2003 Race 10 - Wiscasset

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Wiscasset Raceway - 8/3/03

Top Three at Wiscasset 8-3 (L to R): Tracy Gordon, 2nd;
Ben Rowe, 1st; and Dale Shaw, 3rd.
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Ben Rowe’s on a Roll at Wiscasset

Ben Rower snatched the lead away from Johnny Clark on a lap twenty-three restart and raced away from the field in Sunday’s Pro All Stars Series 150 at Wiscasset (ME) Raceway. The victory was Rowe’s fifth of the season and second straight at the coastal oval. Tracy Gordon earned the runner-up spot with Dale Shaw third, Larry Gelinas fourth and Scott Mulkern fifth.

Rowe started his day off right, establishing a new Pro Stock track record at Wiscasset with a lap of 14.863 seconds in Sunoco Race Fuels time trials, beating Johnny Clark for the top spot by .172 and Cassius Clark by .258 of a second. Scott Chubbuck and Dale Shaw rounded out the fast five. Thirty-five Pro Stockers broke the beam in time trials.

Scott Chubbuck pulled the number one spot for the fast car dash and was flanked by Shaw on the front row. Travis Benjamin lined up third with Sam Sessions, Randy Turner, and Johnny Clark completing the top six. Chubbuck wired the dash to earn the pole for the 150 with Johnny Clark second and Dale Shaw third. Benjamin came home fourth with Rowe racing up from tenth to finish fifth. Sessions, Cassius Clark, Tracy Gordon, Kenny Wright and Randy Turner completed the top ten, setting the first five rows on the grid for the PASS feature. Scott Mulkern, Northern Race Tires Rookie Challenge leader Travis Kheil and Jeff Taylor each earned a heat race win and Peter Oakes was victorious in the consolation round.

Thirty-four cars answered the call for the feature and when the green flag dropped Johnny Clark grabbed the lead from his outside pole spot with Chubbuck, Shaw, Benjamin and Sessions in hot pursuit. A spate of early cautions jumbled the top ten, including one for Travis Benjamin’s hard hit to the turn two tire barrier. Cassius Clark’s streak of racing misfortune continued, retiring from the top ten on lap sixteen with mechanical woes.




				Photos by Norm Marx nmarx-dtp@ comcast.net

By lap 20 Ben Rowe had raced his way up to the second spot with Shaw third and Gordon fourth. Chubbuck slipped back to the fifth position with Sessions, Wright, Mulkern and Gelinas all giving chase. Rowe took advantage of a lap twenty-three restart to take the lead away from Clark. Clark’s night got worse on lap twenty-seven when he tried to clear Shaw in their battle for second but wasn’t quite by the 60 and he was sent spinning. Clark made a visit to the pit area and returned at the rear of the field.

Once the evening’s case of yellow fever was cured the PASS point leader put on a racing clinic as the field settled down for a long green flag run that saw Rowe pull away to a half track lead. There was plenty of action behind the leader as Shaw and Gordon duked it out for the second spot and Johnny Clark clawed his way back into contention after his ealier spin. Gordon won the battle for second with Shaw and at the half way mark Kenny Wright was on Shaw’s bumper in fourth, Sam Sessions was fifth and Scott Mulkern sixth. White Mountain winner Larry Gelinas was picking up his pace in seventh and Johnny Clark had wasted little time getting back in the fray in eigth. Scott Chubbuck and Gary Drew rounded out the top ten.

The race continued caution free with Gelinas and Clark moving up to challenge Shaw for third. Clark moved around Gelinas for the fourth spot on lap 120 only to give the spot back to Gelinas on lap 125. The final caution of the night brought Clark’s great run to an end after another loop from contact with Gelinas as Shaw, Gelinas and Clark made their way around a lapped car.

The final twenty-three laps saw Rowe pull away on the restart once again with Gordon maintaining second. Gelinas and Shaw waged a great battle for third, the spot swapping hands four times in eight laps with Shaw finally prevailing. At the checker it was Rowe by almost a half track over second place Gordon, then a corner back to Shaw in third, Gelinas in fourth and Scott Mulkern fifth. Kenny Wright returned to PASS action with a solid sixth and Richie Dearborn battled back from early race problems to finish seventh. Gary Drew collected eighth in his first PASS appearance of 2003, while 2002 Wiscasset Raceway Pro Stock champ Peter Oakes came home ninth. Alan Wilson had a steady run to complete the top ten. Travis Kheil earned the Northern Race Tires Rookie Challenge award for his twentieth place run.

