WISCASSET SPEEDWAY PRESS RELEASE FOR SEPTEMBER 12, 2015
CHUCK COLBY TAKES HOME THE LATE MODEL WIN AT WISCASSET SPEEDWAY
By Lisa Maguire
Wiscasset Speedway celebrated its second Fan Appreciation Night, this time for the Group Two division of racers. Summer has been slowly slipping away towards fall, and the 2015 racing season has been winding down. As the season draws to a close, the Group Two division saw some point champions emerge. Only the Late Model division still has contention for the point champion, and that will be decided on Saturday, September 26. The divisions racing last Saturday included Late Model Sportsmen, Outlaw Mini, Modifieds, and Strictly Street. Additionally, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends made their ninth and final appearance at the Speedway for this season.
Fan Appreciation Night was celebrated by the drivers and fans alike. Drivers gathered on the front stretch of the track, and fans milled about, getting autographs and chatting with their favorite drivers. The August Four Season Synthetic Driver of the Month was announced as Mark Lucas. Lucas participated in three driving classes at Wiscasset Speedway this season: Modified, Napa Super Street, and Late Model. Kid’s bike races were also held for three divisions. The 3-5 year old division was won by Shawn from Sidney. The 5-7 year old division was won by Dylan from Oakland. The 8-12 year old winner was Connor Watson.
First on the track were twenty Late Model Sportsman’s, ready to race. The Late Model division had a forty-five lap race, and was the Spotlighted race of the evening. Starting on the pole was the #20 of Tracy Gordon. To his right was T J Watson of the #04. Behind was the #38 of Joey Doyon. Watson was quick to take the lead when green flag began. Gordon and Watson battled it out over twenty laps, trading the lead four times, but both were watching the #33 of Josh St Clair rapidly work his way up through the pack from his ninth place starting position.
Josh St Clair passed Doyon on turn three of lap eight, taking third. Josh St Clair watched the two race leaders as they vied for the lead, and waited for his opportunity to pass. His chance came during lap twenty-two, when he passed Watson for second. Gordon maintained his lead, but Watson slipped back further when the #17 of Chris Thorne passed him during lap twenty-three. However, Thorne couldn’t hold onto third, and the #87 of Chuck Colby passed him on the inside of turn three, taking third during lap twenty-six.
There was a caution during lap thirty. The restart saw some heavy racing action, and Colby had the inside track. Colby was able pass Josh St Clair for second, then follow that inside track to pass Gordon for the lead. With Gordon on the outside, Josh St Clair also slipped under and took second. As Colby made his way to the front, Dave St Clair of the #14 also was pushing on the pedal. Dave St Clair passed Gordon on the inside, coming out of turn three. Dave St Clair got under Josh St Clair and pushed him out of the way, taking second during lap forty-two. Colby’s car liked the fresh air, and sped ahead of the two St Clair’s and got a few car length’s lead.
The final lap was a jumble as the #25 of Chris Collins got into Josh St Clair, putting Josh St Clair into the turn two wall. Thorne advanced to third. Colby took the checkered. Colby was no stranger to Victory Lane at Wiscasset Speedway. Colby won eight back to back races during the 2007 Late Model racing season, and missed being point champion by only a few points. Dave St Clair placed second. Thorne rounded out the top three in third.
Post-race, Colby said, “It was a pretty good race, right from the beginning. Everybody raced clean all the way through. The guys were give and take all the way up through the race, we all run good together. I had a really fast car last night. I want to thank Colby’s Auto Center and Tire, Dale Shaw Race Cars, and Jim Cook. I also was to thank my family who sticks with me: my mom and dad, my wife Casey, and my son Tiger.”
The Outlaw Mini’s were the next crowd pleaser. This twenty-five lap race had two cautions, but was quickly raced. The #81 of Bryan Lancaster led the way throughout the entire race. Starting in second was the #26 of Brent Roy. Behind was Mike Bolduc of the #84. The cautions of the race did not set Lancaster back. On the restarts, he sped ahead and kept the lead consistently.
