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A Win for Scott
at Unity!
MAINE STATE LOTTERY
104
Unity Raceway - Unity, ME - May 2, 2004
$3,500 TO WIN
1
#84 - Scott Mulkern
2 #10 - Ralph Nason
3 #34 - Jeff Burgess
4 #29 - Scott Chubbuck
5 #75 - Gary Smith |
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Mulkern Holds Off Nason for Unity Win |
By MIKE LANGE - Correspondent
Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
UNITY -- Scott Mulkern of Falmouth captured what he
called his "biggest victory ever" by winning the Maine
State Lottery Pro-Stock 104 at Unity Raceway Sunday.
To take the checkered flag, however, Mulkern had to
outmaneuver the toughest driver in the field - Ralph
Nason - who happens to own the historic central Maine
oval.
Nason, who won the pole position and led the first 37
laps, was caught behind the lapped car of Orrington
driver Kris Huff when opportunity knocked. Mulkern was
running a close second when he saw Nason give Huff a few
taps on the rear bumper in an attempt to pass him on the
inside lane.
"I went to the high side and managed to get around both
of them," said Mulkern, who also won the Unity Raceway
opener two years ago. "How often does that happen? To
beat Ralph at his own track is something that just
doesn't happen very often."
Nason settled for second-place, followed by Jeff Burgess
of
Fairfield; 2003 winner, Scott Chubbuck of Wiscasset; and
Gary Smith of Bangor.
Nason, who turned 64 in January, said car troubles
brought about the setback.
"I've had brake problems all day, even though we changed
everything including the master cylinder, so it wasn't
the best handling car I've ever had," Nason said. "But
I'm happy for Scott. For a while, I thought I'd get more
pressure from Jeff (Burgess) because he was running real
well."
Burgess challenged Nason early, but said his car
developed a push, cutting down his ability to turn
smoothly.
"I really had to wait for Ralph and Scott to make a
mistake, and they didn't," Burgess said.
Considering the fact that he hadn't finished a race in
three months due to accidents and mechanical mishaps,
Burgess said he was "delighted" with a third-place
trophy behind Mulkern and Nason.
The Maine State Lottery 104 was completed in less than
40 minutes and only halted twice for cautions. The first
yellow flag came out when Westbrook driver Tony Ricci
slammed into the first-turn embankment on the opening
lap. The only other caution was due to a spin by former
track champion Dean Fuller of Albion on lap 50, who
recovered to finish 15th. |
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