UNITY, Maine — The Pine Tree State will host the biggest sprint car event in its history on June 14, as the “Winged, Wild, and Wicked Fast” warriors head to Unity Raceway.
The McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour will hold its first-ever championship-counting event at the one-third-mile dirt oval with pre-race anticipation at fever pitch.
Boasting 700-horsepower, alcohol burning engines, 21-inch-wide tires, and a pair of aerodynamic wings capable of 1,200 pounds of downforce, the sprint cars are expected to reach speeds well over 100 miles per hour on the wide, sweeping Unity layout. SCoNE held an exhibition event at “Maine’s Toughest Oval” last September and racing fans were dazzled by the speed and sound of the cars as they turned lap times in the mid-15-second range.
Tuftonboro, N.H.’s Jake Williams scored the victory at Unity last fall and is riding a hot streak entering Friday’s race; following the birth of his son in April, Williams won a qualifying heat race at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in the SCoNE season opener on May 11 and finished third in the A-Main at Bear Ridge Speedway on May 25.
Williams will have plenty of company at the front of the field, as Scott Holcomb and young gun Chase Moran enter the race tied for the lead in the championship standings.
New Hampshire’s Troy Comeau and Vermont runner Caleb Lamson are tied for third place overall, and Williams is deadlocked for fifth place with Matt Hoyt; just 10 points separate the top six drivers.
Positions 7-10 are occupied by Floyd Billington, rookie Caiden Herbert, Kadyn Berry and reigning champion Chris Donnelly.
Donnelly’s season came to an unfortunate end at Bear Ridge, as the eight-time SCoNE king’s car was destroyed in a nasty flip. If there is a silver lining to the situation, it’s that the odds are in now favor of a first-time SCoNE champion being crowned; of the 23 drivers who have competed with SCoNE so far in 2024, only Will Hull and Mark Cole are past title winners.
This year’s champion will be decided when SCoNE returns to Unity Raceway for NAPA Championship Weekend on Sept. 20-21.