Josh St. Clair Continues Hot Streak, Wins 2021 Coastal 200 at Wiscasset

It’s a great time to be Josh St Clair. That could be the understatement of the year when it comes to the start of the 2021 season at Wiscasset Speedway. He only opened the season by winning four feature races over three different classes, leading the points in the track’s two “premier” divisions, and earned honors as the track’s May Driver of the Month. So, how could he possibly top that? By winning Wiscasset Speedway’s most prestigious race in exciting fashion no less. The Coastal 200 is a race that every Memorial Day weekend showcases the region’s top Late Model Sportsman drivers and their quest for the $5000 winner’s take of a (near) $30,000 purse. The race which was rained out from its original date was made up on Saturday evening in front of a large crowd of over 2,200 fans, including many veterans and active-duty military personnel who were welcomed to the event free of charge. Shortly after the sunset behind the backstretch of the 3/8 mile speedway, Josh St Clair was celebrating his second victory in the crown-jewel race with his family and friends. Many fans left saying it was one of the most exciting Coastal 200 ever. Other winners on the evening included Zach Audet in the Outlaw Minis, Adam Chadbourne in the Modifieds, and Bernie Dinsmore in the Strictly Streets. The Senior Tour Auto Racers were the flex division of the weekend with Kurt Snow of West Warren, Ma and Mike Rucci of Warren, Ma taking the checkered flag in their Modified and Sportsman division features.

27 Late Model Sportsman drivers lined up for the 2-week delayed Coastal 200. Heat winners Tiger Colby, Shane Clark, and Ben Ashline took the top 3 spots in the starting lineup. Ashline came in as the 2-time reigning Coastal 200 champ. Other former winners (Chris Thorne and Andrew McLaughlin) were poised to make a run at the victory from the middle of the pack. At the drop of the green flag, Shane Clark drove around polesitter Tiger Colby and secured the lead by the time they returned to the front stretch. From there he held the lead until (as expected) Ashline arrived and took it from him on lap 29. While Ashline was moving forward toward the front of the line, Josh St Clair, who started beside him on row 2, started to fall back in the running order with an extremely loose race car.

Following the race’s first caution on lap 39, the battle of the race ensued between Ashline and 2017 Coastal 200 champ Andrew McLaughlin. The two traded the lead back and forth over the next 100 laps. A handful of cautions for minor spins kept the field bunched up and the action exciting throughout the field. Ashline held the lead through the mid-point of the race, collecting the $500 halfway leader bonus. As the race moved into its second half, with tires worn, many drivers were waiting for the chance to make their all-important stop for new tires. That opportunity came with a caution on lap 120, sending all but one car to the pits for tires & adjustments. That one car that remained on the track was 73-year-old Hall of Fame driver “Boss Hogg” Dave St Clair, who inherited the lead in (what he insisted) would be the final race of his 56-year racing career. Ben Ashline would be the first car to emerge from the pits and line up to St Clair’s outside the restart. It only took one lap for Ashline to regain the lead and McLaughlin to resume his battle with the defending race champ. The intensity ramped up as McLaughlin hooked up on the outside and the two raced wheel to wheel for the next twenty laps and McLaughlin holding the lead by less than a 1/10th of second each time by the flag stand. Tucked right in behind the pair was the 2017 Coastal champ Chris Thorne, making the top 3 spots occupied by the winners of the past four Coastal’s. Things took a major turn on lap 155 when the only wreck of the race collected polesitter Tiger Colby and Jake Hendsbee. Under the caution, McLaughlin suddenly took off for pit road with power steering problems, and although he did return to the track, it essentially took him out of the running for the win.

With Ashline back in command of the race, Thorne was the next to challenge for the lead. He roared into the lead on lap 183 when Ashline started developing engine issues and began fading back. All the while, almost unnoticed, Josh St Clair had picked his way back into contention snd raced his way into the top three.

Thorne looked to have the race in hand and his second Coastal 200 crown within sight thanks to a comfortable five-car-length lead with five laps to go. But another minor spin would bring out the 11th and final caution of the race, and set the stage for an exciting finish. Thorne and St Clair lined up for the pivotal restart. St Clair had a strong run out of turn two and took the lead down the backstretch into turn three. Thorne drove into the turn hard and moved St Clair up the track and retook the lead by the time they returned to the front stretch. Thorne held the lead for one more lap, as St Clair returned the favor and executed the same bump and run maneuver in turn two. The two drivers stormed onto the front stretch wheel to wheel and deadlocked for the lead as the signal went up for two laps to go. St Clair took the lead for himself heading into the final lap, but Thorne wouldn’t give up that easily. He pulled a fender alongside St Clair coming out of turn four to the checkers, but St Clair wouldn’t be denied, taking the victory by just 7/100 of a second. Much the same as his 2014 victory, St Clair led only the final two laps of the race.

Thorne finished a strong second despite arriving at the track late and missing all three pre-race practice sessions. Clinton’s Frank Moulton wasn’t a factor in the win, but ran his usual steady race and lurked around the top ten for much of the race. He made a late-race charge into the final podium spot. The pair of drivers that started on the front row filled the 4th and 5th positions. Shane Clark finishing 4th and Colby 5th, despite a damaged car from the lap 155 incident. The top ten were completed by McLaughlin (6th), DC Alexander (7th), Mark Lucas (8th), Nick Jenkins (9th), and Ashline (10th). Jenkins was the Hard Charger for the race, starting 24th and after making several pit stops throughout the race. Ashline held on to be the final car on the lead lap with his engine losing a cylinder in the closing laps. The race featured 9 lead changes among 5 drivers.

Zach Audet of Norridgewock took the lead on the first lap of the 25 lap feature in the Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Minis and cruised to his second feature win of the season. 3-time defending champ Jimmy Childs of Leeds finished in second, followed by Richmond’s Scott Trask. The 30 lap feature for the 88.5FM Modifieds was an action-packed race that featured heated battles between Ryan Ripley and Brian Treadwell and then Ripley and co-point leader Adam Chadbourne. Ripley was the first to pass under the checkers and appeared to secure his second win of the season, however, his car failed post-race inspection, dropping him down to the last place in the running order. Chadbourne took the victory, followed by Brian Treadwell and Lisbon’s Jeff Prindall. The 25 lap feature for the Portland Glass Strictly Streets saw veteran racer and former champ Bernie Dinsmore of Hope lead wire to wire for his first victory in 12 years. He was joined in victory lane by Mike Haynes of Livermore Falls and Mac Hannan Jr of Washington.

Wiscasset Speedway returns to action on Saturday, June 19th with Group 1 in action, featuring the Norms Used Cars Pro Stocks, Maxwell’s Market Super Streets, Brackett’s Market 4-Cylinder Pro’s and Schooner Bay Taxi Thunder 4 Minis, plus the Nelcar Legends will make their first appearance of the season. The pit gate will open at 1:00 pm, grandstands at 4:00 pm and racing action begins at 5:00 pm. Grandstand admission is just $5 with kids 6&under free. For more information, go to the track website at www.wiscassetspeedway.com.

Sources: Ken Minott/Wiscasset Speedway  PR

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