SCARBOROUGH – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway will start up its 54th consecutive season Sunday as a field of more than 20 NASCAR Pro Series drivers are ready to begin their efforts to claim a season championship.

Beech Ridge will host three NASCAR Touring Series events this season and two NASCAR Busch North Series races (June 8 and Aug. 24). Another key calendar date is July 13, when the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series returns to Maine for only the second time in 12 years.

In local action, defending champion Steve Berry Jr. of Gorham is back along with two-time champ Bobby Babb of Windham and 2000 champion Mike Maietta of South Portland. Sunday’s race slate starts at 1:30 p.m.

Beech Ridge will switch to its standard NASCAR Nite series May 11. The popular midweek series for local amateur drivers – Thursday Thunder – will start its sixth season on June 13.

The speedway will show off a new $20,000 sound system as Boston-based announcer Andy Austin follows the action.