by Jay | Aug 6, 2009 | Maine, Speedway 95
In a car built in less than a week following the crash of his primary car at Beech Ridge Speedway last Sunday, Jason Trundy of Old Town led the Little Enduro Series race #3 from pole to checkers, won the feature and the points title for the three race Little Enduro Series. The race was interrupted twice for red flags. The first occurred on lap 3 when Patrick Cook of Swanville pushed Hermon’s Andrew Crosby into the backstretch tire wall. Crosby was able to continue, but Cook was sent to the pit by the flagman for roughriding. The second red happened on the front stretch on lap 9 when Craig Carlson of Monroe spun and Waylon Shibles of Winterport collided with him. Both cars were sidelined for the night. Following Trundy for the entire distance of the race was Donny Blanchard of Orrington, who finished in second. Newburgh”s Darren Durrell was third, followed by Mike Ogden of Old Town and Mike Witham of Milo. Trundy and Blanchard won the qualifiers, setting them on the front row for the start.
Nicole Smith had an up and down night in the Ladies Division starting when she rolled her car over on the backstretch during practice. Not to be deterred, her crew got the car back in running order by the qualifier, but she was only able to finish in fifth. By feature time, the crew had fine tuned to car, and Nicole worked her way from her 3rd place starting place to the lead by the end of the second lap, and went on to win the event, despite her soreness from the earlier rollover. Last week’s winner, Danielle DeLuck of Hampden, started in the 6th spot and challenged Smith for the lead over the final five laps. DeLuck was unable to make the pass and settled for a second place finish. Points leader Rhonda Lyford of Winterport also challenged for the lead early, but fell to third and finished in that spot. Becky Elston of Carmel finished fourth while Shelby Kimball of Cornville finished in fifth in a car that was loose in the turns for the entire race. DeLuck won the qualifier, but had to start in sixth due to her win last week.
Jim Carr Jr. of Clifton rolled to his eighth win in a row in the pick up trucks after he took the lead on a lap 4 restart. Peter Drake of Corinth and Matt Morin of Orrington came together on the front stretch while racing for position. Morin spun and stalled on the front stretch while Drake continued on down the turn 1 embankment and needed assistance from the wrecker crew to get back on track. Even the wrecker crew needed assistance from the wrecker crew as the first wrecker attached to Drake’s truck became stuck and had to have assistance from a second wrecker, that pulled both vehicles to dryer ground. Drake returned to the track to continue in the race without losing a lap in the process. Drake worked his way back to the third spot by the finish, racing to the checkered flag behind Bucksport’s Dana Harlow, who finished in second. Mike Lynch of Winterport finished in fourth with Andrew Crosby of Hermon in fifth. Carr also won the qualifier for the trucks earlier in the program.
Colin Robertson had the car to beat in the Stars of Tomorrow as he won both the qualifier and the main event for the night. The win was the career first for the twelve year old redhead from Clinton. After a quick yellow flag on the first lap caused by a spinning Ryan Modery of Hermon, Robinson led from the pole to the checkers. Brett McCullough of Kenduskeag put his Ford Escort into the second spot early in the event and held off Matt Kimball of Cornville, who finished third. Modery recovered from his spin to finish fourth, followed by D.C.Alexander of Carmel, who finished in fifth. A sixth car, driven by Charles Haskins of Swanville, started the race but retired early following a tap in the rear bumper by McCullough as he misjudged his speed coming out of turn 2.
