On Saturday, April 22nd, Wiscasset Speedway hosted their highly anticipated 2023 season opener. After a long six month off-season, approximately 2,200 fans of all ages piled into the stands for the exciting racing program which included the Gosline Insurance Super Streets, Sweatt’s Concrete Thunder 4 Minis, Brackett’s Market 4-Cylinder Pros, Norm’s Used Cars Pro Stocks and the visiting NELCAR Legends Tour. Attendance was so overwhelming for the event that the track decided to delay the start of racing action by ten minutes to accommodate the crowd of spectators that were waiting to enter the gate come race time.
The racing action kicked off with the spotlight division of the day; the Gosline Insurance Super Streets. Josh St. Clair and Ryan Ripley led the charge in the qualifying heat races, setting the field for the 40-lap feature. St. Clair took off again in the main event, setting a blistering pace in the early laps of the race as he reached the tail-end of the field by lap 10 and began lapping cars. He extended his lead to a full straightaway by the mid-point of the race.
2021 division champion James Osmond was on the move in the second half of the race, breaking the top five on lap 28 – just a handful of laps after battling with (and ultimately stealing a spot away from) his son Brett, who won the division championship last year. Osmond continued to make moves in the closing laps of the race, clearing veteran Kenny Harrison for fourth with just ten laps to go. Will Collins, returning to a Super Street for the first time in 16 seasons, came to a stop in turn 3 on the final lap of the race as Brandon Sprague also took a spin. This drew out the caution and Josh St. Clair was deemed the official race winner. Ryan Ripley, David Greenleaf (first official podium finish), James Osmond and Noah Haggett rounded out the top five.
Ben Burgess won the heat race in the Brackett’s Market 4-Cylinder Pros and battled it out for position with Josh Hall for the early lead in their 25-lap feature. Josh Hall, who was a 4-time winner last season, pulled ahead with the lead on lap 7. He extended his lead to a half straightaway by lap 13. Jack McKee, a rookie in the division, was all over Ben Burgess for the runner-up spot with 8 laps to go. Reed Reno, a fourth-generation driver and division rookie, joined the battle on lap 18, overtaking McKee for third. While his competitors battled it out for position behind him, Josh Hall spread his lead to a full straightaway in the closing laps of the feature. He took home the victory as Ben Burgess, Reed Reno, Jack McKee and Taylor Lane rounded out the top five.
Ty Leclerc took off with the early lead over Nick Bulkeley in the 25-lap NELCAR Legends feature. Jacob Burnes was also on the move in the opening laps of the feature, clearing Bulkeley for second on lap 7. Mike Dellavecchia and Ed Getty tangled on the backstretch on lap 13, drawing a mid-race caution. Ty Leclerc began to lose handling in the second half of the race and nearly lost it on the backstretch on lap 18. He subsequently got a bump from runner-up Burnes, who repeated the maneuver with three laps to go. Burnes stuck the landing on his second attempt, overtaking the top spot from Leclerc and ultimately scoring the feature victory. Nick Bulkeley, Richie Helger, Jr. and Cole Robie followed, completing the top five.
A couple of early-race cautions plagued the start of the 25-lap Sweatt’s Concrete Thunder 4 Mini feature. Once the field got rolling, Zach Audet (a 7-time winner last year) took the charge over last year’s division champion, Shane Webber. Audet had pulled away by lap 10 and began lapping cars at the tail-end of the field. He maintained his dominance through the conclusion of the feature, picking up the victory as Shane Webber, Derek Cook, Ricky Austin and Gunner Josselyn rounded out the top five.
The Opening Day program concluded with the Norm’s Used Cars Pro Stocks. The day started out with carnage as 13-year-old rookie Daniel Harding and veterans Garrett Hall and Kevin Morse tangled on the backstretch on the initial lap of the first heat race. The unfortunate event resulted in heavy damage to all three cars and none of these drivers were able to make it onto the track for the 40-lap feature.
The start of the feature was also chaotic for Josh St. Clair, who was forced to start the feature from the tail-end of the field due to his transponder not working. Logan Melcher also faced trouble in the early laps of the feature as he went around on lap 1, collecting Nick Calvert and Dave Getchell. Melcher stayed on the track as both Calvert and Getchell were forced to the pits.
Once the field settled, Nick Hinkley powered into the early lead but defending champion Kevin Douglass was on his heels. Douglass made his way under Hinkley on lap 5, overtaking the top spot. Meanwhile, Josh St. Clair was on the move after his early-race troubles, making quick work of the field as he cleared Jamie Wright for third on lap 14. Douglass was pulling away, catching the tail-end of the field by halfway. Josh St. Clair was reeling in Nick Hinkley in the closing laps of the race, reaching his door on lap 28. The two drivers made slight contact battling for position before St. Clair pulled ahead with ten to go. He attempted to reel in Kevin Douglass but Douglass was too far gone, picking up his first victory of the season. Nick Hinkley, Jamie Wright and Dan McKeage Jr., a rookie in the division, rounded out the top five.
The 2023 racing season kicked off with red-hot racing action in all five divisions but there is still more to come as Wiscasset Speedway will be hosting their second Opening Day of the season with their Group 2 season opener on Saturday, April 29th. The racing lineup includes the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Models, T&L Automotive Modifieds, Portland Glass Strictly Streets, the Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Minis and the flex Chestnut Auto Roadrunners. Grandstands open at 1:00 pm and the green flag flies at 2:00 pm. See you there!
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