It was a long 24 hours for stock car driver Andrew McLaughlin.
He drove nearly three hours from his Harrington home to Wiscasset for the Coastal 200 Late Model race Sunday, when he overcame a late-race spin to finish second to Dave Farrington Jr. from Jay.
McLaughlin arrived home at midnight, only to turn around and report to work as a lobster fisherman three hours later.
“I left the wharf at 4 a.m.,” McLaughlin said.
But he didn’t mind at all, especially after his strong run.
“Any day on the water is a good day, no matter how tired I am,” McLaughlin said. “Three hours of sleep is enough, especially when you feel good about a race. Your adrenaline carries you through the next day.
“I’m excited about our finish and what Wiscasset Speedway has going on. There were a lot of cars (25), a lot of people came out to watch the race and the owners (Richard and Vanessa Jordan), staff and crew were very helpful.
“It was a great atmosphere. They made it feel like home,” 30-year-old McLaughlin added.
An estimated 2,000 fans attended the race.
“The grandstand was full. It makes you feel real good about the sport,” McLaughlin, who had to come from the back of the field twice to earn the $1,600 check for second place, said.
“I was really happy with the outcome. It was a great day of racing,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin won his heat race and started third in the feature. After pitting on lap 102 for two tires and fuel, he came out “14th or 15th,” because he was one of just a handful of cars that pitted.
He was making his way to the front when he got spun out with 40 laps remaining.
Again, he had to restart 15th but quickly worked his way into contention.
“I just got in the right lane a few times, and I got lucky a couple of times while I was working my way through the field,” McLaughlin said.
“I wish I could have made it a little more exciting at the end to try and battle for the win,” McLaughlin, who finished third in last year’s Coastal 200, said. “At that point, my tires were used up, so I was happy to settle for second.
“Dave was real good. He was definitely on top of his game,” McLaughlin said of the Pro Stock champ at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough last year and is in the Alan Kulwicki Development Program.
Rounding out the top 10 in the 25-car field at the Coastal 200 were third-place finisher Chris Thorne of Sidney followed by Nick Hinkley of Wiscasset, T.J. Watson of Cundy’s Harbor, Brownville’s Nick Jenkins, defending champ Josh St. Clair of Liberty, Jeff Burgess of Fairfield, Richard Jordan of Kingfield and Dave St. Clair of Liberty.
McLaughlin has finished third in points in the Late Model class at Speedway 95 the past two years after winning 10 races in 2012 en route to the Strictly Street points championship.
He already has won a Late Model race at 95 this season and said he won’t run for points because he wants to take some weekends off to spend time with son Lukas and friends.
He also wants to run at different tracks.
“I’m going to scale it back a little bit and have a little more fun. I want to run more extended-lap races. That’s where the most competition is,” the 2007 University of Maine graduate said.
Other Wiscasset Results
OUTLAW MINI (25 laps): 1. #34 Justin Trombley, Winter Harbor, 2. #13 Cody Tribett, Richmond. 3. #71 Donny Silva, Hudson, 4. #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay, 5. #83 Brady Romano, Livermore Falls, 6. #41 Dixon Smith, Sidney, 7. #84 Mike Bolduc, Windsor, 8. #53 Nick Bissell, Lewiston, 9. #17 Matt Weil, Biddeford, 10. #20 Shawn Kimball, Augusta,11. #33 Stephen Howard, Thomaston, 12. #5 Jimmy Childs, Leeds; MODIFIEDS (30 laps): 1. #5 Mark Lucas, Harpswell, 2. #20 Gary Thorne, Sidney, 3. #8 Richard Jordan, Kingfield, 4. #85 Jairet Harrison, Freeport, 5. #33 Ron Bryant, Livermore, 6. #3 Ed Trask, Augusta, 7. #96 Todd Ladd, Farmington, 8. #39 Mike Brown, Hope, 9. #61 Shawn Austin, Norridgewock; STRICTLY STREETS (25 laps): 1. #14 Dave Brannon, Lisbon, 2. #84 Kenny Harrison, Durham, 3. #8X Ethan Dinsmore, Hope, 4. #11 Cody Verrill, Wiscasset, 5. #55H Kurt Hewins, Leeds, 6. #39 Zachary Bowie, Greene, 7. #22 Tommy Smith, Edgecomb, 8. #83 Dan Brown, Peru, 9. #00 Kimberly Knight, Chesterville, 10. #85 Chandler Harrison, Freeport, 11. #36 Richard Spaulding, Lisbon, 12. #51 Kyle Hewins, Leeds, DQ #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston, DQ #1 Billy Childs Jr., Leeds.