/8 mile speedway, Josh St Clair was celebrating his second victory in the crown-jewel race with his family and friends. Many fans left saying it was one of the most exciting Coastal 200 ever. Other winners on the evening included Zach Audet in the Outlaw Minis, Adam Chadbourne in the Modifieds, and Bernie Dinsmore in the Strictly Streets. The Senior Tour Auto Racers were the flex division of the weekend with Kurt Snow of West Warren, Ma and Mike Rucci of Warren, Ma taking the checkered flag in their Modified and Sportsman division features.
