The night kicked off with the Champ Karts, where Darren Miranda took off with the early lead over Kyle Lorrain. While leading, Miranda got caught up with a lap car on lap 11, resulting in a caution. Miranda was forced to restart in the rear, sacrificing the lead to Kyle Lorrain. Cody Wilson was all over Kyle Lorrain on the restart, but Lorrain held strong, taking home the victory in the Sr. Champ Karts. There was also a “race within the race” happening for the Masters Champ Karts, and Michael “Brick” Ramsey took home the crown by being the top-finishing competitor in that division in the field. 

The Late Model 75 followed, where David Getchell pulled out to the early lead over Brett Osmond. Osmond made his way to Getchell’s outside door on lap 7, challenging for the top spot. Osmond took over the following lap and began distancing himself from the competition. Multiple early-race cautions led to a start-stop effect and Tiger Colby’s #78 machine roared to life as the laps wound down. He stole second away from Chris Burgess on lap 44 and continued his pursuit in the laps following, overtaking the lead from Brett Osmond with just 25 laps to go. Colby maintained his advantage following another late-race restart, taking home the win over Brett Osmond and Chris Burgess.

Kyle Enman used a lap 3 restart to his advantage in the 25-lap feature for the Chestnut Auto Roadrunners and pulled out to the early lead over division rookie Karigan Glasier. The field steadied until Dylan York took a spin on lap 13, resulting in a mid-race caution. Kyle Enman powered ahead on the restart while Alec Brown maneuvered his way into the runner-up spot. Enman was able to fend off Brown in the closing laps to pick up his fifth feature win of the season. Karigan Glasier followed, scoring her best career finish to date in the division.

Zach Bowie powered away with a sizable lead in the 30-lap feature for the T&L Automotive Modifieds. An early-race caution brought the field back together and Adam Chadbourne took over the runner-up spot as Sylas Ripley lingered closely behind. The drivers made it a 3-way battle for the lead at halfway and Sylas Ripley made a bold crossover move on lap 16, taking over the top spot. Zach Bowie began to lose some momentum in the closing laps of the race, sacrificing second to Adam Chadbourne. Chadbourne was never quite able to catch up to Ripley, who took home his first career win in the Modifieds. Zach Bowie rounded out the podium.

The night concluded with a 30-lap feature race for the Portland Glass Strictly Streets. A hearty field of 28 drivers showed up to compete in the event, including a handful of visitors from Oxford Plains Speedway. Unfortunately, the race got off to a slow and messy start as multiple cautions plagued the racing action and took out many heavy hitters including Scott Eck, Landon Tapley, Ashton Burgess and Brady Romano, among others.

Once the field settled, longtime competitor Steve Pierpont took control of the race. A spin on lap 18 brought the field together once again and Mac Hannan, Jr. entered the picture, challenging Pierpont for the lead. Pierpont was able to pull ahead, but another caution on lap 22 halted the racing action with just 8 laps to go. There were 3-wide battles for both first and second on the restart, and Mac Hannan, Jr. came out on top as he powered to the lead over Josh St. Clair. Points leader Dan McKeage, Jr. also entered the fray in the closing laps of the race, sneaking up on Josh St. Clair and taking over second with just two laps to go. Mac Hannan, Jr. kept the pedal down and rode off into the night as Dan McKeage, Jr. and Josh St. Clair rounded out the top 3.

Saturday was certainly an action-packed night at Wiscasset Speedway, but more fun is still on the horizon! All Group 1 divisions plus the Enduros will return to the track on Saturday, August 24th. The green flag flies at 5:00 pm and adult general admission tickets are just $5.

See you there!

As always, thank you to Jasen Dickey Photography for all featured photos this week. Check out his awesome portfolio here!

The post Tiger Colby Wins Late Model 75 at Wiscasset Speedway appeared first on Chasing The Checkered.

The racing action kicked off with the first 40-lap feature for the Late Models. Will Collins took off with the early lead, but by the mid-point of the race, there were battles all over the track. Will Collins and Brandon Bailey went head-to-head for the top spot, but Bailey got bent out of shape with 10 to go. This opened a hole for Branden Fowler, who powered into the lead as Will Collins began to fade into the distance. Fowler fought through lap traffic in the closing laps of the race, yet maintained his lead over Jon Emerson, picking up his first win in over 4 years at the track. Shane Clark followed, rounding out the top 3.

