Hermon’s Mike Hopkins returned to Dysart’s Late Model racing at Speedway 95 in fine fashion Saturday night as he won the feature event. Hopkins started off the season with a win in his first ever Dysart’s Late Model event, but wrecked the next week, and has been out of competition until returning two weeks ago. This week he picked up where he left off by beating one of the best in the business to the checkered flag. The race started with Hopkins and Greg Morse of St. Albans in the second row, and the pair took off, passing the front row quickly, with Morse leading the first 12 laps. On the 13th circuit, Morse suddenly checked up going into turn three, and Hopkins was so close to his bumper he couldn’t react fast enough, and wound up hitting Morse and spinning him out. On the restart Morse retained his position, as the incident was obviously not his fault, and held the lead the rest of the way to the checkers. Finishing in second, but not far behind, was the old veteran from Bar Harbor, John Phippin Jr. with Hermon’s Dale Swoboda in third. Shane Clark of Winterport was fourth with Morse hanging on for a fifth place finish. Swoboda was the winner of the 10 lap qualifier earlier in the program.
The Allenfarm Fence Company Sport-Fours were the featured division of the night as they raced for 35 laps in the second of their three race series for the season. Hermon’s Ralph Allen held the lead for the first 23 laps until his car started losing grip on the track and he spun out of the lead in turn four, giving the lead up to Hudson’s Rick Grant. Grant held off a serious challenge for the lead from points leader David Green of Hampden, who had been battling with Grant for second until Allen’s misfortune placed the pair at the front. The battle continued to the end, with Grant taking the win and Green settling for second. Old Town’s Brent Fletcher finished a strong third, with Kyle Gallant of Veazie and Gary Richards of Stetson rounding out the top five. During the post race interview, Green was presented with the Mainly Mororsports TV show’s Speedway 95 Driver of the Month award for the month of May. Green currently sits atop the Sport-Four point standings and will represent the Speedway at the 4 cylinder Nationals at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough on August 2. Roy Hathorne won the qualifier and started the feature ion the pole, but finished back in the pack following a lap 33 trip into the turn 4 tire wall.
In Strictly Street action, Doug Day of Bangor, a veteran driver who came up through the ranks as far as the Pro Stock Division, returned to victory lane in the Strictly Streets as he made his second appearance of the season in this division. Day is preparing a Late Model for competition at the Speedway, and has been driving the Dave McCullough prepared Camaro in the Strictly Streets since their driver Jordan Pearson was suspended from competition for infractions occurring while he was competing in the Wednesday night Truck Division. Day finished third in his first appearance in the division a week ago, and took his first win in several years in his second night in the car. The win didn’t come easy as Day had to fend off points leader Bradley Norris of Ellsworth, who challenged Day from the lap 14 restart where Day took the lead. Norris challenged hard, pulling up alongside Day in the final laps, but his car got increasingly loose and he was unable to complete the pass for the lead. Norris finished second with Shawn Hamel II of Bangor in third. Shawn Racilla of Dover-Foxcroft placed fourth with Shawn Hamel of Bangor in fifth. Norris won the night’s qualifier, putting him on the pole for the feature.
Kris Watson of Hermon returned to victory lane in the Super Streets again this week after taking the lead from Holden’s Steve Moulton on a lap 9 restart caused when Lindsey Young spun her Camaro on turn 4. Coming off a win and a second place finish at Unity Raceway the past two Friday nights, Watson made it two wins in a row at Speedway 95. Moulton finished in second, followed by pole sitter Nick Kinney of Danforth in third. Mike Overlock of Franklin held a steady pace and stayed out of trouble to post his second top five in as many races. Lindsey Young recovered from her lap 9 spin to finish in the fifth spot. Hermon’s Doug Sinclair and Milton Ketch of Greenbush both ended up in the pit area early after hammering on each other long enough to cause both cars enough damage to eliminate them from the event.
Saturday night racing continues at Speedway 95 on July 18 at 6:30 with a 75 lap Little Enduro race filling in for the Late Models, who have the night off. The Strictly Streets, Super Streets and Allenfarm Fence Inc. Sport-Fours will also be racing that night