It wasn’t until lap six that there was a change in the top three. The #13 of Cody Tribbet traveled up from his seventh place start. He passed Bolduc on the outside of turn three for third. The second caution during lap nine gave Tribbet the opportunity to start on the inside. Tribbet was able to complete a pass on the restart, and took second away from Roy.
Seemingly coming out of nowhere was the #18X of Timothy Collins. Collins passed Roy on the inside of turn four for third during lap twelve. Collins wasn’t able to hold onto it, and Justin Trombley of the #34 passed him on the inside of turn four during the following lap. Bryan Lancaster took the win, cruising his way to victory for the first time this season. Cody Tribbet placed second. Tribbet needed only eight points to secure the point championship for the season last Saturday. With his heat and feature finish, Tribbet was able to score ten points, and he wrapped up the points race, taking the championship for the Outlaw class. Finishing in third was Trombley.
After the race, Lancaster said, “It was clean sailing from starting in the front. I didn’t want those cautions, but it still ended up working out. We put more rear end gear into it, and it made it turn up where it was supposed to. It was what we had been lacking all year. I need to thank: my brother Dylan, David Kinney, my dad Randy, my girlfriend Amanda, my mom Nancy, my son and crew chief, Austin, Randy Wyman Trucking, Tire King, and Marshall’s Automotive Machine.”
Making their last appearance of the 2015 season were the Amsoil Nelcar Legends. Five-time winner at Wiscasset Speedway, Kevin Girard, started on the pole. Beside him was the #8 of Matt Chagnot. Behind was Ed Getty of the #10. Girard never gave up the lead, he raced the entire race looking in his rear view mirror, looking at his competition. The #38 of Mathew Bourgoine and #29 of Austin Teras gave Girard a battle at the end, but Girard kept his wits about him, and stayed strong through the finish.
The #38 of Bourgoine was the hard charger of the race, moving from his seventeenth starting position and finishing in second. He used the cautions of the race to his advantage, to help move him up through the ranks. Teras entered the top three on the opening lap, and stayed consistently in the top five throughout the race. This was Teras’s first year running the Amsoil Nelcar Legend series, and he celebrated his thirteenth birthday with a podium finish.
Girard and Bourgoine were battling not only for the win, but for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends point championship. Heading into the race, Girard was point leader with 1578 points, and seven wins, five of which were at Wiscasset. Bourgoine went into the race with 1554 points and four wins under his belt, one of which was at Wiscasset. Matt Grant of the #84 was third in points heading into the race, but he had a weak finish Saturday Night, placing sixteenth.
Finishing strong in first was Girard. This made Girard’s sixth win at Wiscasset Speedway. Bourgoine placed second. Teras finished a respectable third. From Victory Lane, Girard said, “I’ve had a lot of practice throughout the year here (Wiscasset Speedway). Kudo’s to Mathew that we ended up battling, it was awesome. It’s good to have good competition. We’ve run a really close point race, so it’s been fun. There is one more point race left. I have got to thank my whole crew and family, and everyone that helps me out.”
In a quick, action packed thirty lap race, the Modified division put on quite a show. Starting at the pole was the #15 of Joseph Williams. In second was Ron Bryant of the #33. Behind was the #8 of Richard Jordan. There were several leader changes off the start. Bryant dropped back quickly and Williams gained a strong lead. The #85 of Jairet Harrison advanced to second. Moving quickly from the rear to third was the #5 of Mark Lucas. Lucas didn’t let any grass grow under his feet, and passed Harrison efficiently taking second.
Lucas moved to the outside of Williams during lap six, and the duo raced for the lead. Lucas couldn’t make the pass and dropped back. During lap ten, Lucas once again headed outside, and battled for the lead against Williams. Coming out of turn three, the pair made contact, and Williams spun onto the infield, but was able to make it back onto the track with no caution. Harrison advanced to second, and Nick Reno, who had moved up from the back of the pack, took third place.
