The Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Minis made their return to Wiscasset Speedway on Saturday after an off week on Coastal 200 weekend. 12 drivers joined the field, which included long-standing division rivals, Zach Audet and Jimmy Childs.
The Outlaw Mini competition kicked off with two 10-lap qualifying heats. Kyle Willette took off with the early lead in the first heat as Lewis Batchelder followed. The two leaders powered away from the competition, extending their lead to a full straightaway in the closing laps of the qualifier. Kyle Willette secured the heat victory, followed by Lewis Batchelder and Wes Turner.
Zach Audet quickly pulled away with the early lead in the second and final heat as Jimmy Childs trailed closely behind. Shane Smith spun in the early laps of the heat, but the field remained green. Audet held off Childs in the closing laps of the heat, picking up the victory. Travis Poulliot rounded out the top 3.
Jimmy Childs’ struggles began after the conclusion of the heat as he came to a stop in turn 1 before exiting the track. The #10 machine was plagued with rocker arm issues, which would unfortunately carry over into the feature.
A pile-up ensued at the tail end of the field on the initial start of the 25-lap feature. Wes Turner, Chris Watkins and Tyler Densmore all caught a piece of the action and the incident resulted in an early caution.
Zach Audet powered to the early lead over his teammate, Kyle Willette. A caution on lap 6 brought the field back together, but Audet held strong on the restart as Travis Poulliot powered into the runner-up spot. Trouble was brewing behind the leaders once again as Shane Smith took a spin on lap 7, resulting in another caution.
Zach Audet pulled ahead on the restart as Kyle Willette smuggled the runner-up spot away from Travis Poulliot. After a strong showing all day, Lewis Batchelder retired to the pits on lap 12. Troubles continued for Shane Smith as he went around on lap 13, resulting in a mid-race caution.
Zach Audet distanced himself on the restart as Kyle Willette made himself comfortable in the runner-up spot. Travis Poulliot made his way to Ryan Kenniston’s door on lap 17, hungry for a top 3. Kenniston was able to hold him off in the closing laps of the feature, securing the final spot on the podium as Zach Audet scored the victory. Travis Poulliot and Ian Fraser rounded out the top five.
Audet was calm and composed in Victory Lane following the conclusion of the race. Audet, who is no stranger to the Winner’s circle, has collected 5 championships and over 400 wins over the course of his career. Saturday’s win marked his 36th career victory at Wiscasset Speedway alone.
You can catch Zach again next Saturday, June 18th, in the 4-Cylinder Pro division. The action-packed night will include all Group #1 divisions and 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.
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See you next time!
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