Joey Pole Takes Home the Victory in PASS 150 at Beech Ridge

Column By: AMY HARROP / RPW – SCARBOROUGH, ME – Saturday was home to one of Beech Ridge’s biggest events of the season: the PASS 150. For regular Beech Ridge enthusiasts, this was not their average race night.

Spectators got their weekly dose of NASCAR Nite entertainment, with an added bonus in the PASS Modified Series. Mostly everything was done a little differently, from the number of laps in the PASS qualifying heats, to the lack of a qualifying heat in the Sport Series division.

Saturday’s competition gave Beech Ridge fans the opportunity to see drivers that they don’t typically see on a weekly basis at Beech Ridge; drivers like Joey Pole, Ben Tinker, Travis Benjamin, Brad Babb and others. The added division led to more racing excitement both on and off-track.

The PASS Modified division took to the track first for their 10-lap qualifying heats. The #5 of Devin Curit and the #16 of Patrick Sullivan led the field to green in the first heat, followed by Jairet Harrison, Mattty Sanborn and Steve Jones. The first lap brought excitement, with the #2 of Randy Sanborn going around in turn 3, drawing out the caution. The #5 of Curit pulled away at the restart, but the #33 of Steve Jones was at his heels. Jones eventually passed Curit on lap 3 in turn 3, never looking back. Jones went on to win the feature, followed by Matty Sanborn, Jairet Harrison and Devin Curit. The #21 of Mike Carignan and the the #0 Andy Shaw started on the front row of the final qualifying heat, followed by Bruce Helmuth, Scott Alexander and Ben Tinker. The #0 of Shaw immediately grabbed the lead, pulling away from the rest of the pack. Meanwhile, the #19 of Ben Tinker was making moves, showing strength as he found his way up to the third spot at the end of the heat. Nobody was any match for Andy Shaw, but drivers like Ben Tinker showed strength in the 2nd qualifying heat, proving that the feature was going to be a competitive one.

The PASS Series heats began next, with 15-lap qualifying heats opposed to Beech Ridge’s traditional 12-lap qualifying heats. There were also 3 scheduled heats, a difference from Beech Ridge’s ‘norm’, which is 2 qualifying heats per division. The #16 of Donnie Colpritt sat on the front row with his Texas Roadhouse car, followed by Mike Rowe, Johnny Clark, Joey Doiron and the #48 of Bobby Timmons, who was making his SLM return to Beech Ridge. Donnie Colpritt pulled away with the early lead, pulling away from the rest of the pack. The #60 of DJ Shaw caught a bad break, falling to the rear on lap 8 after fighting for position. Bobby Timmons was making a steady climb to the top, passing the #73 of Joey Doiron for the 4th position on lap 13 in turn 4. Colpritt ran away with the heat victory, followed by Mike Rowe, Johnny Clark, Bobby Timmons and Glen Luce. Beech ridge natives Brandon Barker and Reid Lanpher sat on the front row for the second qualifying heat, followed by TJ Brackett, John Salemi and Tracy Gordon. Lanpher shot out to the early lead, but Brackett was charging, hungry for the top spot. Former Beech Ridge champion Dave Farrington Jr. was making moves, propelling himself into the 4th spot after a 3-wide pass on lap 6 in turn 1. By lap 11, Brackett had found his way to Reid’s door, pushing hard in hopes of capturing the top spot. Brackett lost control and spun around in turn 4 on lap 13, drawing out the caution. Lanpher got a big jump on the restart, while Brandon Barker and Dave Farrington were battling it out for the second position. Lanpher took home the heat victory, followed by Brandon Barker. The finish showcased an exciting 3-wide battle for 3rd between Brad Babb, Dave Farrington and Mike Hopkins. Babb edged the others out for the spot, and Farrington and Hopkins followed. The #90 of Greg Weinstein started on the pole for the final qualifying heat, followed by Scott Robbins, Ben Rowe, Corey Bubar and Adam Polvinen. In the beginning laps, there was a stalemate for the top spot with no driver giving up an inch to the other. By lap 9, Ben Rowe had enough of the nonsense, making a risky pass to the inside of Scott Robbins in turn 1; a pass that moved him into the top spot. The #97 of Joey Pole was also navigating through the field, finding his way up to third place on lap 10 after starting 7th in the heat. Ben Rowe ran away with the heat victory, followed by Joey Pole, Garrett Hall, Adam Polvinen and Corey Bubar.

