Shorette Motorsports Squared

5/1/03 - Shorette Motorsports announced today that Ox will be contending for 2 titles at Unity Raceway during the 2003 Season. Paul will be returning to the Mini Stock ranks Sunday in the 1/2 back-up 1/2 primary car that he ran in the 50 lapper to end the 2002 season. Due to a few delays the Pinto will not be ready for opening day but The Family Truckster will be on the track soon. Shorette will also be returning to Unity's Late Model Pro 4 (formerly Sport 4) Division after a 1 year hiatus. The road to the championships begins this Sunday at 1:30pm.

Ox Comes Back From Early Mishap

10/27/02 - The Shorette Motorsports crew pieced a car together after last weekends trip to the wall so they could race for 50 laps and a chance at $500. Paul's finish in the heat race let him start towards the front of the pack in the feature. Just before the Mini Stock feature at Unity Raceway a truck blew in turns 1 & 2. The fluids from that caused many cars problems going into turns 1 & 2 on the first lap. Unfortunately Ox was one of them. Shorette went spinning onto pit road while others went to the infield. So instead of starting up front Paul was forced to start at the end of the pack. Once the track was cleaned up and the race went green again Ox started picking off the cars one by one. Shorette caught rival Dan Somes and the 2 fought each other hard and clean for the 3rd spot. Somes got a little loose coming off turn 2 with just a couple of laps to go and that was enough for Paul to hold him off and grab the 3rd spot for good. The 3rd place finish was a tremendous turn around from last weekend and a great way to finish the season.

Star & Lee Not Very Kind to Shorette Motorsports

10/20/02 - The annual Oktoberfest at Lee USA Speedway was held this past weekend. It looked like it would be a good weekend for Shorette Motorsports. Paul had his car handling well and was able to come home in 2nd during his qualifying heat race. The Road Runners went first so folks could head a few miles down the street to Star Speedway. Ox and the crew packed up and headed over to the 1/4 mile oval. It was the first time at the track for Paul and his only practice session was a small glimpse of what was in store on this weekend. Shorette went out to see what the track was like but his clutch started slipping so he came back into the pits after a couple of laps. The crew was able to work through a rain delay to fix the clutch. The out of towner had to start at the back of the 7 car heat race but was able to pass car after car until Ox was running 2nd. However, the leader had checked out by the time Paul got through the pack and he was unable to get higher than 2nd. In between races Shorette Motorsports was notified that there was a tight points battle and his car would not be scored for any points as to not factor in on the final points night. Paul had no problems with that as long as he could race. Ox did not get his qualifying spot in the feature but was forced to start dead last in the 14 car field. Paul was patient in the early going and on lap 3 while waiting for a hole to open 2 cars tangled together and Ox hit one of them head on. The damage was minor and after realizing that there would be no caution Shorette started flying through the field. Paul was aided by a caution a few laps later and made up 1/2 a track on the leader. When the green came back the 0x Mustang started picking off the cars one and some times two at a time. With 6 laps to go Ox had caught the leader. Going into turn one the leader tried to block Paul but he already had his nose inside and the 2 cars got together. Ox gathered his car back up but in the process lost a spot and was now running in 3rd. The next couple of laps saw the point leader running in 2nd place and blocking Shorette so he couldn't get by. With 2 laps to go Paul was black flagged so the cars running for points could settle things. With the strong showing at Star, Paul wants to return to the Speedway in 2003. Sunday looked to be a good afternoon for Ox. Paul started 3rd in the Road Runner feature at Lee USA. After the green flag dropped Shorette moved into 2nd and found himself battling with a familiar face, Dan Somes, for the lead. However, that battle wouldn't last as long as the 2 would have hoped as a 3rd car came into play. The 3rd car started bumping Somes in the rear with Paul on the outside. After a lap or 2 of this the car bounced off Somes and drove Shorette into the Lee wall at the end of the front stretch ending the 2 cars' day. The disappointing finish was even worse when the crew surveyed the damage and came to the conclusion that the car would not be able to be fixed by next weekend's finale at Unity Raceway.

