DNK Select 150 Saturday, June 17 Unity Raceway Unity, Maine

PASS Event # 4 of 14, for 2007

Start Time (track time): 1:30 p.m./ET

Feature Race Distance: 150 laps

Year-To-Date Results & Point Standings: click here


Podium Finishers (left to right): Richie Dearborn (2nd), Johnny Clark (winner), Cassius Clark (3rd).

Johnny Clark Batting .500 This Year After Unity PASS North Victory
Fefending Champion Holds Off Richie Dearborn to Win DNK Select 150

NAPLES, ME (June 18, 2007) – Defending PASS North Super Late Model champion Johnny Clark continued to show just how worthy that he is to wear the champion’s crown on Sunday, as he won his second PASS North feature of the four-race old 2007 season. Clark’s latest victory came in the DNK Select 150 at Unity Raceway (ME).

Clark started the race in the 11th spot, but wasted little time working his way up through the field. Travis Benjamin and Cassius Clark were out front early on, but Johnny Clark took over the top spot on a lap 54 restart and never looked back from there. He pulled away to the victory over Richie Dearborn, Cassius Clark, Mike Rowe and Ben Rowe.

Three other PASS divisions were in action on Sunday as well. Charlie Colby won a wild 100-lapper for the PASS Outlaw Late Models over Brian Whitney and Matt Lee. In the PASS Modifieds, Gary Norris, Jr. barely edged defending Modified champion Chris Staples for the victory, as Chris Smith had a great view of the action from his third finishing position. The racing card was rounded out by the PASS Pullen Heavy Industries Sportsmen, which saw Dan McKeage finish ahead of Nate Watson.

The PASS North Super Late Models will return to action Saturday, June 23rd at Scotia Speedworld (NS) for the Forbes Chevrolet-Olds 200.

Unofficial Results - The DNK Select 150
1. 54 Johnny Clark
2. 33 Richie Dearborn
3. 8 Cassius Clark
4. 2 Mike Rowe
5. 4 Ben Rowe
6. 29 Trevor Sanborn
7. 77 Scott Chubbuck
8. 0 Billy Penfold
9. 98 Adam Bates
10. 88 Alan Tardiff
11. 75 Gary Smith
12. 35 Derek Ramstrom
13. 7 Curtis Gerry
14. 17 Travis Benjamin
15. 14 Rick Martin
16. 40 Gary Bellefluer
17. 59 Big John Phippin
18. 15 Stephen Berry Jr.
19. 23 DJ Shaw
20. 9 Tim Turner
21. 07K Kevin Kimball
22. 34 Jeff Burgess
23. 1 Sam Sessions
24. 10 Ralph Nason

Preview - The DNK Select 150

NAPLES, ME (June 13, 2007) – Before he was a two-time PASS North champion…actually, before he was even a single-time champ, Johnny Clark won a big race at a small track in Maine. The year was 2004, and Clark came out on top of the heavily-promoted DNK 250 at Unity Raceway.

Three years and many racing accomplishments later, Clark still describes the victory as the biggest one so far in his career. Now, with PASS North returning to the track for the June 17th DNK 150 there, Clark can’t wait for the next race on his schedule.

“Now we’re going back to the DNK 150. We’re going back to Maine’s finest racetrack for it and I am so excited.”

Unity is a throwback to the good old days of racing. It is a challenging place to get around for some drivers, and it is not always a track that is well-loved by competitors. But Clark is dead serious when he brags about the place.

“I mean that. It’s my favorite place to race,” said Clark. “You can say what you want about the track – it is what it is, but there is some great racing there. You can really get up on the wheel and drive that place. That is what’s so much fun. If the car breaks a little bit sideways in the middle of the turn, you just turn right and give it some gas. It’s almost like racing 12 or 15 years ago, but instead of driving an old street stock, we’re driving $40,000 or $50,000 racecars. It is a really good time to race at Unity.”

And it’s not just a good time behind the wheel. Fans are treated to some great action each time the PASS Super Late Models come to town. In the last four PASS North races at Unity, there have been four different winners – Clark, Mike Rowe, Ben Rowe and Patrick Laperle.

In those races, there have also been some epic battles. Last year, Johnny Clark, Cassius Clark and Ben Rowe took part in a three-way dogfight for the victory. Mike Rowe and Ralph Nason exchanged doughnuts on the side of their racecars to decide the victory in 2005’s Budweiser 250. Johnny Clark and Mike Rowe have traded plenty of paint there too. Those battles are typical of any SLM race at the track.

“You never, ever, ever see anyone run away with a race there,” said Clark. “You always see good racing. You see guys race side by side. There are two good grooves there. There is an outside groove. It’s a fun track to go to and I think that the PASS cars put on an excellent show there.”

As for Clark’s big victory at Unity, he still can recall the race fondly.

“It was my first 250 win,” said Clark. “A month or two later, we went and won the Atlantic CAT 250 up in Halifax. It was a good year. The DNK 250 was the first time that I ever made 25 grand in one race. That was good.”

Clark believes that his success at the track can be attributed to spending his youth there watching a few of the guys that he now races against, get around there quickly. Clark was paying attention and is now one of his generation’s best racers at Unity.

“I’ve seen Ralph Nason, Stan Meserve and Mike Rowe race at Unity and all those guys put on good races there. I grew up watching those guys race there and I think that is part of why we run so well at Unity. When you are running by yourself, there is one really quick way around that place and a few of us, myself, Scott Chubbuck and some other guys, have figured that out. It’s just such a fun place. I love running there.”

The DNK 150 at Unity Raceway is scheduled for Sunday, June 17. The event will feature the PASS North Super Late Models, PASS Outlaw Late Models, PASS Modifieds and PASS Pullen Heavy Industries Sportsmen. Saturday, June 16th will be an optional practice day for all teams.

Photo Gallery - stay tuned

IMPORTANT: All information, schedules and/or scheduled events is/are subject to change without notice. Please check with the source to confirm.