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Tenth Race - September 29th at Star Speedway

Tenth Race Photo Gallery Here

PASS 2001 Champion - Sam Sessions

Top Three: Left  to Right         Third - Scott Chubbuck
Second - Kenny Wright, Winner - Ralph Nason

Racin’ Ralph Nason battled back from two spins to claim his first Pro All Stars Series victory Sept 30th at Star Speedway. The Maine racing legend took the lead from Kenny Wright on lap 128 and fended off Wright’s challenges over the final 22 laps to win the 2001 PASS season finale. Scott Chubbuck came home third in the nose–to-tail duel with Johnny Clark fourth and early leader Louis Mechalides fifth.

Sam Sessions’ sixth place finish locked up The Pro All Stars Series Championship, but his run to the crown was far from easy as title contenders Ben Rowe and Mechalides were both strong. Rowe earned the number one starting spot by virtue of his Pole Dash win, while Mechalides made his own statement in Sunoco Race Fuel time trials by beating out 42 other competitors to earn the fast time award with a lap of 13.149 seconds.

Rowe and PASS newcomer/Star veteran Babe Brabscombe brought the field to the green and Rowe maintained the top spot until a lap 14 caution when his transmission gave up the ghost and sent the Mechanical Services/Hi-Tech Insulation Monte Carlo to the pit area for the night. Branscombe inherited the top spot but Mechalides was now up to second and ready to challenge. Mechalides made his move on lap 28 and was able to maintain the top spot for the next 76 circuits. Kenny Wright had been making steady progress through the field and challenged Mechaildes on lap 104, taking away the lead.

Meanwhile, Sessions was facing a struggle of his own. Running comfortably in the top five through lap fifty, Sessions came out on the worst end of a turn four melee and restarted in fifteenth. At that stage of the game Mechalides was on top and in position to earn the PASS crown, but lady luck frowned on him as well when he had to pit his Cushman Competition Taurus from second place to replace a steadily deflating tire. Wright continued to pace the field on the restart with Chubbuck now second, Dave Gorveatt third, Johnny Clark fourth and Mike Maietta Jr. fifth. Meanwhile Nason was charging from the rear up to the sixth spot and was still on the move. He claimed fourth at lap 116, third on lap 117, and came up to challenge leader Wright on lap 118. The pair dueled side by side for ten laps until Nason took the advantage on the bottom at lap 128 and survived several restarts to capture the victory.

Sessions luck had changed for the better and the veteran from South Paris Maine avoided several mid-race skirmishes to earn his first Pro Stock championship of any kind. Sessions and his Ray Straiton-led Sud’n Racing team were the picture of consistency once again and their ten-top-ten finishes in the ten PASS series events gave them the overall crown by 12 points over Mechalides. Six-time race winner Ben Rowe finished third in the final standings. Richie Dearborn earned the 2001 Northern Race Tires Rookie of the Year Award.

Sessions, Dearborn, and the top fifteen drivers in the PASS championship standings will be honored at the Pro All Stars Series Banquet at Verrillo’s in Portland Maine on Friday November 16^th.

^{Heat Winners: Kenny Wright, Mike Maietta Jr.,  & Ralph Nason}

<sup>Consi: Scott Robbins & Scott Mulkern

B Main Winner: Mike Maietta Sr.</sup>

Tenth Race Photo Gallery Here