McKennedy, Bowie, and Osbourne Score on Big Afternoon at Star Speedway
June 15, 2026 — Epping, NH — For the first time in nearly seven years, Hermon, Maine’s Mike Hopkins returned to Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Victory Lane at Epping, New Hampshire’s Star Speedway. Hopkins got underneath Gabe Brown and took the lead for good with 23 laps remaining to capture the PASS National Star 150 as part of a packed afternoon of racing.
It was Hopkins’ fourth career PASS triumph, but first since October 26, 2019 at Seekonk Speedway. Ironically, the winless streak was broken at the track where Hopkins scored his first PASS win in 2016.
“Winning never gets old no matter what you’re doing, right?” Hopkins said after the race. “But this series is probably some of the toughest drivers in the country. I don’t care where you go. There was a stacked field today with some of the best of the best. Gabe’s been on a roll with everything he’s in, there’s (Derek) Griffith and Johnny (Clark), and the list goes on. You can’t get better competition than that.”
Hopkins started on the pole after winning his heat race and led the first three laps before Brown snatched the position away. Brown, fresh off a Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour win less than an hour before, pulled away while Hopkins came under attack from Derek Griffith. However, Griffith spun in turn four on the 32nd circuit while trying to avoid contact with Hopkins, bringing out the first caution of the day.
Three more cautions followed over the next 20 laps, with Brown establishing a lead of several car lengths over Hopkins each time. The field sliced and diced behind them, with Griffith rocketing back through the pack, and top guns like D.J. Shaw and Joey Doiron trying to rebound from early pit stops for adjustments.
After the fourth yellow, the field went green for the final 98 circuits, bringing driver and car endurance into play on a hot late-spring afternoon. Brown seemed like he was on his way to win number two of the day, carving his way around traffic. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to the crowd, Brown had started experiencing brake issues with his Bobby Webber Racing car around the 60-lap mark.
As the situation worsened, Brown was unable to maintain his advantage, and the door finally opened for Hopkins to make his move, nosing ahead on lap 127. Hopkins cleared Brown for good a circuit later and marched away down the home stretch for the win.
Brown then found himself trying to hold off Griffith for second, which he successfully did. Griffith’s trip down the comeback trail stalled out in third. Doiron, Shaw, Johnny Clark, Garrett Hall, Cole Robie, Alexendre “Fireball” Tardif, and Wayne Helliwell Jr. completed the top 10.
Chelmsford, Massachusetts’s Jon McKennedy put on a clinic in the New England Supermodified Series (NESS) Prelude to the Classic for his first win of the season and the eighth of his NESS career. McKennedy rocketed off the outside of the front row and led all 75 laps to score the victory in a caution-free event.
Dan Bowes and P.J. Stergios closed on McKennedy multiple times, but as it turned out, McKennedy was playing possum. Every time the second and third place cars got near, McKennedy rocketed away again, showing the season’s largest field that he was the boss.
In the closing circuits, Bowes came under attack from reigning champion Jeffrey Battle, who was making a late run after being stuck in fifth for much of the event. With less than two laps to go, the duo made contact entering turn three, sending Bowes up the track.
That gave an apologetic Battle the second spot while Bowes managed to recover and fend off Stergios for third. Anthony Nocella rounded out the top five.
McKennedy, Bowes, and Nocella were also among the drivers who scored bonus winnings from the Dr. Mom Says School is Challenge. A 12-sided chance die rolled in Victory Lane came up “11”, meaning the odd-numbered finishers will split up $4,000 in addition to the posted purse.
In the Kennebec Equipment Rental PASS Modifieds, New Gloucester, Maine’s Zach Bowie survived a wild and unpredictable 50-lap feature to score his third straight win at Star Speedway. After steadily sitting in the top five for most of the caution-filled event, Bowie was sitting third on a restart with 10 laps to go that proved the turning point.
Jeremy Davis and Bobby Seger had dominated the proceedings, running 1-2 for the first 40 trips around the speedway. But coming to the green flag, the two got together. Seger spun into turn one while Davis was forced pit-side after the incident busted the rear end on his Modified. Bowie took over and survived two more restarts, including a two-lap dash at the end, to put his Troy Morse-owned machine in Victory Circle.
Teenager Reed Reno deftly navigated through the carnage from his 12th starting position to come home second. Bill Penfold completed the podium while Spencer Morse, George Helliwell, Jacoby Maines, Cody Macomber, Thomas Brackett, Tyler Connolly, and Robert Norton also earned top 10 finishes.
Hudson, New Hampshire’s Callie Osborne went wire to wire in the North-South Slingshot Challenge. Osborne started on the pole of the 40-lap feature but had to withstand a mid-race charge from Brian Caswell along with a fast-closing Patrick Joslin in the final laps. Osbourne got the job done, though, and captured the $1,000 first-place prize.
Joslin was second, with Maggie Clark getting third. Jody Parker and Ryan Stuart followed them across the finish line.
The Pro All Stars Series heads to Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, June 21 at 2:00pm. The PASS North Super Late Models and Kennebec Equipment Rental PASS Modifieds have the next round of their championship chases, while the local Green Lawn Solutions Mad Bombers join the card with a 40-lap, $750-to-win open event. Visit www.proallstarsseries.com or www.oxfordplains.com for the full schedule and pricing. RacingAmerica.TV will have live streaming coverage.
For more information on the Pro All Stars Series, visit www.proallstarsseries.com.
For more information on Oxford Plains Speedway, visit www.oxfordplains.com.
To take advantage of marketing opportunities at the Pro All Stars Series or Oxford Plains Speedway, or to buy a lap in the Oxford 250, please call 207-577-1836 or inquire at OPSmarketing50@gmail.com.
For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or call Jason Ricker at 704-881-4429.
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