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2013 PASS NORTH SLM CHAMPIONS

2013 PASS NORTH SLM CHAMPIONS

2013 PASS NORTH SLM CHAMPIONS
at the PASS 9/28 OPS Finale
by Chad Partridge

Cassius Clark and the Hight Motorsports crew headed into the weekend with a slim 3 point lead in the championship standings over Joey Doiron of Berwick, ME and only 7 points ahead of 3rd place DJ Shaw of Center Conway, NH. Many said Hollywood couldn't have written it better. The only question was, would it be a feel good action story or horror movie?

From the moment the team unloaded the car for practice the determination could be felt in the air. In 2012 the Hight Motorsports team also headed into the season finale at Oxford engaged in a tight points battle with Travis Benjamin. That day didn't go well for the Hight Motorsports team and it ended with the Benjamin crew celebrating the PASS North 2012 title. This year, the team vowed, would be different.

The crew, led by multi-time championship crew chief Brian Burgess, spent two full days testing dialing in the Port City race car. Not content with a "good car", driver Cassius Clark, gave precise feedback every time the car rolled off the track as to what it needed to make it "perfect".

A large field of nearly 50 of the best Super Late Models in the Northeast were on hand, creating larger than normal heat races. At the draw, Cassius drew just one number away from the pole in the fourth and final heat� Unfortunately that put him dead last in the 3rd heat. Adding to the intensity, points contenders DJ Shaw and Joey Doiron would start ahead of him in the same heat race.

Starting 12th Cassius had a short time to work his way into the top 5 to earn a starting spot in the feature. Keep in mind the top 5 finishers also earn the all-important championship points. Clark got off to a great start, moving into the top 10. On a restart he made a spectacular 3 wide move to work his way up to 6th. He quickly over took 5th position and landed in 4th place by the time the quick 15 lap heat race was complete. Doiron held on for the heat race win while Shaw finished outside the top 5 and was headed to the dreaded consi. With Cassius earning 2 points in the heat race and Doiron earning 5, it put the championship standings at dead even moving into the feature event.

Cassius rolled out onto the starting grid in 15th place with Doiron starting 2 rows ahead of him in 11th. Shaw who won his consi would start a distant 21st. In a race with 36 starters the task sounded easy, beat 1 car -- the 73, and keep the 60 in sight -- win the Championship.

From the drop of the green flag it was clear that would be no easy task. Both Cassius and Doiron fought their way up through the field, clicking off one spot after another. Cassius methodically stayed on Doiron�s back bumper through the entire first half of the race, chasing his pray. Veteran racer Scott Mulkern showed early on that he was the car to beat, leading most of the first half of the race. Around lap 75 Doiron over took Mulkern for the lead with Cassius close behind the pair.

The next 50 laps continued to be a delight for fans to watch as Cassius, Doiron and Mulkern battled, trading spots back and forth, battling their hearts out. Meanwhile, Shaw, not to be counted out, was making his way up through the field and was solidly in the top 5.

A restart around lap 120 made for the best racing of the day as Cassius made it three wide under Doiron and Mulkern. While most folks know, you can't go around Oxford 3 wide, these three made it work for nearly 3 laps -- without even hardly a mark on any of the cars. Eventually Mulkern overcame the two on the outside with Cassius settling in in 2nd place, Doiron in 3rd and DJ in 4th.

Shaw quickly showed his strength as he powered by all 3 cars and set sail in the lead. Meanwhile Doiron found his car fading just a bit as his slipped back into the 5th place. With Cassius steadily holding 3rd place the crew looked on from the infield counting down the seemingly never ending laps. It was so simple, yet so hard, maintain the current position, avoid a major problem, work over the lap cars and stay green.

After what seemed like hours of racing, the checkered flag finally flew, with DJ Shaw taking home the win and Cassius finishing 3rd. Finally after 150 laps of the best short track racing anywhere in America, after 12 hard fought races in 2013, after the heartbreak of 2012, after 10+ years of Pro All Stars Series Racing and after thousands of hours of blood, sweat and tears, Cassius Clark had earned himself and the Hight Motorsports Chevrolet SS the PASS North Super Late Model Championship! It was an amazing team effort that was a culmination of events that exceeded any Hollywood script!

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ProAllStarsSeries.com

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Corey & Chad

Hight Motorsports

5th in the 300 at Beech Ridge...
& into the PASS North Points Lead

Sunday, September 8th

Triple Crown Race #3

The Thunder Valley National 200

6th at Chaudiere

Saturday, August 31st

Twin 150s at WMMP
7th and 3rd

*Race 1>>*

			*Race 2>>*

Sat. May 18th. - 5:45 PM

Triple Crown Race #2

The BUDWEISER 150

6th at Chaudiere

Monday Practice - Photos by Jamie Williams

Sunday, August 4th

Rain halted the action at White Mountain after the SLM heats but before the feature. Twin 150s are now scheduled for the PASS North return to WMMP on Saturday, August 31st.

The #77 had a flat on the way to the heat, started late, and will therefore be a the back of the grid for the first 150.

5th in the TD Bank 250

Moving smoothly through the pack in his heat, Cassius grabbed the win to easily transfer into the 250. Starting from 4th, Cassius ran in the front group as Ben Rowe in the #4n led from laps 14 to 130. Taking the lead from the #42 of Corey Bubar on lap 150, Cassius lost the point to the #17 of eventual winner Travis Benjamin. After the second and final tire stop with about 50 to go, Cassius pulled past the #81 of Alan Tardiff and the #6 of Tim Brackett to finish in 5th.

Friday, July 12th

6th at OPS

Cassius took the heat win on the 23rd of June just before the rain came and postposed the rest of the event to July 12th. Starting from 11th as a previous 2013 winner Cassius moved up into the top five. Coming from further back, Travis Benjamin #17 and Joey Doiron #73 both pulled by the #77. At the checkers Cassius held of Scott Mulkern #84 and Ben Rowe #4 for a 6th place finish.

Heat Win on 6/23>

2nd PASS North Win of 2013

PASS Race Report - Scarborough, Maine -- Cassius Clark of Farmington, Maine became the first two-time winner of the 2013 Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model season Saturday night, outdueling future New England Hall of Famer Mike Rowe to win the Southern Maine Motors 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine.

"It's a lot of fun racing for the win with Mike Rowe," Clark said after driving the Hight Motortsports 77 into victory lane. "Thanks to the Hights for the opportunity to drive for them, and to Brian and the guys for putting a great car underneath me."

Clark prevailed in the season-opening 150-lapper at Oxford Plains Speedway, and entered the Beech Ridge event ranked third in PASS North driver points. Clark and Rowe swapped the top positions several times throughout the race after getting by early race leaders Martin Latulippe and Joey Doiron.

Sat. May 18th. - 5:45 PM

Triple Crown Race #1

The 150

17th at Chaudiere on 5/18

Running on the outside and keeping his momentum up, Cassius took the #77 with the crate motor around Ben Rowe #4n with a built motor for a nice win in the heat. As a previous 2013 winner (OPS season opener on 4/21) Cassius started the feature in 11th.

Moving up into the front group, Cassius had a solid run going through the numberous restarts (14 cautions in the 150 laps).

But a late-race tangle in the center of the back straight when the #36 came down and spun off the #77's nose left Cassius with non-responsive steering even though the hit didn't leave a lot of damage.

4th at Beech Ridge on 5/4

SEASON OPENER

SUN., APRIL 21st

THE WIN!

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