(Naples, ME – May 28, 2006) Ryan Dean of Winterport, ME and Gary Norris, Jr of West Gardner, ME brought the field of PASS Outlaw Late Models to the green for the second round of the Northern Division season. Dean jumped out to the lead, but a quick yellow on lap five for a spin by Mike Harnish’s #22 ended Norris’ day when he was hit from behind as the field checked up coming to the yellow and spun down over the frontstretch banking. George Fernald, Jr of Benton, ME, the Northern Division point’s leader, pulled off after only one lap with mechanical problems that ended his day and opened the point’s lead to a number of drivers.

Dean, with two victories at Speedway 95 already this season, set sail on the restart with Paul White of Corinna, ME in the #15M up to second from his third-place starting spot.  Dean and White pulled away from “Rocket Rodney” Brooks from Thomaston, ME in the #39 and Matt Lee of Albion, ME in the #00, with the 5X of Billy Pinkham of Wiscasset and the #35 of young Derrick Ramstrom of W. Boylston, MA battling for fifth.

On lap 12, White motored past Dean for the lead, but Dean came back on the outside to regain the top spot on lap 19, only to have White take it back on lap 21.

Meanwhile, the 21st-place starter “Big John” Phippen from Bar Harbor in his well-known #59 was working his way to the front. At lap 30, he was up to fifth and closing. After a tangle in turn two between the third- and fourth-place cars of Lee and the #39 of Brooks sent Brooks to the pits for the day, Big John was sitting third on the restart on lap 34. He quickly disposed of Dean and closed in on White.

Mike Thomas of Lewiston in his #25 took a wild ride into the turn three tire barrier on lap 43 after a three-wide down the backstretch turned into a three-wide into the corner.

After a lap 45 spin off turn four by Ben Erskine’s 29 of Solon, ME, the #59 took the top spot in one lap. On lap 47, White fought back at the line, but a lap later Phippen pulled away by a car length. At halfway, it was Phippen, White, Lee, Dean, and Ramstrom in the top five.

On lap 59, White pulled up to Phippen on the inside in turn two, and the two drag-raced down the backstretch. They kept at it for a half dozen laps until White pulled ahead, only to have Phippen reclaim the lead two laps later. After a spin on lap 76 in turn one by Lee, and a trip to the pits for new rubber, White took the lead on the restart from the outside with Dean following him through for second. Phippen said after the race that his tires were used up and he had nothing for White at the end. In fact, he almost fell into the clutches of Ramstron who was up to fourth and headed for a top five finish in only his second race in an Outlaw Late Model after a great 2005 in the Allison Legacy Series.

With ten to go, White was out front by four lengths over Dean, with Phippen hanging on to third, Ramstrom fourth, the #19S of Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs, ME in a steady run to fifth, Pinkham was sixth, Jay Sands of Seabrook, NH in the #36 seventh, Lee back up to eighth, the #02 of Greg Morse of St Albans, ME ninth, and the #01 of Joe Decker of Chesterville, ME tenth.

At the white flag, Ramstrom’s #35 made a big pop as he crossed the line and coasted to a stop at the entrance to pit road, dropping him to ninth and ending a top five run for the youngster. At the checkers it was White, Dean, and Phippen with the podium finishes.

Next week, on Saturday night June 3rd, it’s the Central Division of the PASS Outlaw Series at Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, NH for the makeup of the rained-out May 21st season opener.