The Wildcat division was up next with their typical 12-lap qualifying heats. The #42 of Dylan Varney and the #69 of Ryan Lund led the field to green in the first qualifying heat, followed by Ray Letellier, Dan Bean and Travis Lovejoy. Dylan Varney pulled away with the early lead, leading the first lap. Ray Letellier had a wild ride on lap 2, taking a spin in turn 1. He managed to save his car, avoiding the caution. By lap 7, Ryan Lund was at Dylan Varney’s door, fighting for the top spot. He eventually cleared Lund on lap 8 in turn 4, capturing the top position. Travis Lovejoy was on the move, making his way up to the runner-up spot on lap 9. Ryan Lund took home the heat victory, followed by Travis Lovejoy, Dylan Varney, Dan Bean and Chaz Briggs. The #81 of Lewis “Dirty Lew” Anderson started on the pole for the next qualifying heat, followed by the #21 of Zach Nicholson, Adam Lovejoy, Michael Harrison and Dave Cameron. Lewis Anderson broke away into the early lead as Zach Nicholson, Dave Cameron and Adam Lovejoy all scrambled to the 2nd spot behind him, battling it out for position. Dave Cameron won the battle, eventually making his way around Lewis Anderson for the top spot on lap 2 in turn 4. Lap 3 was met with a 3-way battle for the lead between Anderson, Lovejoy and Cameron; a 3-way battle that began in turns 3&4 and carried out into turns 1&2 on the following lap. Lovejoy secured the lead, pulling away from the others. Zach Nicholson showed strength, fighting his way back up to the runner-up spot on lap 6 after passing the #81 of Lewis Anderson in turn 3. Cameron was still fighting, clearing Zach for the 2nd spot on lap 9 in turn 3. Adam Lovejoy took home the heat victory, followed by Dave Cameron, Zach Nicholson and Lewis Anderson.

There were no qualifying heats for the Sport Series drivers this week, so the drivers had to make changes to their cars based on how they did in practice alone to be ready for their 35-lap feature. The #84 of Matt Dow led the field to green, followed by Ryan Villacci, Nick Campbell, Ryan Phillips and Charlie Sanborn. Ryan Villacci broke out into the lead after clearing Matt Dow on lap 2 in turn 4. The field stacked up behind the top 2 with drivers battling it out for position. The #20 of Frank Wear went around on lap 10 in turn 1, collecting Mike St. Pierre in the midst. This drew out the caution, bringing the field together once again. Ryan Villacci once again pulled away at the restart, but Nick Campbell went around on lap 12 in turn 2, bringing out another caution. Ryan Villacci proved strong, pulling away from the pack once more. On lap 14, Sally Gherardi nearly went around in turn 2, but she managed to check up and save her car from any damage. Charlie Sanborn showed strength, breaking into the top 3 on lap 16. He lost this position to the #8 of Clyde Hennessey on lap 19. Hennessey was moving through the field quickly, finding his way up to the runner-up spot on lap 23. Sally Gherardi was fighting her way through the field, breaking the top 5 on lap 32 after passing Ryan Phillips in turn 4. She dug in and fought with Matt Dow for the 4th spot, beating him out at the finish line by a nose. Ryan Villacci took home the feature win, his first of the season. Clyde Hennessey, Charlie Sanborn, Sally Gherardi and Matt Dow followed, rounding out the top five. Ryan Villacci has been working hard all season, but has been met with bad luck week after week. This week, the stars all aligned and he captured the victory. “It was about time for us to get in Victory Lane.” he said in his post-race interview, saying that the car was “going like crap” in practice and he was glad to hold off Hennessey in the end for the win. This win gives Villacci the ultimate momentum to go out and win some more before the season comes to a close in September.