Make up Features and Full Slate of Racing Gives Ox Slim Lead

8/31/02 - Things did not look good early for Shorette Motorsports as Paul's counter part in the points chase got into the left rear of Ox's Mustang as they were fighting for 3rd spot. The 2 cars went spinning in turn 3 and it looked like Shorette was going to have to come back through the field. However, Paul was able to get his spot back while his rival had to pit to change a front tire. Ox took advantage of the track position and was able to finish 2nd in the first round of Mini Stock features at Unity Raceway. As the night progressed the drivers settled down and the 2nd feature went incident free for Shorette Motorsports. As has been the case the majority of the season Ox had to come from the back of the pack to keep his slim points lead. And in typical fashion Paul did just that as he finished 4th in the second feature and just two spots from his counter part in the point race. At the end of the night Shorette went from tied in the points to a slim lead with just a few weeks remaining.

Short Day for Shorette Motorsports

8/24/02 - For weeks Mainers have been saying that we needed rain but race fans didn't want to see it on race day. The afternoon started out cloudy and drizzly. It stayed dry enough to get the heat races in at Unity Raceway but the rain got steady in time for the features and track management was forced to postpone the rest of the show until next Saturday. Ox experienced some problems in his heat race and almost lost control on the back stretch when he was run high coming off turn 2. Paul was able to save the car but he lost quite a few spots. The finish helped the 2nd place point car tie Shorette for the lead with 4 weeks (5 features) to go.

Ox Keeps Point Lead, Finishes 3rd

8/17/02 - It was another hot and muggy day at the track but for Shorette Motorsports it was a good day. As is the case every week point leader Paul Shorette was stuck starting the feature at the back of the pack. As Paul was moving up through the field one of the slower cars moved up a groove with Ox next to him letting the eventual winner and 2nd place cars get by when Shorette checked up. Paul ran side by side for 3rd place with Reg Bickford for much of the race and on the last lap both drivers gave it all they had and Ox inched out a 3rd place finish as he lost control at the start finish line. Paul was able to keep the car out of the bank as he went spinning into turn 1. The 3rd place finish helps Ox keep a slim lead in the point standings.

Bad Start Doesn't Slow Ox

8/10/02 - Starting on the back of the pack gives a greater percentage of something bad happening. Paul once again was stuck starting at the back of the field Saturday night. Going into turn 4 to take the green flag the cars infront of Ox slowed quickly and Shorette was getting in the gas to make his charge to the front. The result was a damaged hood and front fender. The damage didn't slow Paul down as in typical fashion he started his move to the front. Paul passed car after car but was not aided by any caution periods and ran out of laps to catch the leaders. Shorette crossed the finish line 6th but a post race inspection DQed the winner of the race and Paul picked up another top 5 finish.

Near Disaster Turns Into Great Finish

8/3/02 - It was another successful day at the track for Shorette Motorsports. Paul came from the back of the pack Saturday night as he went from 14th to 4th in 3 laps. On lap 3 point contender Matt Picard's car blew sending him spinning in front of Ox. Shorette got on the brakes and just missed getting caught up in the night's only caution. Since Paul did not make contact with the other car he was able to get his spot back and try to run down the Toyotas. Paul got by the first Toyota and battled side by side for the lead but he drifted a little high in turn 2 and lost 2nd place. Ox went after it again and after a tough battle was able to regain 2nd spot but the laps were winding down. Shorette went to the high side on the last lap but came up inches short of the win. The 2nd place finish aids Paul's point lead as all the cars close in points finished behind Ox.

Double Header Weekend Pays Off For Ox

7/28/02 - On Saturday, Paul started 14th in a field of 18 cars due to there being no qualifing races. When there are no qualifing races, the feature is lined up by points.With Paul being the points leader, this forced him to start at the rear of the field. Paul quickly raced thru the field. The mighty mustang was able to find its way to a forth place finish. Only being passed by one car.

On Sunday, Paul was once again forced to start at the tail end of the field in the qualifying race. By lap three, the Shorette Motorsports mustang was knocking on the door for first. Passing a mighty Toyota for the lead, Paul was able to win his second heat race of the season. This allowed him to start on outside pole in the feature. Once the green flag was dropped, the mustang jumped to the lead and never looked back. Weaving in and out of lapped traffic, there was never any pressure from behind. Paul led all 20 laps of the mini stock feature. This allowed him to increase his point lead.

