HERMON – What is there left to do when you’ve already won Speedway 95’s top prize?

Do it again.

Andy Saunders, the 2003 Late Model Sportsman champion, is off to a hot start, winning three of the first four races and finishing fifth in the third week.

“Our goal is to win the championship again,” Saunders said.

Something easier said than done.

“Everything’s got to go your way, from officials making calls, not having mechanical problems and avoiding accidents,” Saunders said. “You can show up every week, but if you don’t finish in the top five, you’re not going to win the championship. You need consistency.”

So far this season, Saunders has been fairly lucky. During the second week, he had a hole in a tire with a few laps to go. He managed to win the race, but if there had been a caution or any other delay, the tire might have gone completely flat.

It’s not enough to have good finishes – a driver has to be able to beat everyone else on the track as well.

Saunders says that the winner of the third week, rookie Paul White, looks to be a tough competitor. Saunders ran in White’s Limited Sportsman car for one race last year and was impressed with his equipment.

“If Paul’s Pro Stock goes like his Limited, he’ll be hard to beat,” Saunders said.

A driver also needs help behind the scenes to get the car into the winner’s circle.

“Mark Austin and Mike Palmer are the two main people that help me week in and week out, no matter what. Also sponsors, friends and family are always a factor when racing,” said Saunders, an Ellsworth native.

Saunders got his start in racing when he was young.

“I used to drive around before I got my license – and got into trouble. My parents used to sponsor the late Bruce Kane at Wiscasset, so one day my parents took me to the races and found me a way to drive without getting into trouble,” Saunders recalled.

He has been racing off and on for 16 years. He has been racing full time since 1997 at Wiscasset Raceway and Speedway 95.

Saunders raced at Wiscasset for four years, having great runs in the first two years and then having tough luck in the final two.

“The first two years it seemed like we couldn’t do anything wrong – we won a lot of races. The last two years, it seemed like nothing went right,” Saunders said. “We had some accidents and mechanical failures. It stops being so much fun when nothing goes your way.”

The Pro All Star Series is also something that Saunders, 31, would like to pursue.

“I ran a PASS race last year. We were fastest in time trials and led some laps, but I got black-flagged for jumping the start and later got a flat tire and had a poor finish,” he said. “That’s the thing about racing – it’s a very rewarding sport when you do well, but it can be very frustrating.”

Another accomplishment Saunders would like to add to his resume is a win in the Oxford 250, a race he plans to enter for the first time in July.

“We plan on going to Oxford Plains and try and make the race. It costs a lot of money just trying to make the field,” he said.

PIT NOTES: The Monster Truck Show starts Thursday at 8 p.m. at Speedway 95. Shows also are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday.