The Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Model division returned to Wiscasset Speedway on Saturday with a full 19-car field. The division continues to be very competitive and has seen a number of different winners over the course of the season thus far.
Saturday’s Late Model competition kicked off with two 10-lap heat races. Alex Waltz and Daniel Harding battled it out for the early lead in the first qualifying heat. 12-year-old Harding held onto the early advantage, but trouble was brewing early as Dan Trask took a spin on lap 1. This resulted in an early caution.
Daniel Harding powered ahead on the restart and never looked back, securing his first heat win in the division. Ray Dinsmore and Chris Burgess rounded out the top 3.
Grandfather/grandson duo, Dave and Josh St. Clair, duked it out for the early lead in the second and final qualifying heat. While the two drivers battled it out, Will Collins had reeled them in, making it a tight 3-way battle for the lead on lap 4.
Dave St. Clair held the slight advantage in the closing laps, but Josh St. Clair wanted more, pulling to his door on the final lap of the heat. The two drivers remained deadlocked until they crossed the finish line, where Dave St. Clair was deemed the official heat winner. Will Collins rounded out the top 3.
4 drivers were hit with tire softener violations during post-heat inspection and were forced to start the feature from the tail-end of the field. These drivers were Ray Dinsmore, Frank Moulton, Josh St. Clair and Jet Decker.
Daniel Harding took off with the early lead in the 40-lap feature as Brent Roy and Chris Burgess battled it out for the runner-up spot behind him. Burgess overtook Roy for the spot on lap 5 and quickly moved onto Harding, stealing the lead away on lap 7.
While battling for position, Dave St. Clair and Brent Roy made contact on lap 11, resulting in Roy going for a spin in turn 3. A handful of cars were collected in the melee and St. Clair was sent to the tail end of the field following the incident.
Chris Burgess pulled ahead with the advantage on the restart as Matt Bourgoine and Josh St. Clair filed in behind him. St. Clair continued his pursuit to the front in the coming laps, clearing Bourgoine for the runner-up spot on lap 15. He then set his sights on Chris Burgess, overtaking him for the top spot just 4 laps later.
Will Collins was quickly maneuvering through the field in the closing laps of the race, breaking the top 3 on lap 30. He made his way to Chris Burgess’ outside door on lap 37, challenging for the runner-up spot. The two drivers remained door to door until Collins pulled ahead with the advantage on lap 38.
Josh St. Clair was able to fend off Will Collins in the closing laps of the race, securing his first Late Model victory (6th overall among all divisions) of the 2022 season. Chris Burgess, Matt Bourgoine and Dave Getchell rounded out the top five.
Josh St. Clair won the battle this week, but who will be next to top the podium in the Late Model division? Stay tuned to find out!
You can catch Josh again this coming Saturday, June 18th, in the Pro Stock division. The night will feature a full Group #1 program, including the NEMA Lites/Midgets. Grandstands open at 4:00 pm and green flag flies at 5:00 pm. As always, grandstand admission is just $5 for adults and free for kids 6 & under.
Please remember to support your local short tracks and help them thrive for years to come!
See you next time!
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