D.J. Shaw, a Center Conway, New Hampshire, native, claimed the inaugural Bar Harbor Bank and Trust 200 pro stock race on Sunday at Ricky Craven Speedway presented by Bar Harbor Bank and Trust in Hermon, Maine. This victory concluded a successful season for Shaw at the Hermon track, where his six trips from 158 miles away produced four wins, including the series championship.
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Craven, a two-time winner from Newburgh, acquired the track from long-time owner Del Merritt 14 months prior. Following the acquisition, Craven reinstituted the Pro Stock class, which features the fastest and most expensive stock cars at this level. The Late Model class had been the speedway's top class in recent years. Craven established a seven-race series across six dates, including twin 50-lap races held on July 12. Shaw, with two second-place finishes and a third in the other three races, secured the series championship.
Shaw's performance on Sunday was notable, marked by a significant comeback. Despite winning the pole position, an issue with the right front tire meant an unscheduled pit stop just 15 laps into the race. This dropped Shaw and his Ford to approximately 25th place. “That changed the complexion of the race for us,” Shaw said, noting it became a “come-from-behind kind of deal.”
A natural caution occurred on lap 77, serving as the mandatory caution scheduled for lap 80. By this break, Shaw had climbed from the mid-20s to fifth, allowing his team to stick to their race plan. He took the lead for good with 46 laps remaining. Craven praised Shaw as a “generational talent in New England,” also acknowledging Gray’s Austin Teras as a top-notch driver.
Teras, who won the other three races in the series and also recorded a second, two fourths, and a ninth, finished closely behind Shaw in the series championship standings. In the Bar Harbor Bank and Trust 200, Durham’s Evan Beaulieu placed second, and Stetson’s Mathew Bourgoine finished third. Teras and Windham’s Cole Robie completed the top five in the 28-car field. Casey Call of Pembroke, New Hampshire, secured sixth place. Rounding out the top 10 were Joey Doiron from Berwick, Lonnie Somerville from Barnesville, New Hampshire, Ryan Deane from Winterport, and Jamie Wright from Woolwich.
Craven is overseeing a multi-year, $5 million renovation project at the track, contributing to a revitalized atmosphere. Shaw commented on the positive environment, stating, “It’s a good atmosphere. The buzz is good. People are excited about Ricky reviving a place that didn’t look like it had much of a future a year ago.” Shaw, the 36-year-old son of New England Auto Racers Hall of Famer Dale Shaw, added that Craven has both fan and car support, indicating everything is on the up-and-up. Shaw had previously earned a PASS Super Late Model North Series win at the track in 2018, but the series had not returned after 2019.
The event marked the conclusion of Craven’s first year as owner, with several other races taking place over three days.
In the Crown Vic class, Frankfort’s Joey Doyon won the championship with finishes of second, third, and fourth in three 33-lap races. Wiscasset’s Kevin Sherman placed second overall, and Hermon’s Lily Smith, granddaughter of Bangor’s Gary Smith, was third. Other top 10 finishers included Steve Kimball (Hermon), Chandler Myrick (Detroit), Lloyd Nickerson (Corinth), Josh St. Clair (Liberty), Donny Silva (Hudson), Fred Brown (Winterport), and Talon Blanchard (Glenburn).
The 100-lap Super Street-Street Stock Open saw Jimmy Renfrew Jr. of Candia, New Hampshire, take the win, with Max Dolliver of Londonderry, New Hampshire, and Ryan Robinson of Clinton joining him on the podium. Isaac Rollins of Hudson and Corey Fanning of Mapleville, Rhode Island, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The sixth through tenth spots went to Keith Drost (Stetson), Shane Tatro (Levant), Scott Modery (Hermon), Jeff Alley (Machias), and Andrew Turbovsky (Albion).
In the 25-lap Super-Street-Street Stock Open, Ryan Robinson captured the victory, followed by Thorndike’s Jordan Pearson and Renfrew Jr. Drost, Wiscasset’s Tiger Colby, Gorham’s Dan McKeage Sr., Modery, Sanford’s Adam Lovejoy, and Hollis’ Mike St. Pierre also finished, though only nine of the 16 cars completed the race.
Lincoln’s Brock Worster won the 50-lap Road Runners race, with Etna’s Nick Bickford and Newburgh’s Mark Sawyer taking second and third. Other top finishers included Erik Worster (Hampden), Waylon Giguere (Etna), Derek Smith (Bangor), Andrew Crosby (Hermon), Karigan Glasier (Appleton), David Boulier (Bucksport), and James Grover Jr. (Newcastle).
Kyle Robinson secured the win in the 50-lap Sport 4’s race, with Nick Miller of Berlin, New Hampshire, placing second. Roy Hathorn (Brownville), Mason Silva (Hudson), Wyatt Dipietro (Rome), Ricky Austin (Norridgewock), Josh Dillon (Milo), and Kalib Bernatchez (Vassalboro) also finished the race, with a total of eight cars completing it.
The 20-lap Vintage race saw Woolwich’s James Osmond and Adam Chadbourne take the top two positions. Tim Reynolds (Milford), Donnie Young (Fredericton, New Brunswick), Kris Watson (Kenduskeag), Jamie Young (Hancock), Keith Smalley (Warren), Nick Overlock (Warren), and Barrett Ayer (LaGrange) also placed. Finally, the 20-lap Northeast Pro Sprint Series feature had only three finishers: Lamoine’s Aaron Carter, Hancock’s Gary Dow, and Milford’s Mike Headd, in that order.