Following yet another successful Coastal 200 race weekend, Wiscasset Speedway kept the excitement brewing on Saturday as they hosted a full Group 1 race program featuring the lightning fast NEMA Lites.
Presented by Ames True Value, the program also included the Norm’s Used Cars Pro Stocks, Brackett’s Market 4-Cylinder Pros, Gosline Insurance Super Streets and the Kennebec Equipment Rental Thunder 4 Minis.
The 4-Cylinder Pros kicked off the night with a 25-lap feature race. Jacobee Thacker, who scored his first heat race victory earlier in the night, took off with the early lead in the feature. He was caught up in an unfortunate incident on lap 5, which resulted in reigning champion Ben Burgess taking over the top spot. Burgess maintained command throughout the caution-plagued race but met his dismay on lap 15 as he was caught up in a late-race caution. Taylor Lane was catapulted into the top spot, but rookie John Ricci was quickly making his way through the thinning field. The two drivers battled it out in the closing laps of the race and Lane took a spin coming to the checkered. Ricci was deemed the race winner, scoring his first career victory at Wiscasset. Chassidy Shorty (first career podium) and Taylor Lane rounded out the top 3.
Kyle Valeri topped the speed charts in practice and also won his qualifying heat race for the NEMA Lites while Paul Scally won the other. Come the 60-lap feature, Scally got the upper hand from the get-go, taking off with the early lead. The race miraculously went wire to wire in less than 15 minutes without any cautions while Paul Scally maintained command, picking up the feature victory. Randy Cabral and Kyle Valeri followed, completing the podium.
Maurice Young and Jason Oakes won the qualifying heat races for the Super Streets, but it was Kevin Sherman who took hold of the lead early in the 30-lap feature race and ran with it. In a surprising turn of events, this race also went green to checkered with no cautions. Sherman picked up his first feature victory at Wiscasset Speedway in over 11 years, which also happened to be his first career win in the Super Streets. Meanwhile, Nick Morton and Matt Beers rounded out the top 3.
Multi-time track champion Zach Audet was the one to beat on Saturday in the Thunder 4 Minis, topping the leaderboard in first practice and winning the qualifying heat race. He continued his dominance later in the night by winning the feature race, which shocked everyone as it went 25 laps without any cautions. Shane Webber and Gregg Norton (1st career top 3) followed, securing the final 2 spots on the podium.
The night concluded with a 50-lap feature race for the Pro Stocks. Rookie Sylas Ripley held his ground early, commanding the opening laps of the race. Meanwhile, Logan Melcher was steadily climbing the leaderboard, taking over the top spot on lap 16. Melcher took off with a sizable lead, but Kevin Douglass was hard charging through the field – quickly at that. Douglass cleared Sylas Ripley for the runner-up spot on lap 27 and continued the momentum, making his way to Melcher’s door on lap 32. Douglass dug in, overtaking the top spot the following lap. He sailed into the victory, picking up his second feature win of the season in just two starts. Logan Melcher and Sylas Ripley (first SLM podium) rounded out the top 3.
Saturday night’s program featured both clean and exciting racing action, making it an enjoyable night for all! The fun will continue next Saturday, June 8th as all Group 2 divisions plus the Outlaw Minis return to the track.
As always, admission is just $5 for adults and free for kids 6 and under.
See you there!
Thank you to Jasen Dickey Photography for the featured photos this week – check out his great work here!
