7/28/2025
Unity Raceway
Birthday Boy Hoyt Wins Wild SCoNE Show at Unity
UNITY, Maine (July 27, 2025) – Dirt track racing fans in Maine surely got their money’s worth on Friday, July 25, as the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour (SCoNE) put on a barnburner at Unity Raceway. Defending champion Matt Hoyt survived a metal-bending race and manhandled a lightning-fast car to steal the win away from Travis Billington and post his first victory of the season – a welcome present on his 25th birthday.
Unity’s rustic, covered grandstand was jam-packed with fans who brought high energy to the start of the 25-lap A-Main feature, but the grandstand was quickly hushed as a multi-car accident in the first corner of the race sent Caiden Herbert flipping wildly. After a few tense moments under the red flag, the 2024 McGee SCoNE Tour Rookie of the Year climbed out of his car uninjured, but his car was demolished. Also collected in the incident and forced to retire with damage was championship point leader Matt Tanner.
When the race restarted, it was two-time champion Will Hull out front and initially threatening a runaway. As the laps wore on, though, rookie Tyler Chartrand began catching Hull. When Hull reached lapped traffic, Chartrand really cut his deficit down and began to challenge for the lead. It all came apart with 11 laps complete; as Hull was lapping Mark Reynolds on the outside in Turn 3, Chartrand tried to fill an opening to the inside of Reynolds in a three-wide move, but contact with Reynolds sent Chartrand’s car cartwheeling. Chartrand was uninjured but out of the race, and at the same time, Hull’s engine quit, leaving him out of the race.
Suddenly, Travis Billington found himself up front for the restart. Though Billington is a native of South Glens Falls, NY, he had the home crowd on his side aboard the Dave Bowser-owned No. 23B car, which is the only Maine-based car on the McGee SCoNE Tour. Billington ran away for a few laps and appeared to be headed for his first-ever SCoNE win, but Hoyt tracked him down. The two engaged in a thrilling side-by-side fight with Hoyt charging on the outside lane, and they traded the lead twice per lap for three consecutive three laps.
Hoyt finally cleared Billington and took command on lap 22, only to be slowed by the final caution flag one circuit later as third-place runner Tunk Berry’s outstanding run came to an end with a mechanical problem. At the restart, Campton, NH’s Hoyt was able to fend everyone off and grab his first win of the 2025 season, which was met with a rowdy celebration with his family and team in victory lane, and an appreciative crowd cheering.
Billington settled second for the fifth time in his SCoNE career, officially. Jake Williams hung around the top five all race long and finished third. Floyd Billington – father of the runner-up – came from deep in the field to finish fourth, and Kadyn Berry held on for fifth place despite a badly suffering engine in the final laps. Troy Comeau was sixth, followed by Shawn Lawler. Tunk Berry got credit for eighth place ahead of Reynolds and Mac MacDuffie.
RACE NOTES:
• A field of 14 cars attended the Unity Raceway event.
• Matt Hoyt’s victory was his first of the 2025 SCoNE season and was the eighth of his SCoNE career, giving him sole possession of ninth place on the Tour’s all-time win list. He is the first repeat winner in six SCoNE feature races held at Unity Raceway since 2023.
• Seven of the Top 10 finishers posted their best result of the 2025 season: Matt Hoyt (1st), Travis Billington (2nd), Jake Williams (3rd), Kadyn Berry (5th), Shawn Lawler (7th), Mark Reynolds (9th), and Mac MacDuffie (10th). For Lawler, the 2007 McGee SCoNE Tour champion, it was his first Top 10 since rejoining the series after about a decade away, and for rookie MacDuffie, it was the first Top 10 of his Sprint Car career.
• The two qualifying heat races were won by Will Hull and Tyler Chartrand.
• Chris Downs Motorsports presented the Hard Charger Award, with a $50 bonus going to Floyd Billington, who started 13th and finished fourth to gain nine positions.
• Mark Reynolds won a $50 bonus from Dave Bowser Motorsports as the top-finishing rookie in ninth place; Mac MacDuffie finished 10th and Tyler Chartrand was 12th.
• Through the first six events of the McGee Automotive Family SCoNE Tour schedule, Matt Tanner holds the championship lead with 250 points. Travis Billington is a close second at 244, and Matt Hoyt is also close at 240. Jake Williams (219) and Floyd Billington (206) round out the top five.
• Hoyt leads the Maine State Championship standings through the first of three events at Unity Raceway with 57 points. Travis Billington is second with 53 and Jake Williams is third at 49.
The McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour has a week off before a doubleheader weekend on August 9-10 at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT. To learn more about the Sprint Cars of New England, visit www.nesprintcars.com or find “SCoNE – Sprint Cars of New England” on Facebook. For more information about McGee Mazda Claremont, NH, McGee Toyota of Claremont, NH, and McGee Toyota of Epping, NH, visit their award-winning dealerships or click on McGeeCars.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS – McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England
Unity Raceway – Unity, Maine
Friday, July 25, 2025
A-Main Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(#) – denotes rookie
(6) Matt Hoyt, Campton, NH; 2. (5) Travis Billington, South Glens Falls, NY; 3. (8) Jake Williams, Tuftonboro, NH; 4. (13) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, NY; 5. (7) Kadyn Berry, Goffstown, NH; 6. (12) Troy Comeau, Wentworth, NH; 7. (4) Shawn Lawler, Nashua, NH; 8. (2) Tunk Berry, North Conway, NH; 9. (10) # Mark Reynolds, Hudson Falls, NY; 10. (14) # Mac MacDuffie, Salisbury, NH; 11. (1) Will Hull, Plainfield, VT; 12. (3) # Tyler Chartrand, Johnsonville, NY; 13. (9) Matt Tanner, Stephentown, NY; 14. (11) Caiden Herbert, New Hampton, NH.
Lap Leaders (2 lead changes among 3 drivers): Will Hull, 1-11; Travis Billington, 12-21; Matt Hoyt, 22-25.
Cautions (3): Lap 0 [red]. Lap 11 [red], Lap 23.
Article Credit: Unity Raceway