The 2018 regular season may be over at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, but this past weekend brought one of the most anticipated events of the year, the PASS Midweek Series Open.
Drivers and teams from nearby tracks were invited to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for a series of 7 feature events on Saturday night, a format similar to the track’s Thursday Night Thunder program.
Unlike weekly racing at the track, drivers were able to compete in 10-lap heat races to determine their starting positions for the main features.
The Truck division was first on the agenda, with Jeff Gillette taking the early lead in the 20-lap feature after securing the heat victory.
Jared Kimball quickly made his way into the runner-up spot, trying to track down Jeff Gillette at the front of the pack.
By lap 8, there was a 3-car breakaway at the front of the field, with Devin Curit joining the battle in the #68 truck.
Gillette and Kimball broke away from Devin Curit by lap 15, staying close at the front of the field.
Gillette managed to hold Kimball off for the feature victory, with Devin Curit, Mark Grantham and Jeff Meserve rounding out the top five.
The Bandits were up next with their 25-lap feature after Kyle Hewins and Dustin Salley won their 10-lap heat races.
Oxford’s Shaun Hinkley pulled to the early lead, but Kyle Hewins was all over him for the top spot by lap 2.
Hewins took command of the field on lap 6, taking off like a rocket.
By halfway, Hewins had extended his lead to 1/2 a straightaway over his competitors.
Rob Crepeau and Dustin Salley made contact while battling for position on lap 16 in turn 4, resulting in Adam Sanborn passing by the two drivers.
Crepeau and Salley made contact again in turn 4 the following lap, resulting in Crepeau taking a spin in his his #77 machine. The incident led to the first caution of the feature.
There was a chaotic shuffle at the front of the field on the restart, with Kyle Hewins, Dustin Salley and Shaun Hinkley emerging as the top 3.
The three drivers wound up finishing 1-2-3, with Chad Wills and Adam Sanborn rounding out the top five.
There was a loaded field for the Stock 305 Mad Bomber division, with 27 drivers starting the main feature.
Jason Gammon powered into the early lead in the 50-lap feature.
After winning her heat earlier in the night, Taylor Graffam took a spin on lap 5 in turn 2, making hard contact with the #80 of Sara Libby. The incident led to the first caution of the feature.
Young gun, Devon McConologue, was on the move on the restart, breaking the top 3.
After running up front all night in both his heat and the feature, Dan Collins’ #93 machine ignited on lap 12 in turn 1, leaving a small fire burning in turn 1.
Collins quickly pulled to the infield, with the caution being waved 2 laps later to put the fire out that was blazin’ in turn 1.
Jeff Martel took a hard spin on lap 15 in turn 1, leading to another caution.
After mowing the field down one-by-one in the first half of the feature, Matt Lude took a spin on lap 17 in turn 4, leading to yet another caution.
Garrett Lamb briefly stole the runner-up spot away from Todd Libby on the restart, but Libby was back to his inside by the halfway mark, battling for the spot once again.
The #43 of Justin Gailloux took a spin on the backstretch on lap 27, resulting in another caution.
Robert Pierce took a spin on lap 31 in turn 1, resulting in yet another late-race caution.
Jason Ricker lost a tire late in the race on lap 42, forcing him to retire the feature early.
A late-race spin on lap 44 in turn 4 brought on another yellow flag, leaving the leaders battling it out in a 6-lap shootout for the victory.
Brandon Johnson and Scott Eck made contact in turn 2 on the final lap, resulting in both drivers losing a handful of positions.
Jason Gammon took home the victory, followed by Todd Libby, Garrett Lamb, Devon McConologue and Mike Sanford.
Kyle Hewins took off with the early lead in the 35-lap Stock 4 Beetle Bug feature.
Dustin Salley was on the move early, clearing heat winner, Dave Stone, Jr., for third on lap 4.
Derek McKeen was also making his way through the field, sneaking into the top 3 on lap 10.
McKeen continued his pursuit to the front on lap 12, clearing Robert Taylor for the runner-up spot.
Robert Taylor and the #51 of Paul Goodrich made contact on lap 15 in turn 3, leading to a mid-race caution.
