Countdown to Feed the County 150 continues

Episode 401

June 5, 2022

Largest motorsports event of 2022 in the County right around the corner

Race fans from near and far will be converging on 209 Thompson Road in Caribou, Maine June 19th, Father’s Day 2022, for the Feed the County 150 at Spud Speedway. It promises to be the largest motorsports event held in the County during the 2022 race season. Yes, it is a race, but so much more.

Track owner, Troy Haney, said, ” Make sure to mark your calendar for Sunday, June 19th, to be at Aroostook County’s biggest motorsports race of the year as the Feed the County 150 Pro All Star Series (PASS) Super Late Models (SLM) take to the speedway.

This is the premier tour that races from Florida to Canada. Austin Theriault will make his return to the speedway where it all started as he made his way to racing in the top divisions of NASCAR and became the ARCA Series National champion.

Along with the SLM we will also host the PASS Modifieds, the Sleep-Well Street Stock’s, and the Maine Enduro Tour.

This race is a big deal as it is a charity event to raise money for the Catholic Charities Food Bank which supplies food to all 28 food pantries in Aroostook County. You can be part of the action by sponsoring a lap for charity at www.feedthecounty.com Tickets will be sold at the gate the day of the race for $25 for the grandstand and $40 in the pits. Racing begins at 1:00pm.”

Dixie Shaw and her sidekicks tell it like it is in their promotional video:

https://www.facebook.com/aroostooksavingsandloan/videos/1484556758681856

PASS racers with ties to the County include Austin Theriault and Wyatt Alexander. PASS Modified driver and crowd favorite, Spencer Morse, North Waterford, can’t wait to compete at the Caribou track which calls his favorite.

To honor his friend the late Gary Tapley, Spencer Morse used this throwback paint livery and number 31 on his PASS Mod in 2021. Morse is limiting his race schedule to only a couple events with the Spud Speedway race as one. (Sandy Haley photo)

On the World Rally Championship podium

For several years UpNorth Motorsports has been following the career of Heather Holler, who I met in Vermont. She has since moved to Alzenau, Germany working for Hyundai Motorsports as a WRC mechanic. Holler works on the “shared” car which is driven by Dani Sordo in some races and Oliver Solberg in others.

This Saturday the Dani Sordo and co-driver Candido Carrera Hyundai i20 N Rally1 had their first podium finish with third place only 1 minute 33 seconds behind winner Ott Tanek in another Hyundai. The World Rally Championship race was the Rally Italy Sardinia.

Dani Sordo at speed on his way to a podium finish in the WEC Rally Italy Sardinia. (Hyundai Motorsports photo)

Co-driver of the third place Hyundai Candido showing off the hard-fought hardware to one of his mechanics USA’s Heather Holler at WEC Rally Italy Sardinia. (Hyundai Motorsports photo)

The entire Hyundai Motorsports team at Rally Italy Sardinia continues the tradition of the winner leaping into the Mediterranean Sea. Winning driver Ott Tanek leads the way with Holler soon after. (Hyundai Motorsports photo)

Sting Ray Robb bounces back after bouncing off wall in race one

Sting Ray Robb, Andretti Autosports, fastest in practice for the Indy Lights race at Belle Isle in Detroit. (Indy Lights photo)

Linus Lundqvist won both ends of the weekend doubleheader at what will be the last Grand Prix of Detroit held on Belle Isle. Next year the race heads downtown Detroit. Lundqvist dominated the Saturday and Sunday races leading all laps, winning pole position for both races, and turning the fastest race lap each day. He currently holds an 84 points advantage over Benjamin Pederson.

UpNorth Motorsports is following 21-year-old Sting Ray Robb in his quest to reach the top as we have done over the past several seasons. Robb finished race one in 11th after taking a hard lick in the left rear while attempting to pass Pederson for second place in turn 7 on lap 15 of race one. He limped to the finish 2 laps down. The video from Indy Lights shows the attempted pass with Robb’s terse words, “I crashed”.

https://www.facebook.com/IndyLightsOfficial/videos/716096712933400

Race 2 on Sunday morning was a better result with Robb finishing third thus lifting him back to tie for third in the points race with Matthew Brabham. Both racers have 199 points, 84 behind leader Lundqvist.

The series heads to Road America next Sunday in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Remember June 6, 1944

I remember asking my students every year if they knew what today represented if we were in school on June 6th. I usually got a positive response from them that it was D-Day which was encouraging. Regardless, I felt it was important to remind them and me about the day the was often referred to as the Longest Day.

After watching Saving Private Ryan some years ago, I was reminded of the brutality of war and the sacrifice made by soldiers and sailors that day. Some never having their feet hit solid ground as they left the landing craft and drowning with their heavy packs because they were in deep water. Many stories have been told about that day. I have included a link to Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Order-of-the Day.

https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/online-documents/d-day/order-of-the-day.pdf

President Reagan speech at the 40th Anniversary Celebration June 6, 1984.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEIqdcHbc8I

Let’s go racing,

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria (Matthew 5:16)