PASS racing at The Ridge Friday Evening
The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North traveling road show returns to Scarborough Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for round two at the tough third mile, and there’s a whole slew of drivers with different agendas as the series ‘ nears the season’s half way mark.
Ben Rowe will be looking for his third win in as many starts, and Johnny Clark is looking to get back on top of his game after a wheel departed at New Brunswick’s’ Speedway 660, sending him back across the border with a fourteenth place finish that dropped the Hallowell ace from first to third in the standings.
There is no doubt Rowe has momentum on his side. The four time PASS North Champ leads the 2009 standings in the North, the South, and the PASS National Championship. Rowe is tough no matter where the series travels. But Adam Bates may be the driver to stop Rowe’s win streak at two. Bates has shown the necessary consistency to earn a PASS title. He leads the series in top five finishes with four and hasn’t finished outside the top ten all season. Bates won his first PASS race in the 2008 version of Friday’s 150 green flag lap event and finished second to Chris Staples earlier in the season. He trails Rowe by just two points in the PASS North Championship chase ( 1074-1072) and Johnny Clark lurks in third, just one marker back from Bates. With just three points separating the top three, there could easily be a new point leader when the heat races are completed.
While this pair will ride the Big Mo into Beech Ridge, Chris Staples will look for a comeback after a last place (22nd) finish at Speedway 660. Don’t be surprised if the relative newcomer to PASS super late model racing contends for a second win Friday night. Speedway 660 was Staples first finish outside the top ten this season, and this team has too much talent to stay down for long.
Kelly Moore is another driver that has seen a bad race or two derail his championship aspirations. Moore suffered a horrendous crash at White Mountain Motorsports Park but the veteran bounced back at Speedway 660 with a solid sixth place run. Moore trails Derek Ramstrom (4th) and Chris Staples (5th) in the standings, but the former Beech Ridge regular finished third in race number one at the Ridge and he’ll be looking for his first PASS win of 2009 Friday night.
D.J. Shaw is coming off a win and a second place finish in weekly Pro Series competition at the Ridge, and Shaw lead more than half the distance earlier this season before fading to fourth at the finish. If D.J.’s 150 lap package is strong, he’ll be a threat for the win this time around.
The speedway’s own weekly racing series (Sport Series, Wildcats and Road Runners) will complete the card. Racing gets the green on a special day and time, Friday June 26th at 6:00 PM sharp.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway is at 70 Holmes Road in Scarborough Maine. Visit the track’s web site at www.beechridge.com . The Pro All Stars are on line at www.racewithpass.com .
Sources: PASS North PR