Doiron Dominant In First PASS Start Of 2022

Joey Doiron knows how to make the most of an opportunity.

The Berwick, Me. racer made his Pro All Stars Series season debut in style Sunday afternoon, driving to victory in the Kennebec Equipment Rental PASS 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway.

And as races at the venerable Maine speedway quickly become practice sessions for August’s Oxford 250, Doiron is shooting to the top of the board.

Doiron celebrates his first PASS-sanctioned win of 2022 in his first start this year. (Photo courtesy Oriana Lovell/O.L. Photos)

The 2015 PASS National Super Late Model champion and twice a PASS North runner-up, Doiron has diversified his schedule since then. Doiron still runs regularly under the PASS banner, while adding wins and a 2019 championship with the Granite State Pro Stock Series.

But four races into 2022, Doiron had yet to turn a competitive lap with PASS. Building his own schedule around the GSPSS, Doiron still figured to work in a number of PASS races, but so far he had been on the pit box instead, working with fellow Beech Ridge Motor Speedway graduate Garrett Hall.

Doiron and the GT Motorsports team picked up a podium in a weekly feature at Oxford, but Sunday’s race was their first long-distance feature of the year. A heat race win showed that Doiron and the team had not lost a step. And from the outside of the front row, Doiron went on to pick up his twelfth career PASS North victory and his third at Oxford.

Reigning champion Johnny Clark came home second, matching his finish of a month ago. Finishing third was Kyle DeSouza, whose results have improved steadily since crew chief Jason Ricker’s arrival. DeSouza has a weekly feature win at Oxford this year and sits fourth in the track’s Super Late Model point standings.

JR Robinson, running a part-time effort in 2022, was fourth in the final running order. Polesitter Trevor Sanborn rebounded from mid-race handling issues to finish fifth.

Vermont’s Nick Sweet, who led the series in wins in 2020 before significantly reducing his schedule last year, was sixth in his second start of the season. Two-time Oxford track champion Dave Farrington, Jr. was seventh. Joe Pastore was eighth at the line, ahead of Gabe Brown and Calvin Rose, Jr.

Eddie MacDonald, who arrived at Oxford with the PASS North point lead, struggled to a 28th-place finish. MacDonald was not the only championship hopeful to have a rough day; DJ Shaw could do no better than 13th, while Richard Moody Racing teammates Ben Rowe and Joey Polewarczyk were 17th and 24th. Ryan Kuhn could only manage a 20th-place result. Brandon Barker, third in the standings entering the weekend, finished 39th.

With a full field on hand, many drivers’ misfortunes were amplified, while drivers like Gabe Brown and Dan Winter could stand to gain ground in the title chase.

For Doiron, though, points are not the point. The point is preparation for August’s Oxford 250, a crown jewel that the veteran Doiron would love to claim. Doiron has been close before, finishing second in 2013 and fifth in 2018 in his own cars. In 2020, he teamed up with GT Motorsports and car owner Greg Curtis, who fielded cars for Doiron in PASS races and weekly features at Oxford. Racing for Curtis, Doiron finished third in 2020 and fourth in 2021.

Sunday was Doiron’s second PASS win for Curtis. But Doiron has been in the zone this year; in three GSPSS starts plus his races for Curtis, he has yet to finish outside the top five.

Four more visits to Oxford loom ahead on the PASS calendar, including late August’s Oxford 250. And it’s a safe bet that Doiron and the #21 will be at the front of the field by the time the checkered flag flies.

Unofficial Results, PASS North Kennebec Equipment Rental 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway:
1. (21) Joey Doiron
2. (54) Johnny Clark
3. (1) Kyle DeSouza
4. (20) JR Robinson
5. (29S) Trevor Sanborn
6. (40) Nick Sweet
7. (23) Dave Farrington, Jr.
8. (20) Joe Pastore
9. (50B) Gabe Brown
10. (8) Calvin Rose, Jr.
11. (94) Garrett Hall
12. (50GRIT) Jeff White
13. (60S) DJ Shaw
14. (5M) Dillon Moltz
15. (44) Rusty Poland
16. (10) Kate Re
17. (4) Ben Rowe
18. (7B) Isaac Bevin
19. (81) Dan Winter
20. (72X) Ryan Kuhn
21. (18S) Michael Scorzelli
22. (78) Ivan Kaffel
23. (12) Dennis Spencer
24. (4NH) Joey Polewarczyk
25. (1VT) Evan Hallstrom
26. (56) Evan Beaulieu
27. (14ME) Anthony Constantino
28. (17MA) Eddie MacDonald
29. (14) Scott McDaniel
30. (72) Scott Robbins
31. (7G) Curtis Gerry
32. (12X) Corey Bubar
33. (39) Max Cookson
34. (63) Kyle Salemi
35. (01) Steve Chicoine
36. (60B) Tim Brackett
37. (93) Ryan Green
38. (61) TJ Brackett
39. (88) Brandon Barker
40. (29T) Austin Teras

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