by | Feb 26, 2013 | Maine
Maine Driver Off To Southern National For Dirty Dozen Late Model Series
MANCHESTER, Maine – The winter of waiting is finally over for Reid Lanpher.
The 14-year-old driver from Manchester, Maine, will begin his career at JR Motorsports this weekend, March 1-2, with the first round of the “Dirty Dozen” Late Model series at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, N.C. Lanpher announced last autumn that he signed to drive with JR Motorsports in 2013, the team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
After competing full-time last season in Legends cars and making a handful of starts in a Super Late Model, Lanpher sees the coming season as a big opportunity for his career. (more…)
by Jay | Feb 23, 2013 | Maine, New England, Photos
by | Jan 29, 2013 | Maine
Tough End To Strong Speedfest Run For Theriault
Accident Collects BKR Driver While Running Inside The Top-5
CORDELE, Ga. – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, saw a promising run get collected in someone else’s mess as he finished 13th in the ARCA/CRA Super Series Speedfest 200 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., on Sunday, Jan. 27.
Theriault was among the fastest cars in two days of practice on the .400-mile oval, qualified inside the Top-10 in the 32-car field and was leading with less than 70 laps remaining in the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Ford Fusion when troubles hit. A broken throttle spring left him with only a quarter-throttle before a timely caution flag flew, after which he marched back inside the Top-5 only to get turned from behind in Turn 3 and effectively take him out of contention. (more…)
by | Jan 24, 2013 | Maine
Theriault Kicks Off Season At Speedfest
Maine Driver Looks To Build On Promising 2012 Campaign With BKR
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, kicks off his 2013 schedule with the ARCA/CRA Super Series Speedfest 200 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., this weekend, January 25-27.
Theriault returns for his second full season in the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Ford Fusion.
“We had some time during the offseason to reflect on the past year, and coming into this year, we feel there’s a lot of stuff that I learned last year as a driver and that the team has learned that we can carry into the new year,” Theriault said. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t realize, but I think we’ve really stepped up our game. We’re taking it to the next level.”
During the offseason, Theriault moved to North Carolina and now works during the week for Brad Keselowski Racing. He believes that the hands-on time he’s spent working on the cars will only pay off in the long run. (more…)
by | Jan 23, 2013 | Oxford Plains Speedway
SOUTH PARIS, Maine – Norway’s Chris Coolidge will be back in the top division at Oxford Plains Speedway in 2013, even as the division itself has undergone offseason changes.
Formerly fielding ACT-legal Late Models at the .375-mile flat oval, new ownership there has revamped the division to be a Pro Late Model – a sort of hybrid blending the former Late Model division with the Super Late Models that compete in the PASS North Series. Coolidge, who earned his first career win in the 2012 season finale at Oxford, is already eager to get back on the track in his No. 72 Crazy Horse Racing chassis.
“It’s not going to be a full-blown Pro Stock. It’s not going to be a lot different,” Coolidge said. “It’s always been my hope to try and be able to run something like that. It’s definitely going to be a learning curve – I still had a lot to learn in a Late Model, and now we’ve even got more to learn. But I still think it’s going to be a lot of fun.” (more…)
by | Jan 15, 2013 | Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine – Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and Maine native Ricky Craven was presented with the 2013 Award Of Excellence on Friday, January 11, to highlight the 25th annual Northeast Motorsports Expo last weekend at the Augusta Civic Center.
“In my opinion, the Award Of Excellence is for somebody who has done a lot for motorsports in the state of Maine over the years,” said Northeast Motorsports Expo owner and promoter Steve Perry. “The things that Ricky Craven has done for the sport are really hard to put into words, but I think we all know what he’s meant to the racing community here.”
Craven, of Newburgh, Maine, won two Sprint Cup Series races in his career – at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway – and currently serves as an analyst for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage. (more…)
