by Jay | Sep 1, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, New England, PASS
NAPLES ME (9/1/2009) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) returns to Scarborough Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the fifth annual PASS 400 weekend on September 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th , and the four day short track extravaganza will go a long way toward determining both the 2009 PASS North and PASS National super late model Champions
With just two events remaining on the PASS North schedule, Johnny Clark has a solid lead in the point standings. The defending champ currently enjoys a 40 point margin over Ben Rowe (2370-2330) in the title chase, with Adam Bates at 2310, Derek Ramstrom at 2290 and Kelly Moore in fifth with 2277. With two points available per finishing position and a minimum of 32 cars scheduled to take the grid in the seasons longest race, an upfront finish by Rowe combined with a bad day for Clark could easily tighten the standings. But so far in 2009, Clark has the Beech Ridge advantage with second and seventh place finishes compared to Rowe’s pair of ninth place runs. Both drivers have ten top 10 finishes in eleven starts, so it’s a tossup in that category. But Clark is the defending PASS 300 race winner, so he knows the extra distance setup and strategy that could carry him to a second consecutive $10,000.00 payday.
Adam Bates has had a virtual stranglehold on Beech Ridge victory lane of late. Bates has two wins, two second place runs and a fourth in his last five Beech Ridge starts, and despite a grinding wreck at Thompson International Speedway that completely destroyed his only super late model, he’s managed to regroup and battle back from adversity to remain near the top of the point standings.
There have been seven different winners in the last seven PASS North super late model races, and the last two have been first time wins scored by Randy Turner (Unity ME) and Tom Scully Jr. (Seekonk MA). There are plenty of talented drivers that haven’t crossed the stripe first in 2009, and there’s no doubt that another first time winner could emerge in the 300.
The PASS National Championship four race mini-series hasn’t been on track since May when Ben Rowe scored at Hickory Motor Speedway, but Beech Ridge is round two of the series, where Rowe leads by a scant two point margin over Jeff Fultz. Ryan Blaney is third, followed by Texan Trey Mitchell and South Carolina’s Hal Goodson. It’s all but impossible to miss one of the four races and remain in contention for the title, so you can expect all of the front runners to be on hand for the PASS 300, including Cassius Clark, the defending National Series Champion. Clark sits 21st in the National standings after a bad result at Hickory in the spring, but he will be looking to pull himself up in the title chase at Beech Ridge. Johnny Clark is seventh in the National standings and may make a run at the title if the team fares well in round two. The National Championship Series continues at Southern National Raceway Park in Lucama North Carolina on Saturday September 26th and wraps up at South Boston (VA) Speedway on Saturday October 17th with the Mason-Dixon Meltdown.
PASS 400 weekend kicks off on Thursday September 10 with a wild night of racing for the Beetle Bugs/Runnin’ Rebels,Trucks, Mad Bomber/Outlaw type cars and Beech Ridge 305s. Racing goes green at 6:00 PM. Friday is a practice day for all weekend divisions. Saturday it’s qualifying races for the PASS Mods, Sportsman and Super Late Models as well as heats and features for the Road Runners (30 laps),the Nelcar Legends (50 laps) and the Wildcats/Strictlys in a big 75 lap showdown.
Sunday is filled with PASS feature racing; a “B” feature for the PASS Super Late Models followed by 100 laps for the PASS Sportsman and a 50 lapper for the PASS Mods. Time and weather permitting, a driver meet and greet will follow while the Super Late Model teams set up the infield pit area for their longest (and richest) race of the year, the $10,000.00 to win PASS 300. Both Saturday and Sunday’s racing gets the green flag at noon.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway is located at 70 Holmes Road in Scarborough Maine. The Speedway is on line at www.beechridge.com .
by Jay | Aug 31, 2009 | PASS
Naples, ME 8/31/09- He may only be thirteen and it may have only been his first ever Pro All Stars Series ( PASS) South super late model start but Chase Elliot looked as if he knew each and every move to make to score his first career PASS South series win in his first career start. Elliot used the lapped car of John Batten as a pick to make his way by third place finisher Cassius Clark and then ran down second place finisher Jeff Choquette from ten car lengths back making a last lap pass on his way to securing the win. Bradley McCaskill showed that you can do a lot with a little as he scored his career best finish of fourth followed by another newbie to the series, Andy Loden, who rounded out the top five in his first career start and his second race in a super late model.
