Mike Rowe Nips DJ Shaw for Third PASS 300 Win
PASS 400 Weekend News
Mike Rowe took advantage of leader Trevor Sanborn’s misfortune just 10 laps from the checker to assume the top spot and hold off DJ Shaw for his third PASS 300 victory at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. It was a triumphant return to the series for the Maine racing legend who earned the immaculate Scarborough Maine Speed Plant’s Pro Series Championship title one week earlier.
After a meet and greet for the fans and driver introductions, Scott Chubbuck and home track hero Aaron Ricker led the thirty-two car field down to Chief Starter Rick Shepherd’s green flag and a mid pack melee involving TJ Brackett, Bub Bilodeau , Richie Dearborn and a host of others brought out an immediate yellow.A multi-time Beech Ridge champion, Bilodeau’s day was done just a half lap after it began. Chubbuck took over from the outside on the restart with Jay Fogleman in tow and Ricker and Kelly Moore battling for third. Ricker raced back under Fogleman for second and DJ Shaw was on the move.. He passed Moore on lap six, Fogleman on seven and set sail after the front two. Ricker was racey on the outside and took the lead back from Chubbuck on lap 14, while Kelly Moore worked his way by Shaw for third and went after Chubbuck for second. Second was his on lap 18, and the veteran was ready to challenge the kid for the top spot. The lead was Moore’s on lap 23, with Ricker, Chubbuck, DJ Shaw and Mike Rowe the top five on lap twenty five.
Adam Bates and Derek Ramstrom brought out caution number two; Ramstrom ‘s day ended on the turn one rumble strips and Adam Bates retired after a run in the front stretch wall. Ryan Blaney, Cassius Clark, Johnny Clark and a host of others pitted; Cassius Clark was the only one in the bunch to take on tires. Ricker jumped out in front from the outside while Moore battled back on the bottom and DJ Shaw took over third from Chubbuck. The caution flew for a stray wheel from Ryan Blaney’s racer, bringing an early end to the North Carolina high school sophomores’ day. Meanwhile Moore was on the point for the restart and he kept Ricker behind him as the field began to string out. At the fifty lap mark it was Moore, Ricker, Shaw, Chubbuck, Mike Rowe, Trevor Sanborn, Ben Rowe, Fogleman, Steve Knowlton and David Oliver the top ten. Scott Alexander spun in turn four, bringing out a fourth caution. Cassius Clark, Johnny Clark, Seekonk Speedway regular Tom Scully Jr. and Travis Benjamin were among the cars on pit road at lap 55. Cassius Clark remounted his original set of rubber during the stop.
Moore remained in control until lap seventy when Ricker shot by on the bottom for the lead. But Moore came back to dog Ricker, taking back the spot on lap 87. Lap 100 came and went with no changes in the front five other than Shaw and Chubbuck swapping spots, and the fast guys working lap traffic. In fact the front group was less than a straight away from putting Johnny Clark back a lap at this point in the race. The caution at lap 111 took care of that issue; Mike Rowe, Cassius Clark and Alan Tardiff were some of the notables in the pits. Chubbuck took the top spot away from Moore on a lap 129 restart and DJ Shaw took third from Ricker with Trevor Sanborn riding in fifth. When the crossed flags were shown at lap 150 it was Chubbuck, Moore, Shaw, Ricker, Sanborn, Oliver, Johnny Clark, Donnie Whitten, Travis Benjamin and Mike Rowe in the top ten spots Seventeen cars remained on the lead lap at the half way mark.