Reed Reno led the field to green in the first 30-lap Modified feature while multi-time champion Adam Chadbourne quickly moved into the runner-up spot over Chuck Colby. A lap 5 caution brought the field back together and Chadbourne got the upper hand, pulling away with a sizable lead. Multiple cautions led to a start-stop effect for the remainder of the feature, but Chadbourne held strong, picking up another victory in the division. Chuck Colby and Reed Reno followed, completing the podium.

During intermission, multi-generation driver Jonathon Emerson was awarded the “May Driver of the Month” award, which is given to one driver at the conclusion of every month that exudes excellence both on and off the track. Emerson will now be eligible to receive “Driver of the Year” honors at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Following intermission, the Chestnut Auto Roadrunners took to the track for their 30-lap spotlight feature. Gavin Gerow held onto the lead for the first half of the race, but a sudden mechanical failure on lap 12 devastatingly ended his day prematurely. Alec Brown inherited the lead on the restart and pulled away. Dylan York, another heavy hitter in the division, took a spin with just 9 laps to go, bringing the field together one final time. Alec Brown held off the competition on the restart, securing his first feature win at the speedway. Ken Turner and Carl Conant rounded out the official top 3 following tech.

Will Collins took off with a sizable lead once again in the second Late Model feature. Multiple cautions plagued the first half of the race, but it was Tiger Colby who got the upper hand once the field settled. He powered to second on lap 20 following a mid-race restart as Ryan St. Clair rode his heels in third. Colby continued his mission in the coming laps, taking off like a rocket on a lap 27 restart to catapult himself into the lead. After a solid showing all day, Will Collins retired to the pits on lap 34. Tiger Colby was able to hold off the competition in the closing laps of the feature, picking up the win over Alex Waltz and Ryan St. Clair.

Scott Eck pulled out to the early lead in the 30-lap Portland Glass Strictly Street feature. There was melee on the backstretch on the initial start, but Eck maintained command of the field. While battling for position, Landon Tapley and Alex Cromwell made contact on lap 20, changing the trajectory of the race. Dan McKeage, Jr., who started deep into the field back in 19th, went wide right in a bold move to avoid contact, powering his way up to third. From there, it was go-time for the young driver. He powered around Zach Emerson-Mains for the runner-up spot, and it was a drag race to the finish between himself and Scott Eck. Both drivers gave it all they got, but it was McKeage who took home the win by a nose in an exhilarating finish. Zach Emerson followed, completing the podium.

The night concluded with another 30-lap feature for the Modifieds. An early caution delayed the racing action, but Brian Treadwell took off with the lead once the field went green. Zach Bowie was also on the move early, breaking free of lap traffic on lap 8 before tracking down the leader. Bowie lost his air cleaner on lap 15 but kept rolling, overtaking the top spot from Treadwell the lap following. A late-race caution for debris brought the field back together on lap 18 but Bowie held strong, picking up the win over Chuck Colby and Reed Reno. 

Saturday’s Group 2 program was loaded with exciting racing action, but there’s still more excitement to come. Wiscasset Speedway will be celebrating their 55th birthday this coming Saturday, July 27th with a full Group 1 program, Hall of Fame celebration and the Ward & Sons Super Street 100 followed by fireworks!

As always, general admission is just $5 for adults and FREE for kids 6 & under.

See you there!

As always, thank you to Jasen Dickey Photography for providing all featured photos this week. Check out his awesome portfolio here!

The post Branden Fowler Picks Up First Win in 4 Years at Wiscasset Speedway appeared first on Chasing The Checkered.

The Super Streets competition kicked off with three 10-lap heat races. Brett Osmond, the second-generation driver and series rookie, took off with the early lead in the first heat. Chasing the Checkered driver, Charlie Sanborn, was also on the move early, advancing to the runner-up spot over David Greenleaf.

Nicole Benincasa and Mike Wallace tangled on lap 4 in turn 4, resulting in a mid-race caution. Following the incident, Benincasa elected to take the “sportsmanship rule”, sending herself to the back of the pack while Wallace reclaimed his track position.

The trouble continued for Mike Wallace on the restart as he collided with David Greenleaf, who ended up in the turn 1 grass. The field remained green as Brett Osmond maintained his advantage over Charlie Sanborn, picking up the heat victory. Nicole Benincasa rounded out the top 3.