John Stancill grabbed the Pro Photo Productions fast qualifier award after posting a time of 14.914 around the 3/8th mile track. Qualifying times easily showed how tough PASS South competition has gotten over the years as half a second separated Stancill from the last place qualifier. After the series top ten redraw it shuffled several drivers around especially Cassius Clark who benefited the most by moving from eighth to the pole position to take the green flag.
An early race caution took out several drivers who never really had a chance to show what they had including Preston Peltier, Alex Yontz, and Tayla Orleans who all could have been a factor late in the going. At the same time the caution flag was being displayed Jeff Choquette had made his move by Cassius Clark for the top spot. From that point on Choquette’s #33 machine lead the next most laps, unfortunately for him that was one lap that he didn’t lead was the one he needed to. Elliot and Choquette raced side by side with the white flag in the air before finally clearing Choquette’s #33 machine coming off of turn four for the win. With dad Bill Elliot and mom Cindy Elliot celebrating in victory lane along with him, it couldn’t have been more fitting for the youngster to add his name to the list of famous drivers that have won at the historic track.
In PASS truck series competition Jody Measamer made it back to back Hickory wins as he cruised to the win in the fifty lap event. Michael Cooper muscled his way past Grant Davidson on the final lap to finish second. The win by Measamer propelled him to second in points over Clint King who previously held the position, however, they all trail Grant Davidson who has lead the newly formed series since the second race of the season back in April.
Next up is round two of the PASS National Championship series, the $10,000.00 to win PASS 300 at Scarborough Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on September 12th and 13th. Two weeks later on Saturday September 26th the PASS South series will breathe new life into Kenly, North Carolina’s Southern National Speedway which has been dormant the entire 2009 racing season thus far.
For more information including schedules, standings, and results for all PASS sanctioned touring series visit their home on the web at www.racewithpass.com. For marketing or media questions contact Norm Desjardins at 603-539-3368 or for technical information contact Scott Reed at 207-625-3230.
Unofficial Results – PASS South Super Late Model Over the Mountain 150 – Hickory Motor Speedway – Hickory NC – 8/29/2009 (with finishing position, car number, driver)
1 – 9 – Chase Elliott
2 – 33 – Jeff Choquette
3 – 8 – Cassius Clark
4 – 18 – Bradley McCaskill
5 – 29 – Andy Loden
6 – 10 – Ryan Blaney
7 – 9 – Keeton Hanks
8 – 35 – Devin Jones
9 – 4n – Ben Rowe
10 – 05k – Gene Kirlia
11 – 98 – Justin Wakefield
12 – 18x – Billy Leslie
13 – 48 – John Batten
14 – 4s – Jay Fogleman
15 – 51 – Michael Pope
16 – 23 – Jimmy Weller
17 – 47 – Corey Williams
18 – 1 – Fred Moore
19 – 22 – Perry Brown
20 – 05 – Alex Fleming
21 – 74 – Ryan Moore
22 – 91 – Heath Hindman
23 – 02 – Tim Nooner
24 – 20 – John Stancill
25 – 26 – Preston Peltier
26 – 00 – Jeramie Whorff
27 – 93 – Tayla Orleans
28 – 55 – Alex Yontz
by Jay | Aug 24, 2009 | PASS
Naples, ME 8/24/09- Saturday August 29th the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South super late models make their third and final trip to the “Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars,” Hickory(NC) Motor Speedway. So far this season, two different drivers have scored wins at the 3/8th mile bullring. First being Ben Rowe who claimed his first Easter Bunny 150 win in March and then on July 5th Justin Wakefield finally broke his string of bad luck to score his first win of the ’09 season. With several new names expected to be in attendance, this year’s version of the Over the Mountain 150 may be the best one yet.