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH – Race #10 – PASS 150 – Wiscasset Raceway – Wiscasset ME – 8/3/03

1) 00 Ben Rowe Turner ME Mechanical Services/Hi-Tech Insulation Chev
2) 66 Tracy Gordon Strong ME SNF Crane Chev
3) 60 Dale Shaw Ctr. Conway NH Hill’s RV’s/Plum Potter Automotive Dodge
4) 37 Larry Gelinas Scarborough ME Digby’s Variety Chev
5) 84 Scott Mulkern Falmouth ME Community Pharmacies Dodge
6) 02 Kenny Wright Wollwich ME Newmarket Sand and Gravel Chev
7) 33 Richie Dearborn Hollis ME Chadwick BaRoss/Dayton Sand and Gravel Chev
8) 71 Gary Drew Otisfield ME Chev
9) 41 Peter Oakes Boothbay ME Mill Cove Lobster Chev
10) 53 Alan Wilson Hebron ME T&K Concrete Chevrolet
11) 0 Sam Sessions So. Paris ME Call of the Wild RV Center/Auburn Metal Fab Chev
12) 24 Mike Rowe Turner ME K&K Excavation Chev
13) 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell ME DNK Select Used Cars/Clarks Cars and Parts Chev
14) 15 Steve Berry Gorham ME Wyman’s Auto Body Chev
15) 88 Jeff Taylor Mercer ME Coca Cola Chev
16) 3 Paul Pierce Lincolnville ME Pierce Plumbing and Electric Chev.
17) 29 Scott Chubbuck Wiscasset ME Cushman Competition Ford
18) 10 David Avery Lincoln NH White Mt. Motorsports Park Chev
19) 09 Darren Ripley Washington ME Ron’s Truck Repair Chev
20) 24K Travis Kheil Denmark ME Kheil Logging/Frechette Tire Chev
21) 3x Jerry Babb Windham ME Maine Dairy Council Ford
22) 13 Casey Nash Richmond ME Main Street Fuel Chev
23) 47 Gene Green Manchester ME W.H. Greene and Sons Chev
24) 91 Patrick Leperle ST. Denis P.Q. Precision JLM Chev
25) 77 Dave Gorveatt Charlottetown PEI Johnston Home Style/PEI Potatoes Ford
26) 56 Mike Short Auburn ME Friend’s Chev
27) 59 John Phippen Bar Harbor ME Blanchard and Gray Contractors Chev
28) 21 Scott Delano Friendship ME D&H Towing Chev
29) 1 Randy Turner Freedom Me Watson Racing Heads Chev
30) 45 Doug White Gardiner ME DNK Select Used Cars Chev
31) 72 Scott Robbins Dixfield ME RoweAuburn.com Ford
32) 38 Chuck LaChance Cushing ME Fuller Automall Ford
33) 8 Cassius Clark S&S Transportation Ford
34) 17 Travis Benjamin Morrill ME Belfast Variety Ford

Official Finish
Wiscasset Raceway on August 2rd
THE WISCASSET 150

1 - 00 - Ben Rowe - Turner, ME
2 - 66 - Tracy Gordon - Strong, ME
3 - 60 - Dale Shaw - Center Conway, NH
4 - 37 - Larry Gelinas - Scarborough, ME
5 - 84 - Scott Mulkern - Falmouth, ME
6 - 02 - Kenny Wright - Woolwich, ME
7 - 33 - Richie Dearborn - Hollis, ME
8 - 71 - Gary Drew - Otisfield, ME
9 - 41 - Peter Oakes - Boothbay, ME
10 - 53 - Alan Wilson - Hebron, ME
11 - 0 - Sam Sessions - So. Paris, ME
12 - 24x - Mike Rowe - Turner, ME
13 - 54 - Johnny Clark - Hallowell, ME
14 - 15 - Steve Berry - Gorham, ME
15 - 88t - Jeff Taylor - Fairfield, ME
16 - 3 - Paul Pierce - Lincolnville, ME
17 - 29 - Scott Chubbuck - Wiscasset, ME
18 - 10 - David Avery - Lincoln, NH
19 - 09 - Daren Ripley - Appleton, ME
20 - 24k - Travis Khiel - Denmark, ME
21 - 3x - Jerry Babb - Windham, ME
22 - 13 - Casey Nash - Richmond, ME
23 - 47 - Gene Green - Manchester, NH
24 - 91 - Patrick Leperle -
25 - 77 - Dave Gorveatt - Charlottetown, PEI
26 - 56 - Mike Short -
27 - 59 - John Phippen - Bar Harbor, ME
28 - 21 - Scott Delano - Friendship, ME
29 - 1 - Randy Turner - Freedom, ME
30 - 45 - Doug White - Gardiner, ME
31 - 72 - Scott Robbins - Dixfield, ME
32 - 38 - Chuck LaChance - Cushing, ME
33 - 8 - Cassius Clark - Farmington, ME
34 - 17 - Travis Benjamin - Morrill, ME