Episode 168
July 2, 2017
Caribou Teenager Makes Tractor Pulling Debut
When he received the news that he had won the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club tractor. Logan Longley(13 years old) scratched his head and said,”Oh ya, I did buy them tickets”.
In the spring of 2016 he bought a $5.00 book of tickets from the tractor club at the Northern Maine Agribusiness Trade Show at the Forum in Presque Isle. He along with his parents, Lance and Lisa Longley of Caribou, picked up the tractor and brought it home.
There was more to the story, however, when it was discovered that Logan has Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE or “skiffy”), a rare hip-joint problem where the ball comes out of the socket. It typically affects 2 out of 100,000 children.
The treatment typically requires surgery where the surgeon will insert one or more screws into the joint to stabilize the area. If one hip-joint requires this corrective procedure then typically so will the other.
Logan’s first hip was pinned at Eastern Maine Medical Center in September 2016 followed by the pinning of the other hip in November. After missing a couple of weeks of school, he went back to Caribou Middle School where, for a couple of months he was wheeled around by fellow classmates as his hip treatments healed.
His family and he decided to join the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club in February 2017. They would pull their newly restored tractor in as many events as they could this season.
Logan’s tractor pulling debut was Saturday at the Albert Michaud Memorial Park in Limestone. Though he did not win in either the 2,500 or 3,000 pound class he remarked, “It was harder than I thought. I am ready to go back again”.
The Allis Chalmers was as they got the tractor from the antique tractor club. Like most gearheads the Longley family will be preparing their tractor to do better at the next meet for them, the Fort Kent pulls on August 15.They plan to fix a spring on the throttle and make a bracket for hitching at the back of the tractor.
Meanwhile Logan has worn a pathway around his house in Caribou getting some seat time in preparation for future pulls. The Longley family thanks Dan and Tyler Raymond for their assistance and encouragement in this family adventure.
Logan will be entering Caribou High School this fall as a freshman with plans to become a game warden.
The Flying Farmer Gets Good Results in 3,600 Pound Class
Former two-time kart racing champion at Spud Speedway, Tyler “The Flying Farmer” Raymond took up where he finished in 2016 at the NMATC pulls at Limestone with a second in the 3,600 pound class and 4th in the 3,000 pound class.
WAR at New England’s Premier Speedway
Wyatt Alexander could possibly be the only driver in the 26 car field that took to the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday who has raced at all four configurations of the track. Alexander has run the kart oval, Legends oval, the road course, and now the 1.058 mile “big” track.
The 50 lap race was part of the Granite State Pro Stock Series . The race was won by Eddie MacDonald, DJ Shaw in second and Matt Swanson third.
Crew Chief Bob Alexander said, ” We are home after two days spent with the Granite State Pro Stock Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was our first time here to race on the 1.058 mile oval but not the first time at NHMS.”
“We traveled to NHMS last month for a one day test session. We learned a lot and Wyatt was able to get comfortable at the higher speeds which approach 150 MPH at the end of the straight a ways.”
“Friday’s testing went well. We had spent a lot of time at the shop in preparation for this race. Extra bracing for body panels and windows was added for the downforce and buffeting expected from the higher speeds.”
“Our lap times and feedback from Wyatt indicated that the car was very stable and it responded well to the changes we made throughout the day.”
“We started 23rd of 26 cars in the 50 lap feature. Wyatt was able to avoid several incidents in the early laps which resulted in several of the top cars being eliminated due to damage or engine failure.”
“By lap 10 Wyatt was up to 13th place and continued to work his way forward eventually finished in 10th place, the last car on the lead lap and trailing the leaders by about half a track.”
Rain Lets Up Allowing Northern Maine Karting Association to Race
NMKA has had a difficult time getting race dates in since the season opener June 2. The June 9 and 16 dates were rained out forcing the kart racers to use the open date June 30 for double feature races.
Results of the two races were:
NAPA Auto Parts Winner Circle for June 30th feature race #1 Presented by JRT Customs
Blacked Out Window Tint Kid Karts
1. Parker Bosse, Limestone
2. Kayden Haines, Caribou
Aroostook Trusses Junior Cage Division
1. Bryan Searles, Presque Isle
2. Gage Theriault, Limestone
3. Ronnie Lynn Kelly, Presque Isle
Aroostook Savings & Loan Senior Cage Division
1. Damian Theriault, Caribou
2. Jason Theriault, Caribou
3. Tom Hale, Westmanland
NAPA Auto Parts Winner Circle for June 30th, feature race #2 Presented by Backus Racing
Blacked Out Window Tint Kid Karts
1. Kayden Haines, Caribou
2. Parker Bosse, Limestone
Aroostook Trusses Junior Cage Division
1. Bryan Searles, Presque Isle
2. Gage Theriault, Limestone
Aroostook Savings & Loan Senior Cage Division
1. Damian Theriault, Caribou
2. Jason Theriault, Caribou
3. Tom Hale, Westmanland
The next Friday Night Kart Racing Series race Presented by Machias Savings Bank is July 7 at 6:30 pm at Spud Speedway. Grandstand viewing is free and pits are $10.
NMKA Racers at Houlton Fair
Kids and Grandkids Home and Helping at HTF Motorsports
At Mt. Washington Hillclimb Next Sunday
As reported last week in Episode 167, I will be at the 2017 Climb to the Clouds race up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Because this is a three-day event ending on Sunday I am unsure when I will be publishing the next episode.
I plan to interview Travis Pastrana, Bangor’s John Cassidy, Luke Moultrop, and many more at the event. Plenty of photos will be taken for those of you unable to attend.
I thought you might like to view a few photos from the recent Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado Springs, Colorado to get an idea of the type of racers one may find at hillclimbs.
I want to leave you smiling with this short video clip of Tom Patsis at Cold Hard Art. I can rely on Tom to make me smile throughout the week.
https://www.facebook.com/tom.patsis/videos/10211675668240483/
Let’s Go Racing
Tom Hale
Soli Deo Gloria