Two recent Windham High graduates have moved into Beech Ridge Motor Speedway’s top racing division after spending the past few seasons in the lower divisions at the Scarborough track.

Corey Bubar is moving into the Pro Series division after racing in the Sports Series division for five seasons, while Bobby Timmons is making the jump after competing in go-carts and driving in the NELCAR Legends series on Thursday nights at Beech Ridge for the past two seasons.

Last Saturday night, the 20-year-old Bubar, the track’s reigning Sports Series champion, made his Pro Series debut, finishing eighth among 20 cars in the 40-lap feature, while the 19-year-old Timmons, making his fifth career start in the division, finished fourth.

Bubar, who works as an auto technician for Lake Region Imports in Westbrook, was satisfied with his performance.

“It went pretty good,” he said. “(The car) tightened up a lot in the feature. We found some things we could have done differently, but overall it was a good race.”

It was the best finish for Timmons in his five races piloting a Super Late Model. He finished sixth twice in his four starts last summer in the Pro Series

“We struggled at first,” Timmons said, referring to the four starts he made last summer in the division. “I was learning how to drive the car and the crew was learning how to work on it.”

During the offseason, Bubar traded his Sports Series car for Joe Pastore’s partially built Super Late Model.

“It was a new car, and he didn’t have the money to finish it,” Bubar said. “He traded with us even, and we finished it.” During the winter, Bubar and his father, Don Bubar, a former Sports Series champion at Beech Ridge, installed a new crate engine, transmission and shocks.

Pastore, who lives in Gorham, is currently tied for second in points in the regional Pro All Star Series Sportsman Division.

Timmons, who is following in the racing footsteps of his father and grandfather, is driving a car for Mulkern Racing of Falmouth.

Bubar and Timmons are impressed with the level of competition in the Pro Series division at Beech Ridge.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Bubar said. “I’m still trying to figure out the other drivers, their habits and stuff. I ran Sports for five years, and I had a pretty good idea what (the other drivers) would do.”

“It’s definitely going to be tough,” Timmons said. “I think three-quarters of the field can win on any given night.”

Timmons is impressed with the type of drivers he will up be against on a weekly basis.

“I’ve been going to Beech Ridge all my life, and I never realized how clean the racing was, and at the same time it’s hard-nosed,” he said.

MAINE-BASED DRIVERS currently occupy six of the top 10 spots in PASS North’s Super Late Model standings.

Joey Doiron, who lives in Berwick, takes the regional race tour lead into the 150-lap race Sunday at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, N.H.

Travis Benjamin of Morrill and six-time PASS North champion Johhny Clark of Hallowell, are fourth and fifth.

Cassius Clark of Farmington, Ben Rowe of Turner and Gary Smith of Bangor, occupy the sixth through eighth slots.

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:

pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH