FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Mike Twist, DSG

(207) 590-1786, MTwist51@adelphia.net

Dale Shaw Caps Off Emotional Night with PASS North Win

Northeast Veteran Holds On In Last Lap Battle with Cassius Clark

NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH (September 17, 2006) – Professional athletes have a lot in life they can be proud of.  Football players can win Super Bowls and MVPs.  Baseball players can win World Series rings.  Racecar drivers can win the Daytona 500 or the Indy 500.  Nothing though, not even winning the Daytona 500, can beat the feeling of being a proud parent.  Being proud of your kids and their accomplishments is the greatest feeling that an adult can have. 

As a racer, Dale Shaw has plenty he can hang his hat on too, including wins in Busch East and multiple other series.  In fact, he is a former Busch North champion.  He also won the first ever PASS North race in 2001, when he took the checkered flag at Lee USA Speedway.  And while Shaw was happy to win Saturday night’s PASS North event at White Mountain Motorsports Park, it just capped off what was an incredible evening after his son, DJ, won the track championship in the Late Model Division earlier in the night.

“I didn’t’ even want to race after my son won the championship,” said Shaw.  “He way exceeded my expectations in his first year in a Late Model coming right out of go-karts.  I just find it unbelievable.  I am so proud of him.  No matter where I would have finished, it wouldn’t have mattered, but I wanted to show him that the old guy could still drive.”

While the feat for Shaw’s 16-year-old son was incredible, the PASS 150 itself was incredible in its own rite. Shaw started third and moved his way into the lead around the outside of pole sitter Ben Rowe on lap 29.  After that, it was all about Shaw.  A long green-flag run allowed Shaw to open up a huge lead and put much of the field a lap down.

However, when the second caution flag of the event flew on lap 118, the tone of the race began to change.  Instead of domination by Shaw, it turned into a challenge for second-place Mike Rowe and third-place Cassius Clark to catch the leader.  With a few more cautions, the race for the lead was heating up.  Clark moved into second, got around all the lapped cars and began to track down Shaw. 

When the caution flew again on lap 143, it set up a seven-lap shootout for the win between Shaw, Clark and Mike Rowe.  And a shootout it became.  Shaw and Clark raced side-by-side, with Clark taking the lead on lap 146.  The two continued to race side-by-side to bring the packed grandstands to their feet.  With the white-flag flying, Clark found himself in the lead.  One corner later, a little bumper in the back of the 8-machine allowed Shaw to get side-by-side again.  But as the two rounded turn three and four coming to the checkers, Clark got a little loose, had to back out of the gas and that allowed Shaw to pull ahead at the finish by a mere 0.083-seconds

“I was so discouraged those yellows came out there at the end because we had a big enough lead that no one was going to catch me,” said Shaw.  “Cassius got around me fair and square there at the end, then he got loose coming out of turn two.  I filled a hole going into three and drove it down there.  It wasn’t really big enough, but I was here to win a race.  That was my opportunity and that is the way it goes.”

Clark, who has five PASS North wins already in 2006, had to settle for second after charging from the 13th starting spot. “I tried to go around him on the outside there,” said Clark.  “I had a faster car.  He ran into me with two to go.  I didn’t even pinch him down or anything.  He just ran into me and got by me.  But hey, what goes around comes around.  “We were really bottled up there in traffic for a while.  We couldn’t seem to pass anyone.  Mike (Rowe) and I were fast, but just bottled up.  I knew I had the faster car.  I was hoping for a couple of restarts so that I could break through and that’s what happened.”

Clark’s charge toward the front almost ended with 20 laps to go, when he went on the outside of a three-wide situation and slammed into the frontstretch wall.  He actually got on two wheels, but he was able to keep going.” Some guy put me three wide and he drove me into the frontstretch wall.  I knew the car hit square.  We knew the car was fine, so we went for it.”

Rowe neglected to stick his nose in on the battle at the end and elected to settle for third to keep himself in a position to win incase the leaders wrecked coming to the flag.“ It’s just where we ran in traffic that cost us tonight,” said Rowe.  “We didn’t have many yellows so we just had to take what we could get and try the holes we could.  We’ll just take third and go on from there. “Dale was strong all night.  Cassius was good; both were going for the win.  I saw a hole under them there on the last lap, but I couldn’t do it.  I would have wrecked us all.  I just let them duke it out and figured I’d settle for third.   I guess that is just what comes with getting older.  Years ago, I would have stuck my nose in there for sure.”

Bill Whorff was fourth and Johnny Clark kept his slim point lead intact by rounding out the top five.

Next up for the stars of PASS North is the 2nd Annual PASS 400 weekend at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine.  That even runs from Friday, Sept. 22 to Sunday, Sept. 24.

For more information on the PASS North Series, contact Mike Twist at DSG by calling (207) 590-1786 and be sure to visit the official website of PASS, www.proallstarsseries.com.

Race Results

PASS North Super Late Models

September 16, 2006

White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, NH

Finish Position, (Starting position on Parentheses) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed

1. (3) Dale Shaw, N. Conway, NH, 150

2. (13) Cassius Clark, Farmington, ME, 150

3. (10) Mike Rowe, Turner, ME, 150

4. (2) Bill Whorff Jr. , Topsham, ME, 150

5. (12) Johnny Clark, Farmington, ME, 150

6. (4) Joey Porcellio, Hudson, NH, 150

7. (16) Alan Wilson, Hebron, ME, 150

8. (18) Russ Hershey, Swanzey, NE 150

9. (1) Ben Rowe, Turner, ME, 150

10. (23)  Jeremie Whorff, Topsham, ME, 150

11. (11) Scott Chubuck, Wiscasset, ME, 150

12.(17) Gary Smith, Bangor, ME, 150

13. (22) Chris Kennison, Oxford, ME, 150

14. (14) Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA, 149

15. (26) Travis Benjamin, Morrill, ME, 148

16.(25) Richie Dearborn, Hollis, ME, 148

17. (8) Sam Sessions, Oxford, ME, 148

18. (21) Bobby McArthur, Beverly, MA, 148

19. (20) Trevor Sanborn, Parsonsfield, ME, 148

20. (9) Corey Williams, Boothbay, ME, 147

21. (24) Jay Caron, Williston, VT, 147

22. (15) Kendell Legendre, Danville, VT,147

23. (7) Pete Fraser, Nottingham, NH, 129

24. (6) Eric Chase, Milton, VT, 125

25. (18) Curtis Gerry, Scarborough, ME, 124

26. (5) Alan Tardiff, Lyman, ME,  61

Caution Flags: 5

Lead Changes: 3 among 3 drivers.

Lap Leaders: Ben Rowe 1-28, Shaw 29-145, Cassius Clark 146-149, Shaw 150