Unity Raceway - Sept 5

The pending threat of a hurricane didn't keep the Unity drivers from
putting on a fantastic show. Kyle Gallant jumped to the early heat
race lead in the Men's Peanut division. Ryan Ripley clears the field
from his rear starting position. Ripley cruises on the inside of the
track to pass Gallant and take the heat race win. The feature again
saw Gallant jump to the early race lead. Matt Shaw takes over second.
Cody Sleeper and Chris Williams clear the field and start looking for
the lead pair. Ryan Ripley has already broken into the top five from
his rear starting position. Ripley uses the outside to take fourth
away from Williams. Sleeper has moved around Shaw and is gaining on
Gallant. Ripley moves around the Shaw machine and starts reeling in
the leaders. Ricky Palmer, making his debut in the Men's Peanuts
division, moves around Williams for fifth. Ripley has caught the lead
pair. Three way battle for first. Sleeper tries the inside line for
the lead around Gallant. Sleeper clears Gallant pulling Ripley thru
for second. The caution flag would fly bringing the field together.
Ripley jumps to the lead. Sleeper follows in second. The battle is for
third between Gallant and Palmer. Palmer takes over third. Sleeper has
caught Ripley. The pair go nose to tail to the finish line. Ripley
takes the checkered. Sleeper follows a very close second. Palmer
finishes third but does not pass post race inspection. This moves
Gallant to victory lane in third. Matt Shaw has a fine run in fourth.
Chris Williams has a great run finishing out the top five.
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> The Limited division heat race saw a battle between newcomer, Seth Raven, and point leader, Frank Moulton. The pair would battle side by side until Josh St Clair caught the leaders. Josh St Clair would challenge on the outside and take the lead. He would never look back and take the win. The feature would showcase side by side battles the entire race. The first would be between Seth Raven and Joey Doyon. The pair would race side by side for the lead. Doyon would finally clear Raven on the outside. Gary Thorne also tries the outside line around Raven. Frank Moulton follows the pair patiently in fourth. Josh St Clair is making his presence known in the top five. Josh St Clair takes the fourth position from Moulton on the inside. Thorne has cleared Raven and starts reeling in Doyon. Thorne looks to the inside of Doyon for the lead. The pair would go door to door for many laps. That is not the only battle going on. Raven and Josh St Clair are also having a side by side battle. These battles go on for many laps with neither car taking much of a lead. Caution on lap 21 for a spin in turn one would slow the field. Doyon takes the lead from Thorne. Thorne is being challenged by Josh St Clair on the inside. St Clair gets loose down the backstretch allowing Deane Smart to sneak by on the inside. Smart is catching the second place, Thorne. Doyon has pulled away from the field. Smart is all over the back bumper of Thorne. Smart tries the inside around Thorne. The pair would go door to the door the final laps. Thorne drifts wide out of four allowing Smart to get the advantage. Doyon takes the win. Smart battles for second. Thorne follows a close third. Josh St Clair finishes the day on fourth. Seth Raven has a 2008 Unity best finish in fifth.
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> The Monsta Mini's saw the return of Duane Dunifer Sr to the field. Dunifer, driving a borrowed car, returned from "The Wreck" of a week ago. The new pony quickly jumped to the front. The field would be closed up as the caution flag would fly. Mike Wilson jumps to the lead on the restart. Wilson cruises to the heat race win. Wilson, with the return of his crew chief, would dust off the mechanical woes of last week and jump to the early race lead. Dunifer would take over second position. Paul Jackson clears the field and runs in third. Steve Moulton, making is 2008 Unity debut, is catching Paul Jackson in fourth. Gary Richards runs in the fifth position. Wilson is driving away from the field. Moulton tries the outside line around Paul Jackson. Moulton clears and starts looking for the second place Dunifer machine. Richards has caught the Paul Jackson machine and challenges on the outside. Paul Jackson would fight back on the inside. The pair would go door to door. They catch a lapped car going into turn one. The three cars would spin bringing out the caution. All cars were able to continue at the rear of the field. The restart would find Dunifer in the turn one bank after bouncing off another car. This would force Dunifer to the rear of the field. Wilson would take the lead on the restart. Paul Jackson and Moulton battle for the second spot. The pair would race to the wire. Wilson crosses the line first. Paul Jackson, fresh off his Race Your Neighbor dirt bank crash, takes home his first trophy of the 2008 season. Moulton follows a close third. Dunifer recovers for fourth. Matt Picard finds the 04X finishing out the top five.
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> The Unity Variety and Video Wildcat's saw a battle between Dustin Hubbard and Troy Patterson for the lead. Hubbard takes the lead on the outside for the heat race win. Patterson leads the pack to the line for the win. Jeff Overlock Jr and Patterson fight for the lead. Carl McAlpine follows the pair in a close third. McAlpine doesn't wait patiently. He darts past the pair on the inside for the lead going into turn three. Dave Brannon, making his 2008 Unity debut, moves around Overlock for second. Patterson is slipping to the rear. Tim Hudson takes over the fourth position. Mike Shaw is having a fine run in fifth. Brannon has caught the leading McAlpine machine. Brannon is all over the rear bumper of McAlpine. The pair has pulled away from the third place, Hudson. Dustin Hubbard has moved past Overlock for the fourth position. McAlpine and Brannon are weaving thru traffic. McAlpine races to the checkered first for the win. Brannon takes home his first trophy from Unity Raceway in second. Tim Hudson joins the pair in Victory Lane for third. Hubbard has a fine run in fourth. Jeff Overlock Jr. finishes out the top five.