Derek McKeen went too high up the outside groove on the restart, losing a handful of spots.
Chad Wills was on a hot pursuit to the front mid-race, powering into the runner-up spot on lap 16.
Dave Stone, Jr. lost power on lap 28, retiring to the pits early.
Kara Krauter and Travis Dunbar made contact on lap 31 in turn 2, resulting in a late-race caution.
Hewins was able to hold off the competition, securing his second feature victory of the night.
Chad Wills, Kevin Varney, Dustin Salley and Adam Sanborn rounded out the top five.
Brandon Varney took off with the early lead in the 15-lap Cruisers feature after collecting the heat victory earlier in the evening.
He maintained his lead for the entirety of the feature, taking home the victory. Will Dunphy, Luke DeCoster, Kevin Varney and Richard Thompson, Jr. rounded out the top five.
With 21 cars starting the race, the Stock 350 Outlaw division was another 50-lap feature race.
After securing the victory in his heat, Ajay Cates fell back on the initial start, powering Calab Emerson-Mains into the early lead.
Cates wasn’t backing down, making his way back to Emerson-Mains’ back bumper on lap 5.
The leaders were on a rail, already collecting lap cars by lap 8.
Emerson-Mains was slowed by lap traffic on lap 10, powering Cates into the race lead.
Devon McConologue and Todd Libby made heavy contact on the backstretch on lap 13, an incident that also collected both leaders, Ajay Cates and Calab Emerson-Mains.
The incident led to a red flag for heavy track clean-up on the backstretch.
Gerry Freve and Danny Cloutier made hard contact on the restart, resulting in yet another caution.
Wade Gelinas made his way into the lead on the restart in the #38 Naughty Racing machine.
Jason Gammon was on the move, challenging to Gelinas’ outside on lap 16. He succeeded, pulling into the lead the following lap.
Brandon Johnson took a hard spin on lap 29 in turn 1, leading to a mid-race caution.
Steve Moon and Jimmy Duguay made contact on lap 35 in turn 2, leading to another caution.
Mike Dearden took a spin on lap 39 in turn 2, leading to another late-race caution.
Jason Gammon managed to hold Wade Gelinas off for the victory, taking home his second 50-lap feature victory of the night.
Steve Moon, Dean Hanscom and Chris Burgess rounded out the top five.
Cody Childs took the early lead in the 35-lap Rebels feature, the final race of the night.
Cam Childs quickly made his way into the runner-up spot in his #11 machine.
Ben Krauter and Derrick Drown made contact on lap 5 in turn 3, resulting in an early-race caution. The incident left Krauter with ratchet straps hanging off of his #82 machine, which he was later black-flagged for.
Cam Childs stayed glued to Cody Childs door on the restart, challenging him for the top spot.
There was a 3-car breakaway at the front of the field on lap 15, with Cody and Cam Childs still head-to-head at the front of the pack.
Cody Childs finally broke away on lap 20, putting some distance between him and the #11 car.
Travis Dunbar took a spin on lap 26 in turn 4, leading to a late-race caution.
Adam Warnock later took a spin on the restart, resulting in another quick caution.
Cody Childs was all checked out by lap 30, pulling away from his competitors.
Cody took home the feature victory, followed by Cam Childs, Dave Stone, Jr., Gerard Cote and Derek McKeen.
Jason Gammon truly made his presence known on Saturday with the two biggest victories of the night, but Oxford regulars like Hewins made a name for themselves at Beech Ridge as well.
Overall, all 7 divisions were full of intense racing action, leaving the fans already excited for this weekend to come again in 2019!
The season may be over at Beech Ridge, but there is still so much racing action on the horizon at different tracks around the state.
Get out there and support your local short track!
Catch the Amsoil Dominator Strictly Shootout this upcoming Saturday, September 29th, at Wiscasset Speedway!
Thank you again to Drown Excavation and Four Season Synthetic for their endless support for Chasing the Checkered. Contact Drown Excavation for all of your demolition and excavation needs and Four Season Synthetic for all of your oil, lube and filter needs!
