Maine Governor Commends NASCAR Veteran
Beech Ridge Champion Rowe Visits State House
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The elder-statesman of 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state champions visited his state’s governor recently.
Mike Rowe, 63, of Turner, Me., was congratulated on his title by Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage at the State House in Augusta, Mar. 10. Rowe won the state championship and NASCAR Pro Series track title at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, a third-mile paved oval in Scarborough, Me.
“We had a very good visit and Gov. LePage was so nice to us,” Rowe said. Accompanying him on the visit were Karol Hill and Beech Ridge promoter Andy Cusack.
“We talked about Beech Ridge and how NASCAR sanctions races there,” Rowe said. “He said he’d like to visit the track and see a race, maybe this year during his re-election campaign.”
It was Rowe’s second trip to the State House. He was congratulated by previous Gov. John Baldacci when he won the state and track championships in 2009.
Rowe came out of semi-retirement last year and ended up running the full schedule at Beech Ridge. The championships were dedicated to the late Jason Fowler, son of Rowe’s car owner Dickie Fowler. Another son, Mike Fowler, who was Rowe’s crew chief in 2013, takes over the ride this year.
“I’m going to race part time and run some at Beech Ridge and other tracks,” Rowe said of his 2014 plans. I’ll do everything in my power to help Dickie and Mike win the championships this year. If I owned a car, I’d stay and run Beech Ridge fulltime myself.”
Rowe said he’s had some great experiences winning NASCAR championships at Beech Ridge.
“After racing 46 years I can say that what Andy Cusack and NASCAR does for our sport is awesome. Going to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banquet in Charlotte is something I wish everyone could see. Getting to meet your governor is special. I’ve raced at a lot of tracks over the years and Beech Ridge is a great facility. Andy keeps it nice and clean. It’s a great place to race.” Rowe said.
Rowe will continue to receive honors in April. He and Beech Ridge track announcer Bruce Elder are among seven to be inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame. The ceremonies will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on April 5.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season at Beech Ridge opens on May 24. The NASCAR Pro Series division shares the track with the Sport Series and Wildcat division.
Sources: Paul Schaefer/NASCAR PR