As the field approached lap 200 Chubbuck was in front of Moore by half the front stretch, with the same distance back to Ricker in third. The Tamworth NH youngster reeled in Moore for second shortly thereafter. Mike Rowe had worked his way back into the front pack and Travis Benjamin sat fifth. With the top three still on track without a pit stop, Mike Rowe was looking like yet another PASS 300 was in his reach. Dave Oliver spun on top of turn three at lap 201, and the seventh caution provided the front runners the opportunity to pit that they all so desperately needed. Wholesale changes at the front resulted; Jay Fogleman assumed the lead with Steve Legendre second and Travis Benjamin third. Benjamin wasted no time getting by Legendre, and Mike Rowe wasted even less taking over second from Benjamin. DJ Shaw ran fourth with Trevor Sanborn fifth. Mike Rowe took over the lead on lap 210, and he and Fogleman pulled away from the rest of the field. Sanborn decided it was time to drop the hammer and the two-time PASS South winner gave chase. At lap 225 he had plenty of time to run down the front two; but did he have the car to do it? He was under Fogleman for second at lap 230, and only a lapped car and half the front stretch stood between him and Rowe. In five laps Sanborn was under Rowe looking for the lead; the veteran wasn’t pressing too hard, and Sanborn rode in second and waited for his opportunity. With fifty to go it was Rowe, Sanborn, Fogleman, Shaw and Johnny Clark with Ben Rowe right behind and Travis Benjamin seventh.
Adam Ricker and Dave Oliver brought out caution number eight with a little dust up off turn one, setting up a side by side restart for Rowe and Sanborn. Shaw was now third with Jay Fogleman fourth and Johnny Clark fifth. Sanborn had the opportunity he waited so long for and he took advantage, taking over the lead from Rowe on lap 272. Ben Rowe was now by Johnny Clark for third.
With 20 to go Sanborn was opening up a slight advantage on Rowe. The pair worked lap traffic and the tables were turned with Rowe now looking for his shot at Sanborn. It wasn’t necessary, as the 29 slowed with 10 to go, coasting into the pits with an expired motor. For the second straight year Sanborn’s bid for the PASS 300 victory fell short. Rowe was back out front and Shaw had the bit in his teeth, hoping to catch the 24. He made it right to Rowes’ bumper with three to go, and had a fender under the leader when the furled white and checker were shown. The pair split around a lapped car as the checkers flew and Rowe beat Shaw across the line by .142 seconds.
Ben Rowe gained a few points on PASS North point leader Johnny Clark as the series heads for its’ 2009 series finale at North Woodstock New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Friday September 18th. Racing goes green at 6:00 PM. Rowe also strengthened his lead in the PASS National Championship standings, where he has one win and Sunday’s third place run at the half-way point in the four race series.
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Unofficial Finish – Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model PASS 300 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway –Scarborough Maine 9/13/09 – (with position, car #, driver, home town)
1) 24 Mike Rowe Turner ME 2) 60 DJ Shaw Ctr. Conway NH 3) 4N Ben Rowe, Turner ME 4) 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell ME 5)4S Jay Fogleman, Durham NC 6) 47 Kelly Moore, Scarborough ME 7) 85 Nick Ribbe , MA 8) 14 Matt Frahm, Salem NH 9) 17 Travis Benjamin, Morrill ME 10) 62 Mark Gibson, Winston-Salem NC 11) 33 Richie Dearborn, Hollis NH 12) 22 Aaron Ricker Tamworth NH 13) 21 David Oliver, Standish 14) 4X Rich Eaton, Seabrook NH 15) 10 Steve Knowlton, Dover NH 16) 20 Steve Legendre, St. Johnsbury VT 17) 8 Cassius Clark, Farmington ME 18) 53 Alan Wilson Hebron ME 19) 0 Bill Whorff Jr., Bath ME 20) 77 Scott Chubbuck, Brunswick ME 21) 2X Tom Scully Jr., Westport MA 22) 12 John Dabrowski , W. Bridgewater MA 23) 29 Trevor Sanborn, Parsonsfield ME 24) 7 Donnie Whitten, Biddeford ME 25) 28 Dave Davis, VT 26) 88 Alan Tradiff Lyman ME 27) 17A Scott Alexander, Orrington ME 28) 51 TJ Brackett Buckfield ME 29) 10S Ryan Blaney, High Point NC 30) 98 Adam Bates, Warner NH 31) Derek Ramstrom, Worcester MA 32 9 Bub Bilodeau, Standish ME.