Wet weather was initially in the forecast for Saturday, threatening Wiscasset Speedway’s plans to hold their weekly Group 1 program. Luckily, Mother Nature had a change of heart come race day and Team Wiscasset was able to get the full show in without a hitch.
The night’s racing action kicked off with an abbreviated 10-lap feature for the Thunder 4 Minis. Some last-minute scratches resulted in a minimal 2-car field, but as we like to say in racing, it only takes two cars to make a race. Donnie Fletcher took off with the early lead over David Whitelaw and remained dominant, pulling out to a half-track lead as the laps wound down. He led green to checkered, picking up his first feature victory of the season.
Logan Melcher started on the pole in the 40-lap spotlight feature for the Norm’s Used Cars Pro Stocks. He pulled out to a sizable early lead, but Kevin Douglass was quickly maneuvering through the field. Douglass broke the top 3 on lap 6 and found his way to Melcher’s bumper by halfway. The two leaders battled it out for a handful of laps before Douglass pulled ahead with the advantage on lap 24. Multiple late-race cautions brought the field back together, which opened the door for Dan McKeage, Jr. While Kevin Douglass rode off into the sunset, Melcher and McKeage battled it out for second. The two drivers remained deadlocked until the very last turn, where McKeage edged out Melcher at the line for the runner-up spot.
The Senior Tour Auto Racers were also in town on Saturday, showcasing the cars of years’ past. Bob Guyon took the early lead in their 20-lap Sportsman feature. Joe Gause made his way to Guyon’s inside door on lap 10, challenging for the top spot. Meanwhile, Mark Parmenter wanted a piece of the action and made it a 3-way battle with just 5 laps to go. Guyon got the edge on the final lap, taking home the victory while Joe Gause and Mark Parmenter rounded out the podium.
Jaxson Moreside took off with the early advantage in the 25-lap feature for the Brackett’s Market 4-Cylinder Pros. Defending champion Ben Burgess was also on the move early, clearing Jacobee Thacker for second on lap 8. A caution on lap 12 rounded the field back up and Burgess took over on the restart. John Ricci also came to life in the closing laps of the feature, giving Jaxson Moreside a run for his money. While Burgess took home his 6th victory of the season, Ricci cleared Moreside on the final lap, taking home second.
Dwight Pickard took off like a rocket in the Senior Tour Auto Racers Modified feature. The field tightened up at halfway, making room for Skip Swiantek to challenge for the lead. After winning the qualifying heat, Mike Moody’s machine went up in smoke with just 2 to go, resulting in a caution. Skip Swiantek got a big jump on the restart and never looked back, taking the win over Dwight Pickard and James Young.
The night concluded with a 30-lap feature for the Gosline Insurance Group Super Streets. Sean Johnson, who won his qualifying heat, took off with the early lead over David Greenleaf. Trouble was brewing behind the leaders as Landon Tapley, Noah Haggett and Chuck Wagstaff collided on lap 4, resulting in a caution. Sean Johnson maintained his command on the restart as David Greenleaf and Kevin Sherman filed in behind him. Johnson picked up the victory but was disqualified following post-race technical inspection for improper ride height. David Greenleaf was announced as the official race winner, and a first-time race winner in the division to boot. Kevin Sherman and Bubba Pelton rounded out the official top 3 following tech.
Saturday was a great night at the track, but there is still more yet to come! Wiscasset Speedway will host their 2nd “Fan Appreciation” night of the season this Saturday, August 17th and they will also welcome LST Motorsports Park and the Mainely Karting Sr. Champ Karts to the track for a 20-lap race. The driver autograph session starts at 4:00 pm on the front stretch and the racing action kicks off at 5:15 pm. As always, adult grandstand admission is just $5!
See you there!
Thank you to Jasen Dickey Photography for all featured photos this week. Check out his awesome portfolio here!
