TARDIFF PROVES THAT
MOVING UP TO PASS IS POSSIBLE by MikeTwist
Beech Ridge's Youngest SLM Winner Will Be a PASS North
Rookie in '06
It used to be that when a young racer would have a great deal of success at their local
short track, they would move up to a regional tour and maybe even to the top levels of
NASCAR eventually. If the driver had talent and the right opportunities presented
themselves, the ladder system worked very well for countless drivers through the years.Nowadays, moving up is a little bit of a different story. The cars that
race at weekly tracks usually aren’t anything remotely the same as what goes on tour.
It also takes some serious money to run those tour races and to buy specialized equipment.
Some young drivers are even skipping that rung of the ladder altogether and are debuting
on the road with the attitude that they are ready for the big leagues even if they are
barely out of high school.
So it’s refreshing when a driver comes along
and does things old school. Enter Maine’s Alan Tardiff. The 21-year-old grew up in
the shadows what started out as his grandfather’s, and later became his
father’s, auto repair shop in the small town of Lyman.
STORY
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PASS SHOW
SHOWS OFF WHAT THE TOUR IS ABOUT by MikeTwist
Motorsports Extravaganza Benfitted Series, Teams and Fans
Like it or not, short track racing is not NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. Sanctioning
bodies cannot depend on word of mouth or Coca-Cola commercials with a half dozen of their
drivers to get fans to want to come to the track. They need to be active in recruiting
both competitors and spectators or a series will die. That is the harsh truth with no
exceptions. One only has to look as far as the now-defunct ASA National Tour to realize
what the cold realities of racing today are.
That is why PASS took the unusual step this past weekend of renting exhibition space at
the Scarborough Downs horse racing track in suburban Portland, Maine and holding their own
racing show.
But that really shouldn’t be a surprise since competitors in PASS have come to expect
the unexpected. When Tom Mayberry hung up his own driving suit to start a tour for Super
Late Models in the Northeast back in 2001, nobody expected that now it would consist of
the SLM tour, two outlaw late model tours, a Southern SLM tour, a Modified tour and an
entity that helps to sanction two racetracks. The PASS Motorsports Extravaganza, which was
a three-day show is just more of the same. Full Story |
Great Times
for All at PASS Motorsports Extravaganza
(Naples, ME – March 27, 2006) – The PASS Motorsports Extravaganza at Scarborough
Downs in Scarborough, ME this past weekend was full of great looking race cars, good
conversation, some surprise visitors, a lot of PASS fans, and great support from the race
teams.
Chris Staples of Brunswick, ME, Driver of the #5 PASS Outlaw Late Model and the #5 PASS
Modified, came to the show with two cars and four kids bikes to raffle off for Racing
Against Cancer, one of the favorite charities of PASS. Dick Therrien of Riverside Speedway
in Groveton, NH won the first bike on Saturday morning and promptly gave it to young
Regina Ramsey of Buxton, ME. The second bike was claimed by Danica Lynn Peaslee, age 3 ½,
of Scarborough, ME. The third bike was won by PASS official Scott Reed, who, like
Therrien, found a little girl to whom he gave the bike. Alice Betts of Biddeford, ME will
be a Scott Reed fan for life. And the fourth bike drawn on Sunday afternoon went to Norm
Woods of the weekend security staff who was taking it home to his daughter. A total of
over $200 dollars was raised for Racing Against Cancer.
The autograph sessions were a big hit. Mike Rowe, Scott Mulkern, Ben Rowe, Alan Tardif,
Travis Khiel, Chris Staples, Troy Morse, Richie Dearborn along with Beech Ridge drivers
Bub Bilodeau, Sally Gerardi, Bob Emery, Lewis Anderson, Bill Nason, Dan McKeag, Beaver
Norton, Steve Carrier, and Jonathan Rouselle who were all there at various times during
the weekend for autographs.
On Saturday afternoon, “OL BW” came down from Oxford for a visit. It was great
to see Bob Walker in the Winner’s Circle Lounge swapping stories and laughing for a
couple of hours. Everyone remarked how much Bob has improved in the last several months.
It’s obvious that he’s really working hard at his therapy program.
A big thank has to go to Dick Therrien of Riverside Speedway who came down from Groveton,
NH with his complete show booth and the beautiful #04 PASS Outlaw Late Model of Jamie
Swallow, Rick Ramstrom made the trip from W. Boylston, MA with son Derek’s #35 PASS
Outlaw Late Model, and Gary Norris, Jr lead the Unity contingent with his #03 PASS Outlaw
Late Model. And how about 23 cars from Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, with more waiting in
the wings if needed. Bruce Wainwright organized and coordinated the Beech Ridge effort
including an early arrival on Friday to get the cars into the hall.
And we have to thank the Vintage Supers, The Legends, the Maine Vintage Car group, Maine
Indoor Carting, Troy Bossineau for the 1957 Curtis Indy Roadster, Roland Mayberry for the
1929 Phaeton, and all the vendors who supported a first-time show. |
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The PASS Booth with
Mike Rowe's SP2 #24 and
Travis Khiel's RMR #44
Troy Morse and Chris Staples
PASS Mods
January 6 - 8, 2006
at the Augusta Civic Center
More Info: www.northeastmotorsports.net |
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Mike Rowe Named Touring Series
Driver of the Year
(Naples, ME - January 6,
2006) PASS regular Mike Rowe of Turner, ME capped off a great 2005 season by being named
Touring Series Driver of the Year after balloting by over 30 members of the New England
motorsports press corps at the Northeast Motorsports Expo in Augusta, ME tonight.
In PASS competition, Mike had five wins, including a sweep of the Forbes Chev-Olds 200 and
Atlantic CAT 250 at Scotia Speedworld in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
the big win at Beech Ridge in the Pullen Heavy Industries 300 at the inaugural PASS 400
Weekend in September. After a slow start Mike and the SP2 Team
came to life and finished with a total of 10 top threes including two seconds and three
thirds as well as the five wins. And you can’t forget Mike’s win in the Oxford
250 after winning the Last Chance Race to make the field. Mike joined Dave Dion and Ralph
Nason as the only three time winners of the 250.
Mike joins a distinguished roster of the most successful racers in the Northeast. Mike is
the third PASS competitor to be chosen Touring Series Driver of
the Year, following last year’s winner Johnny Clark and his son Ben Rowe who won in
2000.
He joins some of the greatest names in racing in the Northeast, from Joe Bessey in 1992
and Ricky Craven in '93 to Dale Shaw, Dave Dion, Kelly Moore, Brad Leighton, Mike Olsen,
two-time winners Mike Stefanik and Andy Santerre, as well as Benjie and Johnny. |
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