Bill Rodgers and Donnie Colpritts are going to see a lot of each other this summer.

During the week, Colpritts works for Rodgers as a mechanic at Bill’s Automotive in Old Orchard Beach.

On weekends, the employer and employee are going head to head in the Pro Series Division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough.

“We’re not a team,” Rodgers said. “My goal is to beat him and his goal is to beat me.”

Both Rodgers, who won the Pro Series championship last year, and Colpritts, who has moved back into the speedway’s top division after racing in its Sports Series Division for seven years, look to be competitive.

Two weeks ago, in the first race of the season, Colpritts finished first and Rodgers second in their qualifying heat. Then they raced each other again in the 40-lap feature with Rodgers finishing second behind Brad Babb, and Colpritts third.

“He’s competitive and he’s fast,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got a good car this year again and it’s going good. We’re going to be around each other a lot.”

Auto racing is a contact sport.

“We’re going to bang,” Colpritts said. “It’s going to happen. That’s the way it is.”

But whatever happens on the track won’t affect their work relationship, Colpritts said.

“We’ll talk about it because we’ve got to work Monday and make money,” he said. “That’s what it’s about.”

Rodgers and Colpritts have raced each other before. Both started in the Pro Series in 1996, when Colpritts was rookie of the year. Colpritts ran in that division for four years before taking a break, returning in 2004 to the Sports Series.

This year Colpritts is piloting a new Super Late Model built by Bubba Pelton, the speedway’s 1997 driver of the year.

“I wanted to get back in a faster car,” said Colpritts, runner-up in the Sports Series division in 2010.

RAIN WASHED out last weekend’s program at Beech Ridge, but long-distance races in two of the track’s top three divisions Saturday night should make up for it.

The schedule calls for a 100-lap feature in the Pro Series, the track’s top division, and a 50-lap feature in the Wildcats.

Usually a Pro Series feature consists of 40 or 45 laps, depending on the number of cars, and Wildcats run 30 laps.

According to the track owner, Andy Cusack, a first-place finish in the Pro Series will pay $1,600, a $500 increase.

“I’m sure we’ll get some other entries,” Cusack said. “Drivers like to run the extra distance. It’s a little more fun.”

Cusack said Kelly Moore, who regularly races on the regional Pro All-Star Series, has been testing his Super Late Model at the track this week.

SATURDAY NIGHT is Fan Appreciation Night at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Ticket prices will drop to $5 per adult and $1 per child. Normally those tickets cost $12 and $5 each, respectively.

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

pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH

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