DAREN RIPLEY WINS NAPA 100 LATE MODEL MAIN AT WISCASSET

by Ken Minott

Over the past eighteen years Darren Ripley has established himself as an extra distance specialist on the high banks of Wiscasset Raceway; perhaps one of the best in the track's history. Saturday night he added another line to his already stacked resume by dominating the NAPA 100 at the "Center of Speed". He led the race wire to wire, surviving the race's three cautions and then holding off a late race challenge by Chris Thorne and TJ Watson to pickup the victory. Ripley, who has piled up a long list of 100 lap wins in Super Street, Late Model and Prostock competition over the years, was also the runner-up in the annual Coastal 200 back in May.

The victory highlighted a full program of action at Wiscasset Raceway sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts, represented by ten area NAPA stores. The only time Ripley appeared to have a serious run at his lead was on the final restart of the race on lap 90. After three laps Ripley shook off the challenge and pulled away to the victory by about five carlengths. Thorne and Watson put on the best battle of the race as they went door to door over the final 20 laps of the race. Thorne picked up the 2nd place trophy and Watson settled for 3rd. Steve Reno of West Bath finished 4th and Adam Chadbourne of Woolwich was the last car left on the lead lap in 5th.

In support action on the evening, Mike Landry of Oakland took the win in a special 40 lap feature for the Unicel Super Streets. Landry withstood early pressure from teammate Kevin Douglass and then pulled away to his 5th win of the year in his #40 Strictly Roofing sponsored ride. Former champ Adam Chadbourne joined the Super Streets for just the second time this year and picked his way up through traffic to finish second. RJ Austin was involved in a midrace spin and recovered to finish 3rd.

The point chase in the Clark's Car Crushing Prostocks tightened up again as Jeff Burgess picked up his 2nd win of the season. He held off relentless pressure from Chuck Colby to take the victory. Colby's recent hot streak continued with a runner up trophy. He has finished in the top two in three straight races. Bangor's Gary Smith made it two straight weeks in the top three with his 3rd place finish. With the win Burgess jumped past John Phippen in the standings to 2nd, just 20 points behind division leader Randy Turner. Turner finished 4th in the feature followed by defending champ Scott Moore 0f Anson in 5th. 

In the Keystone Automotive Strictly Streets Maurice Young of Windsor started on the outside of the front row, took the lead on lap two and pulled away to another convincing win. It was his track high 10th win of the season. Ed Pierpont of Jefferson, the division runner-up finished 2nd and Ian Bresnahan completed a whirlwind day of travel to post an impressive 3rd place finish. In victory lane Bresnahan revealed to the crowd that earlier in the afternoon when prerace practice began at the track, he was in South Carolina and after two flights and a "disagreement" at a rental car counter he made it to the track just in time to make the feature.  

The kids took control of the Aable Auto parts Mini Stock division in their 20 lap feature. 13 year old Ryan Ripley, nephew of Darren Ripley, took the lead on the first lap of the race and ran to his 3rd win of the season. 14 year old drivers Natasha Dyer of Arrowsic and Tom True of Wiscasset each notched season best finishes by taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. True just edged out point leader Dylan Lancaster in a photo finish. Pete McCollet filled the top five.

In the 15 lap feature for the White & Bradstreet Mini Trucks, Chris Doucette picked up his division high 6th win of the year. He was joined in victory lane by Josh Kauffman of Unity and Jason Giggey also of Unity. For Kauffman it was his personal best at Wiscasset.