Top drivers ask for race at Unity

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Fledgling track manager Brent Hutchins figured he’d do the Pro Stock drivers at Unity Raceway a favor this season.

He’d give them this weekend off, let them chase the biggest stock car racing crown this state offers in Oxford Plains Speedway’s annual True Value 250, and welcome them back next week.

But a funny thing happened.

The drivers approached him with an idea: Most of them wanted to race anyway.

“We originally said no Pro Stock and no Super Sportsman,” Hutchins said. “We’d cater to the lower divisions and have the fireworks display.

“But the consensus of the drivers was that the guys who weren’t going to try the 250 – they wanted to race this weekend.”

Hutchins said only one or two drivers of the 10 to 12 regulars were committed to racing at Oxford at that point.

One Pro Stock driver who will try to qualify for the True Value 250 – Albion’s Matt Lee – said he’ll still head south, but not until he shoots for Unity’s Saturday night cash.

“I wasn’t gonna [race at Unity on Saturday], but jeez, the money they’re offering, and the way my car’s handling at Unity, I can’t pass it up,” Lee said.

Hutchins was happy to oblige and added a 35-lap Pro Stock feature for Saturday night’s 6:30 p.m. slate – with a few changes.

The 50-lap Wildcat and 30-lap Peanut features are still taking lead billing. But the high-horsepower set will still get their chance to race.

“We decided to do a non-points, 35-lap, $1,500 to win race, regardless of how many cars enter,” Hutchins said.

That payday is a departure from the normal prize scheme, Hutchins said. The payoff is set by the number of entries, and usually there would have to be more than 20 cars in order for him to pay the maximum $1,500.

Since deciding to race on Saturday, Hutchins said he’s heard from a couple of Wiscasset drivers who may trailer their cars, head to Unity, and take a shot at the $1,500. Wiscasset’s program is on Friday this weekend, meaning ambitious drivers could race there, head to Unity, then still try to get into the True Value 250.

Hutchins said the money, combined with the difficulty of making the True Value 250 field, make Unity pretty attractive.

“When you’re talking about 100-plus cars trying to qualify for what – 38, 40 spots [at Oxford]? Your odds are slim knowing the best of the best in this region are gonna be there,” Hutchins said.

Among the other statewide stock car diversions available this weekend:

Speedway 95 in Hermon will race at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night, with a 50-lap Strictly Street feature set as the big race among the five regular divisions that will compete.

Track manager Del Merritt said the purse will increase for the first 10 cars in the Strictly Street feature, which typically draws between 18 and 20 drivers.

Speedway 95 had its fireworks display a week earlier, and Merritt said that crowd was a sizeable one.

Saturday’s kickoff to the Fourth of July holiday is more of an unknown, he said.

“We might gain outside [fans], but a lot of your regulars and fans that would go to a race, if they get a long weekend, they might travel,” Merritt said. “It’s hard to predict.”

Oxford Plains Speedway won’t limit its weekend program to Sunday’s big race: Speedweek 2000 begins Friday and continues through the True Value 250.

Friday’s program begins at 7 p.m. and will include a 35-lap Pro Stock feature, a 30-lap Late Model Sportsman feature, and a 25-lapper for Limited Sportsman drivers.

On Saturday Oxford’s pit gates openat 8 a.m., practice starts at 9 a.m., and heat races kick off at 6 p.m.

The highlights include a 50-lap Late Model Stock race that will qualify the winner for Sunday’s short track classic.

The True Value Legends will also race a 30-lapper.

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough will hold its weekly show on Saturday, beginning at 6:35 p.m.