There will be plenty of money at stake when Speedway 95 in Hermon finishes its season with the Paul Bunyan 250 SpeedWeekend on Saturday and Sunday.
Speedway 95 owner Del Merritt said it has been a good year for the track.
“We’ve had a good field of cars. We’ve had 18-20 Street Stocks and 14-16 Late Models (each week). But we haven’t been getting the fans on Saturday night. I don’t understand it,” said Merritt.
He anticipates 32-40 Street Stocks will show up for the seventh annual Ikey Dorr Memorial Twin 50-lap races on Sunday as well as 24 or 25 Late Models for the Darlings.com 150, also on Sunday.
Saturday’s race card, which begins at 5 p.m., will include the Speedway 95 95er, a 95-lap race for the RoadRunner division, along with a 30-lap Sportsman Outlaw division race and 35-lap Sport-Four and Modified Enduro features.
The winner of the 95er will pocket $1,000.
Racing begins at 2 p.m. Sunday with the Darlings.com 150 earning the winner $3,000. The drivers who take the checkered flag for each of the two 50-lap segments of the Ikey Dorr Memorial 50s will pocket $500 and the overall point leader of the two segments will also earn $500.
Sunday’s racing also will include a demolition derby that will supply the winner with a $700 check and a 20-lap Caged Runners feature.
“There should be some super racing this weekend,” said Merritt.
Hermon’s Mike Hopkins won last year’s season-ending Late Model feature and is coming off a Late Model victory at 95 a week ago. Hopkins ran seven PASS North SLM races this season and posted two top-five and four top-10 finishes.
He will have to contend with a talented field.
Steuben’s Brenton Parritt recently was crowned the Late Model points champion and took the checkered flag for the 150-lap closer in 2014.
Skowhegan’s Kris Matchett was second in the points, just 15 behind Parritt, and rounding out the top five were Sullivan’s Asa Jones, Orrington’s John Kalel II and Levant’s Todd Lawrence.
In the Ikey Dorr Memorial 50s, Oxford Plains Speedway regular Kurt Hewins of Leeds will seek a fourth straight title.
Jordan Pearson of Corinth captured the Street Stocks points championship and will be a prime contender. Jeff Alley of Machias, William McCullough of Kenduskeag, Keith Ogden of Holden and Franklin’s Michael Overlock completed the top five.
The 95er could be a family affair because James Goodman won the RoadRunner points and son James Goodman Jr. was third. Holden’s Alvin MacNevin finished second.
In the other classes at Speedway 95, including Wacky Wednesday divisions, the points titlists were Dennis Burns of Carmel (Modified Enduro), Steve Kimball of Holden (Sportsman/Outlaw), Nick Huff of Hampden (Caged Runners), Isaac Rollins of Hudson (Sport Fours) and Jordan Kimball of Holden (Racing Stars of Tomorrow).