Race leaders remained constant to the conclusion. When the checkered flew, Lucas was in first. This was Lucas’ track-high tenth win of the season. Harrison placed second. Reno took third. With the conclusion of the race, Lucas’s point championship was secured after a dominant season.
Lucas said, “I was working pretty hard in the race, it can’t be easy for all of them. It was a good race. The #85 car was leaking fuel at the start, so I got a face full of fuel, once I got clear of that worry I got to race. I got up to the #15, we did battle for a little bit. He was running pretty hard, and I was running pretty hard and we came together. Unfortunately, he spun out of it, but that happens. I want to thank all my crew because they have worked really hard all week. I want to thank Lucas Auto Repair, Dallas Staples Excavation, Lonnie’s Hydraulics, Fishing Vessel Mamiluem, and Martin Ramsay. I want to thank my family, since I spend time away from them getting these race cars ready, the fans, and the track owners.”
There were five cautions in the first eight laps of the Strictly Street twenty-five lap feature. After a slow start at the beginning, it ran without additional cautions. Starting at the pole was the #81X of Bryan Robbins. Robbins ran a strong race, but failed post- race inspection, disqualifying him from his second place finish.
Kimberly Knight of the #00 struggled at the beginning of the race, and fell to the back after the third caution of the night, when she spun to the infield. The #83 of Dan Brown moved to second, passing Night, during lap two, and ran strong despite a trip to the pits after the fifth caution.
Starting in third was the #99X of Jeff Davis. Davis fell back early in the race and the #84 of Skip Trip took third during the opening lap. Trip took damage during the second caution, and went to the pits, unable to return. The #51 of Kyle Hewins then advanced to third.
When Brown headed to the pits, Robbins was in the lead, Kyle Hewins had advanced to second, and the #47 of Brian Caswell moved to third. On the restart after the fifth caution, the #55H of Kurt Hewins passed Caswell, taking third during lap eight.
During lap eighteen, Kurt Hewins moved to the outside and passed Kyle Hewins for second. Kurt Hewins was not happy in second, and travelled up the track to pass Robbins on the outside of the front stretch, just as lap twenty-four began. There was heated racing action to the finish. Kurt Hewins took the win. Robbins flew under the checkered in second. In third was Kyle Hewins. Kyle Hewins was able to clinch the point run and take the championship with his second place finish. Kyle had a strong season, finishing in the top five in over half of the season’s Strictly Street races. When Robbins was disqualified later in the evening, Kyle Hewins was awarded second, and the #83 of Brown then advanced to third.
Kurt Hewins said of his win, “It was a good race. It was a long race with all the cautions we had. It was an all right season finish. I want to thank Helen and Eric Brown, they own the car and pay for everything. I need to thank Red, it is basically just him and I every week. I want to thank Brown Construction and all my sponsors.”
Come join in the fun at Wiscasset Speedway next weekend, Saturday, September 19, 2015 with its group one lineup of divisions: Prostock, Thunder 4’s, and New England Four Cylinder Prostock. The Napa Super Streets will be racing the following weekend so that Wiscasset Speedway can present the Strictly Street 40 Lap Shootout. Come watch the Strictly Street racers compete for a large purse. There is sure to be plenty of action!
Pit gates open at 2:00 PM. Grandstand gates open at 4:00 PM. Racing begins at 6:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 for adults and children aged seven and older. Kids six and under are free. Pit admission is $20.00. Race fans and drivers can purchase their favorite pictures from not only this season, but from season’s past, at Peter Taylor’s (the track photographer) website: www.petespicks.smugmug.com. Wiscasset Speedway is located on West Alna Road in Wiscasset. For more information, head to the Wiscasset Speedway website at www.wiscassetspeedway.com. The Wiscasset Speedway website is packed with information, including schedule of events, division rosters and rules, race results, and driver profiles. Head on over to take a look.
