There was a void in Maine auto racing circles a year ago.

Unity’s Ralph Nason, who won the Oxford True Value 250 three consecutive years (1998, ’99 and 2000), raced only once.

Naturally, he won.

It was the Long John 150 at Unity Raceway, one of three tracks he owns.

The charismatic 64-year-old Nason, who hears his share of boos wherever he races, including Unity, plans to run “at least a half-dozen races” this season.

He made his 2004 debut last Sunday and finished second to Falmouth’s Scott Mulkern in the Maine State Lottery 104 at Unity.

“I missed racing quite a lot last year. I’m excited about what I’m doing this year,” said Nason.

Nason is as busy as ever.

He is breaking in a new track manager at his Autodrome Montmagny in Quebec so he spends a lot of seat time between Unity and Quebec.

“We’re racing 12 weekends up there. I’ll probably be at 11 of them,” said Nason, who is in his fourth season as the owner.

Son Ron is running the Internet used auto parts business they started last year, NewEnglandAutoParts.com.

Ron Nason is the crew chief for his father.

Ralph Nason also owns Jim’s Salad Co. in Unity, Spud Speedway in Caribou and a drag racing strip which is part of the Autodrome Montmagny complex.

Nason said he gets telephone calls “all the time” about Spud Speedway but nobody has come through with a reasonable offer to lease or own it.

There hasn’t been racing at Spud Speedway since 2000.

“I’m waiting for some entrepreneur who wants to make the right kind of deal. It’s really primed to have a good season up there,” said Nason, who has always maintained that it could be an extremely profitable venture if the new owner focused on entry level classes and keeping the cost down.

Nason noted that entry level, mid-week racing at other Maine tracks has flourished.

He anticipates a profitable season at Autodrome Montmagny because he has taken the initiative and teamed up with the owners at two other Quebec tracks to run a 19-race late model sportsman series.

There will be 10 races at his track, six at St. Croix and three more at St. Felician.

He said there won’t be races at the other two tracks when a series event is being held at the other track and that will ensure high car counts.

The drivers must run in at least 80 percent of the races to qualify for the points fund.

Nason said he is gearing up for the DNK Select 250 at Unity Raceway on June 13. The race will pay $25,000 to win.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Nason, who will drive the same Ford that took the checkered flag at the Long John 150.

He won’t run the Oxford True Value 250 again this season.

“We’ve got a big event at Montmagny that weekend and I can’t be two places at once. And I don’t enjoy racing there [Oxford Plains Speedway]. There are too many restrictions,” said Nason.

But it will be a long time before Nason hangs up his race gear.

“I only race for my enjoyment. I never once considered myself a professional. I do it because I like it and I’ve been fortunate enough to make enjoy money to pay my way,” said Nason who expects to run some pro stock races at Unity and a Pro All-Stars Series race or two if his schedule permits.

PASS to finish opening race

The PASS cars will finish their season-opener on Saturday at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H.

Racing will begin at 1:30.

The race, the D-J Equipment 150, was suspended by rain after 27 laps on April 17.

Defending two-time points champion Ben Rowe was leading at the time the race was stopped and will start on the pole.

South Paris’ Sam Sessions won the one PASS race that has been held, the Community Pharmacies 150 at Hermon’s Speedway 95 on April 25, and he has won his last two major races.

Sessions won the Big Dawg Challenge at Unity Raceway on Oct. 13 and pocketed $100,000.