Beland likes dirt-track racing at Bullwinkle

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Milo’s Mike Beland won points championships in the Wacky Wednesday truck class at Hermon’s Speedway 95 in 2001 and 2002.

But he traded in the asphalt for dirt.

Beland and several other drivers will open the dirt racing season at Bullwinkle Speedway in Greenville Junction Saturday at 5 p.m.

It is the third year of existence for the one-third-mile track owned by Doug Whitney.

There will be four classes: Little Enduro, Big Enduro, Trucks and Modifieds.

“Last year we averaged 55-60 [vehicles] and we expect more this year. This will be the first year for the Modifieds,” said Beland, who helped build Bullwinkle Speedway and races in the Truck class.

Beland said there are a lot of reasons he prefers racing on dirt at the old International Paper yard to the asphalt at Speedway 95.

“I got sick and tired of the politics and the high prices,” explained Beland. “And I didn’t enjoy being in the tech [technical inspection] shack an hour after every race and being ridiculed. We do our technical inspections before we race. After the races, trophies are awarded. There are no hassles.”

The rules are simple.

“You run what you brung,” said Beland.

He said they have made a lot of improvements to the track and the facility. The improvements include a new flag stand and food shack and a drainage system upgrade.

They also dug out the track and made it a better surface.

“It’s over 80 feet wide in the front and back stretches. You can go four to five wide. It makes it interesting going into the corners,” said Beland.

He also said they have obtained $7,000 in sponsorship money.

The Modifieds and Trucks require roll cages but the Big and Little Enduro cars simply require a seatbelt and a window net.

“Fifty percent of the cars come right off the street. You just have to knock the windows out [and install the window nets],” said Beland.

There are three sets of bleacher seats for the fans “but it’s not enclosed so we tell the fans to bring their lawn chairs.”

The top five finishers in each class receive a payout and a trophy and there will be a points championship at stake in all four.

Racing will be every Saturday through August beginning at 5.

St. Clairs back running Wiscasset

Dave St. Clair and his family are back running Wiscasset Raceway after Pro All Stars Series President Tom Mayberry decided not to renew his lease.

The St. Clairs own the track.

Mayberry leased the track last year but decided to pass on the final two years because the work load was “overwhelming” between running the track and the PASS tour.

The St. Clairs have reinstituted Saturday night racing after Mayberry tried Friday night cards last year and raceway vice president Tammy Reynolds said things have gone well so far.

“It has worked out well. If only the weather would work with us,” said Reynolds. “The people have welcomed us back. We’ve made a lot of friends in racing and we didn’t see a lot of them last year. Dad [Dave St. Clair] was racing so we were following him last year.”

Reynolds said the car counts have been “pretty good.

“We’ve had 85-100 cars a week. And the attendance has been good,” said Reynolds. “We’re happy. We’re making money.”

They run seven classes along with the mini-Winston Cup cars.

Three generations of St. Clairs are racing this season as Dave and his son Puncin are running in the Limited division while Puncin’s 15-year-old son, Joshua, is making his debut in the Light B’s beginner’s class.

“It has been interesting to watch,” said Tammy.

The family has been involved in racing her entire life and she quipped they will continue to do so “until someone gives us $1.3 million [for the track].”

She did acknowledge the 2003 season was nice in that “you could watch racing without worrying about anything. You didn’t have to worry about drivers getting mad at each other.”

Tammy said they won’t have the Coastal 200 Pro Stock race this season since Unity Raceway will hold its DNK Select Used Cars 250 in June. There are also the PASS tour races and the Oxford Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.

“Let Unity have their glory. You can only have so many big Pro Stock races in the state. We’ll look at having one next year,” said Reynolds.

Racing at Wiscasset begins every Saturday at 6 p.m..

PASS racing at Lee tonight

The PASS tour returns to Lee USA Speedway (N.H.) tonight for the American Car Care Centers 150. Time trials start at 6:15.

The race was rained out last Sunday.

It is the tour’s first race at Lee USA Speedway since 2001.

South Paris’ Sam Sessions and defending two-time points champ Ben Rowe have won the first two PASS races this season.

Meanwhile, the Busch North series resumes Saturday night when the Pepsi 150 is run at Thompson Speedway (Conn.) beginning at 8:30. It will be the series’ second race.