Zach Bowie powered to the early lead over Colby Meserve in the second qualifying heat. Trouble was brewing early as Darick Barker backed into the turn 1 wall on lap 2, resulting in an early caution.

Zach Bowie maintained his edge on the restart as Michael Harrison trailed closely behind. Harrison dove to Bowie’s inside door with two laps to go, hungry for the top spot. The two drivers made contact in turn 4, allowing Bubba Pelton to close in on them for a 3-way battle to the finish. Zach Bowie held his competitors off, scoring the heat victory as Michael Harrison and Bubba Pelton followed closely behind.

Tiger Colby jumped out to the early lead in the third and final qualifying heat. Jason Oakes’ #11 machine was discovered to be dumping fuel on the track, resulting in the driver receiving the black flag on lap 3.

Josh St. Clair was coming through the field, all over Matt Beers’ back bumper on lap 5, challenging for third. It remained a tight battle until St. Clair made his way to Beers’ inside door with two laps to go, swiftly completing the pass.

Tiger Colby maintained his advantage in the closing laps of the race, securing the heat victory as Dominic Curit and Josh St. Clair closed out the top 3.

The Super Streets rounded out the Group 1 program with a final 30-lap feature race. Brett Osmond and Charlie went head-to-head for the early lead in the feature, but chaos ensued behind the leaders as 8 cars piled up in turn 3. This ended the day prematurely for some heavy hitters, including Dominic Curit and PJ Merrill.

Brett Osmond jumped the restart, which was subsequently called off by race control. Due to this, Osmond and Charlie Sanborn were forced to restart on the second row behind Mike Wallace and Zach Bowie.

Zach Bowie powered ahead on the restart while Mike Wallace began to descend through the field. Brett Osmond came knocking on Zach Bowie’s door on lap 4, reclaiming the top spot. Josh St. Clair was also on the move, overtaking Charlie Sanborn for third on lap 5.

While battling for position, Charlie Sanborn and Michael Harrison collided on lap 6, resulting in Harrison taking a spin in turn 1. Harrison then came to a total stop in the middle of the turn. Following the move, he was penalized 1 lap by race control for intentionally drawing out the caution.

Zach Bowie held the initial advantage on the restart, but Brett Osmond was quick to steal it away. Josh St. Clair was still digging, challenging Osmond for the lead on lap 8. Trouble was brewing behind the leaders once again as Brandon Bailey and Charlie Sanborn made contact on lap 10. The field stoved up behind the two drivers, resulting in both Mike St. Pierre and Alex Smith taking spins through the turn 1 grass.

Josh St. Clair gave Brett Osmond a run for his money on the restart and swiftly took over the top spot. Meanwhile, Zach Bowie and Jason Oakes made contact on the restart, resulting in Oakes going for a loop. The incident resulted in yet another caution.

At this point, due to the messy and chaotic start of the race, race control called for single file restarts for the remainder of the race. Josh St. Clair maintained his advantage over Brett Osmond and began distancing himself from the competition.

Bubba Pelton jumped out of line on lap 18, overtaking Brandon Bailey for fifth before quickly advancing to fourth over Charlie Sanborn.

Although a lap down, Michael Harrison managed to climb back through the field at the tail-end of the race, putting on a show and mixing it up with the leaders as he took Zach Bowie and Bubba Pelton 3-wide on lap 21.

Josh St. Clair maintained his advantage through the conclusion of the race, picking up his second consecutive feature victory in two weeks in the division. Brett Osmond (first podium finish in the division), Bubba Pelton, Matt Beers and Zach Bowie rounded out the top five.

The Super Streets win marked a redeeming end to the day for Josh St. Clair, who had a DNF earlier in the evening in the Pro Stocks feature. He celebrated with friends and family in Victory Lane following the win, a crowd which included his legendary grandfather, Dave “Boss Hogg” St. Clair.

Josh will be looking to continue his success next Saturday in the Strictly Streets feature. Grandstand admission opens at 4:00 pm and green flag flies at 5:00 pm. As always, adult admission is just $5 and kids 6 & under are free.

Please continue to support your local short tracks and keep them thriving for years to come!

See you next time!

Please consider donating to Chasing the Checkered as the website and Chasing the Checkered community are not monetized! All money donated will go directly back into the website and will cover monthly website expenses, promotional materials, traveling/gas costs and more. Thank you for your support!

