Speedway 95 announces sale to Ricky Craven

Ricky Craven has succeeded in every phase of his racing career thus far, from racing in his native Maine to competing on stock car racing’s biggest stages and even broadcasting.

Now, it’s time for a new challenge.

Speedway 95 announced Sunday that the former NASCAR competitor, broadcast analyst, and 2016 New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame inductee will take ownership of the Hermon, Me. third-mile.

Only weeks after demolition commenced on another of the Pine Tree State’s paved ovals, tying Craven to the future of Speedway 95 is welcome news.

A press release published Sunday afternoon by the speedway announced that Delano “Del” Merritt, a fixture at Speedway 95 since the 1960s and the track’s owner for the last 15 years, had reached a purchase agreement with Craven after a year-long negotiation.

“On August 17, 2025, Mr. Merritt and a distinguished racing professional, originally from Maine, reached an agreement regarding the sale of Speedway 95,” read the release. “Mr. Merritt is optimistic that the plans of the new owner will elevate Speedway 95 to become the premier racing venue in Maine. The new owner intends to implement extensive renovations to the facility over the coming years, which will include upgrades to both the track and the surrounding amenities.”

Opened in 1966, Speedway 95 operated under other names before settling on a moniker referencing the adjacent interstate highway. Situated just west of the city of Bangor, Speedway 95 is over ninety minutes from the nearest paved track, somewhat isolating it from the state’s other bullrings.

Eight divisions, topped by Late Models, run a Saturday-night weekly program, with additional special features on Wednesday nights through the summer. The track wraps up its schedule with the three-day Paul Bunyan SpeedWeekend in mid-October.

Speedway 95 also has a touring history that, in the last 25 years, included regular participation from the Maine-based Pro All Stars Series. Replacing the defunct Northeast Pro Stock Association and International Pro Stock Challenge, PASS’ first two appearances in 2001 were swept by Ben Rowe. Derek Griffith is PASS’ most recent winner at the track, taking a checkered flag in 2019.

PASS did not return after the COVID pandemic, but the Granite State Pro Stock Series found a new Maine home at Speedway 95 in 2023. Hermon native Mike Hopkins swept both events at the track in 2024.

Building on that legacy is now the responsibility of Craven, who became the Pine Tree State’s ambassador to national motorsports in the 1990s.

A native of Newburgh, only fifteen minutes west of Bangor, Craven’s stock car career took shape at Unity Raceway in the early 1980s. Craven ascended New England’s racing ladder into the American-Canadian Tour and the NASCAR Busch North Series, clinching the championship in 1991. After a three-year stint in the Busch Series, Craven made the leap to the Winston Cup Series, clinching Rookie of the Year in 1995 and earning a coveted ride with Hendrick Motorsports in 1997.

Injuries in 1997 and 1998 stunted Craven’s career arc. Undeterred, he pressed forward, ultimately securing a ride with PPI Motorsports. Craven wheeled the team’s cars to Winston Cup Series wins in 2001 and 2003, the latter an all-time thriller over Kurt Busch that served as the final win for now-defunct manufacturer Pontiac.

Craven retired from driving three years later, then became a television analyst for ESPN and later Fox. Following the 2020 season, Craven retired from broadcasting as well, stating he felt his window of relevance to the national audience had closed.

Craven’s talents at the wheel and on camera earned him induction into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2019. Now living in North Carolina, Craven owns a specialty car dealership.

This is not the first time Craven’s name has been mentioned in connection with a Maine speedway. For years, Craven was rumored to be interested in acquiring Unity Raceway from veteran racer and long-time owner Ralph Nason. Nason has since leased Unity to “Junkyard” Joey Doyon, who followed through with the aged track’s conversion to a clay surface.

Sunday’s news is encouraging news for a racing community still coming to terms with the closure of one of its marquée venues. Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, the Scarborough speedplant that was Maine’s last NASCAR-sanctioned track, was shuttered after the 2021 season and sold for redevelopment. After changing hands multiple times since its closure, Beech Ridge met its fate earlier in August, with demolition crews razing the final speedway structures to clear room for a new shipping facility.

Similar uncertainly swirled around Unity for years before Doyon’s stewardship, and social media buzz this summer has questioned the possibility of other New England short tracks changing hands. Thus far, none of the reports have been founded, nor have any of the track owners indicated their speedways are for sale.

However, with Craven buying Speedway 95, one prospective buyer is off the market. And few prospective buyers exist for operational race tracks in Maine and New England.

Speedway 95’s press release shared a statement from Craven about his next role in motorsports.

“Today is a monumental day for me and my family,” Craven said. “I have been friends with Del for decades and admired the dedication he has given for his track, team, and all associated with Speedway 95. I am dedicating the rest of my life to a track that has been part of my DNA for many years. Both my mom and dad won races at Speedway 95 in the ‘70s. I have the honor of receiving the checkered flag and a black flag from Del during my racing at Speedway 95 in a strange way, I benefited from both. Now Del and I can say we are forever connected through Speedway 95. We will in the near future share with all the people with equity in this track our intentions to do some aggressive vision of how this facility will continue to evolve. It includes several phases that I can not wait to get started.”

Craven has always embraced the nature of competition. In a November interview with the Maine-based Black Flagged Podcast, Craven expressed how the fast-paced broadcast world satisfied the competitive drive that had gone unfulfilled since he stepped away from driving.

Craven turned 59 earlier this year. He still has plenty of time to realize his vision.

And he is more than ready for the challenge.

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