Sunny Skies Make for Spectacular Group 2 Season Opener at Wiscasset Speedway
Written By: Amy Worrey – Chasing the Checkered
Saturday was the perfect day for racing with temperatures hovering just above 60 degrees, a light breeze and not a cloud in the sky. It was the opposite of the weather the week prior, where rain had plagued Wiscasset Speedway during their 2024 season opener. This allowed for a full Group 2 race program to be run, starting off with the T&L Automotive Modifieds.
Chuck Colby won the qualifying heat for the Modifieds and took off with the early lead in the 30-lap feature. Rookie Reed Reno was also on the move early, climbing to third over Brian Treadwell in the opening laps. Reno held strong for a while before losing grip on lap 8, causing him to slide up the track and sacrificing the spot back to Treadwell. A spin on lap 10 led to a caution and Reno pulled off-track, heading to the pits for adjustments. 4-time Modified champion Adam Chadbourne powered ahead on the restart and successfully maneuvered through lap traffic in the closing laps of the race to pick up the victory. Chuck Colby and Brian Treadwell rounded out the top 3 while Reed Reno rebounded with a solid 4th place finish in his debut.
Following a heat win in the Portland Glass Strictly Streets, Scott Eck powered ahead with a sizable early lead in the 25-lap feature. Josh St. Clair was also climbing the leaderboard early, cracking the top 3 on lap 6. He cleared reigning champion Mac Hannan, Jr. for the runner-up spot just 5 laps later and continued his pursuit in the coming laps, catapulting into the lead on lap 14. After falling behind early, Dan McKeage, Jr. made his way back through the field as the laps wound down. After making his way around Mac Hannan, Jr., he made a last-minute bid for the runner-up spot, overtaking Scott Eck in the final turn to pick up second behind race winner Josh St. Clair.
The Chestnut Auto Roadrunners followed, making their series debut as a full-time Group 2 division. Kyle Enman continued his dominance from the heat race, pulling away with the early lead in the 20-lap feature. He remained steadfast, distancing himself from the competition before a late-race caution halted the racing action with just 3 laps to go. Enman remained in control on the restart, picking up his first career victory in the division as Alec Brown and Noah McGrath rounded out the top 3.
The program concluded with a 40-lap feature for the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Models, which served as a tune-up for the upcoming $15,000-to-win Coastal 200 on May 25th. Jon Emerson got off to a hot start, pulling away from Shane Clark and Ryan St. Clair. Frank Moulton was also on the move early, breaking the top 3 on lap 15. Shane Clark began to slowly bite into Jon Emerson’s lead, eventually picking him off in lap traffic on lap 20.
A mid-race pile up led to a caution with just 13 laps to go. The 2 leaders jumped the restart, resulting in race control pausing the race to swap the front 2 rows per Wiscasset rule. This left Frank Moulton and Brett Osmond on the front row for the restart. While Moulton pulled ahead, Shane Clark muscled back into the runner-up spot. He wasn’t quite able to reel in Moulton for the victory, which was his first in 3 seasons. Brett Osmond followed, completing the podium.
With both Opening Days now in the rearview, Wiscasset Speedway is focused on making the 2024 regular season the best one to date. The entertainment continues as they host their first Group 1 night race of the season on Saturday, May 4th. Grandstands open at 4:00, racing action begins at 5:00 and as always, general admission is just $5 for adults and free for kids 6 & under. Bring the whole family out for a night of fun at Maine’s biggest and fastest speedway!