Holdridge Adds Name to First Time List at Beech Ridge
Scarborough, ME — Two weeks after Joe Doucette scored a popular first time win at Oxford, ME., veteran Mike Holdridge, of Madison, CT., took his turn in victory lane after capturing the Valenti Modified Racing Series sanctioned, “Beech Ridge 100,” Saturday night, August 6, at the historic Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, ME.
Les Hinckley, of Windsor Locks, CT., and local favorite, David Pinkham, Buxton, ME., swapped the lead back and forth in the early going with Pinkham taking the top spot leading laps 16 through 41.
Rowan Pennink, of Huntingdon Valley, PA., led lap 42 with Pinkham, Dwight Jarvis, of Ascutney,VT., and Holdridge chasing the leader.
Holdridge, following a side-by-side battle with Pennink, took the lead on lap 56, and was never headed.
Driving his black modified, numbered zero, in honor of his boy-hood idol, the late Ollie Silva, Holdridge led the final 44 laps to nail down his first series win.
“It’s never over until it’s over,” Holdridge told the large crowd. “I’ve been leading with two-to-go and gotten a flat tire,” he said. “I was going to make it hard for whoever was going to try to pass me, I was not going to give it away.”
“This is fantastic, this track (Beech Ridge) is awesome. Everytime I come here the car runs great. I can’t thank my crew enough, John (Cleary), my wife, my cousin Larry,(Barnett), my Dad (Dale) who spends his retirement income on this racing deal,” he said.
Les Hinckley, of Windsor Locks, CT., finished an impressive second overcoming early race mishaps and pit stops.
“I feel fortunate to finish second. We made adjustments. Cautions (flags) helped us with track position. Double file restarts helped us get back up there,” he said.
Hinckley chased Holdridge for the final 13 laps of the 100-lap grind but could not get close enough to the eventual winner. “I can’t be happier. Mike and his Dad have worked hard for this. They are class people and congratulations to them,” Hinckley said.
Dwight Jarvis, finished third after running as high as second and falling back to sixth..“The crew worked super hard after the qualifier. The car felt good at the beginning and then it got loose,” he said.” “I stayed out there and hung with it. Congratulations to Mike and his crew.”
Local driver Tony Ricci, of Westbrook, ME., finished fourth with Joey Jarvis, Ascutney, rounding out the top five.
Sixth through tenth were; Maz Zachem, Louie Mechalides, Joe Doucette, Jacob Dore, and Chris Pasteryak.
Holdridge becomes the ninth different winner this season and the sixth different winner of the Beech Ridge race.
20 race teams entered the event. 14 cars completed all 100-laps.
The race was slowed by 10 caution flags taking 1:04:20 to complete
Race Summary:
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
Scarborough, Maine
Aug 6,2011
Distance: 100 laps
Time of Race: 1:04:20:956
Margin of Victory: 2.287
Best Lap Time: 14.958 Masse
Best Speed: 80.144 Masse
Lead Changes: Hinckley (1-9,12-15) Pinkham (10-11, 16- 41)
Pennink (42-56) Holdridge (57-100)
Order of Finish; (1) Holdridge (2) Hinckley (3) D.Jarvis (4) Ricci (5) J.Jarvis (6) Zachem (7) Mechalides (8) Doucette (9) Dore (10) Pasteryak (11) Norton (12) Jordan (13) Bodreau (14) Pennink (15) Masse (16) Goodenough (17) Pinkham (18) Annarummo (19) Wrenn (20) Oliver
Sources: John Spence, Sr./VMRS PR