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January 5

Santerre among highlights for Northeast Motorsports Expo

BY BILL STEWART Staff Writer

AUGUSTA -- Andy Santerre is coming back. So is Brad Leighton. Former Busch North Series car owner Steve Griswold will also be on hand for the 24th annual Northeast Motorsports Expo, which opens Friday at the Augusta Civic Center at 5 p.m.

NORTHEAST MOTORSPORTS EXPO

When: Friday through Sunday
Where: Augusta Civic Center
Cost: $9 for adults, $7.50 for seniors and $5 children 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Three-day passes are also available to adults for $20.

The event, which Stephen Perry of Mainely Motorsports puts on, runs from Friday through Sunday at the Civic Center.

It will feature an array of drivers, owners as well as author George Campbell, who will sign copies of his latest book, "Busch North Scene: The Busch Years 1987-2007."

Santerre, a Cherryfield native, was a four-time points champion on the Busch North Series. Leighton won a pair of Busch North championships -- in 1999 and 2000 -- while driving for Griswold.

Santerre will be at the event Friday and Saturday. He'll be available for autographs, Perry said.

"Him coming back is a highlight of the show," he said.

The show runs from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

Perry said between 3,000 and 4,000 people attended the show last year.

"We'll be around 4,000 plus," he said. "That isn't bad for a little motorsports show in Augusta, Maine in the middle of January."

Other attractions include the possible opportunity to meet the points champions in the highest class from each of the five Maine tracks.

Winthrop native Jeff White, who won the Late Model points championship at Oxford Plains Speedway, will attend the event. He will be joined by Madison native Jeff Burgess, who won the Late Model points title at Unity Raceway this year.

"It would be pretty cool to have all five champs sitting together," Perry said.

The show will also serve as a springboard to determine the first Maine Young Gun recipient.

Mainely Motorsports and Go Green Racing, based in Old Orchard Beach, teamed up this year to offer a Maine driver between the ages of 15 and 21 the opportunity to drive a car in a K&N Pro East race this fall.

Drivers can be nominated for the award.

A committee comprised of Perry, Go Green Racing founder Archie St. Hilaire, Santerre, Ricky Craven and Leighton will determine the 10 finalists this weekend.

"We have a lot of great, young talent in the state of Maine," Perry said. "This is an opportunity to go through the process."

Bill Stewart -- 621-5640

bstewart@centralmaine.com

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