PASS North Series: Reid Lanpher
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Race Report

SCARBOROUGH, Maine – Reid Lanpher of Manchester, Maine, finished 23rd in the PASS North Series Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, on Saturday, May 4. Lanpher became the youngest driver ever to qualify for a PASS North Series race at Beech Ridge and the youngest driver ever to lead laps in a series event. The 14-year-old JR Motorsports development driver won his first-round qualifying heat race and started third in the 28-car field. He took the lead on Lap 5 and held it until a restart on Lap 36, after which he suffered a flat right rear tire and was forced to pit. While working back up through traffic, he was involved in an incident on the backstretch and ended up with a hard hit into the Turn 3 wall which ended his day on Lap 120.

WHO: Reid Lanpher, Manchester, Maine
TEAM: Team EJP No. 59 Eastern Township Docks/Mission Trailers Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Andy Santerre, Yarmouth, Maine
WHAT: PASS North Series Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 150
WHERE: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (.333-mile oval)
STARTED: 3rd
FINISHED: 23rd
NEXT RACE: May 18, PASS 150, Autodrome Chaudiere, Vallee-Jonction, Que. (.25-mile oval)

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REID, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END?
It was just a racing incident, really. We were fighting up through, and I was on the inside of Bobby Timmons there for a while. He was trying to kind of diamond the track to get some grip because he was loose, and he was trying to come down and get a straight drive off as I was still trying to get up off the corner.

We got together, and he got a little sideways. I was trying to straighten him out so we didn’t wreck the field behind us, and after that I lost my rear end. When the left side weight hooked it, it just shot me into the wall.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS WEEKEND WILL STILL BE A POSITIVE GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED?
Yeah. We were fast, and it gave me a lot of confidence that I could actually run with these guys after not even qualifying at Oxford (Plains Speedway). To start third and win my heat, and then start third in the feature, pass Joey (Doiron) when he was fast, that was big. We got out front and saved our stuff.

It was a big confidence boost, even though it didn’t end the way we wanted.

It’s disappointing (the way it ended). We hope to bounce back and run some more races to finish out our season. I’m sure financially it will be tough, but we hope to be back soon and still be fast.