Mayberry keeps racing in high gear

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Tom Mayberry cares deeply about stock car racing.

A former driver himself, Mayberry rescued pro stock racing when he formed the Pro All-Stars Series tour six years ago.

The PASS series has now expanded to four divisions as a PASS South tour, a class for modifieds and another for outlaws have been added. The outlaw class is a low-budget tour for drivers who can’t afford to be on the regular PASS tour or who want to try it before making a full-time commitment.

It is also for young up-and-coming drivers.

The pro stock cars are the most expensive ones short of the NASCAR series cars (Busch East, Busch and Nextel Cup). A new pro stock car will cost in the $45,000-$50,000 range.

Toss in the rising fuel costs and drivers are facing a very expensive proposition.

Wiscasset Raceway and Unity Raceway, two of Maine’s five stock-car tracks, have ditched their pro stock class due to low car counts.

Car counts ultimately determine the success and failure of a division.

Mayberry implemented some major rule changes at the outset of the PASS season to allow teams with less expensive two-barrel engines to compete on the tour.

Initially, cars with two-barrel engines were allowed to have 58 percent of their car’s total weight on the left side compared to 56 percent for the cars with four-barrel engines. That helped their handling in the corners.

Cars with two-barrels were also allowed to weigh up to 150 pounds less to compensate for the horsepower disadvantage.

He lowered that ratio to 100 pounds between the first and second races of the season.

Farmington’s Cassius Clark, who had changed his engine program from the four-barrel to the two-barrel setup, won both races convincingly.

That irritated some of the four-barrel car drivers, who felt they were at a distinct disadvantage.

So Mayberry altered the rules Monday: Limiting the two-barrel cars to 57 percent of their weight on the left side and making some other minor alterations.

He also told drivers and team representatives at a Monday night meeting that there may be further changes.

One of Mayberry’s many strengths is his ability to admit if he made a mistake and to rectify it. He doesn’t make excuses.

He said he “missed some loopholes” when he made the original rule changes which enabled some of the two-barrel cars to have a decided edge.

So he has addressed the issue.

He knows he needs his regulars, low-budget drivers, and drivers from the host track to provide him with at least a 20-car field.

He also wants his cars to be fast and to be able to pass.

He knows side-by-side racing and large-car counts are what fills the stands.

Mayberry and race director Paul Johnson are well-respected by the drivers.

“They don’t show any favoritism,” said veteran driver Gary Smith of Bangor.

That is extremely important in the passionate world of auto racing where tempers flare at the least hint of favoritism.

Mayberry isn’t afraid to make difficult decisions.

But he is also flexible.

He has always wanted what is best for the drivers and the fans.

His unselfish attitude, combined with his work ethic, has produced a remarkable and constantly growing tour.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.