Top Five Finish Helps Ox Keep Point Lead

7/20/02 - Paul had his Mini Stock Mustang dialed in Saturday night. The heat race saw Shorette come from the back to the front as he picked up his first heat win of the season. With last week's 3rd place finish in the second feature and leading the point standings Ox was stuck toward the back of the pack in the feature as well as his heat. Like the heat race Paul starting making his way to the front. Lap after lap Shorette got closer and closer to the front. Ox moved up as high as third in the main event but with just a couple of laps left lapped traffic got in the way forcing Paul to check up. When he did he lost 2 positions and was unable to get them back as he crossed the finish line in 5th spot. For the 2nd time this season Ox was aided by a post race disqualification and Shorette Motorsports officially finished in 4th place. After Saturday night Ox continues to lead the Mini Stock points standings by a slim margin.

Two Features, Two Top Fives For Ox

7/12/02 - Last week's rained out Mini Stock feature at Unity Raceway was made up Friday night. Paul was able to start up front in the first of two features. Ox lead the race for the first few laps but the car was extremely loose. Trying to fight off a challenge from the second place car Shorette got side ways off turn 2 and when he saved the car he lost the lead. The same thing happened three more times and Paul wound up finishing 5th in the first feature of the night. The second feature Shorette had to bring his Mustang through most of the pack as he started towards the back of the field. The car handled better in the 2nd feature and Ox picked off the cars lap after lap. The last car Shorette was able to pass was the third place car. The 3rd place finish helps Paul keep a slim lead in the point standings. The weekly racing series continues Saturday July 20th at 6pm at Maine's Toughest Oval, Unity Raceway.

Features Washed Out At Unity Raceway

7/6/02 - Point leader Paul Shorette was looking forward to another good night but the rain came and washed out practice. The rain stopped around 6pm and approximately 6:30 the track was dry enough to go racing. But the night was filled with off and on showers causing rain delay after rain delay. The Mini Stocks did get their heat races in and Ox came from the back to the front to fight for the lead at the end but the laps ran out and Paul came home in 2nd. The 2nd place finish put Shorette on the pole for the feature. The rain stopped for a few hours and it looked like the races would get in Saturday night. The pro stock division however, decided they would prefer to run a demo derby and the only feature to be completed took over 1 1/2 hours. Then it was fireworks time and by the time the 2nd feature started the skies opened up again with a light drizzle which turned to rain 10 laps in. The Mini Stock feature will be run Friday night at 7pm at Unity Raceway. Friday night will also include the regular weekly racing series scheduled for Friday as well.

Good Run Almost Turns Disasterous

6/29/02 - Paul Shorette went into Saturday night's racing at Unity Raceway leading the points in the Mini Stock division. It looked like it was going to be a great day for Shorette Motorsports when 2nd place point man Reg Bickford was a no show. Paul's car was running well in the heat race as he battled Seth Wills for the lead but coming up short to finish second. Shorette was going great in the Feature race as he led until lap 18. If this was a regular weekly racing series feature event Paul would have pulled out the victory. Instead it was Round #1 in the Triple Crown Series meaning Shorette had to hold on for an additional 10 laps. Paul ran second the rest of the way until the final lap. Coming out of turn 2 a lapped car decided to pit. The problem was he was on the inside of the track and Paul was passing him on the outside. The collision sent Shorette down pit road and Paul had to turn around and get back on the track to get the checkered flag. Thankfully there were not many cars on the lead lap and when Shorette corrected the spin and crossed the line he was still able to salvage a 6th place finish. The 6th place finish helped paul keep a slim margin in the point standings. Next weekend it's back to regular racing for the Mini Stocks at Unity Raceway with a Fireworks Show presented by the US Navy.