Although a little short on cars, the Big Enduro feature turned out to be a rough and tumble affair as the laps ran down. Dwayne Walton of Glenburn led the first 15 laps in his Thunderbird, but a shoving match for position on the front stretch that included Roger Smith of Clifton and Ricky Palmer of Winterport sent Walton back to third at the finish. Palmer came out the winner for the fourth week in a row, after taking the lead from Roger Smith on the 17th lap of the 20 lap event. Smith finished in second, in a car steaming at the finish and dragging it’s rear bumper on the track. Fourth went to Alan Cookson of Old Town, followed by fifth place finisher Shawn McNevin of Hudson. Roger Smith was the winner of the Big Enduro qualifier.
by Jay | Aug 2, 2009 | Maine, Speedway 95
Josh St. Clair of Liberty took the lead in a controversial incident on lap 23 of the 25 lap Late Model feature at Speedway 95 on Saturday night and went on the post the win. St. Clair was running second to Hermon’s Dale Swoboda, trying to make the pass on the inside, when the two cars made contact in turns 3 and four. Swoboda went spinning off the track, giving the lead and the win the St. Clair. In his post race interview, St. Clair stated that “He chopped me off three times, trying to take my lane away from me. All he has to do is give me a lane to race in. The fourth time, I stayed in my lane, he chopped down again, and I didn’t back off.” On the lap 23 restart, John Phippen of Bar Harbor, who had worked his way back to the front following an early race spin involving Dixmont’s Jason Witts and Hudson’s Glen Curtis, challenged St. Clair for the win, but had to settle for the runner up spot. Winterport’s Joey Doyon finished a strong third in a car borrowed from Josh’s grandfather, Dave St. Clair’s “Dave’s World” racing stable. Fourth went to early leader Shane Clark of Winterport, and Don Alexander Jr. of Levant finished fifth. Swoboda was also involved in two earlier incidents, one on lap 21, when he and Shane Clark tangled in turn one while racing for the lead, which caused a yellow flag when Clark spun and backed into the car of Ray-Allen Morse of St. Albans, that Swoboda and Clark were overlapping. The next was on that lap 21 restart, when Swoboda ran Seekins wide going into turn one, causing Seekins to lose about 6 spots as he fought to recover in the marbles on the high side of the track. Seekins was unable to recover his lost positions and finished in sixth. Phippen was the winner of the qualifier, followed by Seekins, Swoboda, Clark and Doyon.
In Super Street action, Steve Moulton of Holden led all but one lap of the 50 lap CAM II Racing Fuels series event, but it was by no means an easy victory. Josh St. Clair of Liberty hounded Moulton for the entire event, making several attempts to pass on the inside, and actually led the one lap Moulton didn’t, on lap 22 following a lap 21 restart. St. Clair’s car would run strong behind Moulton, but when he would pull up on the inside to pass, the car would get loose, forcing St. Clair to ease up and allowing Moulton to maintain his lead. In victory lane, both drivers congratulated each other on the clean side by side and nose to tail race they had just run. Watching from third, but unable to get close enough to be a factor was points leader Kris Watson of Hermon. Watson battled with Hermon’s Doug Sinclair for third and fourth as hard as Moulton and St. Clair were battling for the lead. Watson finished in third, with Sinclair finishing in fourth. Fifth went to Franklin’s Mike Overlock.
Shawn Hamel II won the 14 car Strictly Street feature event after a hard fought battle with Doug Day of Glenburn that was decided in the closing laps when Hamel kept Day pinched down while overlapping slower cars. As they approached the slower car of Brad Finnemore of Dover-Foxcroft, Hamel saw his opportunity, and made sure Day, who was running on the inside, didn’t have enough room to make it three wide. Day backed off just long enough for Hamel to clear Finnemore’s car, then shot back to the outside in front of points leader Brad Norris, who was also trying to take advantage of the slower car. This caused Norris to go high, allowing the cars of Dustin Hubbard of Unity and Andy Trubovsky of Winslow to get by. Day finished second with Hubbard, Turbovsky and Norris following in that order.