One driver who will be showing up for nothing less than the winner’s trophy will be Riverview, Florida driver Perry Brown who will be making his 2009 series debut. Brown collected his one and only series win at the Watermelon Capital Speedway on his way to a third place finish in the 2008 final championship points standings. Other expected entries include Michael Pope and Alex Yontz who really turned heads in his first ever super late model start at Orange County Speedway on August 8th. Possibly the most anticipated entry will be that of Andy Loden, who has won the last three NASCAR late model stock car championships at the track, proving he knows his way around the place. However; super late models are a new venture for the Stanley, North Carolina based race team as he and his team are coming off of a fourteenth place finish in their first ever super late model start at Five Flags Speedway’s Blizzard series event on August 7th.
Championship leader Ben Rowe can now hopefully turn his focus more on his return to victory lane as he has built a comfortable but not insurmountable fifty-two point lead over second place man Ryan Blaney during the summer months of racing. With just four races before the ’09 season comes to a close, it leaves little time for sixteen year old Ryan Blaney to pick up his first career win. Blaney has been a factor each and every race yet trouble has hit his High Point, North Carolina based race team time and time again. Heath Hindman, who has been a staple in the series since 2007, has come on as of late notching a pair of top fives in the last two races. This recent success mixed with returning to the track where he scored his one and only PASS South series win in 2007 is more than enough motivation for the hard charging Hindman to do it again this year.
Preston Peltier, Jay Fogleman, Mark Gibson, Ryan Moore and a whole pack of the fastest cars and stars in the southeast will be looking to notch a Pro All Stars Series win at the famed Hickory oval.
The super late models won’t be the only PASS sanctioned series in action as the PASS Late Model Trucks will make their third start of the year at the famed track. While the first year series is still growing with each event, this has not taken away from the fact that the quality of racing hasn’t been anything less than stellar. Grant Davidson, who is the championship points leader and four time feature winner, as well as Jody Measamer have each scored wins at Hickory this season.
Tickets still remain for the Over the Mountain 150 at the Hickory Motor Speedway including a great two for one general admission ticket deal. For more information contact the track directly at www.hickorymotorspeedway.com or call 828-464-3655.
PASS time trials roll out at 3:00 PM and the racing action gets the green at 6:15 PM. All the drivers will meet and greet their fans on the front stretch at 7:30 PM, and the PASS South Over the Mountain 150 is scheduled for an 8:15 (approx) start.
For more information including schedules, standings, and results for all PASS sanctioned touring series visit their home on the web at www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com . For marketing or media questions contact Norm Desjardins at 603-539-3368 or for technical information contact Scott Reed at 207-625-3230.
by Jay | Aug 24, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, New England, PASS
Naples ME (8/24/2009) It’s been four months since Ben Rowe captured the first round of the four race Pro All Stars Series (PASS) National Championship Series at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway, but the series will heat up in earnest when the National Championship trail leads to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on September 12 and 13th for the PASS 300.
There’s still three weeks before the series takes to the beautiful Scarborough Maine oval for their biggest event of the season, but the early entries are already rolling in.
The PASS South super late model contingent is already well represented. Teen sensation Ryan Blaney, three time 2009 PASS South winner Jay Fogleman, PASS South stalwarts Jeff and Jane Day’s entry with Mark Gibson at the wheel and John Batten have already filed entries, and there’s more to come from the south.
Bub Bilodeau has what it takes to race with PASS anytime, anywhere. Bilodeau is a multi-time Beech Ridge Pro Series champion, and he’s the first home track regular to to file an entry for the 300 lap showdown. PASS North touring pro Richie Dearborn cut his racing teeth at the Ridge, and his was the first entry blank to arrive at the PASS office.
Adam Bates has been tough to beat at Beech Ridge; he’s got two wins under his belt and ran a close second to 2008 PASS 300 race winner and series champ Johnny Clark. He’ll be trying to better that by one spot but Clark will be back to try and make it two “300s” in a row.
