In a battle of talented young drivers from opposite ends of the state, Berwick’s Joey Doiron held off Fort Kent’s Austin Theriault on Saturday night to win the Southern Maine Motors Firecracker 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough.
It was the first Pro All Stars Series North victory of the season for Doiron, 22, and the fourth of his career. He is the sixth different winner in eight PASS North events.
Doiron took the lead from Scott Mulkern just past the halfway point and pulled away from the 20-year-old Theriault after a late restart.
Theriault, who recently won his first career ARCA start at the two-mile Michigan Speedway, will compete in his second NASCAR Nationwide Series race for JR Motorsports and car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Saturday at Loudon, N.H.
Glen Luce and Mike Rowe, both of Turner, finished third and fourth, followed by Mulkern.
Farmington’s Cassius Clark, Travis Benjamin of Morrill, Trevor Sanborn of Buxton, Johnny Clark of Farmingdale and Vermont’s Brent Dragon completed the top 10. Fifteen of the 27 starters finished on the lead lap.
Mitch Miller won the PASS Modified race at Beech Ridge. Travis Buzzell, series point leader Scott McDaniel of Livermore Falls, Scott Alexander and Bill Dixon rounded out the top five.
Coolidge continues no-repeat beat
Two impressive streaks that have been the theme of this Budweiser Pro Late Model season at Oxford Plains Speedway continued Thursday night.
Chris Coolidge of Norway won the 60-lap main event on Ripley and Fletcher Fireworks Night, becoming the seventh different winner in seven races and the sixth consecutive first-time winner in the headline division.
Coolidge fought off a challenge from potential streak-breaker Trevor Sanborn. After gaining the lead from Don Wentworth on lap 24, Coolidge saw Sanborn sneak past at lap 40.
It appeared that Sanborn was on his way to his second holiday triumph of the season — he scored the checkered flag on Memorial Day — but Coolidge charged back to the front with 15 circuits remaining.
A 20-year veteran at the speedway, much of it in the supporting classes, Coolidge’s previous career highlight was a win in the final Late Model feature at OPS in 2012.
Sanborn settled for second, while Wentworth held off another charge from deep in the field by point leader Shawn Martin to take home third. Justin Drake was fifth in the 26-car field.
Corey Morgan of Lewiston dominated the Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stock pack, prevailing over Richard Spaulding, Kyle Hewins, Josh Childs and Ryan Hewins.
Ripley and Fletcher Outlaw point leader Troy Jordan of Turner breezed to his second consecutive feature win and third overall. Missy Morgan was one spot away from joining Corey and making it a husband-and-wife sweep of victory lane. She held off Michael Haynes, Shannon Judd and Joe Morey for the runner-up spot.
Derek Cairns was best in the Bandito feature ahead of Greg Sessions, Dan Wade, Shawn Hinkley and Rob Kahkonen.
Karkos runs wild at Ridge
After several weeks of knocking on the door, Justin Karkos of Livermore Falls returned to Beech Ridge victory lane for the first time in nearly a year Saturday night. Karkos scored the victory in the Wildcat division ahead of Jon Brill and Jason Webster.
Beech Ridge competed twice this past week, running its Miller American Celebration program on Tuesday, July 1, before hosting PASS on Saturday.
In the NASCAR Pro Series main event on Tuesday, 16-year-old Reid Lanpher of Manchester became one of the youngest winners in the history of weekly competition at the speedway. The win combined with engine problems for Dave Farrington Jr. of Jay also accelerated Lanpher into the division point lead.
Bobby Timmons and Steve Carrier finished second and third, followed by Tyler King of Livermore Falls.
Chaz Briggs (Wildcat, Tuesday) and Jake Madore (Sport Series, Saturday) each claimed the first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series victory of their careers. Russ Morse was Tuesday’s Sport Series winner.
St. Clair still the Boss
The man who owned Wiscasset Speedway from 1991 to 2007 showed Saturday night that he still knows a few secrets about the place.
Venerable Dave “Boss Hogg” St. Clair of Liberty won the 35-lap Late Model Sportsman main event. To claim his first win at the track in nearly a decade, St. Clair had to hold off, among others, grandsons Ryan St. Clair (third) and Josh St. Clair (fourth). Those two were sandwiched between Chris Thorne and New Gloucester’s Chris Bowie.
Dan Brown of Peru topped a large field of 23 Strictly Stocks for his second victory of the season. Dave Brannon of Lisbon, Zach Emerson of Sabattus and Richard Spaulding of Lisbon followed.
Ryan Chadwick (Thunder 4 Mini) and Matt Curtis (Sport Truck) won their respective features, while John Rines topped Auburn’s Mike St. Germain in a 100-lap Enduro.
This week’s schedule
Oxford Plains Speedway
Wednesday: Acceleration Series, 7 p.m.
Friday: Championship Series, 7:30 p.m.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
Thursday: Thursday Thunder, 7 p.m.
Saturday: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Day of Destruction, 6 p.m.
Wiscasset Raceway
Saturday: Weekly racing, 6 p.m.
New Hampshire International Speedway
Friday: Oxford Casino NASCAR Pole Day, plus Whelen Modified All-Star Shootout and K&N East races
Saturday: Whelen Modified Sunoco 100, 1 p.m.; NASCAR Nationwide Sta-Green 200, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday: Camping World RV Sales 301, 1 p.m.
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