Rick Grant of LaGrange picked up the checkered flag in the Sport-Four division after taking the lead from Points leader David Green of Hampden in turns three and four on the last lap by keeping Green on the outside and forcing him to back off as they approached overlapped traffic. Green had taken the lead from Hermon’s Ralph Allen on lap 10, using the same tactic that eventually cost him the race. Green kept Allen on the outside as they approached the slower car of Corinth’s Rick Adams, and passed Allen on the inside as the half way sign was showing from the flagstand. Grant saw what Green had done, and followed Green past Allen, then chased him until he saw his opportunity coming on the last lap to make the same move on Green. As they again approached Adams, Grant made the move, keeping Green in his lane and forcing him to slow up momentarily. Green was then able to then tuck in behind Grant and follow him under the checkered flag before Allen could fill the gap. Allen finished in third with Gary Richards of Stetson and Jeff Overlock Jr. of Hermon finishing in fourth and fifth respectively.
Racing continues at Speedway 95 on Saturday August 8 as Napa Auto Parts and the local participating NAPA Auto Parts stores in Central and Downeast Maine sponsor the show that will include racing in the Dysart’s Late Models, Super Streets, Strictly Streets and the Allenfarm Fence Co. Sport-Fours.
by Jay | Jul 26, 2009 | Speedway 95
Speedway 95 News Release 7/25/09
By Bill DaButler
(Hermon, Me) The weather was perfect for a night of racing at Saturday Night, July 25 at Speedway 95, Maine’s family fun track, presented by Budweiser the king beers! It was a evening, packed with racing, including a visit from the Wicked Good Vintage Race Cars, and bicycle races between Speedway 95 kids club members, and drivers.
The Dysart’s Late Models held a 50-lap series race, with Town Hill’s John Phippen, Jr. taking home the first place trophy. It looked at first that outside pole sitter Greg Morse of St. Albans might earn the top spot until he got tangled up in the restart with Winterport’s Joey Doyon. The caution flag flew 3 times, and the red flag came out too, when Scott Modery of Hermon blew his second tire of the race out in turn four hitting hard against the tire barriers. The final caution came at on the restart of lap 33, when Morse and Doyon got tangled up. “I really though that was ‘young’ Morse’s race” said Phippen in victory lane. Josh St. Clair of Liberty took second, and Daune Seekins of Stockton Springs finished third.
Steve Moulton of Glenburn dominated both the heat and features in the Super Street division. For the most part, the Supers went caution free, however, at the white flag Kris Huff of Orrington put the third place car of Hermon’s Kris Watson into the tire pile outside turn two, earning a black flag for Huff. Ed Drake of Vassalboro crossed the line for second, with Lindsey Young of Stockton Springs ending her evening in the third spot.
In the Strictly Streets, Jim Carr, Jr. of Clifton improved on his third place finish in the heat race to take the win in the feature. Brad Norris of Ellsworth worked hard to catch up to Carr, closing the gap in the final laps, but was unable to complete the pass. “I don’t think I could have caught him, I think we could have got along side him for a few laps before my tires heated up, but I was giving it all I got.“ Kris Huff of Orrington in his second feature race at Speedway 95 finished third.
In Allen Farm Fence Company Sport-Four action, Rick Grant of LaGrange took the lead with to laps to go and held on to win. Kyle Gallant of Veazie had dominated the race, but started loosing his right rear tire in the final laps. Despite the tire issue, Gallant held it together to earn the second place honors, and David Green of Bangor finished third.
There were also wo features for the Wicked Good Vintage Race Cars, with the first race caution free. There were a few moments in the first feature where the yellow flag might have been thrown if not for the drivers quick reactions that kept the race green. Smokin’ Joe Legere picked up the win in the first feature, Rick Burgess, Sr. took second, and Rosey Gerry took third. In the second feature, Keith Fuller earned the top spot, with Robert Hills second, and Dick McPhail third.
