LEANDRA MARTIN MAKES HISTORY ON NAPA NIGHT AT WISCASSET SPEEDWAY
by Ken Minott
Wiscasset Speedway kicked off the final month of racing Saturday with a full card of action in it’s Group 1 divisions. Near perfect weather greeted a large and enthusiastic crowd at Maine’s fastest oval for the program presented by NAPA Auto Parts. As the 2015 season heads into the home stretch, championship point chases continue to tighten up in some divisions while one title would be wrapped up by night’s end. Just a week after his son Chuck Colby notched his first Late Model victory of the season, Charlie Colby covered the field and took his first checkered flag as well. Other winners on the night included Mark Lucas in the Napa Super Streets, Cody Tribbet in the Thunder 4 Minis, and Kamren Knowles in the N.E.4-cyl Pros. Also on the program were the Senior Tour Auto Racers (S.T.A.R. Tour). #0 Richard Eastman of Merrimac, Ma took home the victory in the Sportsman class while #2x Charlie Lima of New Bedford, Ma was the victor in the Modified class. Not to be outdone, Leandra Martin of Richmond would top the night with a history making runner-up finish in the Thunder 4 Mini’s.
The Napa Super Streets were the spotlight division on Napa Night and rolled out the first feature of the night. #88 of Jamie Norton and #23 of Brandon Sprague leading the field to the green for the 35 lap race. Just a pair of minor cautions early in the race would bunch up the field. Heat winner #32 Tasha Dyer took the lead on lap 3 from her 4th starting spot and held the top spot until a lap 13 restart. #5 Mark Lucas had started back in 8th and had already picked his way up to 4th for the lap 14 restart. He continued his charge to the front and took the lead away from Dyer with a pass in turn 3 & 4 and was at the top of the score board just past the halfway marker. Back behind him there was a great battle for position between Dyer and the division’s top two drivers, Josh Bailey & Adam Chadbourne. The two drivers would finally get by Dyer with 10 laps to go and try to reel in the leader Lucas. It was not to be and Lucas would easily cruise to his second victory of the season in his #5 Freeport Napa sponsored ride. Josh Bailey, the division point leader secured the runner-up finish, regaining is 26 point advantage over Chadbourne who finished 3rd. The Napa Super Streets will have their final points race on Sept 26th with Bailey seeking his first career title.
The Thunder 4 Minis were the next class on the track and ready for their 30 lap feature. #68 of Jeff Minchin Jr started at the pole position with #26 of Michael Golding along side. While the two rookie drivers were each gunning for their first career win, eyes were also fixed back in the pack as point leader Leandra Martin of Richmond was looking to put her name in a special place in the Wiscasset Speedway history books. The race got off to a tough start with a pair of cautions in the first two laps of the race, both for spins by the #54 of Noah Haggett. Minchin held the lead through the first 5 laps until the #4j of Joe Katula took it away with defending champ Ryan Chadwick following with 2nd from his 11th starting spot. Katula and Chadwick put on a great side by side battle for the lead for the next five laps until they made contact in turn two. Katula was unable to continue and Chadwick would go to the back for the restart. The #113 of Cody Tribbet would inherit the lead with #48 of Michael Harrison and #04 of Curtis Anderson in tow. Tribbet would hold the lead for the remainder of the race, picking up his 2nd win of the season. His cousin Leandra Martin patiently raced her #31 ride from the back of the pack and took over 2nd from Harrison on lap 23. This was a key pass in the race as she would cruise to the runner-up finish. In doing so, she secured the 2015 Thunder 4 Mini championship, making her the first female driver to win a championship racing head to head with men in the history of Wiscasset Speedway. Chadwick was able to recover from his lap 12 scuffle to finish 3rd in the feature.
The Prostock division rolled out for their 40 lap feature next. Rookies Nate Tribbet in the #13 and Mike Moody in the #1m took up the front row with defending champ Mike Orr and rookie Kevin Morse in row two. Tribbet, who had dominated his heat race, looked fast in the feature as well, pulling out to a comfortable half straightaway lead over Moody. The #01 of Andy Saunders moved up from mid pack and #72 of Charlie Colby quickly moved up from back in the pack to wage a good battle for 3rd by lap 10. Just two laps later, as Colby took the spot in turn three, Saunders got into the back of Colby sending him spinning and bringing out the first caution of the race. In a show of sportsmanship Saunders declared “Gentleman’s Rule” giving Colby back his 3rd place position for the restart and only sending Saunders to the back. On the ensuing restart Tribbet resumed his lead with Colby following him past Moody to take 2nd. Just a lap later Colby moved to the inside of Tribbet in turn one and took the lead. Through the mid point of the race point leader Jeff Burgess brought himself into contention along with top rookie Wyatt Alexander. Alexander wrestled the 3rd position away from Burgess by lap 29. Just two laps later Burgess would go spinning off turn 3 bringing out the second caution of the race and drop him out for the remainder of the race. Colby shook off Tribbet on the restart and cruised to the win. It was the first victory of the season for the former 2-time Prostock champ, and made him the division’s 6th different winner in 2015. Tribbet briefly gave over the second spot to Alexander on the restart, but took it back on lap 34. He then followed Colby to the runner-up finish and his first podium appearance of the year. Alexander took home the 3rd place trophy making for a moral victory of his team that had been battling steering pump issues for much of the day. Saunders took recovered for the 4th place finish. That combined with Burgess’s last place finish would tighten up the Prostock title chase. Burgess came into the night with a 28 point advantage and will enter the final points race with just a 10 point advantage.
