The Pro All-Stars Series will have a 16-race schedule this year with two auto races apiece at four of the five Maine tracks.

There will be two PASS features at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Speedway 95 in Hermon, and Unity Raceway beginning with the season opener at Oxford on April 29.

The touring series, which will be in its sixth season, will also have a pair of races at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H. and Scotia Speedworld in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There will be one feature apiece at New Hampshire tracks Canaan Fair Speedway, Riverside Speedway, and Star Speedway and at Autodrome Montmagny in Quebec.

“The schedule is a little longer than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be between 10-14 races. But it’s a good schedule. I like the places we’re going and that always makes it better,” said longtime racer Gary Smith of Bangor.

Defending series champ Ben Rowe of Turner also said he liked it.

“A lot of guys are hemming and hawing over a 16-race schedule, but I’d race two or three times every weekend if I could. It’ll be fun,” said Rowe.

Smith and Rowe both liked the fact they have added a second race at Beech Ridge after holding their first-ever PASS race there last season.

“I knew Beech Ridge would be one of our better deals. It was just a matter of getting in there and putting on a good show,” said Rowe.

“Beech Ridge is awesome,” said Smith.

One interesting twist is a Wednesday night race, July 12, at Thompson International Speedway, followed by a race at White Mountain Motorsports Park three nights later.

Rowe and Smith weren’t enamored with the midweek race at Thompson.

“I’m not too keen on it, but it’s our best track, so no matter what night they put it on, I’m going to go,” said Rowe.

“Having a volunteer crew take time off from work that week will make it hard. But there must be a reason for it,” said Smith.

There is.

PASS founder and president Tom Mayberry explained that that particular Wednesday night is Nextel Cup Drivers Night at Thompson.

“We’ve had a really hard time drawing crowds down there. But there will be a big crowd that night and we’re hoping to get at least one of the Nextel Cup drivers to race with us. We’re cutting the length of the race back from 100 to 75 laps so people can get out of there fairly early,” said Mayberry.

2006 PASS SCHEDULE

APRIL

29 – Oxford Plains Speedway

MAY

7 – Speedway 95

27 – Canaan Fair Speedway (N.H.).

JUNE

4 – Riverside Speedway (N.H.)

18 – Unity Raceway

24 – Scotia Speedworld (Forbes Chevy-Olds 200)

JULY

1 – Oxford Plains Speedway

12 – Thompson International Speedway (Conn.)

15 – White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.)

22 – Speedway 95

AUGUST

11-12 – Scotia Speedworld (Atlantic Cat 250)

20 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway

SEPTEMBER

3 – Autodrome Montmagny (Quebec)

16 – White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.)

22-24 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (PASS 400).

OCTOBER

7 – Star Speedway (N.H.)