Fans crowded into Wiscasset Speedway on Sunday afternoon for one of the biggest Late Model races of the year: the $15,000-to-win Coastal 200.
37 drivers showed up to try their hand in the main event, whereas 28 would make it into the actual show. Daniel Harding topped the speed charts in first practice for the Coastal, while Nick Hinkley and 2-time defending race champion Mike Hopkins led the charge in the sessions that followed.
Six drivers from each qualifying heat would advance to the Coastal 200 and while James Doucette won the first qualifier, his position was taken away following post-race technical inspection, putting Jet Decker on the pole. Will Collins, Jon Emerson and Daniel Harding won the races that followed and standouts like Shane Clark and Frank Moulton were forced into the last-chance qualifier. Following the initial heat races where he did not qualify into the show, Wiscasset Speedway Hall of Fame member Dave St. Clair decided to bow out of the competition.
The 30-lap Strictly Street feature followed, giving the Late Model drivers some time to prepare for their next race. Mac Hannan, Jr. took off with the early lead over Ray Dinsmore. A caution on lap 7 brought the field back together and Hannan continued to lead the charge, but Dan McKeage, Jr. entered the fray, breaking the top 5 after starting deep into the field. A collision on the frontstretch collected multiple drivers on lap 14 and brought the leaders together once more, but Mac Hannan, Jr. remained steadfast at the front of the field. While Dan McKeage, Jr. clawed his way into the runner-up spot in the closing laps of the race, Mac Hannan, Jr. was able to distance himself from the competition, picking up the victory. Ray Dinsmore followed, scoring an emotional 3rd place finish.
Frank Moulton and Alex Waltz finished 1-2 in the Last Chance Qualifier, putting them into the big show. Following the completion of the final qualifier, Shane Clark and Zach Emerson received provisionals, completing the field for the Coastal 200.
The Nelcar Legends also joined the fun on Sunday for their second race of the 2025 season. Jase Mongeon topped the speed charts in qualifying, but Kyle Caissie came to life in the qualifying heat race, starting his day with a win. Caissie continued to lead the charge in the feature and held off a hard-charging Jase Mongeon in the closing laps of the feature, picking up the victory. Jake “the brake” Kelley followed, rounding out the podium.
28 Late Models drivers paraded around the track prior to the Coastal 200 waving American flags, a Memorial Day tradition to honor all those who have served and continue to serve our great country. The engines roared to life and Will Collins powered to the early lead. He led the charge until lap 26, where a caution brought the field together and Nick Hinkley catapulted into the top spot.
In a power move on lap 45, Mike Hopkins overtook the top spot as Tiger Colby lingered closely behind. From there, it became a cat & mouse battle between the two drivers as they fought heavy lap traffic and began swapping the lead back and forth. This continued until lap 153, where the entire trajectory of the race changed with less than 50 laps to go.
Travis Stearns took a spin on the backstretch, resulting in a late-race yellow. Every lead-lap car elected to pit and in a surprise twist of events, Daniel Harding beat Mike Hopkins off of pit road. This put Harding on the chip for the restart, and he ran with the opportunity, pulling away from the competition as a 5-way battle for second ensued behind him.
After a strong showing all day, Mike Hopkins began to lose momentum as the laps wound down, falling outside of the top 5. Just as everyone thought the race was over, 2 drivers collided at the tail-end of the field with just 3 laps to go, bringing the field together for one final restart. Daniel Harding held the advantage as drivers continued to duke it out behind him. He held his own and rolled across the finish line as the youngest-ever winner of the Coastal 200 at just 15 years old. Tiger Colby and Dave Farrington, Jr. followed, rounding out the podium.
Following the conclusion of the race, the emotional young driver was met with a roaring crowd in Victory Lane and was showered with water by a large group of supportive family, friends and crew. When posing for Victory Lane photos, the impressive Coastal 200 trophy stood just taller than Harding, who was simply soaking up the moment with a big grin on his face.
It was an exciting race from start to finish with an historic end to the day as an added bonus.
Now with the Coastal 200 in the rearview, Wiscasset Speedway is gearing up for better weather and another Group #1 program this Saturday, May 31st. The green flag flies at 5:00 pm.
Support your local short track and we’ll see you there!
Thank you to Jasen Dickey Photography for all featured photos this season. Check out his awesome portfolio here.