The N.E. 4-cyl Pros had the final race of the program with a 25 lap feature. The dominance of defending champ Kamren Knowles would be on display again. He started back in 13th in the 15 car starting field and took just six laps to get to the front and take the lead. Just a pair of cautions would bunch up the field. Knowles, the division point leader and defending champ remained in charge and ran to his class high 5th win of the season. #0 of Alex Waltz started back in 10th and raced his way to 2nd, nearly catching the leader in the closing laps. Jeff Prindall of Lisbon drove his #24 ride to the 3rd place finish, his first podium appearance since May.
Wiscasset Speedway returns to action Saturday September 12th with Group 2 Fan Appreciation Night. The program will start with an on-track driver autograph session at 5pm followed by kids bike races in 3 divisions. Green flag flies on the racing action around 6pm. Pit gates will open at 2pm and grandstand gate opens at 4pm. Grandstand Admission is just $5 for adults and children 7& older. Kids 6 & under are free. Pit admission is $20 for all. For schedule information, points, photos etc, go to the website at www.wiscassetspeedway.com . Wiscasset Speedway is located on the West Alna Road in Wiscasset.
WISCASSET SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL FINISH 9/5/16
NAPA SUPER STREETS (35 LAPS)
1. #5 Mark Lucas – Harpswell
2. #2 Josh Bailey – Wiscasset
3. #1 Adam Chadbourne – Woolwich
4. #32 Tasha Dyer – Arrowsic
5. #02 Jason Curtis – Hollis
6. #85 Kenny Harrison – Pownal
7. #06 Zac Poland – Woolwich
8. #23 Brandon Sprague – Edgecomb
9. #88 Jamie Norton – Farmingdale
10. #38 Dan Trask – Chelsea
DNS #13 Dave Dougherty – Palmyra
THUNDER 4 MINI (30 LAPS)
1. #113 Cody Tribbet – Richmond
2. #31 Leandra Martin – Richmond
3. #5 Ryan Chadwick – Wiscasset
4. #48 Michael Harrison – Pownal
5. #04 Curtis Anderson – Richmond
6. #26 Michael Golding – Pownal
7. #58 David Greanleaf – Brunswick
8. #4J Joe Katula – n/a
9. #68 Jeff Minchin Jr – Pittston
10. #10 Mike Dulany – Richmond
11. #74 Roy Sevigny – Bowdoin
12. #17 Dylan Turner – Freedom
13. #54 Noah Haggett – Wiscasset
PROSTOCK (40 LAPS)
1. #72 Charlie Colby – Newcastle
2. #13 Nate Tribbet – Richmond
3. #96 Wyatt Alexander – Ellsworth
4 #01 Andy Saunders – Ellsworth
5. #32 Mike Orr – Wiscasset
6. #78 Ivan Kaffel – Raymond
7. #29 Kevin Morse – Woolwich
8. #05 James Osmond – Wiscasset
9. #1m Mike Moody – Topsham
10. #28 Ken Beasley – Richmond
11. #1 Jeff Burgess – Fairfield
DNS #09 Ed Drake – Burnham
DNS #56 Evan Beaulieu – Durham
N.E. 4-cyl PRO (25 LAPS)
1. #98 Kamren Knowles – West Gardiner
2. #0 Alex Waltz – Walpole
3. #24 Jeff Prindall – Lisbon
4. #27 Jacob Hendsbee – Whitefield
5. #8 Craig Dunn – Strong
6. #9x Brooke Knowles – West Gardiner
7. #14 Bob Patten – Westbrook
8. #55 John Shorey – Alna
9. #6 Fred Ashmore – Hancock
10. #54 Cam Corbin – Hallowell
11. #5 Spencer Vaughn – n/a
12. #99 Cameron Folsom – Augusta
13. #15 Tyler Bailey – Wiscasset
14. #38 Ryan Hayes – Jefferson
15. #42 Mike Kibbin – Lewiston
DNS #4 Connor Wenners – Edgecomb