Turner wins Unity Pro-Stock feature, Trask Wins Super Sportsman

UNITY - Defending Pro-Stock champion Randy Turner of Freedom got off to a winning start Saturday night at Unity Raceway, taking the lead away from race leader Scott Chubbuck of Wiscasset with two laps remaining in the main feature. Turner was running third behind race-leaders Ralph Nason of Unity and Scott Chubbuck of Wiscasset when a caution flag forced a restart on lap 46 of the 50-lap feature. Nason and Chubbuck made contact on the next lap with both cars spinning wildly in front of the pack. However, Nason was black-flagged for rough riding and sent to the rear of the field while Chubbuck retained his front-runner's spot. Turner, who moved up to second, ducked underneath the Wiscasset driver to clinch the victory. Chubbuck, Gary Smith of Bangor, Jeff Burgess of Fairfield and Matt Lee of Albion rounded out the top five. Nason finished sixth.

Dan Trask of Chelsea won the first Triple Crown Series race in the Budweiser Super Sportsman division, Mark Dodge of Anson went flag-to-flag for the Sunoco Racing Fuels Super Street victory, Ed Drake of Vassalboro captured the Coca-Cola Late Model Pro-4 checkers, Justin Drake of Dover-Foxcroft - Ed Drake's son - drove his Sun Auto Sales Mini-Truck into victory lane and defending track champion Seth Wills of Rome won a close battle in the Coyote's Lounge Mini-Stock feature.

Trask, last year's Super Street champion, started on the pole for the 35-lap Budweiser Super Sportsman feature, but had to fight off persistent challenges from Chris Thorne of Sidney early in the race and Joe Ritchey of Waterville in the closing laps. Thorne led from laps 2-22, but Trask was never less than a car length from the front-runner's spot. Finally, after a restart forced by a sixth caution flag, Trask squeezed by Thorne on the outside groove to clinch the victory. Ritchey took runner-up honors, followed by Brad Bellows of Winslow, Thorne and Seth Raven of Waldo.

Dodge dominated the Sunoco Racing Fuels Super Street feature, as the attrition rate and engine problems hampered some of the toughest competitors in the field. A spin halfway through the race sent outside pole-sitter Benny Erskine of Solon and R.J Austin of Smithfield to the rear and an apparent overheating problem spoiled a strong run by Mickey Landry Sr. of Anson. Shawn Austin of Skowhegan finished second, followed by Cory Poulin of Augusta, Mickey Landry Jr. of Anson and A.J. Pickard of Palmyra.

Ed Drake returned to his Coca-Cola Late Mode Pro-4 roots, so to speak, by leading flag-to-flag in the 20-lap feature. His closest challenger, Judd Derbyshire of Mt. Vernon, moved up to Drake's fender a few times during the race, but had to settle for the second-place trophy. Paul Shorette of Winslow, Joe Allard of Glenburn and Josh Frye of Danforth finished up the top five. Drake, who won seven Budweiser Super Sportsman features last year, raced in the four-cylinder class in the 1980s.

Justin Drake won a wild Mini-Truck feature, after starting in the No. 2 slot behind veteran Clarence Whitman of Winslow. But early in the race, contact between Whitman and Kevin Nutting of Fairfield sent both drivers to the rear of the field at first, and eventually to the pits. Drake then held off a late-race challenge from Darren Doucette of Sidney to earn the first-place hardware. James Towers of Rumford, Eric Carnegie of North Vassalboro and Chad Elkins of Waterville were the next cars across the stripe.

Unity Raceway

May 14, 2005

Maine State Lottery Night

Pro-Stock

1. Randy Turner, Freedom

2. Scott Chubbuck, Wiscasset

3. Gary Smith, Bangor

4. Jeff Burgess, Oakland

5. Matt Lee, Albion

6. Ralph Nason, Unity

7. John Phippen, Bar Harbor

8. Gary Norris, West Gardiner

9. Paul White, Corinna

10. Craig Anderson, China

 

Budweiser Super Sportsman - Triple Crown No. 1

1. Dan Trask, Chelsea

2. Joe Ritchey, Waterville

3. Brad Bellows, Winslow

4. Chris Thorne, Sidney

5. Seth Raven, Waldo

 

Sunoco Racing Fuels Super Street

1. Mark Dodge, Anson

2. Shawn Austin, Skowhegan

3. Cory Poulin, Augusta

4. Mickey Landry Jr., Anson

5. A.J. Pickard, Palmyra

 

Coca-Cola Late Model Pro-4

1. Ed Drake, Vassalboro

2. Judd Derbyshire, Mt. Vernon

3. Paul Shorette, Winslow

4. Joe Allard, Glenburn

5. Josh Frye, Danforth

 

Sun Auto Sales Mini-Trucks

1. Justin Drake, Dover-Foxcroft

2. Darren Doucette, Sidney

3. James Towers, Rumford

4. Eric Carnegie, No. Vassalboro

5. Chad Elkins, Waterville

 

Coyote's Lounge Mini-Stock

1. Seth Wills, Rome

2. Reggie Bickford, Oakland

3. Carl McAlpine, Burnham

4. Derrick Terrill, Plymouth

5. Frank Moulton, Unity