2014 PASS

OLIVER - M. ROWE - B. ROWE

Father Outduels Son in
Battle of the Rowes at Star

-By Brandon Paul, Speed51.com Editor - Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51

64-year-old Maine racing legend Mike Rowe has been involved in his fair share of battles throughout his year's winning Super Late Model races in the Northeast. On Saturday night at Star Speedway, Rowe was involved in one of the most exhausting battles of his career as he battled it out for the lead against his son, Ben Rowe, on the quarter-mile Epping, New Hampshire bullring.

The battle was one that had fans on their feet. It was one that involved multiple taps to the back of his No. 7 Petit Motorsports machine. But in the end, it was a thrilling battle that the elder Rowe came out on top of as he fended off his son to win his second Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North event of the 2015 season.

"My spotter was telling me where he was and Ben has a little more smoke than I do, he's got a little more motor than I do," Rowe told Speed51.com powered by JEGS. "He got into me a couple times and I knew he wouldn't spin me being my kid. I am really happy for him. He had been struggling for a while and I'm just glad he's going well. It was fun racing with him whether I finished first or he did. It was an awesome race."

Father and son swapped the lead on three different occasions between lap 51 and lap 86 of the 150-lap event. Mike Rowe took the lead for the final time on lap 86 but the battle between the two was just getting started.

The younger Rowe tried the bottom, the top, whatever he could do to get by his father as the laps winded down. The two made slight contact on a number of occasions, but each time they touched they allowed each other enough room to gather it up and continue their battle.

"It's bittersweet," Ben Rowe said after the race. "I wanted to win in the worst race. But if I can't win, those guys are the ones I want to see win. That's why we race. I was better than he was, there was no doubt. If I could have got by him, I would have been cleared. But I knew once he got by me that it was going to be difficult."

David Oliver was able to get by Ben Rowe in the closing laps to claim the second spot, while Rowe held on to complete the podium. Defending PASS North champion DJ Shaw and six-time series champion Johnny Clark completed the top-five.

After the race, the younger Rowe admitted that he gave his dad a little more leeway than he would have given any of the other 29 competitors on the race track.

"If anyone else would have been blocking that bad, I would have moved them out of the way," Rowe said with a laugh. "He knows what he's got to do and he knows that I wouldn't do that to him. That's why he's the king and why we're still chasing him."

Despite making contact on a number of occasions, it was all smiles for the Rowe family in victory lane after the race. In the end, the two were able to laugh about it and enjoy the moment of racing hard for the race win.

"We were banging into each other," said Rowe. "On those restarts, he wasn't given me much and I didn't give him a lot. But we wouldn't ever take each other out. It's just awesome to be racing with him and having that much fun. It was a lot, a lot of fun racing with him."

The win for Mike Rowe is his second of the season with his new Petit Motorsports team. At the beginning of the season, the veteran racer from Turner, Maine wasn't exactly sure of how strong the team would be. Needless to say, after two races, he's quite pleased with his move to a new team.

"I knew we had a great team right off from Oxford," he said. "The crew did a hell of a job for me today. It takes more than the driver and right now we're hitting on all cylinders."

Although Rowe gives a lot of credit to his crew, there's no doubting the level of talent behind the wheel of the No. 7 PASS North Super Late Model. After an exciting battle on Saturday night, his son was the first to give credit to the "old man."

"He is the toughest son of a gun ever to race with. He gets everything out of a race car. He's the best and that's why."




*HEATS >>*




*FEATURE >>*
			*Jamie Williams Photo*










			Photos by Norm Marx

PASS NORTH SUPER LATE MODELS at STAR
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS - 5-9-15

1) 7 - Mike Rowe - 150 laps
2) 21 - David Oliver - 150
3) 4n - Ben Rowe - 150
4) 60 - DJ Shaw - 150
5) 54 - Johnny Clark - 150
6) 00 - Bryan Kruczek - 150
7) 77 - Cassius Clark - 150
8) 17 - Travis Benjamin - 150
9) 20 - Michael Landry - 150
10) 33 - Richie Dearborn - 150
11) 09 - Jeremy Davis - 150
12) 12 -Derek Griffith - 150
13) 23 - Dave Farrington - 150
14) 5x - Bobby Therrien - 150
15) 73 - Joey Doiron - 150

16) 14m - Matt Frahm - 150
17) 7L - Glen Luce - 150
18) 5 - Dillon Moltz - 150
19) 15 - Mike Hopkins - 149
20) 71 - Raphael Lessard - 147
21) 75 - Gary Smith - 144
22) 27nh - Wayne Helliwell - 98
23) 55vt - Brent Dragon - 85
24) 97nh - Joey Polewarczyk - 53
25) 03 - Joe Squeglia Jr. - 33
26) 88 - Kyle DeSouza - 19
27) 96 - Wyatt Alexander - 18
28) 35 - Derek Ramstrom - 16
29) 84 - Martin Latulippe - 16
30) 47 - Kelly Moore - 16

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| SLM ENTRIES - STAR - 5-9 |

New PASS Winner Kruczek Excited For Return �Home� To Star Speedway

NAPLES, ME (May 7) - Any one in short track racing can tell you that claiming a checkered flag in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) AIM Recycling Super Late Models Pres. By Kenny U-Pull is no easy task. For Newmarket, NH's Bryan Kruczek it was no different. It took him 28 tries competing in PASS before he was able to claim his first checkered flag, coming almost two weeks ago in the Southern Maine Motors 150 at Maine's Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. The long wait made the win even more special for Kruczek.