The PASS Modifieds were up next with their 40-lap feature. Devin Curit and Patrick Sullivan started on the front row, followed by Jairet Harrison and Mattyb Sanborn. Devin Curit broke off into the early lead, but Matty Sanborn was at his tail, hungry for the top spot. Sanborn cleared Curit for the lead on lap 3 in turn 2, securing the temporary top spot. The #0 of Andy Shaw was right there, then clearing Curit for the lead on lap 5 in turn 4. The #19 of Ben Tinker was charging through the field, fighting up to the 4th spot on lap 10, 6 positions away from where he started the feature in 10th. Tinker made a gradual voyage to the front, capturing the 3rd spot on lap 12 and the runner-up spot on lap 17 after passing the #64 of Matty Sanborn on the outside in turn 4. The #0 of Andy Shaw was displaying dominance, lapping cars at the tail end of the field by lap 21, leading the #19 of Ben Tinker by ¼ of a straightaway. The #25 of Bruce Helmuth put on a strong performance, finding his way up to the 3rd place spot on lap 30 after starting 8th in the feature. Andy Shaw went on to win the feature, followed by Ben Tinker, Scott Alexander and Bruce Helmuth. “To come here and win at my favorite racetrack…really, it’s just unbelievable.” Shaw said in Victory Lane, also thanking his friends, family and sponsors for supporting him this season. The PASS Modified division doesn’t come to Beech Ridge all that often, but Andy Shaw sure made his mark on Saturday night.

The Wildcat division was up next with their 30-lap feature race. Ryan Lund and Travis Lovejoy led the field to green, followed by Dylan Varney, Dan Bean and Chaz Briggs. Travis Lovejoy jumped out into the early lead after clearing the #69 of Ryan Lund ion lap 2 in turn 4. Dan Bean, who started in 4th, fought his way up to the runner-up spot on lap 5 after clearing Ryan Lund in turn 3. Zach Nicholson was moving up through the field, breaking into the top 4 on lap 7 after passing the #42 of Dylan Varney to the inside in turn 2. Adam Lovejoy made hard impact with the dirt in turn 1 on lap 11 after fighting for position with the #28 of Dave Cameron. Lovejoy showed clear frustration after the incident, storming out of his car and throwing his steering wheel at the #28 car. Travis Lovejoy elected the outside groove for the restart, getting a big jump on the competition. Zach Nicholson fought his way up to third on lap 14 after passing Dan Bean to the outside in turn 2. He continued his voyage to the front on lap 15, making his way around Ryan Lund for the runner-up spot in turn 3. After his on-track incident with Adam Lovejoy, Dave Cameron battled back up to the third spot on lap 29 after passing the #69 of Ryan Lund. Travis Lovejoy went on to win the feature, capturing his 3rd win of the season. Zach Nicholson, Dave Cameron, Lewis Anderson and Ryan Lund followed, rounding out the top five. “This thing has just been terrible…but I had fun with Zach out there tonight, that kid’s going somewhere.” Travis said in his post-win interview, praising Zach Nicholson for his clean racing. According to Lovejoy, his car has handled “terrible” all season, even with 3 wins on the season. This just goes to show that a driver’s job is never done and there’s always room for improvement, even if you’re out there winning races every week.