Another Top 10 For Shorette Motorsports

6/22/02 - Due to Paul's win a couple of week's ago and the fact that he is the point leader he had to start at the back of the pack again. Ox started Saturday's Mini Stock Feature 18th out of 20 cars and at the drop of the green he started to move up through the pack in the caution free event. Lap after lap in the early going Paul passed car after car. Once Shorette got into the top 10 the cars began to get more difficult to get by. Paul moved up to 7th and ran there for a few laps until the 8th place car decided to make it 3 wide almost causing a big wreck. Ox got shuffled back to 8th where he finished the race. The 8th place finish gives Paul a small lead in the point standings. Next weekend is the first of the Triple Crown series for the Mini Stocks at Unity Raceway.

Unity Washed Out Again

6/16/02 - Mother Nature has not been cooperative with the New England Area Race Tracks this weekend. Unity Raceway was no exception. With rains moving up the east coast and most of the New England tracks being forced to cancel Shorette Motorsports knew it was inevitable that the weather would force Unity to cancel as well. Track Management scheduled a make-up day of Sunday but Sunday saw more bad weather. Unity Raceway called the weekend a bust at approximately 1pm Sunday afternoon. Ox and the crew are hoping the sun will be shining next weekend so Shorette Motorsports can build on last week's win.

Ox Claims First Win of 2002

6/8/02 - After a couple of rain delays the Mini stocks took center stage at Unity Raceway. Paul received his best starting spot in the last few weeks. The Shorette Motorsports Mustang started outside the third row. Ox did not stay in 6th long as he picked of car after car in the caution free feature. On more than one occasion Paul squeezed his Mustang 3 wide trying to pass for position and get by lapped traffic at the same time. Shorette had a tough time getting by the 4th place car as they ran side by side for a few laps but Ox was not to be denied. Once he got into 3rd the next 2 spots seemed to go a little quicker. But the win was not guaranteed. It was a 3 car battle at the line for the win with Ox edging Seth Wills and Reg Bickford. The win helps Ox hold onto the points lead by a slim margin over Reg Bickford.

Ox Hangs On To Point Lead With 4th Place Finish

6/1/02 - The boys from the PASS tour were at Unity Raceway Saturday night eliminating heat races for the regular weekly series. Paul was forced to start 10th in the Mini-Stock Feature. Shorette was able to move through the field and norrowly missed a spinning Shawn Gilley that could have ended Ox's night. But like last weekend there just wasn't enough laps to get to the front. When the dust cleared and the checkered flag dropped Paul crossed the line in 4th. The 4th place finish allows Shorette to hold on to the points lead in the Steven Siding & Window Company Mini-Stocks.

5th Place Finish Gives Point Lead To Ox

5/25/02 - After finishing second in the last Feature, Shorette was forced to start at the back of the pack on Saturday. Paul was able to take advantage at the start of the race moving up from 16th to 12th on the first lap of the race. Ox was able to take advantage of the only caution a few laps in and pass 4 more cars on the restart. Shorette continued his charge to the front passing cars 2 and 3 wide but the leaders were able to get a big enough lead that Paul could not catch them without another caution. Ox crossed the finish line 7th. Then the oddities began at the tech garage. Both the first and third placed cars were disqualified moving Paul to 5th. The 5th place finish should give Shorette Motorsports the point lead when the official standings come out next weekend.

Unity Raceway Rained Out Again

5/18/02 - Mother Nature has not been cooperative the first month of the racing season. With over 40 PASS Pro-Stocks waiting at the gate for the 150 Lap Main Event the skies unleashed with a flurry giving track management no choice but to postpone the races. This is the 2nd rain out of the early season. The PASS 150 will be run Saturday 6/1/02 with a rain date of Sunday 6/2/02.

Shorette Motorsports Debuts New Web-Site

5/11/02 - Shorette Motorsports teamed up with MOBBWEB Internet Services to help get more exposure for the small race team. The new website can be found at www.shorettemotorsports.com. Paul "Ox" Shorette wants a site that can get exposure for his team all over New England and help his team exchange info with other teams to make all parties perform better. MOBBWEB has done racing sites like Catch22Racing.com and NewEnglandRacingLinks.com. They have representatives at Unity Raceway every week so Shorette Motorsports will be able to get a personal touch with ShoretteMotorsports.com.