Coastal 200 race day returned to Wiscasset Speedway this past Sunday with a partial Group #2 program that included the Portland Glass Strictly Streets. The division had one of the biggest fields of the day, with 18 drivers looking to snap Josh St. Clair’s two race winning streak.
The Strictly Street competition kicked off with two 10-lap heat races. Scott Eck powered to the early lead over Paul Lund in the first qualifying heat. Scott Wiggin and Mike Delano tangled in the closing laps of the heat, resulting in a late-race caution.
Scott Eck maintained his advantage on the restart as Jason Gaboury overtook Paul Lund for the runner-up spot. Scott Eck stayed strong through the finish, picking up the heat victory over Jason Gaboury and Calab Emerson-Mains.
Chaz Briggs and Mike Haynes went head-to-head for the early lead in the second and final qualifying heat. Trouble was brewing behind the leaders early as Keith Drost took a spin on lap 3, resulting in a caution.
Chaz Briggs powered to the lead on the restart, but he made hard contact with Mike Haynes on lap 5 as the two drivers were battling it out coming into turn 2. This sent Jeremy Glazier into the lead. Josh St. Clair was also on the move, making his way to Glazier’s outside door on the final lap. It was a drag race to the finish, where Josh St. Clair scored the heat victory by a nose over Jeremy Glazier. Kurt Hewins rounded out the top 3.
Jason Gaboury took off with the early lead over Calab Emerson-Mains in the 30-lap feature race. Ethan Densmore took a hard spin in front of the field on lap 7, collecting Chaz Briggs, Jeremy Glazier and Josh St. Clair in turn 2. Chaz Briggs took the brunt of the damage. Briggs was thankfully able to walk away from the wreckage but was unfortunately left with a battered racecar.
Jason Gaboury continued to pace the field on the restart, but trouble was on the horizon as Kurt Hewins and Paul Lund tangled on lap 7, leaving Lund with a flat tire. Paul Lund stopped in turn 4 following the incident, resulting in him being penalized one lap for intentionally drawing out the caution.
Jason Gaboury took off on the restart once again, but Josh St. Clair was on the rebound. After being involved in the first incident of the race, he powered to the outside on the restart, picking up a handful of spots. Scott Wiggin’s trouble continued as he took a spin following the restart, resulting in another quick yellow.
Jason Gaboury and Kurt Hewins made slight contact on the restart and Hewins came out on top, taking over the lead. After a solid showing all day, Calab Emerson-Mains took a hard slide through the backstretch grass on lap 16, losing a handful of spots.
Josh St. Clair made his way to Mac Hannan, Jr.’s door on lap 19, challenging for third. The two drivers battled it out for a couple of laps until St. Clair took over on lap 22. St. Clair continued his pursuit in the coming laps, arriving at Jason Gaboury’s back bumper with 5 to go. St. Clair pulled to Gaboury’s outside door on lap 27, but Gaboury was able to fend him off to the finish line, picking up his first podium finish of the 2022 season while Kurt Hewins picked up his first victory of the season.
Kurt Hewins was all smiles in Victory Lane, celebrating with a small group of friends and family. Jason Gaboury, Josh St. Clair, Mac Hannan, Jr. and Ashton Reynolds rounded out the top five.
The Strictly Streets continue to be one of the most competitive divisions at Wiscasset Speedway. This week, veteran driver Kurt Hewins came out on top. But, Josh St. Clair continues to overcome mayhem on the track, joining the podium every week. Who will be the next driver to break the top 3? Stay tuned to find out!
You can catch the Strictly Streets again on Saturday, June 11th. Until then, please join us for a full Group #1 program on Saturday, June 4th. 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.
Please continue to support your local short tracks and help them thrive for years to come!
See you next time!
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