IBG-PASS 150 at Riverside Speedway - Sat. 6-4

Top Three at Riverside: L to R - Ben Rowe, 3rd;
Johnny Clark 1st; & Mike Rowe, 2nd

(Naples, ME – June 4, 2005)   Mike Rowe in the #24 Pullen Heavy Industries Monte Carlo parlayed a fifth in time trials and a win in the dash to start on the pole for the IBG-PASS Riverside 150 on opening night before a good crowd at Riverside Speedway, Groveton, NH Saturday night. Mike beat Travis Benjamin to turn one on lap three after a side-by-side battle for the lead from the drop of the green with Benjamin settling into second ahead of the #00 of Ben Rowe, Gary Smith’s Uncle Henry’s #75, Rick Martin in the G. Lopes #14, 2004 PASS Champion Johnny Clark in the #54, and Cassius Clark’s #8 E.J. Prescott Ford.

By lap 30, Johnny Clark had moved to the outside and gone around Martin and was closing in on Smith in the #75 with Cassius Clark following him through. The laps were clicking off as Rowe, Benjamin, and Rowe pulled out ahead by a couple of car lengths. The leaders were cruising along, but the action was building behind them as Scott Mulkern in the Community Pharmacies #84, Donnie Whitten in the Richard Moody & Sons #83, Ge Ge Gravel in the #54G, and J. R Baril in the #7 were closing rapidly.

At halfway, it was still Mike Rowe and Benjamin leading a pack that has closed up on the two leaders as lapped cars started to come into play. On lap 95, Mike got trapped behind a lapped car on the frontstretch and Travis seized the opportunity to take the lead, and at the 100 lap mark it was Benjamin with Mike Rowe right there looking for an opportunity to regain the lead, Ben Rowe, Johnny Clark, Cassius Clark, Smith, Mulkern, Whitten, Gravel, Baril, Walt Hammond’s #97, and Donnie Lashua in the #08.

At lap 109, it all changed for Benjamin and Mike as they tangled on the backstretch while going around a lapped car with both being sent to the back, and Ben Rowe inheriting the lead. On the restart, the #75 of Smith got shuffled to the outside as the action was heating up on the tight ¼ mile as Cassius Clark, Whitten, Baril, Mulkern, and a hard charging Mike Rowe all went by.

The #7 of Baril and the #83 of Whitten tangled coming out of turn four while battling for sixth on lap 140, bringing out the yellow as the two slid down the frontstretch and came to a halt on the edge of the infield. Both cars were able to drive away, with Whitten headed for the pits to assess the damage. On the restart, Baril broke something on the right front and slid into the wall below the flag stand, which was probably a result of the earlier tangle with Whitten.

With nine to go, Mike Rowe had worked his through traffic and was up to third, with Mulkern and Lashua in close pursuit. Another yellow on lap 145 for a single car spin, setup a five lap shootout. On the restart, Ben Rowe slid up the track in turn one as he hit fluid put down by Travis Benjamin who had made his way slowly to the pits with a mechanical problem, and Johnny Clark took the point coming for the restart with five to go. However, a false start led to a tangle on the backstretch that involved several cars including Ben Rowe, Lashua, Whitten, Corey William in the #47 Midnight Oil car, and Scott Mulkern. Everyone drove away except Mulkern who had to pit.

At the finish, it was Johnny Clark taking his first win of the 2005 season, with Mike Rowe back up to second after being sent to the back earlier, Ben Rowe third, Donnie Lashua fourth in his best PASS finish, Ge Ge Gravel fifth, followed by Cassius Clark, Rick Martin, Gary Smith, Mulkern, and Corey Williams.

Clark became the third different driver to win in four races this season. On June 11th, it’s Oxford Plains Speedway for the IBG-PASS Triple 50s plus a full card of the Oxford regulars.