"It meant everything to me to finally win at this level against this competition," said Kruczek, driver of the #00 Ouellette Associates/Traditional Mortgages Chevrolet. "It meant a lot after all that we put into this program over the winter."
With a PASS AIM Recycling Super Late Model win now under his belt, Kruczek returns to his native New Hampshire for this Saturday night's The TJ Co. 150 at Star Speedway. Bryan is the fourth generation to work in the family-owned Kruczek Garage, making the short trip to Star Speedway extra special for the driver and his devoted family and friends.

"There's nothing better than racing 10 miles from home," says Kruczek. "Star Speedway is one of my favorite tracks on the tour to drive. I really like Star because it has so much character."

Although it is a short drive from the race shop to Star Speedway for Kruczek, it is no less taxing on him than on any of the other drivers who are expected to be competing Saturday night. It is those intricacies that make Star Speedway not only challenging, but fun to drive.

"There's a different bump every 10 feet on the track and each end is nothing alike, It's a real driver's track for sure" says Kruczek when asked to describe Star Speedway. "The Webber family does an awesome job with the facility and continue to keep improving the pits and track."

Another great field of PASS AIM Recycling Super Late Model Presented By Kenny U-Pull history is expected on Saturday, May 9 at Star Speedway for the TJ Co. 150. Krucxek will be joined by defending series champion DJ Shaw, and former champions Johnny Clark, Cassius Clark, and Ben Rowe. Two-time defending AIM Recycling Oxford 250 Presented By Kenny U-Pull winner Travis Benjamin is always a strong contender along with fellow Maine drivers Wyatt Alexander, Richie Dearborn, Joey Doiron, Dave Farrington, Jr., Michael Landry, Glen Luce, and David Oliver. Kruczek will lead the Granite State contingent of drivers which include Jeremy Davis, Derek Griffith, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Joey Polewarczyk, and Joe Squelia, Jr. Quebec's Raphael Lessard returns along with Kyle Desouza, Vermont's Brent Dragon and Bobby Therrien, and Massachusetts' drivers Nick Lascuola and Derek Ramstrom.

The weekend starts at Star Speedway Friday, May 8 with rotating practice for the PASS AIM Recycling Super Late Models Presented By Kenny U-Pull, 350 Supers, Woody's Strictlys and Roadrunners starting at 4 PM. On Saturday, May 9, rotating practice starts at 1:30 PM, with main events, including the TJ Co. 150 for the PASS Super Late Models, starting at 4:30 PM.

The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America's premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the legendary AIM Recycling Oxford 250 Presented By Kenny U-Pull at Oxford Plains Speedway and PASS South's Easter Bunny 150 at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway. For technical information concerning all PASS divisions please send questions to passracing@roadrunner.com. For media or marketing questions, please contact Alan Dietz at 704-231-2039 or alandietzpass@live.com.

And, don't forget to "Like" the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.

PASS TJCO 150 BRINGS A LIST OF CHAMPION INVADERS TO STAR SATURDAY, MAY 9th

EPPING, NH- When The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) returns to Epping, New Hampshire on Saturday for their annual early season visit at the quarter-mile oval known for exciting Super Late Model racing, the early season points title contenders will have their hands full.

Defending PASS Champion D.J. Shaw, multi time champions Ben Rowe and Johnny Clark, Oxford Season Opener winner Mike Rowe, former Star winner Derek Ramstrom, Cassius Clark, David Oliver, Scott Mulkern, Bobby Timmons Jr, Richie Dearborn and many more will be looking to take the early season triumph.

These stars of the PASS Tour will compete against some of the best drivers who call Star a home track. Dover, N.H., American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr., grew up at Star watching his father race there. ACT star and Hudson, N.H. native Joey Polewarczyk Jr., did as well. Other former Star drivers expected to compete include Joe Squeglia Jr and Derek Griffith.

In all, a field of 30 race teams will fill the Star Speedway pit area for a much anticipated night of racing at the quarter-mile, "Where Champions are Made". Also on the race schedule are the 350 Supermodifieds, which will be competing in their second points race of the season in their inaugural season back at Star in almost 10 years. The return of the 350 Supers has created a buzz about the 2015 season at Star with drivers such as Sparky MacIver, Mike Netishen, John Leonard, Matt Seavey, Billy Osborne, Jarod Soucy and more running for the 2015 title.

The Woody's Strictly Stocks and Roadrunners round out the night of racing. Practice is open to all teams on Friday from 5-8:00 PM. Saturday at noon the gates swing open once again, with practice beginning at 1:30 PM, heat races at 4:30 PM and the PASS 150 slated to begin around 7:15 PM.

Admission for this much anticipated event is $25 for adults, $20 for juniors and seniors, and kids 10 and under will be admitted free of charge with a paid adult. For more information on Star Speedway visit www.star-speedway.com.