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> The Enduro class was welcomed to yet another way to start the race. The staggered start from a dead stopped proved interesting for some competitors. Kevin Sherman takes over the early race lead. Ryan Chadwick catches the Sherman machine. The pair catch lapped traffic almost immediately. They continue to weave thru the field. Patrick Cook is still getting use to his new machine follows the pair. The red flag would fly on lap 12 for a crash on the front stretch. The #20 machine of Dan Delano found the dirt. Delano was removed from the car and taken to the pits. The race would continue. Sherman would jump to the lead on the restart. Chadwick would fight back on the inside to regain the lead. Chadwick would take the win. Sherman would follow a close second. Patrick Cook would come home third. Dominic Bailey crosses the line in fourth. Ian Shamp makes his Unity debut in fifth.
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> Brad Bellows takes the lead as the green flag flew. Kris Watson challenges Bellows on the outside. Bellows is able to take the lead on the inside pulling Kris Huff with him. Caution on lap 6 puts Bellows on the inside. Huff is able to use the outside line to take the lead on the restart. Bellows challenges on the inside but comes ups short as Huff takes the heat race win. Kris Huff takes the early lead in the feature. Kris Watson clears the field to follow in second. John Kalel, II and Derek Mingo battle for the third spot. Bryan Robbins patiently sits in fifth. Kalel and Mingo come together bringing out the caution. Huff retakes the lead on the restart. Watson follows in second being challenged by Kevin Douglass. Bill Smith and Brad Bellows are running side by side for the fourth position. Douglass takes over second from Watson bringing Bellows with him. Bellows passes Douglass on the inside and looks for the leading Huff. Mark Dodge makes his presence know in the top five passing Bill Smith. Bellows has caught Huff. Dodge is challenging Watson for fourth. Bellows is all over the rear bumper of Huff. Mechanical problems for Bill Smith brings out the caution on lap 21. Huff and Bellows run side by side for the lead. The pair run side by side thru the final laps. Huff is able to cross the line first. Bellows follows a very close second. Douglass makes his 2008 debut to Unity Raceway's Victory Lane. Mark Dodge brings the 73 machine home in fourth. Kris Watson continues with his top five finishes.
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> The Geo & Son Teen Thunder division saw a smaller field of cars this race weekend. Track Manager, George Fernald Jr, decided last weekend to end the points battle due to the kids going back to school. This was to allow the kids to participate in school functions. Ben Nile was crowned the 2008 point champion. The smaller field was also due to some drivers moving up into other classes and other with mechanical problems. Point champ, Ben Nile and Brooke Getchell both had their machines home with mechanical problems. Ricky Palmer decided to try his luck in the upper classes. Jeremy Ludden led the field to the green in the heat race. Ludden took the 42 machine to the front and cruised to the heat race win. Lucas Porter would take the lead in the feature. Ludden would try the inside then the outside to take the lead from Porter. Shelby Kimball is following the pair in third. Westley Turner follows the group in his 88X machine. Ludden drives away from Porter. Kimball challenges Porter for second. Ludden increases his lead. Turner puts his sights on the lead pack. Ludden takes the win. Porter follows in second. Kimball takes home her first trophy of the season in third. Turner has his best career finish in fourth.
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> Ben Clark and Cary Davis clear the field in the Late Model Pro-4 heat race. The pair would fight for the lead. Clark takes the slight advantage for the win. Corey Walker leads the way pulling Justin Trombley with him. Cary Davis follows in the third position. Rackliff uses the inside line to move into the fourth position. Caution on lap 5 for the spinning Ben Clark closes the field. Walker retakes the lead with Davis all over his bumper. Clark and Jim Dennis battle for third. Rackliff is watching the pair in fifth. Clark is able to clear Dennis with Rackliff following. The lead pack catch lapped traffic. The group touch sending Davis into the infield bringing out the caution. Clark takes the lead on the restart. Walker follows in second. Rackliff passes Walker on the inside. Clark and Rackliff would battle door to door for the lead. Clark drifts wide out of turn four allowing Rackliff to sneak by for the lead. Walker challenges Clark for second. Clark holds off the challenge. Walker tries to hold off the challenge of Davis on the last lap. The pair touch sending them both spinning. August Driver of the Month, Steve Rackliff, continues his winning way. Ben Clark finishes second. Greg Cummings takes home the third place gold. Brother, Norm Cummings Jr, followed Greg in fourth. Cary Davis recovered to finish fifth.
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> Molly Feeney uses the high side to take the lead over Melissa Higgins in the Ladies division. Feeney is able to cruise to the heat race win. Melissa Higgins jumps to the early race lead. Shelby Kimball, moving up from the Geo and Sons Teen Thunder division, moves into second. Birthday girl, Mika Wilson, follows Kimball in third. Molly Feeney weaves thru traffic from her rear starting position to take over fourth. Samantha Letourneau follows in fifth. Higgins is driving away from the field. Feeney has used to inside to pass the field and is challenging Kimball for second. Feeney clears Kimball and starts reeling in Higgins. Feeney is able to catch the leading Higgins. The pair race door to door with Feeney taking the lead. Feeney is able to pull away for the race win. Melissa Higgins makes a second trip to Victory Lane in second. Shelby Kimball takes home her second trophy of the race night in third. Mika Wilson has a fine run in fourth. Rhonda Lyford finished out the top five.
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> Join us this week as we showcase a 50 lap Sportsman division race. The Nelcar Legends will return for another appearance. Unity Raceway's final Burn Out Contest will be held.