Unity’s Nason buys Caribou track

Unity Raceway owner Ralph Nason, saying it seemed like a “good investment,” has bought the Caribou Motor Speedway.

And the first race will be a Northeast Pro Stock Association 150 on June 1.

Nason bought the track from Bill Rodgers and Randy Preston for what he termed an “arm and a leg.”

Rodgers and Preston bought it a year ago for a reported $65,000 and then put $30,000 into upgrading the facility.

They eventually closed the track down last summer because they were losing money. They leased the track to Crown of Maine Racing, a Presque Isle Lions Club committee that had been originally formed to promote snowmobile racing, and the track reopened.

“Aroostook County is going through a massive reorganization and, from a recreational standpoint, they need this track real bad,” said Nason. “I think the area merchants and business people will get behind the speedway. They’re the nicest people in the world up there. I’ve known a lot of them for 30 years. I’ve always enjoyed going up there.”

“It can be profitable and I think it’s going to be,” added Nason, who also owns Jim’s Salad Co. in Unity and races on the NEPSA circuit.

Nason has raced on the one-third-mile track in Caribou and said, “It’s laid out extremely well. It’s enclosed really nice. They’ve got a nice setup. It’s set out by itself so it doesn’t bother anybody. I’m extremely pleased.”

Nason said he will be looking to hire two people: a handyman to live on the premises and take care of odds and ends such as building maintenance and landscaping and someone to be the general manager-race director-promoter.

He said they will have racing every weekend and may have another NEPSA event later in the summer.