Caution: Extreme racing weekend ahead

We're upon one of those racing weekends that will, once again, tell us about the health of short track racing in Maine.

Consider this schedule: a feature race at Unity Raceway for the division that track has hinged its future on; an "outsider" tour hitting Oxford Plains; a double-dip at Wiscasset Raceway with the resurrected Pro Stocks/Super Late Models taking center stage.

If teams and fans are as eager for racing as we are led to believe they are, this ought to be a whale of a ride with an ocean full of stories over the next few days.

The 1st time Unity held a 75-lap Super Street open, a disappointing 11 cars showed up for the $800-to-win event in July. It was, to say the least, disappointing, particularly to track general manager Ralph Nason Jr. At the time, Nason lamented the modern racer's willingness to challenge themselves "to put on a show."

Unity tries again tonight with the Gary Mitchell Memorial, another 75-lapper. The only outsider we can guarantee for sure will be there is Madison's Nate Weston, who won the July race, but even that's not a done deal considering his on again/off again relationship with the place.

The International Supermodified Association is at Oxford on Saturday for their 100-lap main event. It's an interesting draw, considering Supermodifieds have their biggest following in upstate New York, yet northern New England fans eat up the division.

The speed has plenty to do with that -- 150 mph on a short track is appealing, something that transcends the Pro Stock/Late Model/Street Stock stuff we see on a weekly basis. Oxford owner Bill Ryan said as much on Thursday, noting that there's nothing "stock" about these cars at all. But, after 3 years away from Oxford, Ryan also wants a big crowd to turn out for what is an expensive tour to host -- or Mainers can likely kiss this series good-bye in these parts.

Are Pro Stocks going to make it in the long-term at Wiscasset? A 50-lapper on Saturday night for the Weekly Racing Series followed by a PASS North Series 150 there on Sunday afternoon ought to tell us something.

Bill Penfold of Oxford won last week's feature at Wiscasset, and said he expects there could be as many as 28 cars in the field for Saturday's race -- littered with teams wanting to "test" in advance of Sunday. One guy who won't be in Sunday's race is Penfold himself; his last run-in with PASS president Tom Mayberry soured him to the point that he now considers Wiscasset his weekly home.