The PASS 150 was the final feature of the night, with the drivers stopping on the front stretch and getting out of their cars for Driver Introductions. Each team sent their “pit crew” and tire carts to the infield to set up a makeshift “pit lane” in the center of the track for the 150-lap event. As soon as the drivers hopped back into their cars after being introduced and ignited their cars, the skies opened up at Beech Ridge. Light rain started to fall, but the cars stayed out on the track in attempt to keep the track surface dry and race-ready. After about 15-20 minutes of rain, the weather cleared and the racing action began. The #16 Donnie Colpritt Texas Roadhouse car started on the pole, followed by Ben Rowe, Mike Rowe, Brandon Barker and Joey Pole. The #4 of Ben Rowe immediately jumped to the outside of Donnie Colpritt, capturing the top spot. Colpritt fell back to third behind Ben Rowe and Brandon Barker. Mike Rowe was fighting his way to the front, clearing Colpritt for third on lap 7 in turn 3. Joey Pole was making moves, fighting up to the 4th spot on lap 10. The #73 of Joey Doiron made an early exit from the race, bringing his car behind the pit wall on lap 15. The #23 of Dave Farrington Jr. slowed down on lap 27 in turn 4, eventually bringing his car to a complete stop in turn 2 on lap 28. This drew out the caution, bringing the field back together for their first restart of the night. Ben Rowe and Joey Pole started on the front row for the restart, with Rowe pulling away with the lead once again. Garrett Hall was on the move, finding his way into the top 5 on lap 36 after clearing the #4 of Brad Babb in turn 4. He continued his march to the front, clearing the #24 of Mike Rowe on lap 42 for the third spot in turn 3. Curt Gerry was showing strength, fighting up to the 7th place position on lap 50 after starting 19th in the feature. By lap 55, the three leaders (Ben Rowe, Joey Pole and Garrett Hall) were neck & neck, battling it out for the top spot. Garrett Hall found his way to Joey Pole’s door on lap 62, but he was unable to complete the pass. The leaders had caught up to the tail-end of the field by lap 80, lapping slower cars by lap 82. Donnie Colpritt joined the front of the pack again on lap 85, making it a 4-way battle for the top spot. By lap 93, the lap traffic had split up the front pack once again, with Ben Rowe still leading the way. Curt Gerry found his way to Donnie Colpritt’s bumper by lap 90, clearing him for the fourth position on lap 95 in turn 4. The #16 of Donnie Colpritt went around on lap 102 in turn 2, making a dent in his strong night and bringing out the second caution of the night.

Mike Rowe, Glen Luce, Reid Lanpher and Derek Griffith were among those that decided to pit during the caution. This was the 2nd side-by-side restart for Ben Rowe and Joey Pole. But, Joey Pole got the upper hand this time around, powering to the top spot on the restart. Curt Gerry also found his way to the third position after a solid restart in the #7 car. The #48 of Bobby Timmons and #73 of Adam Polvinen got into each other on lap 106 in turn 2, drawing out another caution. Joey Pole once again pulled away with the lead, but Curt Gerry was determined, fighting his way up to the runner-up spot on lap 107. The #73 of Adam Povinen went into the wall in turn 4 on lap 109, drawing out another caution. Some were shocked upon seeing Mike Hopkins suddenly in the top 3 after starting 14th in the feature. Donnie Colpritt and Derek Griffith were among a handful of drivers that elected to pit during the caution. Joey Pole pulled away with the lead as Hopkins powered his way to the second spot after passing Curt Gerry. Hopkins had found his way to Joey Pole’s door by lap 110, challenging him for the top spot. Meanwhile, Bobby Timmons was powering through the field, capturing the 5th spot on lap 116 after passing Ben Rowe in turn 4. Garrett Hall gave Curt Gerry a nudge in turn 2 on lap 120, causing Gerry to wiggle. Garrett Hall took away the position, but Curt Gerry wasn’t done with the battle. On lap 125, Garrett Hall went around in turn 3 after making contact with Curt Gerry once again. The caution flag waved once again, and John Peters and Corey Bubar were among those that elected to pit once again. This caution brought the entire field back onto the lead lap for the 25-lap shootout to the finish. Joey Pole continued his dominance, pulling away once again at the restart. Curt Gerry continued his fight to the front, powering his way into the runner-up spot after passing Hopkins to the inside on lap 126 in turn 4. Hopkins was all over the back of Gerry by lap 127, but Gerry managed to pull away, fighting for the top spot. He was no match for Joey Pole, who took home the PASS 150 victory. Curtis Gerry, Mike Hopkins, Ben Rowe and Bobby Timmons followed, rounding out the top 5. “We haven’t been able to shake the bad luck, but, tonight, everything went our way…it feels awesome.” Joey said in Victory Lane, talking about the relief he feels after capturing the win. Both Joey Pole and Ben Rowe displayed dominance throughout the race, but Joey Pole was able to capitalize on it, bringing home the checkered flag.

Join us next Saturday, July 15th, for more NASCAR Nite action at Beech Ridge! Racing action begins at 7:00 pm.