WISCASSET

Group 1 Fan Appreciation Night at Wiscasset Speedway was held Saturday night, bringing out fans of all ages to the track. Even Santa Claus battled the heat and made an appearance during the pre-races festivities.

As is the case every Saturday night during the summer, the $5 admission fee gets you hours of racing action with heat races and features for the four classes — Thunder 4 Minis, Super Streets, 4-Cylinder Prostocks and Prostock.

Before the evening of racing, fans were treated to an autograph session on track. Drivers took the time to pose for photos, sign autographs, and gave their fans a chance to check out the cars prior to racing action.

“It’s great to get the fans involved,” Prostock driver Nick Reno of West Bath said. “The cars look a lot different close up than in the stands. It’s great to see the kids’ faces when they come down.”

Super Street driver Zac Poland of Woolwich agrees that Saturday night racing in Wiscasset is a great value.

“It’s a good time coming down to the track. Five bucks gets you in and it’s fun, cheap entertainment for everyone to enjoy,” Poland said, as fans signed the back bumper of his car.

While fans combed through the cars checking out their favorites, the drivers were more than eager to meet with the fans. Most drivers had “goodies” of some sorts to hand out to the patrons. Mini American flags, checkered flags, candy, gum, stickers, lollipops, and even ice cold popsicles were just some of the paraphernalia handed out.

John Curtis and Heather Bisson of Richmond regularly make the trip with their two boys and girl.

“It’s cool because you get to get up real close to the drivers, see they’re real people,” Bisson said.

“All these guys are really, really good to the spectators. About 90 percent of them have photos or candy and take care of the fans,” added Curtis. “It’s important to have these things, get the communication out there and get kids involved. Like any other sport, we don’t have the youth, it will only suffer down the road.”

The drivers are also well aware of the importance of getting the youth involved.

If you don’t have the kids, you don’t have a future,” last season’s Late Model title winner John Hinkley said while holding his 16-month old child and posing for pictures.

Racing time

Following the meet and greet with the drivers, kids (within their age groups) were able to race in bicycle races on the track.

As the sun began to set, the crowd nestled in the grandstands, ready for action.

The racing began soon after, with the heat races for the Prostocks and then the Thunder 4 Mini’s, followed by Super Streets and the 4- Cylinder classes.

Hinkley won his heat and then finished first in the 50- lap Prostock feature later in the evening, earning him a guaranteed spot in the U.S. Pro Stock/Super Late Model Nationals at Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts on July 18.

Fans, both young and old, enjoyed the competition on the quarter-mile track setup.

“Tonight is my first time back in a few years and there has been huge improvements,” Rob Pontau of Durham said. “Before the wall on the corner of turns three and four, there was none and a car would go down over the embankment and you just hold your breath until they came back up.”

Pontau, who grew up in Wiscasset, has actually driven on the track.

“My dad and I did the Rusty Wallace experience last year. You don’t think it’s that fast, but when you’re going 85-90 miles-per-hour with a concrete wall staring at you, it’s hang on and hold your breath,” added Pontau.

Kathryn Erskine and Scott Mullen have been coming to Wiscasset Speedway for years, treating it like home, welcoming fans they see every week as they perch in the back row of the grandstand in front of the officials box.

“It’s like a second home. I love all the people here, it’s like family. We come all of the time, even last week when it rained and eventually canceled,” Erskine said as she greeted guests with “welcome home.”

Coming every week, the pair root for all of the drivers, but they do have their favorites.

“We usually root for all of the hometown drivers, like John Hinkley or Jamie Wright. We also pull for the young ones too,” added Erskine. “We’ve been coming here so long, we’re now seeing kids of drivers we used to watch in the 80’s.”

Driver Kevin Morse discussed the importance of the fans.

“It’s great seeing all of these people out here. It tells you that you are appreciated,” Morse said. “We’re not here for ourselves, we’re here for them.”

Besides Hinkley’s win in the Prostock feature, other winners included Zach Audet in the Thunder 4 Mini 25- lap race, Connor Wenners taking the 25-lap New England 4- Cylinder Prostock and Mark Lucas grabbing the Super Street division’s feature.

For more information on the Speedway’s schedule and events, check out www.wiscassetspeedway.com.

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