The post Jost St. Clair Scores Second Consecutive Super Streets Win at Wiscasset appeared first on Chasing The Checkered.

With the Wiscasset Speedway Super Streets division on an off-week, both Devin and Dominic Curit joined the Sport Series division once again in preparation for the upcoming Beech Ridge/Wiscasset duel on Saturday, July 10th.

The Sport Series competition kicked off with two 10-lap qualifying heats. Dylan Thyng took off with the early lead in the first qualifying heat while Clyde Hennessey and Mike St. Pierre battled it out for the runner-up spot behind him.

While battling for position, Curt Gleason and Frank Wear both took spins on lap 2, collecting Nick Calvert. The incident resulted in an early-race caution.

Dylan Thyng and Clyde Hennessey went head to head for the lead on the restart. The two drivers battled it out until Thyng pulled away with the advantage once again on lap 4. Devin Curit had a left front tire go down on lap 5, eventually coming to a slow on the backstretch. The incident resulted in yet another caution.

Clyde Hennessey powered to the lead on the restart, leaving Dylan Thyng and Mike St. Pierre battling it out for the runner-up spot in the closing laps. Hennessey captured the heat victory as Dylan Thyng beat Mike St. Pierre to the line by a nose, securing the runner-up spot.

Zach Bowie powered into the early lead in the second and final Sport Series qualifying heat. Danny Wear and Ryan Phillips ignited a battle for fourth on lap 7. Wear took over the spot and quickly pulled up to Bobby Nadeau’s back bumper, challenging for third in the closing laps.

Bowie held off his competitors, scoring the heat victory as Chris Smith and Bobby Nadeau, holding off Danny Wear to the finish, rounded out the top 3.

The initial start of the 35-lap feature race was called off by race control, but Zach Bowie powered into the early lead over Clyde Hennessey once the field got rolling. Chris Smith was all over Clyde Hennessey in the early laps of the feature, hungry for the runner-up spot.

Drivers were 3-wide for fifth on lap 5, with both Danny Wear and Craig Smith pulling away, igniting their own battle for the position.

After duking it out with Clyde Hennessey for a handful of laps, Chris Smith took over the runner-up spot on lap 8. He made his way to Zach Bowie’s door just two laps later, challenging for the top spot. The two drivers battled it out for a brief moment before Chris Smith pulled ahead with the advantage on lap 11.

Clyde Hennessey was on the move on lap 15, going door to door with Zach Bowie for the runner-up spot as Bobby Nadeau lingered closely behind. Curt Gleason and Dylan Thyng tangled on lap 16, making hard contact on the backstretch. The incident led to a mid-race caution.

Chris Smith powered away with the lead once again on the restart. While battling for position, Clyde Hennessey made contact with Bobby Nadeau on lap 21. The incident resulted in Nadeau taking a spin in turn 4 as the field scattered behind him. Nadeau, clearly displeased by the interaction, stopped to have a word with race control on the backstretch under yellow before rejoining the pack at the tail-end of the field.

Chris Smith pulled ahead with the advantage on the restart. Danny Wear made his way to Clyde Hennessey’s door in the closing laps, challenging Hennessey for third as Bubba Pelton waited in the wings behind them.

Chris Smith maintained his edge through the finish, picking up yet another feature victory as Zach Bowie, Clyde Hennessey, Danny Wear and Bubba Pelton rounded out the top five.

Following the finish, life came full circle as Charlie Sanborn, former (well, sometimes part-time?!) driver of the #1 in the Sport Series interviewed Chris Smith in Victory Lane with his Black Flagged Podcast counterpart, Brad Saucier. Last season, Charlie agreed to let Chris Smith run the #1 in the division for Smith’s comeback season while Sanborn piloted the throwback #23 car.

Chris Smith continues to show strength in the Sport Series, picking up podium finishes nearly every week of the 2021 season so far as well as collecting 2 wins in the past 3 weeks in the division. Who will be the next driver to knock “Schmitty” off his throne? We’ll have to wait and see!

You can catch the next week of the 2021 “Super Saturday” race season this coming Saturday, July 3rd. The racing action kicks off at 4:00 pm!

Continue chasing the checkered and support your local short tracks. I hope to see you soon!

Cover photo credit goes to Jamie Williams at Finish Line Photography. Thank you, Jamie!

The post Chris Smith Collects Another Sport Series Win at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway appeared first on Chasing The Checkered.