RESULTS (TOP 5 ONLY)
DYSART’S LATE MODELS
FINISH CAR# DRIVER TOWN
1. 59 John Phippen, Jr. Town Hill
2. 33 Josh St. Clair Liberty
3. 19 Duane Seekins Stockton Springs
4. 38 Joey Doyon Winterport
5. 15 Mike Hopkins Hermon
SUPER STREETS
FINISH CAR# DRIVER TOWN
1. 80 Steve Moulton Holden
2. 09 Ed Drake Vassalboro
3. 4 Lindsey Young Stockton Springs
4. 16 Nick Kinney Danforth
5. 28 Al Libby Brooks
STRICTLY STREETS
FINISH CAR# DRIVER TOWN
1. 3 Jim Carr, Jr. Clifton
2. 8 Brad Norris Ellsworth
3. 22 Nick Huff Orrington
4. 55 Shawn Hamel, II Bangor
5. 9 Travis Poulin Holden
ALLEN FARM FENCE COMPANY SPORT-FOURS
FINISH CAR# DRIVER TOWN
1. 41 Rick Grant LaGrange
2. 9 Kyle Gallant Veasie
3. 16 David Green Bangor
4. 07 Derrick Terrill Plymouth
5. 50 Ralph Allen Hermon
WICKED GOOD FEATURE #1
FINISH CAR# DRIVER TOWN
1. 86 Joe Legere Milbridge
2. 34 Rick Burgess, Sr. Waterville
3. 151 Rosey Gerry Lincolnville
4. 61 Dick McPhail Fairfield
5. 8 Norris Willette Winslow
WICKED GOOD FEATURE #2
FINISH CAR# DRIVER TOWN
1. 2 Keith Fuller Morrill
2. x88 Robert Hills Searsmont
3. 61 Dick McPhail Fairfield
4. 13 Ralph Hall Belfast
5. 8 Mike Beland Milo
Speedway 95 returns to action Wednesday July 29th for Varney GMC Wacky Wednesday, plus Children’s Box Car Races beginning at 6pm! Then on Saturday August 1st, with racing in four divisions, including the CAM II racing Fuels 50-lap Super Street Series.
by Jay | Jul 24, 2009 | Maine, Speedway 95
Seventeen year old Shelby Kimball of Cornville used points leader Rhonda Lyford as an extra set of wheels as she rubbed her way past on lap 12 and went on to win the Ladies Division Series race at Speedway 95 on Wacky Wednesday night. Lyford chased Kimball to the line, challenging strongly through lapped traffic on the last two laps, but was unable to pass and settled for a runner up finish. Last week’s winner Nicole Smith of Clifton was third, followed by Carmel’s Becky Elston and Hampden’s Danielle Deluck, who recovered from an early race spin to finish fifth. Each of the top three took a turn leading during the course of the event. Danielle DeLuck won the qualifier and started the pole, but a skirmish with Rhonda Lyford on the front stretch on lap 9 sent her for a spin, from which she recovered to post her fifth place finish.
In the pick up trucks, it took Jim Carr of Clifton 19 laps to work his way to the lead, but he was there at the end of the caution free event on lap 20 to post his sixth straight win of the season. Peter Drake of Clifton held the lead for the other 19 laps, but Carr watched traffic and used Andrew Crosby for a pick to make the winning pass in turn four on the 19th lap. Drake finished second, followed by Bucksport’s Dana Harlow. Andrew Crosby of Hermon and Matt Morin of Orrington battled for fourth and fifth for the last half of the race and finished in that order.
In Little Enduro action, the red flag was the equalizer as it came out 6 times in 20 laps, to keep the cars close for the entire race. Donnie Blanchard of Orrington took the lead from Adam Russell on lap 11, with Russell battling back, taking the lead on lap 12, but Blanchard wrestled it away from him for good on lap 14 and went on to post the win. Kyle Gallant started on the pole, fell back as far as sixth during the race, then recovered to finish a close second. Newburgh’s Paul Higgins ran in the top five all night, finishing in third, ahead of Andrew Crosby of Hermon and Robert Mushero of Scarborough in fourth and fifth. The first two red flags came out when Darren Durrell was hit and spun, first on lap 2 by Ken Ogden, who was black flagged for his efforts, then on lap 6 by Timothy Moon, who was allowed to continue. The third red flag appeared on lap 7, when Chris Carroll of Greenbush took a header into the turn 4 tire wall. On lap 10, the red flew again for a melee in turn four, which caused Howland’s Mike Houde to be transported to the hospital with neck and back pain. The next red was on lap 14 for Chris Burbelo’s trip off turn one, and the final red came out on lap 16, when Burbelo and Winterport’s Wayne Shibles tangled on the frontstretch, also involving Dennis Burns of Carmel. 22 cars started the 20 lap event. Kyle Gallant was the winner of the qualifier.
