UNITY — It has been two months since the season began at Unity Raceway and the track is still experiencing low car counts in most of its classes.

“Things are going alright, could be a lot better,” Unity race director and general manager Nick Huff said. “Pretty tough times right now.”

While the more-affordable Super Stock Enduro class has routinely drawn more cars, Huff said the other classes have drawn on average between six and eight cars. Fan attendance, other tracks and Unity’s history have all played a factor, according to the second-year track manager.

“It’s just really hard to dig this track out of the rut that it’s in. Everybody seems to have already dedicated themselves to a certain track,” Huff said. “Unity has been going down the tubes for the last few years. We don’t have our own committed drivers, so we have to take them from other tracks on non-conflicting days.”

While things are not as good as they could be, Huff did say that it is “not really bad that I’m in trouble.” In fact, he said he would like to add a few more events going forward, yet he does not want to schedule any additional races more than one month or so in advance.

“I feel safe scheduling new events a month in advance but anything more than that there’s not really any point,” Huff said. “You have to have enough time to give everybody notice, but I’ve still got more ideas.

“…I just don’t want to see the track closed. A lot of people have said, ‘why are you doing this’ or ‘is it really worth it?’ If I don’t, who else is going to?”

For now, Unity will continue to move forward. On Sunday it will have the second of three 50-lap races in its Pat’s Pizza Pro Stock Triple Crown Series, as well as Wildcat, Monstah Mini, Super Stock Enduro and Teen Thunder races beginning at 2:30 p.m.

• • •

Leandra Martin is in her third year racing at Wiscasset Speedway yet this is shaping up to be her most successful one at the track.

Through seven races the 21-year-old Richmond native had a 36-point lead over Michael Harrison, of Pownal, in the Thunder 4 Mini season standings.

“I’ve had two second place finishes and a first place finish this season,” Martin, who is also an assistant coach on the defending Class D champion Richmond High School softball team, said. “Last year I think I had one second and the rest thirds. This is the best season I’ve had yet.”

Martin’s first win actually came at the expense of her 17-year-old cousin, Cody Tribbett, last Saturday. Tribbett took the lead for good on lap four of 20, while Martin slotted into second on lap 15 after passing both Curtis Anderson, of Richmond, and Noah Haggett, of Wiscasset, as the two jockeyed with each other for position.

Tribbett held off his cousin on the track, but he failed post-race inspection to cede the win to Martin. She was quick to credit her cousins Cody and Nate Tribbett, uncle Casey Nash and grandfather Gary Nash for the win, though, as she said they do the bulk of the work on the family’s cars.

“I can’t really say I do much,” Martin said. “It’s mostly Cody, Nate, my uncle Casey and my grandfather.”

Cody Tribbett was not too upset about the loss, though. His main focus has been in the Outlaw Mini division, where he has a 46-point lead over Justin Trombley, of Winter Harbor, after five races.

“I’m hoping I can finish good and bring home a championship at the end of the season in the Outlaw Minis,” the rising junior at Richmond High said. “I’m just having fun with Leandra and the Thunder 4’s.”

• • •

It has been a Jekyll and Hyde type of season for Joey Polewarczyk Jr. this season.

Outside of Wayne Helliwell Jr., no one has been better than “Joey Pole” on the American Canadian Tour as the Hudson, New Hampshire driver is second in points and has picked up three wins on tour in his No. 27 Ford Fusion Late Model.

When he has stepped into the Super Late Model class, however, it has been quite a different story.

“We’ve struggled,” Polewarczyk Jr. said. “There’s no way around that.”

That is a trend he is hoping to break this weekend at Airborn Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, New York, though, as he is signed up to race in both the Pro All Star Series North and ACT races Sunday. Each is a 200-lap race on the half-mile track.

“This will definitely be the most racing I’ve done in a day,” Polewarczyk Jr. said. “Definitely No. 1 I’ve got to stay hydrated, but it’s the mental part that really takes most of it.

“Both cars are very different and require different types of adjustments. The biggest thing is trying to not focus too much on one car. You have to try to find the right balance and try to do the best you can with both cars.”

While Polewarczyk Jr. has spent most of his focus on the Late Model car this season, if he can discover a way to find that medium he could be in store for a big payday. Between lap money and a first-place finish, as much as $10,000 per race could be Polewarczyk Jr.’s for the taking Sunday.

“That’s a lot of money for any race in the country,” he said. “To have a shot at taking home $20,000, I mean, I’m hoping that we can at least have a chance to do that.”

Evan Crawley — 621-5640

ecrawley@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @Evan_Crawley

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