The purchasing agreement between Spud Speedway owner Ralph Nason and prospective buyer Henry Miller Jr. never materialized.

But the Caribou Lions Club will again lease the track and a determined Larry Doody has been working on the speedway preparing for Sunday’s 2 p.m. opener.

Doody is the race director and the head of the Lions Club’s race committee.

There will be five classes, including a women’s division, and the races will be held every other weekend.

There won’t be a pro stock division but Doody has secured at least one pro stock race, on June 25, by enticing racers from Fredericton, New Brunswick, to make up the field. Racing in Fredericton takes place on Saturdays, explained Doody.

“The people here need to see pro stocks once in a while. That’s what they keep telling me,” said Doody. “That’s the only thing that’s a big draw. A lot of people won’t come to just see the small cars. They want to see horsepower.

“They told me they would send us between 15-18 cars from Frederiction and we have four local racers. That would bring us up to 22 and that’s all we’d want. If we had any more than that, it would be like a demolition derby,” added Doody.

He said having an occasional pro stock race “is the only way to get sponsorship” because it can ensure a significant economic impact in the community.

“We haven’t had a pro stock race here in a year and a half,” said Doody who would like to have three this year if the first one goes well.

The 47-year-old Caribou native said obtaining sponsorship dollars has been a difficult task.

He said a “bad deal” involving a misappropriation of funds on behalf of a Spud Speedway employee several years ago and has left a bad taste in the mouths of some business people.

“It’s really hard to get them to invest,” said Doody, who has actually found that some small business owners have been willing to support the track.

It has also been difficult to attract fans in recent years.

“A lot of people are into camping and families like to leave town on the weekends,” added Doody, who has lowered the admission price to $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under, and $10 for a pit pass.

Nason said, “The people in The County need entertainment and they need a cheap show. Larry is working real hard (to provide a quality show for them).”

The economic crisis created when Loring Air Force Base in Limestone closed down several years ago has also hurt, although Nason and Doody said new businesses are starting to sprout up in the area.

Doody said he would like to get some new faces involved in racing.

“We’ve got to have young blood because the older guys who used to race with me are gone. They’re doing something else now,” said Doody.

The five classes that will be racing at Spud Speedway will include the Tigers, Sport-Fours, Bombers, Mini-Bombers and the women’s division.

“I’m hoping to get 60 cars (combined) on Sunday,” said Doody. “That would be real good.”

Doody said the track is in excellent shape and he even intends to get into the act by racing in the Tiger class.

“I love to race,” said Doody.

In addition to the racing, Doody plans to have mud runs and all-terrain vehicle competitions during the off-weekends.

Spud Speedway Schedule

May

28, regular series racing, 2 p.m. June

11, regular series racing, 2 p.m.

25, pro stock feature, regular series racing, 2 p.m. July

9, regular series racing (possible pro stock feature), 2 p.m.

23, regular series racing, 2 p.m. August

6, regular series racing, 2 p.m.

20, regular series racing, 2 p.m.

Schedule is subject to additions