Ben Ashline celebrates with after winning the Coastal 200 for the third time on Sunday at Wiscasset Speedway. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal
WISCASSET — Minutes after becoming only the second driver in history to win the Coastal 200 three times in his career, Ben Ashline struggled to put the victory into perspective.
“I guess it will probably sink in (on Monday),” said Ashline, who led the final 93 laps of Sunday’s 17th version of the event at Wiscasset Speedway. “It means a lot to get this for (this team). As a group, we go and we have fun. We’re just some good old country folks that go racing and like race cars.”
Scott Chubbuck of Bowdoin won the race three times, including back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002. Chubbuck’s other win was in 1996, when the race was a 150-lap event, and all three of his wins came in a Pro Stock/Super Late Model-type car.
Ashline, of Pittston, is the only driver to win the race three times in a Late Model. He won the Coastal 200 in both 2018 and 2019.
“I grew up watching (Chubbuck), and just to be able to say we’ve been a part of this race, let alone have this kind of success in it, it’s really meaningful,” Ashline said. “I love racing. I love coming to this place. It’s home.”
Ben Ashline races to victory in the Coastal 200 on Sunday at Wiscasset Speedway. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal
Ashline’s drive to history nearly went up in smoke on lap 153.
While pulling up to the back of cars racing to stay on the lead lap in front of him, Ashline slowed to avoid them and smoke erupted from his car. Initially, it was unclear if the smoke had come from Ashline or one of the machines in front of him.
It had in fact come from Ashline’s No. 15me, and after the checkered flag Ashline still didn’t know what had caused it.
“There’s all kinds of oil in the interior, so I don’t really know exactly what it is,” Ashline said. “I made sure the brakes still worked, the clutch still worked and I had oil pressure. It had a vibration that was getting worse. … Honestly, it weighed in the back of my mind that with 20 to go (in this race) last year we had issues. I was like, ‘Not again.’ I just tried to baby it.
“We made it.”
Hartford’s Chris Burgess finished a career-best second, with Shane Clark of Winterport third. Dave Farrington of Jay, a former winner of the Coastal 200, was fourth with Thomaston’s Ryan Ripley completing the top five.
Clark led the first 80 laps of the race from the pole, conceding the lead to rookie Jett Decker of Chesterville on lap 81. Clark and the rest of the race’s leaders pitted for fresh tires on a lap 103 caution. He raced inside the top five the rest of the way, but didn’t have enough in his car late to contend.
Clark and Decker got together on the backstretch while racing for second 19 laps from the finish. Decker spun but rallied to finish sixth.
“He gave me the bottom in my opinion,” Clark said. “He just trying to fight for the bottom, which I understand.”
The set-to on the backstretch allowed Burgess to squeeze by for second and try to chase down Ashline at the checkered flag.
“We weren’t even sure we were going to come,” said Burgess, who entered the race to try to get laps to improve his weekly performances at Wiscasset. “I can’t believe we finished second. We wanted to just finish and finish within a lap or two of the leaders. To see a three-time winner out my windshield, that’s just unbelievable.”
Ashline raced outside the top 10 for most of the first 75 laps and then decided to make his move as the event neared the halfway point. He went from eighth to second in a span of 14 laps to be where he wanted when the caution flew for the leader’s pit stops.
That stretch at the midpoint of the race sent Ashline into the history books.
Behind Decker, Kris Matchett, Frank Moulton, Josh St. Clair and 12-year-old Daniel Harding completed the top 10 in the 27-car field.
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