Johnny Clark Scores PASS 300
Scarborough ME — Johnny Clark got his shot at the lead late in Sunday’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) 300 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and he led when it counted to earn his second win in PASS North’s longest and richest super late model race. Clark passed Bill Rogers with forty to go and held off Cassius Clark by less than three tenths of a second to earn 2010 victory number five for the Clark’s Car Crushing team.
Cassius Clark took his EJ Prescott mount to the front several times throughout the event and looked like the man to beat, but a long battle over third with Richie Dearborn delayed him from catching the front pair until the day’s final restart with nineteen to go. Cassius got to Johnny’s rear bumper cover but the second generation Farmington Flyer raced the leader hard and clean to the checkers, settling for second.
Long stretches of green flag racing and plenty of lead changes highlighted the afternoon. Seekonk Speedway regular Tom Scully led from the pole to lap 30 when Cassius Clark took over and ran off to a straightaway lead. Scully took back the top spot on a restart and then it was Scott Chubbuck using the outside line to take a turn up front. Beech Ridge regular David Oliver led next, putting defending and three time race winner Mike Rowe a lap down just before the 100 lap mark.
Oliver ducked in the pits following a lap120 caution, handing the lead to Travis Benjamin but at the midway mark it was Cassius Clark’s turn to flex his muscle once again He led Benjamin, Johnny Clark, Richie Dearborn and Bill Rodgers across the line at the crossed flags.
The PASS 300 features live pitting and once again strategy, skill and luck in the infield played a role in the event’s outcome. Three quarters of the field came in for fuel and tires during a lap 177 caution period and Johnny Clark was first off pit road with fresh rubber all around, while many of his challengers had slow stops or problems exiting the crowded pit road.
It was Donnie Whitten and Lonnie Sommerville’s turn to battle up front and the pair raced side by side for nearly fifty laps with Bill Rodgers and Johnny Clark right behind. The front four raced side by side lap after lap until Rogers found a way by Sommerville on lap 226, bringing Johnny Clark with him. Rodgers was strong all day and the July PASS 150 winner at the Ridge looked like he might just repeat in the season’s biggest race. Rodgers kept Clark at bay lap after lap until the four time PASS champ slipped by on the bottom at lap 260 for the winning move.
Clark’s nearest championship challenger didn’t fare as well. Ben Rowe’s day was a long one that ended on lap 232 when a sour engine sent him to the infield. Clark’s win and Rowe’s 28th place result nearly locked up a fifth PASS North crown for the Farmingdale Maine super late model star, his third in a row.
The PASS 300 also carried PASS National Championship status and Clark’s win put him in contention for that title as well. National points leader Preston Peltier (15th) second place points man Jay Fogleman (26th) and National third place runner Rowe (28th) all had less than stellar results so that title race will go down to the wire at Newport (TN) Speedway when the PASS South and National Championships are decided at the Mason-Dixon Meltdown on October 16.
The PASS North super late models wrap up their season this Friday evening September 17 at North Woodstock New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park.
UnOfficial Finish – SLM – Beech Ridge – 9/12
1 54 Johnny Clark 300
2 8 Cassius Clark 300
3 53 Bill Rodgers 300
4 33 Richie Dearborn 300
5 84 Scott Mulkern 300
6 21 David Oliver 300
7 17 Travis Benjamin 300
8 14M Matt Frahm 300
9 1T Chris Thorne 300
10 10 Scott Dragon 300
11 22 Aaron Ricker 300
12 2 Tom Scully Jr. 300
13 77 Scott Chubbuck 300
14 60 DJ Shaw 300
15 26 Preston Peltier 300
16 20 Steve Legendre 300
17 23 Lonnie Sommerville 299
18 47 Kelly Moore 299
19 7 Donnie Whitten 299
20 85 Nick Ribbe 298
21 03 Scott Moore 298
22 44 Trevor Sanborn 297
23 73 Joey Doiron 296
24 2X Mike Rowe 294
25 98 Adam Bates 279
26 4 Jay Fogleman 243
27 75 Gary Smith 237
28 48 Ben Rowe 224
29 29 Ricky Morse 184
30 17A Scott Alexander 181
31 0 Bill Whorff Jr. 178
32 71 Gary Drew 136
33 79 Keith McKinnon 59
Sources: PASS PR