It was only appropriate that the winner of the first Pro Stocks race at Wiscasset Raceway since 2004 was Johnny Clark IV.

“That’s where I first started driving when I was 14 back in 1994,” recalled Farmingdale’s Clark. “That’s where I grew up [in racing]. My father [John III] raced there. He raced a lot of street stocks and pro stocks.

“I love the place and it was really cool that in the first [Pro Stock] race back, I got to drive top Victory Lane under the lights. It made me feel like I was back at home.”

Clark said Wiscasset is “one of my top three tracks” among the 30 or so at which he has raced.

“I like the speed, the configuration of the track. It has the most banking among all the tracks in Maine. It’s a fast race track for what it is,” said Clark.

Adding to his enjoyment was the fact his dad’s business, Clark’s Car Crushing, sponsored the 50-lap race and the rest of the Pro Stock series this season.

He admitted that he wanted “badly” to win the race and he used it to experiment for the upcoming PASS North race at Wiscasset on Aug. 19.

“I knew it was a race I should be able to win and we tried some new things we wouldn’t dare to try on a PASS weekend. We were happy with them. They worked out pretty well,” said Clark referring to springs and shocks and the overall setup.

Clark won the race with his back-up car, a 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo.

“It was the second time I raced it this year. I took it to Groveton (N.H.) and finished fourth with it. I wrecked the primary car at Antigonish (Nova Scotia) and they had to put a front clip on it [so it wasn’t ready],” explained Clark. “[The back-up car] is a real good car.”

Antigonish’s Riverside Speedway was the site of the IWK 250 PASS North race on July 21.

Clark, the defending PASS North points champ, is currently running fourth behind Ben and Mike Rowe of Turner and Richie Dearborn of Hollis. He is 78 points behind leader Ben Rowe.

He has two wins, one at Hermon’s Speedway 95 when original winner Cassius Clark was disqualified for failing to pass technical inspection after the race, and the other at Unity Raceway.

“This season could be a lot better and it could be a lot worse. We’ve been good but haven’t been as consistent as we’d like. We’ve had three races in which we’ve had flat tires. You can’t do that and win championships. You can’t control flat tires. You either have luck on your side or you don’t,” said Clark, who has won two of the last three PASS championships.

PASS returns to action on Saturday with the Atlantic Cat 250 at Scotia Speedworld in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Clark won the race last year and in 2004.

White pleased with Pro Stocks

Doug White, the new owner of Wiscasset Speedway, was pleased with the number of cars and the attendance at his first Pro Stock race Saturday.

“It was excellent. It was the largest crowd they’ve had here all year,” said White, who estimated that there were 1800-2000 fans.

“We had 18 cars show up. There were a few other guys I thought were going to be there but they had problems getting their cars ready,” said White.

The Pro Stocks will be part of the racing card every Saturday night and he is hoping to get some new faces next Saturday to replace the PASS racers who will be running in Nova Scotia Saturday.

He said all the Pro Stock races will be 50-lappers.

“That should give them enough time to get from the rear to the front,” said White.

White has hired Johnny Crawford to help him manage the track.

Crawford, survivor of a terrible crash a few years ago in which a car involved in a wreck landed on top of him, leased Unity Raceway for three years and is the host and producer of the ‘Mainely Motorsports’ television show.

“He’s doing a heckuva’ job,” said White.

White and Crawford have their own hour-long television show on cable. The first half-hour is called ‘Track side’ and the second half hour is entitled ‘Center of Speed: Wiscasset Raceway.” It airs on a Time Warner Cable channel (9 or 12) on Wednesday and Friday nights at 9.

White said “everything is coming together” and they have been able to land several important sponsors.

White also announced that the DNK Select 250 will be held on Aug. 17, 2008 at Wiscasset Raceway and the winner will pocket $30,000. There will also be lap money.