Ricky Palmer of Winterport led the Big Enduro feature from green to checker in a red flag free 20 lap event. Alan Cookson Jr. of Old Town brought his Monte Carlo home in second, ahead of the Oldsmobile of Roger Smith of Clifton. Hudson’s Shawn McNevin finished in fourth, with fifth spot going to Bangor’s Eddie Cobb. Carmel’s Duane Walton was the only casualty of the race, when he spun is Thunderbird in turn one on lap 6, and spent the race watching through his windshield as the red never flew to stop the action so he could be retrieved.
Ryan Modery of Hermon picked up his second win in three races in the Stars of tomorrow, a division started for 11-14 year olds to learn the basics of racing stock cars. Cornville’s Matt Kimball chased Modery around for the 10 lap distance, but was unable to make the pass for the win. Third went to Brett McCullough of Kenduskeag, with Carmel’s D.C. Alexander getting fourth place.
by Jay | Jul 19, 2009 | Speedway 95
In a special 75 Lap Little Enduro feature scheduled on a Saturday night, and sponsored by Cap’s Tavern of Brewer and Judy’s Restaurant on State St. in Bangor, Darren Durrell of Newburgh came back from a Wednesday night disqualification that took a win away from him to take the win in a race that went the full 75 laps, from green to checkers, without a stop. Durrell wrestled the lead from Donny Blanchard of Orrington on the 11th lap and held Blanchard at bay for the remainder of the race. Blanchard finished in second with Kyle Gallant of Veazie, who had posted a win in the Sport-Four Division earlier in the evening, finishing in third. Newburgh’s Ken Getchell finished the race in fourth, the first car a lap down to the leaders, and Frankfort’s Chris Burbelo was fifth. Durrell and Blanchard each won a qualifying heat, and started the race on the front row. The Little Enduro feature replaced the usual Late Model Feature as the Late Model drivers requested the night off to attend Oxford 250 week-end at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Strictly Street action saw a new winner in victory lane as Orrington’s Nick Huff, in his first ever appearance at Speedway 95 as a driver, came from a 6th place starting position and passed from veteran driver Doug Day of Kenduskeag on lap 9 to take the lead, and later, his first checkered flag. Points leader Bradley Norris of Ellsworth, who got tangled up in a chain reaction collision at the start when Travis Poulin’s Monte Carlo failed to gain speed when the green flag flew, chased Huff for the second half of the race, but was unable to catch the youngster and settled for a runner up finish. Doug Day finished in third, followed by Jim Carr Jr. of Clifton in his first Strictly Street appearance of the year in fourth and Shawn Hamel of Bangor in fifth. Huff is the son for former Speedway 95 and Unity Raceway Pro Stock driver Kris Huff, and grandson of Hermon’s Doug Sinclair, a Super Street driver at the speedway. Bradley Norris was the qualifying race winner.
The Super Street race was a fender rubbing and bumper banging affair which led to another first time winner in the division. Ed Drake of Vasselboro took advantage of a restart on lap 21 to pass points leader Kris Watson of Hermon and lead the final four laps to the win. Watson and Hermon’s Doug Sinclair had been locked in a fierce battle for the top spot until Sinclair went into turn three a little too high and a little too hard, and ended up against the turn three tire wall. Sinclair had been leading and was attempting to overlap a slower car when his misfortune struck. On the restart it was Watson on the outside by choice, and Drake on the inside, with Drake powering by Watson to take the lead when the green flag flew. Watson finished second with Holden’s Steve Moulton recovering from an early race skirmish with Franklin’s Mike Overlock to finish third. Artie Mcguire of Bucksport finished fourth in his first appearance of the season, and Danforth’s Nick Kinney finished in fifth.
