Naples, ME — There’s been something special about racing in Canada this year for Mike Rowe. In three Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North events North of the Border this season, the veteran from Maine has emerged as the winner twice. The latest victory came in Saturday night’s Atlantic CAT 250 at Scotia Speedworld near Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Rowe used patience to put himself in a position to win the race. After starting outside of the top 10 and watching guys like Richie Dearborn, Johnny Clark, Derek Ramstrom, Trevor Sanborn and Adam Bates all lead, Rowe went to the front with just under 80 laps to go. He held off Travis Benjamin and recorded his fourth victory of the PASS North season.
“The car was going good,” said Rowe. “But there were also a lot of good cars. Johnny Clark, Donald Chisholm, Trevor Sanborn, Travis Benjamin and a few others were very strong. Benji [Rowe] was very fast, but got in a wreck early on. There was some good competition and we just happened to be there at the end of the race.”
Benjamin finished second and gave Rowe a run for his money late in the event.
“Travis was coming on strong,” said Rowe. “He just ran a few laps short of winning.”
The runner-up finish was Benjamin’s best career PASS North result to date, and it comes on the heels of a streak of bad luck that includes three wrecks in the previous three events.
“That was a good race for us and it was good to turn things around,” said Benjamin. “We started ninth, got to third place and then had a flat right front tire. We were lucky though, the caution came out at the right time and with a good car, we were able to get right back into it. We were up to fifth by halfway and at the end, we put some pressure on Mike. It was a good race.”
Rowe has won races from Nova Scotia to North Carolina and just about everywhere in between. The victory at Scotia stood out for a few reasons in his mind.
“The trophy at this race is the Scott Fraser Memorial Cup,” said Rowe referring to the late Scott Fraser, a Canadian racer who died in a 2004 snowmobile accident. “That is pretty special. That kid was just awesome. I watched him and Benji [Rowe, Mike’s son and fellow competitor] race quite a bit. Frank Fraser presented the Cup to me and it meant a lot. Plus, the fans up there are so great. The place was packed and we got to meet a lot of them. It was awesome.”
PASS North point leader Ben Rowe was involved in an early wreck and finished 15th, which allowed his father Mike Rowe, currently ranked second in the standings, to gain ground in the race for the 2007 PASS North championship. Mike Rowe is in his first full season of racing for the #2 PT Watts team and right out of the box, they have been a contender for wins each week, as well as the season long championship. Rowe places the credit for that squarely on his team.
“Seth Holbrook, Buster Bean and the whole team are doing a great job,” said Rowe. “PT Watts gives us what we need to win races. We have a good group together and it shows.”
The PASS North Super Late Models will return to action Sunday, August 19th at Wiscasset Raceway (ME).
The 2007 PASS Super Late Model schedules will be highlighted by two major fall events. The PASS 400 weekend at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (ME) is set for September 23rd-24th and the Second Annual Mason-Dixon Meltdown is scheduled for Concord Motorsport Park on November 16th-17th.
For more information on the PASS South Series, contact Jeremy Troiano at (704) 788-2134; for information on the PASS North Series, contact Mike Twist at (207) 499-2565, and for technical and rules information on all of the PASS tours, please contact Scott Reed at (207) 625-3230.
Also, be sure to visit the official PASS South website at www.racewithpass.com and the official website of PASS North, www.proallstarsseries.com.
PASS North Super Late Models
Atlantic CAT 250
Scotia Speedworld – Halifax, NS
August 11, 2007
Unofficial Results
- Mike Rowe
- Travis Benjamin
- Johnny Clark
- Donald Chisholm
- Adam Bates
- John Flemming
- Richie Dearborn
- Greg Proude
- Trevor Sanborn
- Mike Mackenzie
- Graham Spinney
- Wayne Smith
- Gary Bellefleur
- Chris Duncan
- Ben Rowe
- Derek Ramstrom
- Frank Fraser
- Marty Prevost
- Brian Northrup
- Shawn Turple
- Cy Harvey
- Dean MacInnis