WISCASSET SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL FINISH SEPTEMBER 12, 2015
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN (45 LAPS)
1. #87 Chuck Colby, Wiscasset
2. #14 Dave St Clair, Liberty
3. #17 Chris Thorne, Sidney
4. #13 Nathan Tribbet, Richmond
5. #21 Shane Clark, Winterport
6. #1 Mark Lucas, Harpswell
7. #51 Puncin St Clair, Liberty
8. #20 Tracy Gordon, Strong
9. #28 Steve Minott, Windham
10. #34 Tyler Robbins, Montville
11. #4 Ben Erskine, Farmington
12. #25 Will Collins, Waldoboro
13. #33 Josh St Clair, Liberty
14. #00 Alex Waltz, Walpole
15. #5X Bryan Robbins, Montville
16. #3 Richard Jordan, Kingfield
17. #11 Cody Verrill, Woolwich
18. #04 T J Watson, Cundy’s Harbor
19. #38 Joey Doyon, Winterport
20. #7 Jay Bailey, Wiscasset
OUTLAW MINI (25 LAPS)
1. #81 Bryan Lancaster, Skowhegan
2. #13 Cody Tribbet, Richmond
3. #34 Justin Trombley, Winter Harbor
4. #18X Timothy Collins, Farmingdale
5. #5 Jimmy Childs, Leeds
6. #26 Brent Roy, Vassalboro
7. #83 Brady Romano, Livermore Falls
8. #84 Mike Bolduc, Palermo
9. #53 Nick Bissell, Palermo
10. #20 Shawn Kimball, Augusta
11. #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay
12. #2 Scott Trask, Richmond
13. #92 Mike Wilson, Chelsea
AMSOIL NELCAR LEGENDS (25 LAPS)
1. #19 Kevin Girard Jr, Old Orchard Beach
2. #38 Mathew Bourgoine, Newport
3. #29 Austin Teras, Windham
4. #72X Ryan Kuhn, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts
5. #96 Wyatt Alexander, Ellsworth
6. #70 Tylar Braunschwieg, West Newfield
7. #33 Alan Smith, Lincoln
8. #10 Ed Getty, Gray
9. #92 Colby Meserve, Buxton
10. #72 Mike Humphrey, Cornish
11. #8 Matt Chagnot, Derry, NH
12. #27 Roger Edgecomb, Hiram
13. #17 Terry Kirk, Durham
14. #50 Ken Boucher, Belgrade
15. #08 Cory Hall, New Brunswick, Canada
16. #84 Matt Grant, Windham
17. #00 Philip Brackett, South Portland
MODIFIEDS (30 LAPS)
1. #5 Mark Lucas, Harpswell
2. #85 Jairet Harrison, Freeport
3. #7 Nick Reno, West Bath
4. #04 Allan Moeller, Dresden
5. #8 Richard Jordan, Kingfield
6. #14 Jon Mccarron, Etna
7. #33 Ron Bryant, Livermore Falls
8. #96 Todd Ladd, Farmington
9. #15 Joseph Williams, Woolwich
10. #17 Thomas Young, Freeport
STRICTLY STREETS (25 LAPS)
1. #55H Kurt Hewins, Leeds
2. #51 Kyle Hewins, Leeds
3. #83 Dan Brown, Peru
4. #47 Brian Caswell, Buxton
5. #99X Jeff Davis, Woolwich
6. #3 Brandon Bailey, Woolwich
7. #5 Ryan Hewins, Leeds
8. #88 Mike Schooley, Wiscasset
9. #00 Kimberly Knight, Chesterville
10. #84 Skip Trip, Turner
11. #85 Chanler Harrison, Freeport
12. #2 Mike Taylor, Boothbay
DQ #51X Bryan Robbins, Montville