SCARBOROUGH, ME :: Cassius Clark of Farmington, Maine became the first two-time winner of the 2013 Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model season Saturday night, outdueling future New England Hall of Famer Mike Rowe to win the Southern Maine Motors 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine.
“It’s a lot of fun racing for the win with Mike Rowe,” Clark said after driving the Hight Motortsports 77 into victory lane. “Thanks to the Hights for the opportunity to drive for them, and to Brian and the guys for putting a great car underneath me.”
Clark prevailed in the season-opening 150-lapper at Oxford Plains Speedway, and entered the Beech Ridge event ranked third in PASS North driver points. Clark and Rowe swapped the top positions several times throughout the race after getting by early race leaders Martin Latulippe and Joey Doiron.
Quebec invader Latulippe, who turned in the quickest lap of the event, swapped the early lead with Rowe, as Doiron made it a three-car battle. It took Clark several laps to work his way into contention with the early frontrunners, after starting alongside DJ Shaw in row six on the starting grid, the best slot available to previous 2013 race winners.
Once Clark got by Latulippe it was Rowe versus Clark, challenged briefly by the reigning series champion, third-place finisher Travis Benjamin of Morrill, or fourth-place finisher Doiron, of Berwick.
Rowe, running weekly in NASCAR Nites action at Beech Ridge for 10-time championship-winning car owner Dickie Fowler, settled for runner-up honors in the PASS special event at his adopted home track.
Benjamin, the second-ranked PASS North driver entering the night’s action, finished on the podium in third, and lost a little ground in the championship bout.
Doiron posted his fourth top-five finish in four PASS North SLM events this season. He remains atop the current championship standings, still seeking his first win of the season.
Corey Bubar of Windham, Maine looked quick in the late stages of the 150 to claim the final top-five finishing position. Scott Mulkern of Falmouth, Maine claimed sixth-place honors in front of DJ Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire, the winner of a PASS North SLM race at Beech Ridge earlier this season in his Precision JLM mount.
Dave Farrington, Jr. of Jay, Maine raced to an eighth-place finish. Westbrook, Maine’s Tony Ricci and six-time series champion Johnny Clark of Farmingdale rounded out the top-ten.
Andy Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire led wire to wire in the 40-lap feature race for the PASS Modified division. A multi-time champion of the class, Shaw dedicated his first victory of the season to his wife, a recent cancer survivor.
Mitch Miller of West Boylston, Massachusetts continued to impress, posting a runner-up finish in front of Newburgh, Maine racer Scott Alexander, who passed several cars (many of the erratic persuasion) en route to the final podium finishing position. Travis Buzzell of Hollis, Maine and Mike Carignan of Somersworth, New Hampshire rounded out the top-five.
Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model competition next hits the track on Friday, July 12 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine. That’s followed up by the 40th annual TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, July 21. For more information visit proallstarsseries.com, oxfordplains.com or call (207) 539-8865 for more information.
SUMMARY
Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model “Southern Maine Motors PASS 150.”
Saturday, July 6, 2013; Beech Ridge Motor Speedway; Scarborough, Maine
(finishing position, car number, driver, hometown)
1 77 Cassius Clark, Farmington, ME; 2 24 Mike Rowe, Turner, ME; 3 17 Travis Benjamin, Morrill, ME; 4 73 Joey Doiron, Berwick, ME; 5 42 Corey Bubar, Windham, ME; 6 84 Scott Mulkern, Falmouth, ME; 7 60 DJ Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 8 23 Dave Farrington, Jr., Jay, ME; 9 55 Tony Ricci, Westbrook, ME; 10 54 Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, ME: 11 10 Scott Dragon, Colchester, VT; 12 47 Kelly Moore, Scarborough, ME; 13 104 Kevin Powell, Winston-Salem, NC; 14 7 Curtis Gerry, South Waterboro, ME; 15 4 Ben Rowe, Turner, ME; 16 84 Martin Latulippe, Vallee-Jonction, QC; 17 39 Chad Dow, Fairfield, ME; 18 75 Gary Smith, Bangor, ME: 19 22 Aaron Ricker, Tamworth, NH; 20 2 Matt Matheson, French Lake, NB; 21 00 Bryan Kruczek, Newmarket, NH; 22 9 JT Thurlow, Windham, ME; 23 20 Mike Landry, Oakland, ME; 24 14 Brad Babb, Windham, ME; 25 21 David Oliver, Standish, ME.
Pro All Stars Series Modified “Southern Maine Motors PASS 40.”
Saturday, July 6, 2013; Beech Ridge Motor Speedway; Scarborough, Maine
(finishing position, car number, driver, hometown)
1 66 Andy Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 2 7 Mitch Miller, West Boylston, MA; 3 17 Scott Alexander, Newburgh, ME; 4 3 Travis Buzzell, Hollis, ME; 5 21 Mike Carignan, Somersworth, NH; 6 89 Ryan Phillips, Buxton, ME; 7 5 Mark Lucas, Harpswell, ME; 8 28 Mark Lunblad Jr., Conway, NH; 9 14 Scott McDaniel, Livermore, ME; 10 53 Alan Wilson, Hebron, ME; 11 9 Evan Armington, Lovell, ME; 12 60 Dana Reed, Shapleigh, ME; 13 33 Billy Dixon, Waterboro, ME; 14 4 Josh Brown, Center Conway, NH; 15 31 Ryan Morgan, Mystic, CT; 16 05 Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME; 17 1 David Sprague, Buxton, ME; 18 2 Ron Bryant, Livermore, ME.
