Friday night exhibition worth $500 purse for each car
UNITY, Maine (September 25, 2023) – Maine racing fans are in for a treat on Friday night. The historic Unity Raceway is set to host the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) tour for the first time ever on September 29, and interest in the event is at fever pitch. The race may be a non-points exhibition, but the excitement surrounding it feels like a championship-level event.
What began as an idea just six weeks earlier is growing into a must-see show for “Down East” dirt track fans, and the prize purse is turning into one of the most lucrative of the SCoNE season, as well; between the money offered by Unity promoters Joey and Holly Doyon and a major contribution from Kondrat Kustoms of Freedom, N.H., each race team will receive $500 for making the haul, regardless of finishing position.
It appears that the car count will climb into double digits – a far cry from hoping for just two or three entries to put on a quick test race. Given the response by the SCoNE teams, more fan interaction has been built into Friday night’s event including a driver autograph session and cars on display in the grandstand area.
Drivers expected to make the long haul to Central Maine include recently crowned 2023 SCoNE champion Chris Donnelly of Piermont, N.H., and title runner-up Will Hull of Plainfield, Vt., along with top drivers Troy Comeau, Jake Williams, and Kadyn Berry. Rising star Ron Davis Jr. and the father-son team of Sam and Nick Comeau will be on hand, along with newcomers Caiden Herbert and Nick Kruger, and veteran Mike Kondrat, who plans to make his first start of the season. Others have expressed interest and may make surprise entries on race day.
“When Joey Doyon and I started discussing putting an event together, he asked for just a couple cars. I think we’ll be bringing at least 10, and maybe as many as a dozen,” SCoNE president Justin St. Louis said. “It seems like everywhere we’ve gone in the last few weeks, all we’re hearing people talk about is the Unity race. It’s going to be a fun time at a new track for SCoNE, and we’ll get to meet new fans and many of them will see Sprint Cars for the first time ever. We couldn’t be more excited.”
Unity Raceway is a 1/3-mile oval celebrating 75 years in 2023, and it harkens back to years gone by in many ways including its covered wooden grandstand. The facility is located at 300 School Street in Unity, Maine, less than 20 minutes off Interstate 95 between the cities of Bangor and Augusta, about 90 minutes north of Portland and Old Orchard Beach.
Racing on Friday, September 29 is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start, with the pit area opening at 4:00 p.m. and grandstands opening at 5:00 p.m. General admission is just $10, and free for children aged 6 and under; pit admission is only $20 for all ages.
To learn more about the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England, find the “SCoNE – Sprint Cars of New England” page on Facebook or visit www.nesprintcars.com.
(Photo by Alan Ward/Big Al's Photos)