Parritt’s pass inside provides Speedway 95 victory

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HERMON – Steuben’s Brent Parritt was running out of laps Saturday night in his pursuit of Joe Allard during the Limited Sportsman feature at Speedway 95.

Allard was smartly running the faster outside groove to hold off Parritt.

But Parritt was able to slip past Allard on the inside with three laps remaining and went on to take the checkered flag for the fifth time this season.

Parritt crossed the finish line four car-lengths ahead of Glenburn’s Allard. Steuben’s Rowland Robinson Sr. wound up third with Dixmont’s Jason Witts and Trenton’s Stephen Swanson rounding out the top five in the 12-car field.

“The car went good tonight,” said Parritt. “I thought if I could get up there close enough [to Allard] I could pass him. It’s a hard place to pass [on the inside].

“But I had good bite going in and that’s what got me the win. It’s a good way to win: On the inside,” said Parritt.

Allard said Parritt was a “little strong on the bottom.

“I overdrove between [turns] one and two on the last couple laps,” said Allard. “It kind of took my focus away a little bit. I saw him in the mirror back there. Brenton’s a good driver, he has a good car, a good quality team. Hey, that’s how it goes.”

Allard was pretty happy to come back and notch a second this week after “ending up down between one and two all wrecked in a big pile last week.”

In the Pro Stock feature, Hermon’s Scott Modery started on the outside of the front row and used the faster groove to drive past pole-sitter Dale Swoboda of Hermon on an early re-start and cruise to an eight car-length victory over Swoboda.

Winterport’s Ryan Deane was third followed by Orrington’s Kris Huff and Town Hill’s John Phippen Jr. Twelve cars started the feature.

Modery’s win wasn’t without drama.

“My motor went bad halfway through,” said Modery. “I think it was a couple of rod bearings. I first knew it was going bad in the heat race. It had a real bad vibration. But the vibration went away completely. We checked it all over and couldn’t find anything. We wanted to see how far we could get in the feature and we made it.”

Modery said his car’s momentum was enough to hold off Swoboda.

“I kept [the gas pedal] to the floor,” said Modery whose win was his third of the season.

Modery added he was “fortunate enough to start on the outside” and take advantage of the superior groove.

“The inside is the slower lane for sure. You can hold off a faster car if you’re on the outside and you’re fortunate enough to get some momentum going on the front stretch,” said Modery.

Swoboda said his second marked his first top-three finish this season.

“I’ve had problem after problem. We finally got it straightened out and the car was going really good tonight,” said Swoboda.

Swoboda said one of the cars was leaking fluids and the more he accelerated, the looser his car was.

“I tried to pick different lanes but it didn’t matter. So I just rode behind Scott. Second is better than nothing,” said Swoboda.

In the Quirk Chevrolet Super Mini-Cup race for half-size NASCAR Nextel Cup replicas with Honda 400cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke engines, Howland’s Josh Ireland blew by East Millinocket’s Wes Perry on lap eight of the 25-lapper and coasted to victory.

The 19-year-old rookie, the youngest driver in the series, collected his first win.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Ireland. “I couldn’t have done this without the help of the guys in the pits. This thing was a wreck, it was absolutely destroyed in the heat race. But they fixed it for me. It’s incredible. I can’t thank them enough.”

Turner’s Chris York finished second with Topsham’s Richie Thibeault Jr., Perry and Auburn’s Travis Dunbar completing the top five in the 11-car field.

In the Sport Fours, Winter Harbor’s Justin Trombley started on the outside pole, used the groove to take the lead on the first lap and win by seven car-lengths over Hermon’s Mike Hopkins.

Oakland’s Reggie Bickford was third with Brownville’s Steve Heath and pole-sitter Adam Russell of Medford rounding out the top five in the 22-car field.

It was the same scenario in the Strictly Street class with Jim Carr of Clifton starting on the outside pole, claiming the lead from pole-sitter Derek Pearson on the first lap and taking the checkered flag by three car-lengths over Derek’s brother Jordan Pearson.

Derek Pearson was third with Steuben’s Rowland Robinson Jr. in fourth and Corinna’s Sam Whitmore coming home fifth. Nine cars started the race.

It was ditto in the Super Streets as Milford pole-sitter Joe Legere was passed early by Holden’s Steve Moulton, who started on the outside of row one and went on to take the checkered flag.

Moulton beat Legere by eight car-lengths.

Hermon’s Kris Watson and Jeff Overlock Jr. finished third and fourth, respectively, and Franklin’s Greg Pung was fifth among the 15 cars that started the feature.