Kyle Gallant of Veazie returned to victory lane in the Sport-Four division following a couple of poor finishes due to mechanical issues with his car, and did it in fine fashion, racing points leader David Green side by side over the last 6 laps of the race. The lap 14 caution, which set up the race to the finish, was caused when Hermon’s Ralph Allen and LaGrange driver Rick Grant came together in turn four, causing Grant to spin and stall. Prior to the restart, Grant decided to show his displeasure with Allen and ran into him on the pace lap. Grant was black flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Allen continued in the race to finish fourth, behind Green, who finished second, and third place finisher Brent Fletcher of Milford. The fifth spot went to Ellsworth’s Bradley Norris, who did double duty, racing in two divisions during the evening’s activity.
Saturday night racing continues at Speedway 95 on July 25, when Budweiser, King of Beers sponsors the show that includes a 50 lap Dysart’s Late Model feature, the Super Streets, Strictly Streets, Allenfarm Fence Co Sport-Fours and the Wicked Good Vintage Racing League.
by Jay | Jul 16, 2009 | Maine, Speedway 95
Paul Higgins on Newburgh was declared the winner of the 29 car Wacky Wednesday Little Enduro feature race at Speedway 95 on July 15 when apparent winner Darrin Durrell, also of Newburgh, was disqualified following a post race inspection of his car. Higgins had chased Durrell for the final 10 laps of the race, but was unable to make the pass to take the win on the track. Old Town’s Jason Trundy then finished second after leading the event from a lap 6 restart until Durrell retook the lead on lap 12, following a red flag caused by Adam Russell’s rollover on the backstretch. Mike Ogden of Bucksport drove a hard race and finished third, followed by Mike Witham of Milo in fourth. Andrew Crosby of Hermon was fifth. The Little Enduro drivers also competed in a Double O race at the end of the night, with Mike Witham of Milo taking the win, followed by Steve Moulton of Holden, Robert Mushero of Scarborough, Danny Snyder of Charleston and Ricky Adams of Corinth. Qualifiers for the main feature were won by Darren Durrell of Newburgh and Chris Carrol of Greenbush.
Four cars showed up this week for the “Stars of Tomorrow”, a division for 11-14 year olds. 12 year old Matthew Kimball of Cornville took the win, with last week’s winner Ryan Modery of Hermon in second. Brett McCullough of Kenduskeag finished in third, driving the final five laps on a flat tire. DC Alexander of Carmel raced the qualifier, but was unable to make the feature due to an oil leak on his car. Matthew Kimball won the qualifier.
Nicole Smith of Clifton won for the first time in three years in the Ladies Division when she overtook early leader Shelby Kimball of Cornville on a lap 15 restart, caused when Danielle DeLuck detonated a motor going into turn one and covered the track with oil. Kimball had led the first 15 laps and appeared to have the car to beat, but the speedy dry from the oil spill caused her trouble, allowing Smith to take the lead and the win. Kimball finished in second, with Kayla Allen of Bucksport finishing third in a car borrowed from Michael Shaw of Troy. Becky Elston of Carmel finished in fourth with points leader Rhonda Lyford of Winterport limping home fifth with a flat right front tire on the final lap. Rhonda Lyford had won the qualifier for the Ladies earlier in the program.
Jim Carr Jr. of Clifton made it five in a row in the pick up trucks when he held off Bucksport’s Dana Harlow for the win. Harlow and Hermon’s Andrew Crosby led the early laps until Carr moved his truck past both of them to take the lead on lap 6. From that point on it was Carr all the way, with Harlow staying in front of Crosby to take the second place trophy. Crosby finished in third after posting a 5th place finish in the Little Enduros earlier in the evening. Mike Lynch of Winterport tried his luck in the 60 truck, and wound up finishing in fourth with Brett Crosby of Hermon recovering from a trip into an infield tire pile to finish fifth. Carr also won the heat race for the division.
