NAPLES, ME (September 24) – After a hard fought season battling fellow competitors and pesky weather, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) will crown its first champions of the year this weekend at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine. It will be the final weekend of racing for New England’s premier short trackers as the championships will be decided for the PASS North Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds and PASS Sportsman. The points are extremely tight heading to Oxford, particularly in the Super Late Model and Modified divisions.
The PASS North Super Late Model championship is down to three drivers realistically, points leader Cassius Clark, Joey Doiron, and DJ Shaw. Defending PASS North champion and 2013 TD Bank 250 winner Travis Benjamin sits fourth in points, still with a mathematical shot at another championship as well.
Clark, Doiron, and Shaw are separated by just seven points as each of them seek their first PASS North titles at Saturday’s Ripley & Fletcher Ford 150. Handicapping who the favorite might be is no easy task as each driver has their strong suits heading to Oxford. Clark is the veteran of the group having raced for PASS North Championships since the mid-2000’s. Although he’s never won a PASS North title, he has come close on several occasions and he did win the inaugural PASS National Championship back in 2008. This year, Clark has been consistent, winning twice early in the year, one of those wins being the season opener for PASS North at Oxford in April.
Doiron has been the picture of consistency in 2013 leading the PASS North points since the second race of the season. After starting the year with a big PASS National win in Florida, Doiron’s focus shifted to the Northern Championship. And, after sweeping the Twin 150s at White Mountain Motorsports Park in late August, many thought he was a shoe in for the championship. But, a ninth place run at Autodrome Chaudiere and a 15th place finish at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway have him trailing Clark by three points heading to the season finale.
Like Clark and Doiron, Shaw is a two-time winner this year and has been very consistent. Shaw’s wins were spread out over the season, winning at Beech Ridge in May and at Chaudiere in August. Being just seven points out of the championship lead, Clark and Doiron will not be able to overlook Shaw. A slight mistake for any of the three championship leaders will most likely knock them from contention for the title.
If you thought the PASS North points race was tight, it has nothing on the PASS Modified tussle. Mark Lucas and Scott Alexander are only separated by single point heading to Oxford. Lucas is the only PASS Modified driver to win more than one race this year taking the checkered flag four times, one of those wins being at Oxford. Alexander, on the other hand, has yet to go to victory lane this year. But, Alexander has more top five’s than any other driver, finishing there in seven of the eleven races this year.
In the PASS Sportsman division, five drivers have a mathematical shot at the championship, but points leader Carey Martin has a fairly comfortable 43 point advantage over second place points driver Rusty Poland.
Action kicks off for a big weekend of racing at Oxford Plains Speedway on Friday with rotating practice for all PASS divisions and Oxford local divisions from 12-6:15 PM. Heats for the Ladies, Trucks, Rebels and Outlaws will start at 6:30 PM and will be followed by their main events. On Saturday, pits gates open at 8 AM, with rotating practice for the PASS North Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds, PASS Sportsman, Minis, Outlaws, Strictly, and Legends from 9 AM – Noon. Heat race action starts at 1 PM and will be followed by full slate of feature racing later in the afternoon.
The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America’s premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the PASS Northwest Triple Crown at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval, PASS South’s Easter Bunny 150 at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, the Autobus La Qubecoise Triple Crown at Autodrome Chaudiere, and the legendary TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.