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Unity Dirt Track
Reynolds Road
Unity Twp. (1/3 mile dirt)
Ed Picard 989 Waterville Rd. 04988 207-948-5475
Unity's current dirt oval, once known as Barnyard 250, and now known simply as
Unity Dirt Track, is a dirt oval located only a short distance down the road
from the Unity Raceway of old, the original Unity Fairgrounds. Traveling out
Rt. #139 from Unity village (Route #9) toward Benton/Waterville, one passes Unity
Raceway on the left and continues a little over 3 miles to a signpost on the
right indicating that you are passing into Unity Township. Just beyond the signpost
you hang a left onto Reynolds Road (poorly marked). However, there is a black & white
checkered post at that intersection, as well as a sign for Hawk Ridge Compost
Facility. Travel south on Reynolds Road less than a mile, and the race facility
is on the right.
Unity Dirt is a homegrown 1/3 mile race track built a decade ago to provide dirt
racing for local folks that simply missed 'dirt trackin' just a little too much.
The race track itself has improved greatly over the last few years, yielding
a most exciting track for both drivers and fans. Turns one and two are tight,
requiring a bit of skill with steering wheel and throttle to negotiate at speed,
but turns three and four are nearly full throttle fast, leading to a long front
stretch which encourages drag racing and speeds far too fast for the turns approaching.
Dust would remind one of the old days, but this improves as additional clay is
applied to the racing surface.
Grandstands do not yet exist at the Unity Dirt facility, and most folks watch
the action from the back of haulers or pickup trucks parked along the catch fence.
The extra 24 to 30 inches in height opens the entire track to clear view. However,
plans are afoot to rectify this condition, at least on a temporary basis, prior
to larger events planned for the summer of 2006. Longer range and more permanent
options are in the discussion stages.
Because of its somewhat hometown flavor, Unity Dirt Track seems to have focused
primarily on serving local drivers and the folks who travel with them, rather
than seeking significant growth. Little publicity has been generated, and few
race fans around the state even knew that we had an active dirt track in our
midst. However, with the rapidly growing popularity of dirt track racing, and
its direct connection to the even faster re-emergence of vintage stock car racing,
Unity Dirt Track has been discovered !
Ed Picard has constructed a race track that by its very nature offers notably
faster speeds than either of the shorter dirt tracks; and which incorporates
excitement in its very design. It turns out that driving this particular track
is just plain FUN ! The racing here will thusly take care of itself, as car counts
increase, and as the vintage racing cars begin to spread their wings. Turns one
and two are closest to the fans, and one can expect to see exciting action as
each rapidly moving traffic jam careens into those first two corners.
As seating improves, and planned modifications take place, Unity Dirt Track will
most likely rise to fulfill its potential to become central Maine's premier stock
car dirt racing facility.
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