There’s a whole lot of racing on tap over the course of the weekend. On Saturday all divisions will qualify and the Wildcats, Road Runners and Legends will have their feature events. Sunday kicks off with the PASS 300 “B” main for the super late models. Then it’s 100 laps for the PASS Sportsman division, a 50 lap shootout for the PASS Mods and the $10,000.00 to win PASS Super Late Model 300.
Entry blanks for the Wildcats, PASS Sportsman and PASS Super Late Models are available now at www.racewithpass.com .
The races go green at noon on both Saturday and Sunday. Check out the complete PASS 300 entry list by visiting www.racewithpass.com or www.proallstarsseries.com . Beech Ridge Motor Speedway is on line at www.beechridge.com .
by Jay | Aug 15, 2009 | Beech Ridge, Maine, PASS
Naples ME (8/15/2009) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) National Championship trail winds north to Scarborough Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday September 12th and 13th, and Hollis Maine PASS North standout Richie Dearborn has filed the first PASS 300 entry.
Dearborn and his family-focused race team have supported the PASS North super late model series from day one. When PASS made its debut at Lee USA Speedway in 2001 Dearborn raced home third. Prior to 2009 he has recorded 3 wins (6th all time) 22 top five (7th all time) and 55 top ten (4th all time) finishes. His 2009 season has had its ups and down, but the team has persevered to record five top five and nine top ten finishes in the first ten PASS North events. That consistency has Dearborn in fourth place in the season long standings, seventy five points behind series point leader Johnny Clark. The PASS 300 will award both PASS North and National Championship points.
Dearborn and his Chadwick-BaRoss sponsored team will be seeking their first Beech Ridge PASS victory and the $10,000.00 winners’ share of the purse when the speedway hosts round two of the PASS National Championship Series. The big weekend is still a month away, but already there are confirmed entries from Wisconsin (Tom Schuette) North Carolina (Jay Fogleman, Ryan Blaney, Mark Gibson) and a host of PASS North regulars from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Ben Rowe leads the PASS National Standings by a scant two points over Jeff Fultz. Ryan Blaney, Trey Mitchell and Hal Goodson sit third through fifth.
The weekend will feature two days of non-stop racing. All series and divisions will qualify on Saturday and the Wildcats, Road Runners and Legends will have feature events. Sunday kicks off with the PASS 300 “B” main for the super late models. Then, its 100 laps for the PASS Sportsman division, a 50 lap showdown for the PASS Mods and the grand finale, the PASS Super Late Model 300.
by Jay | Aug 11, 2009 | New Hampshire, PASS, Riverside Speedway
Naples ME ( 8/11/2009) Groveton New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway hosts the $5,000.00 to win Mason Tractor and Equipment Twin State Clash of the Titans Late Model 150 this Sunday August 16th, and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Mods and Sportsman will add another dose of excitement to what already promises to be one of the must see events of the 2009 short track season.
The PASS Mods joined the PASS North Super Late Models on the Summerfest 2009 card at Riverside earlier in the season and Sulo Burbank emerged as a first time PASS Mod winner. The thirteen year old from Gorham Maine topped the team of Dan Somes and Gary Norris Jr., ending a three race win streak for point leader Andy Shaw. All the principals in that battle and more will be on hand Sunday at Groveton for 40 laps of Modified thunder, Pro All Stars style.
The PASS Sportsman will make their first and only Grovetona visit of the season for a seventy five lap show. Shane Tatro has a two race win streak going, while Dan McKeage and Carey Martin both have single wins in the series. McKeage has a slim lead in the point standings over Martin and you can expect a strong field to battle it out on the high banks.
The pit gate swings open Sunday at 8:00 AM, followed by practice at 10:00 AM. Racing gets the green at 1:30 PM. Be sure to visit Riverside Speedway’s Website for the complete weekend schedule that includes 2 for 1 adult grandstand admission for Saturday’s Fan Appreciation night. The speedway is on line at www.riversidespeedway.org .
Keep up with the latest PASS Mod and Sportsman news, results and standings at www.racewithpass.com and www.proallstarsseries.com
