UNITY – Falmouth’s Scott Mulkern has been involved in auto racing since 1981 although he has taken some time off.

He has won several races but he said his triumph by .71 seconds over three-time Oxford True Value 250 winner Ralph Nason in Sunday’s Maine State Lottery 104 at Unity Raceway “is definitely the biggest win I’ve ever had.

“To beat Ralph at this place is something else. He’s the master [here],” said the 42-year-old Mulkern who pocketed $3,500.

The 64-year-old Nason, who owns Unity Raceway, won the pole and led the first 36 laps until he got trapped behind the lapped car of Orrington’s Kris Huff and Mulkern sailed around him on the outside.

Mulkern, who started seventh, led the final 67 laps.

Nason finished two seconds ahead of Fairfield’s Jeff Burgess.

“I don’t know if he [Huff] didn’t know we were there or what was going on,” said Mulkern. “He went high and then came down in front of Ralph. When he did, I shot up the outside of him. I hoped Ralph wouldn’t put the wood to him and he didn’t.

“I still felt like I was going to get Ralph no matter what but it would have taken longer,” added Mulkern, who drove a Dodge Intrepid. “I felt I was a little stronger coming off the turns.”

Nason called Huff “a wicked nice sportsman and a wicked nice guy” but said the driver should have done a better job getting out of the way.

“I nipped him a little bit, he started protecting the track and Scott shot right by on the outside because he [Huff] slowed down. But that’s racing,” said Nason.

Wiscasset’s Scott Chubbuck and Bangor’s Gary Smith completed the top five. Rounding out the top 10 in the 24-car field were Freedom’s Randy Turner, Mike Rowe of Turner, Winthrop’s Jeff White, Farmingdale’s Johnny Clark and Scarborough’s Larry Gelinas.

Thirteen cars were running at the finish.

Nason was driving a backup Ford he hadn’t raced in more than two years.

“We’re saving our other car for the [Oxford True Value] 250,” explained Nason.

That car won the Long John 150 at Unity in October.

“That car is a real good long distance car. It goes faster as the race goes along. Ron [son and crew chief Ron Nason] wanted to work on this one and it worked out pretty good. I was very tickled with it. We had a good race with Scott,” said Nason.

“Scott’s car was good. It wasn’t a helluva’ lot better than this one. I couldn’t get the back brakes to work,” said Nason.

Mulkern, who won this race two years ago, said he figured during the race it would come down to him and Nason.

“The only one I could see [in his mirror] was Ralph. It looked like we were pulling away from the rest of them. Ralph drove the wheels off that thing. I could come off the turns better than he could.”

The 33-year-old Burgess, who drove a Chevy Monte Carlo and started third, said he was pleased with his finish.

“We haven’t finished a race in three months. The car was very good. It was the same all day. It got a little tight on the long runs,” said Burgess. “There came a point in the race where I knew I had a third place car. We tried but we didn’t have any more for them [Mulkern and Nason].”