WISCASSET — April showers bring May flowers, but it also brought frustration to anxious race fans and drivers waiting to get the 2019 racing season started.
After losing the first two races of the season to weeks of persistent rain, Wiscasset Speedway was finally able to get in a show on Saturday. Group 1 got the call for their season opener, plus the first of three Enduro races on the season schedule.
Veteran racer Jeremie Whorff of Bath took home the victory in a wild finish to the 40-lap feature for the ServPro of Biddeford/Saco Pro Stocks. Late in the race, a restart with two laps remaining had the leaders scrambling for position. Andy Saunders drove around Kevin Douglass to take the lead on the backstretch, with Nick Hinkley and Whorff right behind. As they stormed out of turn four to take the white flag, Douglass got into the back end of Saunders’ car, sending the leader spinning sideways. In the scramble to avoid the spinning car, Douglass and Hinkley made hard contact and Whorff was able to thread the needle and take the lead by the time they got to turn one. From there he cruised to the victory.
Hinkley and Douglass chased him across the line, however, Douglass was penalized for the contact with the leader, relegating him to sixth place as the last car on the lead lap. Saunders was able to re-fire his car and finish the race on the lead lap, being unofficially credited with a fifth-place finish. However, in another twist to the race, Saunders frustration in how his race ended carried into the pits. His team refused to bring his car to post-race tech inspection, which is a requirement for the top five in all feature races. With the refusal to submit to tech inspection, he was penalized and officially scored in 13th place as the last car running on the track at the end of the race. The final official top-five finish in the race was Whorff, Hinkley, Ed Drake, Chris Ryan and Douglass.
In Victory Lane, Whorff said, “Hey, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, right?!” with a big smile.
In other action, Jason Oakes was the winner in Maxwell’s Market Super Streets; Zach Audet in the Thunder 4 Minis, and Jeff Prindall in the Cahill Tire 4-Cylinder Pros. Ben Audet was the victor in the 100-lap Enduro.
The Maxwell’s Market Super Streets had the spotlight race for the opening day program. Freeport’s Bob Crocker and Jefferson’s Mike Hodgkins lined up on the front row for the 35-lap feature.
Hodgkins pulled out to a commanding half straightaway lead through the first half of the race. Trouble began to brew for the leader as sparks began to appear under the rear end of the car and he soon relinquished the lead to Oakes.
A much-needed caution allowed Hodgkins to head to the pits for repairs on a broken track bar mount. On the restart, Oakes shook off a challenge from Bobby Mesimer, pulled away to a comfortable lead and cruised to the victory. He was chased across the line by Mesimer and defending champ Michael Harrison, who had to start the race in the middle of the 12-car field. Hodgkins recovered from his mechanical issues and made a late race charge to finish fourth. Dan Nessmith of Wiscasset rounded out the top five.
The Cahill Tire 4-Cylinder Pro Stock feature was a caution-filled 25-lap event, mostly due to minor spins. Defending champ Jeff Prindall of Lisbon Falls showed the kids how it’s done and led wire-to-wire for the win. Sophomore drivers PJ Merrill and Dom Curit put on a great show racing for the remaining spots in Victory Lane. They traded positions several times during the race. Merrill went on to nail down a career-best second-place finish while Curit settled for third.
Wiscasset Speedway returns to action this Saturday with the season’s first race for Group 2. The Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Model Sportsman, The Norms Used Cars Strictly Streets, The K&A Services Modifieds, and The Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Minis will all be in action. The pit gate will open at noon, the grandstand gate at 3 p.m. and the green flag waves at 5 p.m. Details and information on Wiscasset Speedway can be found at www.wiscassetspeedway.com.
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