For the first 32 laps of the 40 lap Dysart’s Late Model feature at Speedway 95 Saturday night, rookie Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington and John Kalel II of Orrington waged a side by side battle for the lead, with McLaughlin leading the majority of the laps by less than half a car length. Defending champion Andy Saunders of Ellsworth sat behind the battling duo in third spot, just waiting for his chance at the lead. Just as Saunders nosed ahead of Kalel to claim the second spot, the red flag flew when Ryan Dean of Winterport had his car catch fire and head for the infield. On the restart, the veteran Saunders started beside McLaughlin and took the rookie to school. Saunders ran the inside groove and wrestled the lead from McLaughlin on lap 33 and led the final 7 laps for the win. McLaughlin continued his impressive run and took the runner up spot with Deane Smart of Milford surging to a third place finish. Fourth went to Bangor’s Donny Blanchard with Kalel finishing in fifth. Twenty Late Models started the feature with only the one red flag stopping the action after an early caution before the completion of lap one caused a restart with all cars returned to their original starting positions.
In the Bangor Ford Sportsman Division, Kris Watson of Hermon passed early leader Deane Smart of Milford on a lap 13 restart after the two had raced side by side from the drop of the green. Watson held Smart at bay through two more caution periods during the remaining 37 laps of the 50 lap series event. Smart challenged Watson for the lead on each of the restarts, but Watson chose the outside groove each time and was able to hold Smart off for the win. Smart finished second with Milford’s Joe Leger a close third. Fourth went to Skowhegan’s Kris Matchett with Bradley Norris of Ellsworth in fifth.
Although she was ill with a stomach virus and barely made the grid for the 25 lap Keystone Automotive Strictly Street feature, Shelby Kimball of Cornville raced side by side with Frankfort’s Bob Seger Jr. for 21 of the race’s 25 laps, until Seger pulled ahead on a lap 22 restart. Seger held on for the win, with Kimball right behind him in second. Third place went to Alex Berry of Harrington when Zach Audet of Skowhegan was disqualified in post-race inspection for a weight violation. Greg Pung of Franklin finished fourth on his first night of competition for the season with Dylan Dodge of Jackson in fifth.
Brad Bosworth of Cornville won the Sport-Four feature that was plagued with caution flags and dust from the speedi-dri laid down by the track crew for fluids on the track. Bosworth inherited the lead from Carmel’s Ted Ryder on a lap 14 restart when Ryder was forced to pit during the caution period with an overheating engine. Bosworth held the lead for the final 6 laps after Emma Libby of Glenburn, who was positioned beside him on the front row, faltered on the restart and fell back in the field. J.R. Gray of Orrington was awarded second place after Tim Richardson was disqualified for having unapproved tires on his car. Third place went to Winterport’s Chelsea Young with Jayson Bosworth of Cornville in fourth. Hermon’s Andrew Crosby finished fifth.
Cody Robbins of Palermo made it three in a row in the Bombers when he was declared the winner after Garett Hayman of Milford failed post-race tech inspection by refusing to allow an inspection of his car’s flywheel. Denis Burns of Carmel finished second with Bangor’s Scott Bonney third. Fourth went to Mark Lane of Newport with Rick Gomm of Dixmont in fifth.
Racing continues at Speedway 95 on Wednesday June 19 with the Varney Buick-GMC-Mazda Wacky Wednesday show at 7:00p.m., to be preceded by an autograph session at 6:30 on the front stretch. On Saturday, June 22, the Pepsi Beverage Company series #2 race for the Keystone Automotive Strictly Street Stocks will highlight the five division card. Racing starts at 6:00 p.m. with children’s bike races starting at 5:30.