SCOTT CHUBBUCK of Bowdoin poses for a photo after winning the ServPro of Biddeford Saco Prostocks feature on Saturday at Wiscasset Speedway.
Picture perfect skies welcomed the Northeastern Midget Association to Wiscasset Speedway Saturday night for Ames True Value NEMA Night.
A packed house was on hand as well, with eager fans filling every spot in the parking lot to greet the fastest winged midgets in the world and their quest for a track record at Maine’s fastest track.
When the double checkered flags flew at the end of the evening, the most talked about story in the pits was Paul Scally’s first NEMA win, breaking a long overdue streak for the family-owned team, taking down the win in the Lites class.
In the NEMA Midget feature, John Zych proved he was the class of the field all day, coming from mid-pack for a dominant victory.
Wiscasset Speedway’s Group 1 Division finally got its season opener in, after two straight rainouts to start the year. Winners included Scott Chubbuck in the ServPro of Biddeford- Saco Prostocks; Logan Melcher in the Thunder 4 Minis; Kamren Knowles in the 4-Cylinder Pros; and Jason Oakes in the Super Streets.
The 25-lap NEMA Midget feature was the spotlight race of the night. Jim Santa Maria and Paul Scally brought the field to the green flag. Santa Maria jumped out to the lead like he was shot out of a cannon. By lap five, Santa Maria and Scally had nearly a straightaway lead on the field, and Zych had broken free from his sixth spot and into third. Over the next laps, Scally began closing on Santa Maria, and as the cross flags appeared for halfway, Zych was within six car-lengths of the leaders, and Scally had closed on Santa Maria.
Heartbreak occurred for Scally on lap 13 as he came to a stop on the backstretch. A broken ignition wire was the culprit. On the restart, Santa Maria and Zych streaked down the front straightaway, with Zych taking the lead. He set sail and never was seriously challenged. Todd Bertrand came through the field to finish third, followed by Alan Chambers, Seth Carlson, Jim Chambers and Randy Cabral, Avery Stoehr, Scally and Bethany Stoehr.
“The win was a great bounce back after week 1. That was just a tough situation. We were lucky we were quick right from the first practice. Didn’t really change a thing all day. The front row got out to a good start there, but I was patient and kept them in sight. The caution helped us,” Zych said.
In the 25-lap NEMA Lites division, Scally, of Raynham, Mass jumped out to an early lead. Fast right from the start of the day, he paced the field, setting some of the quickest laps of the feature event. Behind Scally, youngsters Ryan Locke and Ben Mikitarian were putting on a show for the second spot, and further back, Danny Cugini was slicing his way through the pack from deep in the field.
In the closing laps, Cugini slipped past Mikitarian for third, and Locke began to close the gap on Scally in the front of the pack. Scally held his line and hit his marks, and Locke was unable to muster up enough to challenge. Scally went on to take down the victory, a Cinderella story of sorts for the family owned team, who has been in NEMA since 1993. Mikitarian was fourth, followed by PJ Stergios.
“The win is long overdue. We have had so many heartbreakers that we started believing we would never get there. We had two really good cars all night. After the big car broke while running very strong. It kind of made me feel like it’s now or never. I guess I just accepted the challenge. I stayed calm and didn’t try to overdrive it and it paid off,” said Scally.
In the 25-lap 4-Cylinder Pro feature, three-time defending champ Kamren Knowles of West Gardiner started at the pole position and withstood a handful of restarts to cruise, relatively unchallenged, to the feature win. Spencer Vaughn of Canton spent the entire race in the top three, fending off several challengers for a spot in Victory Lane. He held second for much of the race until rookie Max Rowe of Turner got by him with two laps to go. Turner, grandson of Maine racing Hall of Famer Mike Rowe, took home the runner-up trophy in his debut. Vaughn settled for third.
The ServPro of Biddeford Saco Prostocks got off to a rough start in its 40-lap feature with three cautions in the first two laps. Things settled down and so did the battle for the lead between veterans Scott Chubbuck, Jeff Burgess and Charlie Colby. Just one more caution on lap 19 grouped up the field, but Chubbuck was up to the task and drove on to the feature win. Burgess faded back to third halfway through the race but patiently waited for his shot as Colby’s car started to get loose in the closing laps. He moved in to grab the second-place finish. Another veteran racer and fan favorite, Tracy Gordon, was in town to race as well, and after a practice crash and some early troubles in the feature, came to life late in the race and grabbed the final spot in Victory Lane from Colby with two laps to go.
The Thunder 4 Minis rolled out the largest field of cars on the night with 19 cars taking the green flag for a 25-lap feature. When the dust settled, second generation racer Logan Melcher of Jay drove to the win and an energetic celebration in Victory Lane. Travis Poulliot ran a good race and took advantage of other top contenders mechanical issues, moving up from his fourth starting position to finish second. Michael Golding crossed the finish line third but failed post-race inspection, so the third-place finish went to Devan Robinson.
The Super Streets had the final race of the night with a 25-lap tilt. Former two-time champ Jason Oakes took advantage of his front row starting spot to go wire to wire for the win. Josh Bailey and Mark Lucas, champs from the past two seasons, were locked in a heated battle right behind Oakes, with both taking their respective shot at the lead as well. For much of the race it was perhaps the best battle of the night, but as the drivers came out of turn 4 to the white flag, Bailey lost control, spinning up to the top of turn one, nearly collecting Lucas in the process. Lucas held on for second and Jason Curtis, who was a straightaway behind the lead trio, took advantage of Bailey’s spin to claim third.
Wiscasset Speedway returns to action this upcoming Sunday with Group 2 and the running of the annual Coastal 200 presented. Many of the top Late Model Sportsman drivers in the northeast will converge on Maine’s fastest track for their shot at the $18,000 purse plus lap money.
Strictly Streets, Modifieds and Outlaw Minis will also be in action.
Pit gates will open at 9 a.m., with practice from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at noon and the show starts at 2 p.m.
Grandstand admission is just $5 (kids 6-and-under free), plus veterans and active duty military members get in free as our special guests. Pit admission is $20 for all.
For more information and full details, go to the Wiscasset Speedway website at www.wiscassetspeedway.com.
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