Pro All-Stars Series president Tom Mayberry will unveil a new Sportsman/Limited Sportsman/Super Street series on May 27 at Hermon’s Speedway 95.

It will be the fifth division offered by the tour.

It already has the North and South Super Late Models, the Outlaws and the Modifieds.

“We’re going to have eight Sportsman races. We already have 30 licensed reserved numbers [drivers]. I’m totally in awe about that,” said Mayberry.

He also said there won’t be any significant rule differences between PASS Sportsman and those that run in the weekly series at the state’s tracks.

“There’ll be virtually no change. They’re cars you can build in your garage with stock clips on them,” said Mayberry, who wants the local racers to be able to enter their Super Street features.

“We want them to all come and run with us,” said Mayberry.

Mayberry said his decision to add the Sportsman was based on the fact “there are an awful lot of them around. And a lot of them were just sitting [and not racing].”

He said there will be an incentive bonus of $500 if the Sportsman driver who wins the PASS points championship also wins a points championship in any division at his track during the weekly series racing.

“And we’ve scheduled our Sportsman races on Sunday and on one Monday so we won’t interfere with their weekly series,” said Mayberry.

He also said he intends to work “real closely with the local tracks” to help bring good car counts.

Future plans include more branching out of his five divisions to increase car counts and attendance at the tracks.

“Without these tracks supporting the PASS tour and allowing us to come and race at their tracks, there wouldn’t be a PASS tour,” explained Mayberry. “We want to find some way to help them out.”

The PASS tour has gotten off to a good start, according to Mayberry.

“The car counts have been real encouraging,” said Mayberry.

They have already held two Super Late Model Northern Division races and two Modifieds features along with an Outlaws feature and a Super Late Model South Division race.

There will be 13 more SLM North races, 12 more Modified features, 12 more Outlaw races and seven more SLM South Division features along with the eight Sportsman events.

The SLM North Division returns to racing on Saturday at the New Brunswick International Speedway in Fredericton, N.B. beginning at 4 p.m.; the Outlaws and the Mods will run Sunday at 2 at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, N.H. and the next SLM South Division race will be on Saturday, June 2 at the Anderson Motor Speedway (S.C.).

The PASS Outlaws will join the debuting Sportsman division at Speedway 95 on May 27.

Unity’s first Friday card tonight

Unity Raceway will begin a new chapter tonight, weather permitting, as the track will begin its Friday night racing schedule.

It has had its weekly series racing on Saturday nights and entry-level racing on Thursdays but owner Ralph Nason decided to combine them into a Friday night show this year.

“The response to the Friday night thing has been excellent,” said Nason. “I’m optimistic.”

There was a sparse turnout last Saturday but Nason said it may take a while to attract respectable crowds.

“We’ll have to wait until school gets out and we get some decent weather [to gauge the success of Friday night racing],” said Nason.

He acknowledged that he is concerned that the high price of gas and its impact on the economy could reduce crowds and car counts.

“There doesn’t seem to be an abundance of cars out there,” said Nason.

However, he was quick to point out that by racing on Friday night, families are freed up to have barbecues or other family activities on Saturday and Sunday.

There will be seven classes of racing: Super Streets, Pro-4s, Monster-Minis (Mini-Stocks/Trucks), Wildcats, Men’s Peanut Division, Women’s Peanut Division and the Teen Class.

Busch East doubleheader slated

Busch East racing resumes this weekend with a rare doubleheader at tracks that will be hosting their first ever Busch East features.

The Minnesota 150 will be held at Elko Speedway on Friday night with everything getting underway at 6:30.

Then, they will move on to the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa Sunday for the Featherlite Coaches 200 beginning at 4:00.

The two races will involve the Busch West series drivers as well as Busch East and there will be a ringer in the Iowa field: Nextel Cup and Busch series regular Kevin Harvick.

“It’s going to be pretty hectic,” said Cherryfield’s Andy Santerre, whose Andy Santerre Motorsports team will have Sean Caisse and Jeffrey Earnhardt looking to build upon their strong runs in the Busch East opener, the Greased Lightning 150, at Greenville-Pickens Speedway (S.C.) last month.

Santerre, four-time Busch East champion, said it is just the second time he can remember Busch East having two races in a weekend.

“The last time was 1994. We raced on Friday night at the Apple Valley Speedway in Williamson, N.Y., and on Saturday night at Holland International Speedway (N.Y.). I got my first Busch North win on Friday and I was fourth on Saturday,” recalled Santerre.